Flight ticket strategies

My daughter and her husband live Atlanta and went to Greece with us in May. They flew on Turkish air through Istanbul to Athens for far less than delta. I think delta was $1400 to $1500 and they paid about $850. I don’t know if Turkish air goes where you want to go but worth looking into.

We rented cars in Greece through local companies not big name ones. But if you want to rent from one location and return to another, you are more limited in options and it will be more expensive. If on this trip, you will be renting and returning to same location, I would suggest you ask specifically on this board for recommendations for the location you will rent from. That is how I found the rental companies we used.

Beth

I can't speak about car rentals as we don't rent cars. I can speak about Delta.

I think Delta's king-of-the-castle situation at ATL is a downer for ATL residents. ATL is theirs and they know it. I was relieved to read that you didn't latch on to some third-party scheme earlier this year. The price of buying that DL itinerary 60 days in advance is that your seats were inferior to what you could have gotten had you bought the tickets earlier.

DL has a strong presence at JFK with Terminals 2 and 4 mostly theirs that provide lots of nonstop flights to European destinations. There are times when DL has deals to European cities on nonstop flights to compete with European airlines flying into JFK. While I typically don't recommend JFK as a place to change planes because of the Airtrain that takes you landside if you change terminals, with DL on one itinerary traveling in the spring or fall when the weather is best, it's not bad and there is no Airtrain. You can stay airside on the outbound flights to Europe. If you land from ATL at T2, for example, you can take the shuttle to T4 and that shuttle is airside. No additional security lines.

On the way home, there are lines at immigration so I would allow 2.5-3 hours to connect to the flight to ATL. You could look into pricing a ticket in which you connect at JFK going out and return to ATL nonstop. Compare open-jaw prices as well as roundtrips connecting at JFK to each of the European airports you are considering.

When we traveled through Slovenia and Croatia for 2 weeks in 2015, we rented from Sixt in Zagreb and dropped it in Dubrovnik. We only paid $268 for the 2 weeks and it was a manual compact that was large enough for the 4 of us.

We use our American Express card for our car insurance when we travel abroad (you call AE ahead of time and they charge you $25) so we don't ever buy any insurance from the rental company.

A few years ago, I knew of three instances where renting a car in Italy was cheaper through Kemwel than through either AutoEurope or directly from the car rental companies. Kemwel is now a sister company of AutoEurope, but they can have different prices. It's certainly worth a look.

As for flights, even from New York, Croatia and Slovenia can be expensive and roundabout (no nonstops to either one). And there simply is no rhyme or reason to flight prices. Looking right now for September, I'm seeing some places come up very cheap and others much more expensive, not for clear reasons.

Do look at Turkish Air - they're quite nice, and often have good prices. A big issue is that they often take longer than other alternatives, because you have to go to Istanbul then "double back" west. However, since there are no nonstops to your destination anyway, Turkish Air may not be particularly slower or more roundabout than other options.

DL has a strong presence at JFK with Terminals 2 and 4 mostly theirs that provide lots of nonstop flights to European destinations. There are times when DL has deals to European cities on nonstop flights to compete with European airlines flying into JFK. While I typically don't recommend JFK as a place to change planes because of the Airtrain that takes you landside if you change terminals, with DL on one itinerary traveling in the spring or fall when the weather is best, it's not bad and there is no Airtrain. You can stay airside on the outbound flights to Europe. If you land from ATL at T2, for example, you can take the shuttle to T4 and that shuttle is airside. No additional security lines.

I have only anecdotal evidence of this, but it seems to me like Delta really has its act together in transferring people from domestic to international flights at JFK. On a family trip to Rome earlier this year, six of us were connecting to the same international flight, arriving into JFK from three different US cities, and two of those connections were quite short (not much more than an hour). All of us arrived into Terminal 4, and those with the short connections didn't even have to walk very far between gates. From what we heard from talking to Delta representatives, it seems like they do that on purpose: assign gates to domestic flights at JFK based on whether anybody onboard is connecting to an international flight. It seems like that could easily all go wrong when flights start getting delayed, but I've only ever seen it go smoothly.

For Italy we booked directly with Hertz.

Hertz is one of the most expensive rental agencies out there, so it's not surprising that you paid a lot. If their domestic rates are any indication, then booking with them directly doesn't pay unless perhaps you're in their loyalty program and they can get you a much better deal. Many people here use third-party consolidator sites for booking cars because they're much more competitive in terms of prices. I think where you went wrong is simply that you didn't comparison shop and that's imperative when it comes to high ticket items. Don't be afraid to use third party sites, but do read all the fine print.

