I'm planning an Amsterdam trip, need advice about flights to Europe.

Question

I'm thinking of taking a couple friends to amsterdam as a christmas present (and starting to save now!) i'd be offering to pay for the plane tickets and we'd split everything else. we live in baltimore, so if you have numbers to share please say if they include any domestic flights to jfk or atlanta etc....

has anyone gone there or someplace nearby? how much did it cost you? all these travel websites are kind of confusing, does anyone advise using a travel agency or a good website for getting international flights?

Answer 1

Check with budget european airlines such as EasyJet & Ryanair etc. to see if you can get cheap flights from somewhere else in Europe to Amsterdam & it might be cheaper flying there first and connecting.

In January I got return flights to Amsterdam from Edinburgh for £20 including taxes.

Answer 2

If you know where and how to hunt online, you will save more than the $25 x 3 fee that a travel agency would charge you.  Travel agents don't have much incentive to find the best airfare for you.  Airlines stopped paying commission years ago (unless their agency hits high-volume sales targets).  They work with "preferred" consolidators for international flights -- preferred meaning they pay the agency high commission and have a good track record with them, but not necessarily the cheapest option.

For WAS airports (DCA, IAD, BWI) to AMS around Christmas, expect at least $800 per ticket, r/t total with taxes.  It could be higher--depending on the actual dates you choose, if you wait too long to book, or if no decent sales come along.  

Travel around Christmas is usually more expensive in the 2 weeks before and after, but is sometimes a little cheaper if you actually travel on Christmas and New Years day.

I checked for you.  Currently, United has Dulles-AMS nonstop for $776 Dec 29-Jan 5.  Add PHL to the search doesn't open up cheaper options to AMS currently.  Expanding the search to next-closest airports BRU;CGN;DUS;HAM;PAR;LON turns up $719 National-Hamburg with Continental using Dec 26-Jan 2.

Going further, I see $591 r/t total Dulles-Frankfurt with United, Dec 29-Jan 6; also PHL-MUC $660 USAir; Dulles-Rome $735 Air One Dec 30-Jan. 8.  These are cheapest I see.

You could also sign up for sale alerts on this route, too: http://www.farecompare.com/fare-search/y...  ... but if you see something under $700 that works, you should strongly consider purchasing now.  Airlines don't add more seats.

Answer 3

Using a good travel agent is always helpful...as long as they know the area you're going to.  They can save you a lot of time and money.

Amsterdam, I found, was great to visit but quite expensive.  I travel a lot, but am a 'budget traveler' so don't go to major destinations a lot, but I couldn't pass up visiting Amsterdam.  I flew KLM both ways, and they were exceptionally good!

Answer 4

Here's a great site for US to Domestic flights- you'll need to email or call them, but it is definitely worth it to get pricing. This company is a Travelocity.com and AIG affiliate...

www.ultimatechoicetravel.com/seethewor... (click "concierge" and then call or fill out the travel request form.) Someone will contact you pretty quickly afterwards...

Answer 5

I formerly worked for a major travel website, so you probably think that I will tell you to use the Internet. Not necessarily.

Finding the lowest fare and best schedule is not easy because there are so many options. The Internet works great for travelers who are knowledgeable or who are willing to put the time and effort into doing research. However, you can easily overpay if you're not knowledgeable or if you don't do the research. In that case, use a travel agent and let them do the work. You'll pay a service fee, but a $25 a ticket fee is a lot cheaper than s******g up and paying $100 a ticket too much.

I suggest avoiding connections at JFK or even Newark. Both are plagued with air traffic delays. JFK is a mess for connections if you have to change terminals. United and KLM offer nonstop service from Washington Dulles. (If the fares are the same, I suggest KLM. United is a customer service disaster.) If the price is right, skip the connections and drive to Dulles.