Flying to Europe

By Rick Steves

Many of the same guidelines for flying to Europe apply, whether you buy your ticket online or from a travel agent (both explained below). The specific rules and regulations are confusing and always changing, but when you make the right choice, you get the right price. Plan on spending $700–1,200 for your basic round-trip ticket, plus another $300–500 in fuel surcharges, taxes, and other fees.

Dollars saved = discomfort + restrictions + inflexibility. Assuming you know your options, you get what you pay for. There's no such thing as a free lunch in the airline industry. (In fact, these days, there's usually no lunch at all.) Full fare is very expensive. You get the ultimate in flexibility, but I've never met anyone spending his or her own money who flew that way.

Rather than grab the cheapest ticket to Europe, go with the best combination of reliability, economy, and flexibility for your travel needs. Some completely refundable fares can be cheaper than the "full fare" version. Or it may make sense to buy a less-expensive ticket and pay the penalty if you need to change.

Buy your tickets at the right time. Look for tickets as soon as you’re ready to firmly commit to flight dates and ports. As you delay, dates sell out and prices generally go up. Special fares are limited to a few seats to jump-start departures. It’s wise to look for tickets four to six months before you fly. Book your spring and summer travel in January, February, and March. In general, the sooner the better — but not all of the best fares are available in January, so keep an eye on the airfares (if booking on your own, check websites such as www.farecompare.com and use the "Farecast Technology" at www.bing.com/travel; if working with a travel agent, ask for advice on the best time to buy). Fall travel should probably be booked by May or June, because the trend for airfare prices and availability is known by then. If you're traveling in September — a very popular time to fly to Europe (particularly the first half of the month) — start looking even earlier. Travel during winter — November through March — can be purchased a month or so in advance (with the exception of winter breaks and holidays, which require earlier booking).

Airfares vary by season and by day. Find out when "peak season" begins and ends. At certain crucial times, moving your flight by one day (out of peak and into shoulder season) could save you hundreds of dollars. Likewise, fares are generally a bit cheaper for travel Monday through Thursday than for weekends.

Be aware of surcharges and taxes. Since fuel prices have experienced wide fluctuations in recent years, most airlines now levy a hefty "fuel surcharge," which varies depending on the airline and the price of fuel. Charges for checked bags are another headache. Combined with airport taxes (which vary by city), these fees can add hundreds of dollars to your total ticket price. A "cheap" $300 round-trip off-season flight to London can more than double in price when all the fees are included...not quite such a bargain after all. It's always smart to figure out the complete price before you commit.

Consider flying "open jaw." I almost always fly "open jaw": into one city and out of another. In general, the fare is figured simply by taking half of the round-trip fare for each of those ports. I used to fly into Amsterdam, travel to Istanbul, and then (having rejected the "open jaw" plan because flying home from Istanbul costs $200 more than returning from Amsterdam) pay $200 to ride the train for two days back to Amsterdam to catch my "cheap" return flight. Now I see the real economy in spending more for "open jaw." "Open jaw" is cheapest when the same airline covers each segment of the round-trip journey.

Look into consolidator fares. These fares — which can be sold by travel agents or online — are often cheaper than buying direct from the airline. Consolidators are wholesalers who negotiate with airlines to get deeply discounted fares on a number of tickets, which they then sell cheaply (but with a mark-up) to travelers. While consolidator tickets can be a great deal, they can be more restrictive than those bought from airlines: They're "nonendorsable" (meaning that no other airline is required to honor that ticket if your airline is unable to get you home — though in practice this is rarely a problem), and you may not get frequent-flyer miles. And if the airline drops its prices (which often happens), you are stuck with what was, but no longer is, a cheap fare. If buying a consolidator ticket, ask carefully about cancellation policies and other restrictions.

Budget flights are restrictive. Most are nonchangeable and nonrefundable, but some offer changes on the return dates for a penalty of about $200. Even then, you typically need to make changes at least 24 hours before your departure to avoid losing the entire value of the ticket. If you need to change your return date in Europe, call your airline's European office. If that fails, I've found airlines become more lenient if you go to their office in person with a good reason for your need to change the return date. If you must get home early, go to the airport. If you're standing at the airport two days before your ticket says you can go home, and seats are available, regardless of the rules, they may let you fly home early (at no extra cost). They win a happy customer and gain two more days to try to sell an empty seat. Besides, at that point, it's the easiest way to get rid of you.

Expect to get an electronic ticket. E-tickets are here to stay — most airlines no longer issue paper tickets. While travelers with an e-ticket can fly simply with a photo I.D., it's always smart to bring the printed receipt with you in case there are complications at the airport. Be sure the receipt has your e-ticket number, not just the airline’s reservation code.

Reserve a specific seat for maximum comfort. Most airlines let you choose your seat when you book. To avoid being squeezed in the middle of a row, pick one as early as possible. For pointers, see Seat Guru.

Review your ticket carefully when you book it. Double-check your dates, destinations, and exact spelling of your name. A simple second look as soon as you get your tickets can give you a chance to fix any mistakes...and save you enormous headaches later.

Check in online before heading to the airport. Most carriers' websites allow you to check in and print your boarding pass from home (or from your European hotel) 24 hours before departure time. This is a good way to confirm your flight schedule and seat assignment, and can save you from waiting in check-in lines at the airport.