The only thing I can add to the previous good comments about flights is this: Fares are very specific to date of purchase, date of flight, origin and destination. When you set up fare-monitoring, it's only good for the parameters you supply. You won't be notified if the fare drops sharply for a date 5 or 7 days earlier. For that reason I do my own checking, and I try to remember to look once a day, as early as possible. I explore a variety of dates and a variety of destination airports.

No search technique is going to turn up a fabuous fare if none exists, and ATL is known to be a challenging origin. All you can do is try. For the last two years, autumn has seen some good buying opportunities on some routes, but the price dips sometimes lasted as little as 24 hours.

Thanks for the replies, so far! I really appreciate it.

Regarding Turkish Air, you guessed it.....The big deal is the 15 hour, or so, layover. That sounds rough after a Trans-Atlantic flight. At first I thought it adventurous, then I wondered how my husband and I would not fall asleep somewhere during that time and miss our connection! We did fly from ATL, through JFK, to Venice this past May (then directly home from Rome). We had to go in early May and the nonstop routes didn't start until the following week. Everything went smoothly, but we certainly had some pre-flight jitters since we weren't familiar with JFK and only had an hour to transfer. My husband did his homework and got us to the gate smoothly. So, is there anything to this Scott's cheap flights phenomenon? Or is it for those who are willing to do just about anything to get someplace great for a very low price? My husband and I are getting to that place in life where convenience needs to count for something! :-)

Hi, Agnes. You're correct --- Hertz is ridiculous. I only used them because I was familiar but I'm doing more upfront work on flights and rental cars this time.

Thanks, acraven. That makes sense.

So, is there anything to this Scott's cheap flights phenomenon? Or is
it for those who are willing to do just about anything to get
someplace great for a very low price? My husband and I are getting to
that place in life where convenience needs to count for something! :-)

It's a third-party operation. Look at the cheesy name, "Scott's Cheap Flights"; it's meant to lure in people who travel rarely thinking they've found a goldmine of opportunity. If any of the flights were cancelled, you would be on your own. It isn't like $300-$400 to "far flung locations" means they can fund 24/7 call centers accessible worldwide to reroute you when problems arrive. You better verify in advance that any 3rd party website that offers some "too good to be true" offers HAS 24/7 customer service access from all over the world in case your flights are cancelled. Flights are cancelled because of weather, mechanical or any force majeure. If it's too good to be true....

I have only anecdotal evidence of this, but it seems to me like Delta
really has its act together in transferring people from domestic to
international flights at JFK. On a family trip to Rome earlier this
year, six of us were connecting to the same international flight,
arriving into JFK from three different US cities, and two of those
connections were quite short (not much more than an hour). All of us
arrived into Terminal 4, and those with the short connections didn't
even have to walk very far between gates. From what we heard from
talking to Delta representatives, it seems like they do that on
purpose: assign gates to domestic flights at JFK based on whether
anybody onboard is connecting to an international flight. It seems
like that could easily all go wrong when flights start getting
delayed, but I've only ever seen it go smoothly.

I think all 6 of you were just lucky. I'm a Delta client for decades now. Short flights like from Boston, Pittsburgh, and all routes on Delta Connection flights use gates at Terminal 4 that are the furthest away -- B40s to the B50s. European flights tend to depart from the B20 into the B30s.

I'm happy connecting worked out for you!

I agree, Continental. The name says a lot. My curiosity lingers because often times you can actually purchase the tickets direct from the airlines and not Scott's. I've checked out a couple of his offers by clicking directly on the Delta link. There they were (not when and where I wanted to go but at least legitimate). I do not purchase from third parties, personally. It seems that most deals are way off season.

Croatia and Slovenia aren't big airline markets for flights originating in the US in the same way that Frankfurt or London are, so the best you can do is be as flexible as you can with flights, track them over several months, and don't worry about prices as far out as you're looking now (they will change). Flying into Split was one of my most expensive flights to Europe because there wasn't too much competition in terms of getting there (I had to do a codeshare of Lufthansa and Croatia Air). I could have flown to a European base first, stayed overnight or for a few days and then flown onto Split - it probably would have been cheaper but I was pressed more for time than the fare difference. So I would figure out where your flexibilities are and use them to your advantage. I did the Turkish Air stopovers a couple of times and they worked well for me, but it may not work for someone else. It's never a bad idea to think outside the box and get creative.

