How to save on airfare: fly European

Flyers who want cheaper airline prices should look to the low-fare carriers of Europe, which are now offering prices that are far less expensive than found in the US, according to travel experts.

Just one example: A one-way ticket between Edinburgh and Dublin can cost as little as US$40, according to The New York Times. A one-way ticket from New York to Washington, about the same distance, starts at $65, according to the newspaper.

This may come as a surprise to some. Europe’s airlines in the past have gained notoriety for such schemes as Ryan Air’s well-publicized but facetious proposal to charge passengers to use the bathroom.

But prices have gotten so low that experts say travelers who in the past sought train travel as a less costly alternative should look again to the airlines.

“For most of my traveling life, I never would have considered flying point-to-point within Europe. It simply wasn't affordable. But today that kind of thinking seems so 20th century,” writes travel expert Rick Steves.

Steves says the deregulation of airlines and the proliferation of extremely competitive discount carriers have helped create a jet-setting climate for non-wealthy travelers.

“More new no-frills airlines take off every year, and even some of the well-established carriers are following their lead,” he says.

He urges price-conscious travelers to visit some budget airline sites to compare prices with train travel. “You might be surprised,” he says.

Steves and others point out that buyers should be wary of luggage fees and other costs but another advantage to low-cost European airline fares is their visibility.

They say that most of Europe's low-cost airlines operate user-friendly websites with interactive flight maps and straightforward online booking.

Direct comparisons are not easy because the European Union does not collect fare data for its 27 members but observers say there’s no doubt that ticket prices have fallen sharply within Europe despite high fuel costs.

 “Even after taxes, you see a better fare per mile in the European Union than you do in the United States,” said Mark Milke, a director at the Fraser Institute, a public policy research group in Calgary, Alberta.

He said airline travelers going from one city to another in a European country were paying about 11 cents a mile or 14 cents to fly between two European countries. By comparison, US passengers are paying about 23 cents a mile.

 “Prices have gone down quite dramatically,” said Carlos Mestre, deputy head of the European Commission.

Reasons for that include the rapid expansion of low-fare carriers which increased competition.

Unlike the US, many large European cities also have more than one airport, which increases competition and lowers prices.

Prices are also lower because European airlines also face more competition from other forms of transportation, particularly Europe’s robust rail network.

How to get the lowest fare?

Book long in advance, experts say.

Other suggestions:

• Fly mid-week
• Book a flight early in the morning or late at night
• Fly in low season (Spring and Autumn)
• Make use of sales, which sometimes appear several weeks prior to departure
• Do not fly during public holidays
• Don't book your ticket less than two weeks in advance
• Opt for return tickets, but keep in mind, in most cases airlines will charge extra fees for changes of date or time

By David Wilkening