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How About November in Paris?

Eric Gillin

As the summer holiday season cools, deals to Europe will take a while to heat up, but patient travelers who know the rules of the game can snag the rock-bottom rates when the time comes.

Since 2001, U.S. travelers have had ample reasons to avoid Europe, be it cheap domestic airfares to the Caribbean via JetBlue and others, the specter of terror attacks, which recently rocked Madrid in March, or the slumping dollar. But after a few years of avoidance, the pent-up demand nonetheless fueled a strong European summer season this year, despite the dollar's diminished purchasing power. As a result, airlines and hotels are holding firm on fares and rates this fall.

"What the airlines have been doing is last-minute sales," said Terry Trippler, online travel expert. "Every year, more of the baby boomers become empty-nesters, and they're more willing to travel after Labor Day. They have the money and can go at the last moment. But as we get close, airlines always say, 'Oh my god, we gotta' fill these seats!' and there are good deals."

Usually, flights to Europe are cheapest in the fall, the so-called "shoulder season" when demand slumps between the summer and winter holiday season. But in order to get the best deals this year, travelers have to be savvier than ever, using technology to get an inside track on sales before they're gone, while being flexible enough to jump on short notice.

Fear not, Continental drifter -- with our bag of tricks, you won't have to pay a premium come autumn.

Fly a Foreign Carrier

American travelers, by nature, are biased toward the Americans, Deltas and Uniteds of the world, casting a wary eye on names like Singapore Airlines and Emirates, fearing they'll receive inferior service.

This notion is completely backward, of course. First-world airlines don't offer first-class service anymore, and carriers like Singapore Air are some of the finest in the world, sweeping service awards. In fact, Singapore Air hands out little overnight kits, including a toothbrush and pair of knitted socks, to travelers heading off to Europe -- even in economy class.

To combat the bias toward U.S. airlines and court American travelers, carriers who fly under foreign flags tend to offer not only the best service but also the best deals. Consider this: Singapore Air offers a round-trip flight from New York to Frankfurt for $397, including all taxes and fees, roughly $200 cheaper than what you'd pay in the summer. The offer is good through Sept. 13, and you must travel between Nov. 1 and Dec. 16. The best nonstop deal from an American-based carrier? According to Orbitz, Continental has a nonstop for $433, followed by Delta at $491.

Flying foreign means lower prices and better service, and because of the bias, it could result in a better seat too.

"One thing to keep in mind when you're dealing with foreign carriers that fly to Europe, there's a good chance you'll find more seats available on the flights because the U.S. carriers always sell out first," said Geoff Silvers, director of merchandizing for Orbitz.

Timing Is Everything

The best travel deals invariably go to those jobless wunderkinds with disposable income who can fly off at whim, taking advantage of those last-minute weekend fares you can only read about in the paper. By knowing the proper days to book travel to Europe, you can have the same flexibility as those jet-setting do-nothings, without having to quit your job. This is particularly important when it comes to the most popular destinations (see chart).

"In terms of Europe, the key is to travel a bit more on the weekdays," said Silvers. "If you're looking to go away for the weekend, try to stay until Tuesday. Sundays are bad, Mondays are a bit better, but Tuesdays have the best deals. The middle part of the week is where the best deals are."

And because the airlines are trying to keep fares high for as long as possible, the first wave of fall sales covers travel starting Nov. 1.

"In the past, carriers started the off-peak season earlier, in October. But now it runs from Nov. 1 until Dec. 15," said Silvers. "It all depends on how well seats sell. The reason they're leaving October out of there is that they're banking on transatlantic business travel."

What does this all mean? If you want to get the best deal to Europe, think about taking time off in the first or second weeks of November, while leaving and returning in the middle of the week. And if you don't like your family, heading to Europe over Thanksgiving could be even cheaper.

Have Someone Search for You

At the moment, airlines are holding off on discounting October flights, but if the economy proves shaky and those seats go empty, look for hit-and-run sales starting in September.

"People should anticipate those sales," said Phil Carpenter, vice president of marketing at SideStep.com. "It's probably a little early to book yet. You need to get that Labor Day holiday behind people and travel patterns start to shift. It's an important psychological milestone for the industry."

Keeping track of those post-Labor Day sales -- most of which will only be good for two or three weeks to artificially stimulate demand -- can be impossible. Luckily, a number of Web sites allow you to set up searches and will automatically email you when flights go on sale.

If you've already taken time from work and are locked into a flight schedule, especially one that requires flying on busy weekend days, book sooner than later to ensure you're not shut out of a flight.

Prices are reasonable now, especially for November, but if you're willing to wait and have your heart set on a specific location, consider using Orbitz's DealDetector, which will tell you when fares drop below a certain price for the dates you specify -- especially good if you're gambling on a $300 round-trip to Rome.

If your travel plans are more flexible, then Travelocity's FareWatcher may be a better option. You won't have to type in specific dates as you would with Orbitz, only locations that you're interested in going to. Every time the prices change, Travelocity will automatically notify you.

Ultimately, if you don't know where or when you want to travel, only that you want the best possible deal, sign up for SideStep's new TravelFind email. Orbitz and Travelocity don't search domestic low-cost carriers and miss certain deals, but SideStep searches all of the search engines as well as the individual airline sites, ensuring you get the broadest possible view of what's out there.

"It's a great way to keep on top of deals without having to do anything more than look at an email once a week," said Carpenter. "How can you search for bargains you don't know about?"