About Scott's Cheap Flights...we have one person in our RS Travel Group who used it and was happy with it. It may not work for every destination, that doesn't mean it's totally worthless (who cares about the name? that's called an ad hominem argument - totally irrelevant). Personally, I think every avenue is worth considering if you understand the tradeoffs. I tend not to think of worst case scenarios to talk myself out of trying something new.

Well said, Agnes. That's why I'm taking the time to look at all sorts of avenues, including flying into London, Paris, Amsterdam, etc. and using EasyJet, Ryan Air, etc. to get to my final destination. In fact, when we leave Dubrovnik we'll need to take Easy Jet to Venice or Milan, stay at least overnight, and fly direct to Atlanta from there. Doing lots of research has helped me to see the possibilities. Admittedly, it's both enjoyable and time-consuming as you all know. And a tad frustrating at times. I just wanted to consider something other than going to the Delta site and using up all of my hard earned airmiles in one trip or paying whatever Delta thought I should. Good airlines. Great routes. Just needed to consider all the alternatives with the motivation of traveling more or staying longer at my favorite destinations. :-) Getting away from the Hertz-only search for rental cars should help as well. Again, great company. I just need to not shy away from unfamiliar alternatives. There are too many places my husband and I want to go!

I used Scott’s Cheap Flights for a trip from Washington Dulles to Amsterdam this past March. They were showing an airfare of $394 on United, round-trip, and that’s what we got. You do not book through Scott’s cheap flights; you book directly with the airline. The email from Scott’s cheap flights also includes suggestions on how to use Google flights and Momondo to be sure you are getting the best price.

I signed up for the email several months before booking, and just kept an eye out for good fares to Amsterdam for the dates I was interested in. I actually saw a price of $350 a few weeks later, but I had already bought our tickets and was happy with the price and the schedule, so I didn’t worry about that $50 I might have been able to save.

I have not seen much for Europe in the high season, but they do publicize a number of cheap options for September through May so you might be able to get something that works for you. I would keep looking for tickets for your trip next May. Have an idea of your timing but be flexible, and leap on any good deal you find!

I fly from a small end of the line airport served by Delta so I fly it almost exclusively. There have been flights on Horizon to SEA but Alaska has pulled out of the market so it'll only be Delta.

Delta does have sales so sign up for their emails. The sales do me no good because they prices are from hubs and when you add in the segment from Lewiston to SEA or SLC it's the same as regular. HOWEVER, it might do you some good!

I don't think anyone mentioned that you might be able to do a low-cost carrier from wherever you land in Europe to your destination. I'd want a day in between flights as they are not protected under one ticket.

Also...I never discuss airfare or car rental prices. People are always getting "deals" and it used to drive me nuts and make me feel bad. I decided I would go for a fare I thought I could live with and not look back at the website nor discuss with others.

If I can fly on one of the non-stops out of Salt Lake City to London/Paris/AMS I will choose that over any other routing, particularly changing at an airport on the East coast.

We changed at JFK on the way home from Edinburgh last month and it just added in time and hassle. At the last minute the Delta flight time was showing an hour extra. Same departure time, same flight #, same kind of aircraft. One of the flight crew was standing at the gate, not busy and I asked him about it. He was so sweet, said they factor in a ton of extra time at JFK because it can take 50 minutes from the pushing back at the gate to being #1 in line for take off. I asked if they could step on it once airborne so we could catch our connection home and that made him laugh. He actually managed it and got us in at the original scheduled time! So funny. Yes, he was in the cockpit looking out when I deplaned and I thanked him profusely.

And, sigh...$1400 looks great to me. Mine usually run around $1600-$1700. I've paid as much as $2100 when booking late in the game. I wanted to go so I bit the bullet.

Mcalico,
I check the Delta website almost weekly for flights to destinations I am interested in. I sometimes can snag a deal and when that happens, I purchase on the spot. Last summer, I bought Atlanta to Paris and Amsterdam to Atlanta, nonstop both ways, for $537. We went in April and had a wonderful time! I immediately posted the sale on the forum for the benefit of others here. I think flying Delta in/out of Atlanta is a blessing and a curse: an abundance of destinations but then we are captive and often have to pay the price for that. This is why I check Delta’s website so often and I don’t set any alerts. I earn miles on every trip because one day I will decide to start using my miles. For now, I purchase flights with cold hard cash.
I try to not engage in the “deals” discussion as I always feel badly except for my $537 deal which is pretty awesome. I do find that I can get a good price on RT Nonstop to London. And, then take a train or fly to the next city once in Europe.
As Pam said, I decide what price I can live with and then I go on with my life. I am in the financial industry and have grown accustomed to people asking what’s the best stock to buy. As if! I say let’s make an appointment and talk about you.
I’m flying Turkish Air nonstop RT to Istanbul this October for $1,127 which includes extra legroom both ways. This seems a reasonable price to me and I paid it back in March.
Your time is also valuable and spending it flying multiple legs to get a cheap price does not seem like a good use of your precious resource.

