Flight Cost Question?

Where are you getting those nutty numbers? Kayak is showing right now that BA will do it for twelve hundred on your dates.

Yes, $1200 or lower is more in the ball park.

Funny but those numbers are from Kayak.I then went to BA's site and did no better. I wonder why such a discrepancy? I wish I could post a screen shot. At least now I know I can do better than $1600. Looks like I have months of scouring deals online before I book.

A pox on all the airlines and the search engines for them too! Right now at about 07:00 PDT, Kayak has that BA price at almost $1600 WITH a stop in Chicago enroute. ITA Matrix shows a nonstop both ways US Airways price of about the same amount. You might try FairCompare.com for more info on fluctuation, when to buy, etc. although from monitoring the Helpline this past year it seems like all bets are off on some of that advice.

Not so nutty, at least not when checking on the morning of Sept. 15 when Kayak shows $1700 as the starting point. BA's own site says its cheapest fare is a sliver under $1600 and that's flying to Rome through Chicago (!) That time period is the height of trans-Atlantic travel which guarantees top prices. Even so, the quotes look to be maybe $150-$200 higher than in 2013. Nobody, including the airlines, can say for sure how those prices could fluctuate between now and then. My bet is to wait until mid-December with a shopping deadline of the end of January. But I'm not covering the difference for you if my guess is wrong.

Crap! I somehow left in the departure date for something I'm working on. Sixteen hundred is pretty close. Sorry.

Thanks everyone..now I have a good idea of the cost. US Airways has direct flights for $1628 now which is nice since Im willing to go a little higher to avoid multiple connections or a long layover.

"Im willing to go a little higher to avoid multiple connections or a long layover." A wise move that you won't regret.

Summer, 2014 is not going to be cheap on airfares. The big international airlines are really getting good at controlling supply and demand to maximize prices. They'll cancel a flight or ground an airplane if they cannot get a big ROE on the flight.
Have you considered going a different month? It's expensive, it's hot, and locals in many locales go on vacation the whole month of August.

"Have you considered going a different month? It's expensive, it's hot..." We have two girls who will be 14 and 12 at the time of the trip so it has to be summer..we're going in August to work in some English football while in London..prolly extending or trip till 18th so catch a Premier League game on opening day.

If you are trying to go when schools are closed for your girls, the cheapest price would be as soon as they close (early June). July/August is the worst (both for prices and scorching weather in Italy). But I can't help you for the Premier League. In June no championship will be available. All Championships are over in June, especially since in 2014 players are headed to Brazil for the World Cup.

I have been using a site called Hipmunk as it depicts prices and the agony factor (length of flights, connections, connection times). I won't say this is a cheaper website, but it allows me to visualize connections best to suit my travel needs.

Yes a direct flight is a definite bonus, worth at least something. Be sure to also check seatguru.com when you're ready to book and choose a seat. Some seats can be pure misery. I once was booked last minute into a seat from Chicago to Frankfurt that was back row and didn't recline. It was business so I can't complain about a free month plus in Europe.

Yes a direct flight is a definite bonus, worth at least something. Be sure to also check seatguru.com when you're ready to book and choose a seat. Some seats can be pure misery. I once was booked last minute into a seat from Chicago to Frankfurt that was back row and didn't recline. It was business so I can't complain about a free month plus in Europe.

Guy, Have to agree with Roberto, go as soon as the girls get out of school. Better weather and less expensive as most Europeans are not on vacation yet. Jeff