FareCompare Sees Signs of Softening Airfares to Europe

[SunFunCruiser]

FareCompare Sees Signs of Softening Airfares to Europe

Published on: March 13, 2009

 

The airfare comparison website FareCompare.com is reporting “incredibly low” ticket prices for European travel. Rick Seaney, CEO of FareCompare, said the big question is whether or not the usual summer season airfares of $1,000 to $1,500 will hold. Thus far, he said, most ticket prices have been at $1,000 or more. However, he said that he has detected some tweaking from legacy trans-Atlantic carriers to slowly extend the travel departure window for their cheaper prices points into early summer. For example, just after midnight Wednesday, US Airways and Delta extended their travel departure window on some routes for the cheapest ticket prices into early June. Also, FareCompare’s daily nonstop European tracking index has noted American Airlines dropping an average of $60 in the past week on it non-stop trans-Atlantic routes for departures in early June. The bottom line for consumers this year, said Seaney, is that they will probably have a shot to purchase tickets at the cheapest prices this century for European travel if they can muster up the will power to purchase these bigger ticket trips amidst the U.S. financial turmoil. For more information, visit http://www.farecompare.com.

[Globaliser]

And for some anecdotal evidence, see this thread: Low Air Fares to Europe

[SunFunCruiser]

Salt in the wound. I booked three weeks ago and we are paying $1,273.00 each, for 4 tickets! UGH Delta will change the price for $250.00 each, but I'm not going to shell out $1,000 to get a credit of $1,200.00.