Europe Fares Dropping=Refund For Customers
Fares to Europe are plummeting. But analyst say be patient and wait before purchasing Euro travel for later this year. Prices are expected to drop even further!
USA Today’s Dan Reed wrote a very interesting article about the lack of interest right now in international travel due to a poor economy. In it he explains how many travelers that have purchased tickets for travel to Europe might be in store for a price adjustment. What does that mean for you the consumer? More moolah in your pocket before you head off to Madrid, Dublin or some other European hotspot that has come down drastically in price since the start of the new year.
Summer and fall fares will continue to drop analyst believe, so if you are currently in possession of tickets to Europe, you may want to contact your airline and see if you qualify for some cash. The other way to get back some green is to simply cancel the ticket. Yes you will most likely incur a penalty when doing so, but even after they levy the fine the difference in price may leave you with some extra dollars to spend on the trip. Just a heads up, you will NOT get a cash refund, but instead the airline will provide you with a voucher good for future travel.
For example, if you were to have booked a flight from Los Angeles to Paris in January for travel this July, it would have set you back $1250 round-trip. That same route as of this article is $884! That is a difference of $366 in a matter of 12 weeks. If you were to be hit with a charge for requesting the price adjustment, lets say $150 (which is what American Airlines charges), you would be left with $216 in your hand. That will buy you plenty of baguettes and stinky cheese in France!
I am not immune to this crazy fare season. Yes, yours truly booked early for European travel this summer, only to see my “amazing price” to Poland go even lower two months after purchasing the tickets. It has since gone well above what I paid for the seat, but seeing my fare go below what I paid for it was shocking and upsetting. Airlines are expected to drop their prices for travel after October 26 by 25-40% very soon. So sit tight if you are thinking of spending turkey day in Turkey or new year’s day in Dusseldorf. You may see even more unbelievable sales in the near future.
Um, can we get another round-trip NYC-Madrid for $207 please!?
For more on European airfare refunds, check out USAToday.com
