Saving money on airfare to Italy

How to get the best deal on plane tickets to Italy from North America

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Remember that old travel truism: no two people flying in the cheap seats actually paid the same price for their tickets, even though they're going to the same place and getting the same service. The guy in 22B might have ponied up $1,300, while the person in 22C with whom he amiably chats during takeoff paid just $320 (note to person in 22C: don't break it to him; you'll ruin his vacation).

This site will help you be that guy in 22C.

Reid's shortcut to the best fares
All of the airfare hunting techniques mentioned on this site have merit, but, honestly, if I had to narrow it down to three crucial places to check, they would be:

1) The low-cost carrier Eurofly
2) The aggregator Kayak
3) The consolidator AutoEurope

Nine times out of ten, I end up booking my plane tickets to Italy through one of those methods.The secret to landing the least expensive plane tickets every time is to know where the deals are, search wisely, and never pay retail if you can avoid it.

Here is cheat sheet on how to do this: a brief roundup of all the tips, steps to take, and websites to use to find the cheapest airfare. Click on any one to get much more information and tips on that particular technique.

Know where the deals are—and get them delivered to your inbox for free

Sign up for E-savers - Airlines and booking sites (Orbitz, Expedia.com, Travelocity ) tout last-minute sales.
Get fare alerts - Know when the prices to your favorite destinations drop (Airfarewatchdog.com, Farecompare.com, Yapta.com, Farecast.com).
Read deals newsletters - I try to catch all the really good deals on the ReidsItaly.com twitter blog (twitter.com/reidsitaly), but you should also sign up for esavers at the airlines, and for sale alerts at deals sites like TravelZoo.com, BookingBuddy.com, BudgetTravel.com, SmarterTravel.com, Frommers.com/blog.

Know that timing is everything

Know your travel seasons - High season (and high prices) is June 15–Sept 1 and Dec 15–Jan 6.
Buy at the right time - The sweet spot is 6–8 weeks out.
Be flexible - Look into flights leaving/returning a day or two earlier or later for potentially huge savings.

Don't pay retail

Watch those fees!
With many airlines now charging to check even a single bag, or to pick your own seat, or for the meal, headsets, and even a pillow and blanket, it helps to know the a la carte fees before you fly. These sites take stock of the current fees status:
• www.compareairlinefees.com • www.flyingfees.com • www.kayak.com/airline-fees • www.smartertravel.com • www.farecompare.com
Shop around - Use an aggregator to comparison-shop all the booking engines and travel agencies for you (Kayak.com, Momondo.com, Mobissimo.com, Sidestep.com, Vayama.com, Bing.com/travel, DoHop.com, Fly.com, Cheapflights.com).
Buy wholesale - Consider a consolidator that buys in bulk (AutoEurope.com, CheapTickets.com, CheapOAir.com, Airfareplanet.com, etc.).
Book blindly - Opaque “Hot Rate” fares from Hotwire.com come with lower costs, but less control over precise flight times and airlines.
Put in a bid - The bidding feature at Priceline.com offers the lowest costs but the least control.

Deploy insider secrets

Be smart about frequent flier miles - Get elite status on any airline, get perks—no checked bag fees, free exit row seats, first to board, airport lounge—at every airline in its alliance. If you're elite on Delta, you're elite on Alitalia (Skyteam.com, Oneworld.com, Staralliance.com).
Price out vacation packages - Buy air/hotel or air/car (or all three) together at a discount. This is not a tour; your trip is your own (AutoEurope.com, Gotoday.com, SceptreTours.com, TourCrafters.com, Gate1travel.com, Untours.com).
Look into alternate airlines - Whether it's a carrier from a third country (say, Air France), or a low-cost upstart flying direct to Italy like Eurofly.
Investigate the Big Ben Switcheroo - Find a cheap fare into London, then fly no-frills to Italy for peanuts (especially useful to fly direct into secondary cities, besides Rome or Milan).

Eurofly - The cheapest airline to Italy (though only from NYC)
Aggregators - Personal shoppers for airfare web searches
Consolidators - Airfare wholesalers
Sales, deals newsletters, and e-savers
How far in advance to book airfare to Italy
Air-hotel vacation packages and air-car packages
Surviving the airport
Tips for sleeping on the plane
How big a carry-on am I allowed?

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Saving money on airfare to Italy

Know where the deals are—and get them delivered to your inbox for free

Know that timing is everything

Don't pay retail

Deploy insider secrets

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