As far as renting cars in Europe, I don’t want to drive on my vacation but that’s just me.
Others have made excellent suggestions in addressing your questions so I hope this helps.
Btw, we have an Atlanta travel group that just happens to be meeting this Saturday! We have a neat group and would invite you to come see what we’re all about.

1) Flights. I have scored some amazing fares (under $600) in the past few years by jumping on fare sales mentioned on this forum -- but I was not looking for "fares to location x on date y", just saw a great fare to Paris or Italy during a multi-month time frame and decided "yes, that would be fun." Yes, I also subscribe to the free version of Scott's Cheap Flights and look at the emails to see what's new; the service specifies that you book flights on your own, not through them.
2) car rentals -- I have used AAA discounts with Hertz, used AutoEurope, used Enterprise, used Costco discounts (only in the U.S. so far), so I check a bunch of places each time. Not locked into any one vendor.
3) car rental insurance -- I used to use the $27-per-rental insurance on rentals through American Express; now used the included insurance from my Chase Sapphire Reserve card, but I always check with the card issuer to make sure the insurance is valid in the country where I am renting.

I think someone else said it, but I’ll repeat that there’s little rhyme or reason to flight prices. However, when we traveled to Croatia and Slovenia a few years ago, I found flying into or from Ljubljana was significantly more expensive than to or from Zagreb. You could check on one of the sites like kayak.com If that is still true, you might be able to structure your itinerary to avoid that airport. Also, just for your information, the Ljubljana airport is quite far from town. I wouldn’t want to try driving from there in a jet-lagged condition.

One thing to consider on car rentals is Auto Europe. I am a Hertz Gold Card holder and I have so many options for discounts on Hertz and I could not get a decent rate on my trip last month to Europe. I have rented from Auto Europe on previous trips and tried it for my Italy trip, picking up in Florence and returning to Siena. They provided a number of options for automatic minivans (had 6 people and luggage) and I ultimately rented from Hertz through Auto Europe for $300 less for the week. Also, Auto Europe is great to work with if your car is damaged (parking lot incident). Since Auto Europe is a consolidator for multiple car agencies, you get to view a wider range of options than just going to one company.

Enjoy your trip.

Good Friday morning, All! Many thanks for your thoughtful responses! You have both confirmed my research and enlightened me to new thoughts.

Rereading your posts, I'm seeing that there is no rhyme or reason to flight $ fluctuations. Rather than set flight tracking, it's best to do a quick, daily search on such sites as Kayak, Delta, etc.... Scott's Cheap Flights is simply another tool to monitor pricing and there can be some good deals to be had. I would certainly purchase the tickets directly from the airlines. It seems that most deals are mid-Sept to mid-May. Understandably, it's much more difficult to find great fares in peak travel times. I must confess that I've been a loyal Delta customer for decades. I can't remember when I've flown another airlines. Over the years my husband and I have watched people deplane and hear them speak of catching the next flight to get home. We just drive down the road and are very thankful. Also, the airmiles add up and it's really nice to fly nonstop to the Caribbean for 35k airmiles. (That's why I don't jump on the very reasonable March/April fares to Europe....I'm scuba diving in warm waters! :-) I'm sure this convenience costs us, but it really is nice. Delta does tend to have very good fares to London, Paris, AMS and it seems reasonable to consider a low cost carrier from any of those locations to where we want to go. The east coast opportunities to Europe are incredible to me. I'll keep an eye on those, too. One thing I'm still wondering is how lodging fits into all of this. Wouldn't you book your lodging first to get that quaint apartment or small family-run hotel in the characteristic part of the city or overlooking the sea, let's say? Isn't where you stay even more important that how you get there? I have a couple of colleagues that do what Laura B. mentioned.... watch for great fares to anywhere, grab one, and go. Do you get to stay where you want in those cases?

