Cheap Flight Tactics

Just getting there can be the most expensive part of your trip. Here are some strategies to help you get the lowest airfares to Europe.


Consolidator Fares
Consolidators are travel agencies that buy seats in bulk from the airlines. These fares are usually best for transatlantic flights and other distant international destinations. Because of limited availability, be sure to book months ahead of time. It’s also important to note that most discount airlines and no-frills airlines do not sell their seats to consolidators.

• flights.com
• allcheapfares.com
• justfares.com
• airdeals.com
• economytravel.com
• cheapair.com
• flycheapabroad.com
• airfare.com

Low Cost Transatlantic Airlines
Some airlines can always be counted on to have the lowest transatlantic fares. There are exceptions, especially in summer, when the low-cost airlines work the law of supply and demand just like everyone else.

• Air Lingus: Cheap flights to Ireland.
• LTU: Good rates to Germany and Central Europe.
• Zoom: Great prices between Canada and Europe.
• Iceland Air: Great rates to Europe with a free stopover in Iceland. Check the website for frequent specials.

No Frills Flights
Find dramatically low fares by flying the airlines that cut the passenger perks. While you may not get a free cup of coffee on your flight, you will be happy knowing that you are paying the least amount possible to get from point A to point B. There are number of these airlines within Europe, and you can search most of them at one time with the Eurotrip No Frills Booking Engine.

Consider When You Are Going
Airlines base their fares on a hi-low system which means high season is in the summer when MOST people travel, then comes fall shoulder season and then winter season is from Nov 1 to march 31 (except for the week before & after Christmas). Lowest fares means lowest amount of travelers.
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Airline Sales
Sometimes it’s better to buy directly from the airline itself. Keep an eye out — many times airlines post web-only fares that are a significant savings over online travel brokers. Stay informed with:

• Eurotrip Cheap Flights Forum: Keep up to date on airline trends, sales, and fares
• Airfare Watchdog: One of the most comprehensive websites for hidden fare reductions
• Travelzoo: Not airfare specific, but it can be a great source of information on airline sales.

Charters
Charters are a good choice for cheap airfares and are no longer as risky as in recent years. According to resident airline expert Don, “in the 90s, risky was true, but they’ve got a good track record now, except Globespan’s recent troubles at JFK.” He goes on to say that, “with charters, payments are held in escrow until travel is completed. I have read that safety standards are stricter for charters serving the USA than for regular commercial airlines.” All this being said, it may be wise to check the background of the company with whom you are dealing, and remember that charters are not always the cheapest option. The best luck you’ll have finding a charter company to Europe is by doing a simple web-search for “charter airfare”.

Gateway Cities
Find the cheapest airfare to Europe by flying into a hub like London or Dublin then transferring to a flight on a no frills airline to your ultimate destination. This can give you the flexibility of stopping over in the hub city for no additional cost and save you a considerable amount of money over flying direct, but you will be responsible if one airline causes you to miss a connection with a different airline.