Oct 11, 2007
We should be enthusiastic about low-cost airlines, but not entirely oblivious to the conditions they often impose
Most smart travelers know that any dirt-cheap plane ticket is going to come with some standard restrictions: no refunds or exchanges without incurring a penalty of $200 or more, requirements that you purchase the ticket two weeks in advance, your trip straddle a Saturday, and you stay a minimum of seven and maximum of thirty days. But some discounted fares come with restrictions you might not even notice until they come into play.
A friend recently reported that, after years of purchasing discounted plane tickets to Europe from the noted and excellent consolidator 1-800-FlyEurope (www.1800flyeurope.com), he ran into an unexpected snag on a recent trip to Italy. The tickets -- on which he saved nearly $100 over advertised fares by using 1800-Fly-Europe -- routed him through Amsterdam on Northwest/KLM. Weather delays caused his outgoing flight from New York to Amsterdam to be cancelled. A helpful Northwest agent at the airport obligingly rebooked him on a new flight with a partner airline that had an added benefit: it would fly direct to Rome and get him in even earlier than planned!
His relief was short-lived, however. As he walked away from the desk, the agent called him back with an apology and some bad news. His discounted fare had come with restrictions on flying any airline other than Northwest/KLM and on flying any other route than the one scheduled. In short, he had to wait to be rebooked on a KLM plane, and he had to fly via Amsterdam.
He ended up flying a ridiculous new routing via Detroit, where he had to dash through the airport, barely making a connection to Amsterdam, where again he had to run to catch the plane to Rome. He also arrived in Rome about eight hours after he was originally scheduled to do so, in effect losing an entire day of his trip to extra flight and backtracking to Detroit. In a stroke of sheer luck, his luggage actually managed to make all the connections.
The moral: the consolidators of discount fares, and the budget airlines themselves, continue to be a reliable source for discounted airfares, but be prepared to ride out any potentially bigger bumps in the road that come with the fare rules. Also, make sure you read the fine print on any discounted ticket, as the savings may come with more restrictions than you realize.
Write and read comments about this post.
A friend recently reported that, after years of purchasing discounted plane tickets to Europe from the noted and excellent consolidator 1-800-FlyEurope (www.1800flyeurope.com), he ran into an unexpected snag on a recent trip to Italy. The tickets -- on which he saved nearly $100 over advertised fares by using 1800-Fly-Europe -- routed him through Amsterdam on Northwest/KLM. Weather delays caused his outgoing flight from New York to Amsterdam to be cancelled. A helpful Northwest agent at the airport obligingly rebooked him on a new flight with a partner airline that had an added benefit: it would fly direct to Rome and get him in even earlier than planned!
His relief was short-lived, however. As he walked away from the desk, the agent called him back with an apology and some bad news. His discounted fare had come with restrictions on flying any airline other than Northwest/KLM and on flying any other route than the one scheduled. In short, he had to wait to be rebooked on a KLM plane, and he had to fly via Amsterdam.
He ended up flying a ridiculous new routing via Detroit, where he had to dash through the airport, barely making a connection to Amsterdam, where again he had to run to catch the plane to Rome. He also arrived in Rome about eight hours after he was originally scheduled to do so, in effect losing an entire day of his trip to extra flight and backtracking to Detroit. In a stroke of sheer luck, his luggage actually managed to make all the connections.
The moral: the consolidators of discount fares, and the budget airlines themselves, continue to be a reliable source for discounted airfares, but be prepared to ride out any potentially bigger bumps in the road that come with the fare rules. Also, make sure you read the fine print on any discounted ticket, as the savings may come with more restrictions than you realize.
Write and read comments about this post.
Fifty years ago, 
Arthur Frommer is generally acknowledged to be the nation's foremost travel authority. He is the founder of the