Harold, I will check out Kemwel for our next trip to Italy. Carla, I did check out the AMEX CDW policy and we'll definitely do that! Rosalyn, flying into Zagreb is on my radar as well as flying into Ljubljana. And I can't ignore the ATL to VCE roundtrip that would work for a Slovenia/Croatia trip. Judy, the ATL travel group sounds interesting! Want to PM me to give some details? :-)

One thing I'm still wondering is how lodging fits into all of this.

Lodging is a lot easier to get, and more flexible, than getting an airline ticket. I book lodging after I have my airfare set, otherwise I have no idea about exact dates and cities where I need the lodging. I've never had any issues finding a place to stay that's nice. I don't rely (or even read) guidebook recommendations or limit myself to mom and pop places. I go on www.booking.com and I feel like I have a good selection based on different criteria and price levels (I typically book 4-6 months out or so, sometimes much closer to trip time). I compare prices on the hotel's own site and any other site where it's listed. Obviously, you have to make sure no major event is going on during your trip that can really spike lodging prices.

It sounds like loyalty to certain airlines or pure habit (of booking with certain car rentals) is holding you back from getting better prices. That's easy to solve - comparison shop, ignore past habits, be open to different booking sites, and be as flexible as you can. There actually is a rhyme and reason to airfares, but not from the perspective of the consumer. Airlines use sophisticated algorithms to set multiple prices for the same seat which change constantly based on many variables, including demand. No human brain is capable of figuring out those calculations, or try to second-guess when a price will go down for their preferred flight. That's why those alert systems exist; they use their own algorithms to crunch huge sets of data and "predict" favorable outcomes for the folks that sign up to get the alerts. But all predictions have degrees of errors in them, and that's why you'll find people for whom alerts work and others for whom they don't. I don't put stock in any single approach, I cobble together a mix of approaches and have been happy with the results.

I'll also add something that seems to make a difference but I don't know if it's actually true, happenstance or mumbo jumbo.

With Delta if I am looking for flight prices way ahead, I clear my cookies after every search session. I have not done that and keep getting the same fare prices but will clear and sometimes get different pricing. I'd add this to your repertoire as it might help and can't do harm!

Then there is the placing of lucky charms (not the cereal) at various aspects around your workspace, wearing your lucky travel underwear while searching and perhaps burning some incense from your destination of choice.... ;-)!!

LOL, Pam! Truly, very funny....
I just recently overheard some students talking about clearing their cookies, or changing computers, after a repeated flight search. Who knows? I'm digging through my box of lucky charms now. :-)

I do virtually all my fare shopping on Google Flights. I don't normally go to an airline website until I'm ready to buy. I still see fares jumping around, and in my case it wouldn't be because of cookies.

on car rentals - I use Auto Europe consistently. I've checked Kemwel but haven't found much difference in my own searches. One thing that has worked for me consistently is checking back on the AE site after booking/prepaying. If the price goes down online, call them and they will credit you the difference. I have saved hundreds of dollars each on several rentals. They won't adjust the cost automatically, but will cheerfully do it if you call in.

I do check Costco and other sites, but Auto Europe has consistently had the best insurance-in pricing.

In answer to your original question - YES, AAA is so worth it. I always rent cars through them and they always beat Kayak, etc. Also, as an AAA member, you get a lot of free perks with Hertz (e.g. child seats, free spouse as 2nd driver...). Plus, Hertz is expensive, but you get what you pay for. After a couple of sketchy experiences with the cheaper car rental companies, I will only rent from Hertz or Dollar (both owned by same company). I occasionally will do Alamo, Enterprise, or Thrifty, but I will not do any of the "budget" car companies due to some of their shady policies. Also, I save a ton of money each year with AAA discounts at hotels. I am a very loyal Marriott and Hilton person and their prices are often reduced substantially by using AAA (between 10-30%).

On to the Delta issue...as a fellow Atlantan, I hear you. I do fly Delta almost exclusively, though, because like Hertz, you usually get what you pay for. Delta does have a higher standard of service, they're usually punctual, and I have faith that they will generally deliver on their product. Also, by being loyal to them, I do accrue a lot of SkyMiles that can be used almost anywhere in the world. (As opposed to if I was a big Southwest person, for example, and they mainly only fly domestically.) We were able to book 4 R/T tickets into Spain and out of Zurich using SkyMiles recently, and that saved us over $7,000. You might argue that I have prepaid for those "free" tickets by paying higher prices on Delta all along, and I might agree with you, but I have also gotten the side benefits of Delta that I mentioned above. Once in a blue moon my husband or I will fly say, Spirit, or Frontier, and then we come screaming back to Delta.

For Flights - you might want to look into Aer Lingus. Last June I flew into Dubrovnik and out of Venice on Aer Lingus going through Dublin (taking Go Opti from Slovenia to Venice very inexpensively) for under $1000 when all the other airlines were showing fares of $1400 - $1700. I found the fare on Kayak or ITA Matrix, but could not get it on the Aer Lingus website, but had no problem booking it directly with the airline by calling and explaining the fare I was seeing.

Car Rental - I used Sixt as their drop off charge from Croatia to Slovenia was minimal compared to others but had issues - would not recommend based on my experience, but others may have positive experiences and feel differently. Just an aside - driving was very easy in both countries as well as Bosnia (outside of the cities).

You will have a fabulous time - enjoy!

Aer Lingus can indeed be a good inexpensive option - but it doesn't seem that they fly from Atlanta, per the ATL Wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hartsfield%E2%80%93Jackson_Atlanta_International_Airport#Airlines_and_destinations

Neither do WOW or Icelandair or Norwegian. Hopefully, one or more of these can enter the Atlanta market, which (at least in theory) will lower prices there.

AAA

Yes, join.

The travel savings discounts they offer can more than pay for the annual fee easily if you travel a lot. I rent from Hertz using the AAA discount. Saves me 20% at least, and AAA often offers $5 a day additionally off the price of your rental. I never find Hertz to be all that expensive, even without the AAA discounts, to the airports I fly. They are in the middle of the pack price wise. Example: I am renting a car at IAH in Texas for a week. With the AAA discount, I am paying $110 for a mid sized car. Avis was triple that even with their similar discounts. Enterprise was over $200. I have not rented cars outside the US so I don't know if the same holds true for Hertz. Also, I avoid the cheapest car rentals because of the bad things I have heard about many of them and through personal experience.

Other discounts I get from AAA include discounted parking at my home airport. This alone paid for the AAA membership fee. Nearly every hotel chain offers a AAA discount. While this isn't always the lowest price available, the AAA rate always includes a more generous cancelation policy which to me is more valuable. Many attractions at touristy destinations also give a discount for AAA members. They also offer many travel services to their members. They have people that can book trips for you. And of course there is the roadside service if you ever need any help with your vehicle.

For rental cars. I look at every possible option (and read the fine print for additional costs) then book. The only pro tip I have is to use my American Express for the car rental. They have a deal (only on certain cards and not available in every state) where I pay one fee of $25 per rental for full CDW on the entire rental (up to 40 days). I just got back from France in June and had my first damage to a rental car. If they pay, and they seem like they will, it's a big money saver.

For airlines. I start by testing lots of options at kayak.com (cheapflights.com may be the same now), orbitz, etc. I'll try different take off and landing airports, going into one and out another, trying a day or two on either side of my desired date, etc. to see where I can get the best deal. I decide what trade offs I'm willing to accept to save money (ex. fly from Baltimore instead of Dulles, land at CDG instead of Orly). I set up alerts and watch them for awhile. First I want to get an idea of a good price, then I want to get at least that good price. I don't generally book until maybe 6 to 8 weeks out unless I see something that is obviously a great deal.

I don't like Google's alerts. Unlike all the other alerts I've set up, Google's price fluctuates wildly, up one week, down the next, up the next, down the next. It seems predictable too (up, down, up, down). I have a feeling they're using marketing techniques to get people to book a ticket without really finding a good price (just my impression).

Maybe won't work flying from Atlanta but there are advantages to flying in and out of Iceland or Dublin. Iceland is part of Schengen. If you're going to a Schengen country, you get your immigration done at Keflavik in about ten seconds.

Dublin has US customs and immigration done before your flight, so no waiting after you land in the US before leaving the airport or going to your connection.

If you aren't already using Global Entry, you should check if Mobile Passport is available at your US airport. It's free and saves time (and paperwork) getting through customs and immigration when you land.

Stuck in a regional airport with little options Delta is my go to airline for most places out of the US. To Europe we've begun taking Delta to CDG or AMS and then European carries to our final destinations. I've learn my way around CDG it's a pain but from Seattle and/or Vancouver BC (air France) I can usually find a decent price. To me it's not about the "best" deal it's about a price I'm willing to pay for the flight "I" want.

As for rental car - I use Auto Europe almost exclusively but have used Kemwel. Just read read read the fine print. Something new always seems to pop up.