Finding a good fare to India -- 2005

vistet

This was about the same price I`ve just paid from Sweden , excluding taxes. Changing plans at a late stage cost me ; Aerosvit flies roughly for two-thirds of the price.

guerik

Aussies might want to look at zuji.com.au too - I found my next flight through them at $100 or so cheaper than flightcentre.com.au, but their customer service is terrible so I'm still booking through flight centre.
If you find a flight you like, you can get flight centre to look on the zuji site for you and they will beat the price.

The site's also handy as you can see what times and dates the flights go on, which flight centre doesn't offer.

Casey

I was all set to book the Air Canada direct to Delhi flight for about $1800. I discovered an Alitalia flight for 1260, with a short stopover in Milan. I think the savings are enough to warrant the extra time. I am just wondering if these type of tickets should be booked ASAP? The last time I booked my flight about 2 months before and I went in Oct. This time I am planning on going in mid Jan to Mar. Should I plan on booking soon or wait?

-m2-

Hi Casey. Some of these special fares are time-limited, so see how long the fares will be offered (for example, the fares I've quoted expire Aug 30). Since you usually have to pay for the ticket before the sale expires, you are tying up $ for a while and there is a stiff fee for cancellation, or change of outward-bound flight, afterwards. As long as you are comfortable with committing to a date, then I'd say 'go for it' as it sounds pretty good to me.

(mid-jan is low season for flying, so getting a seat will be no problem right up to last-minute I'd expect)

India Bound

Hi casey, DId you book the Alitalia flight with an agency?

I am in a massive dilema, I want to go to India for a couple months but via a stop over in Rome, and the prices are just way too expensive.

I have an option of flying with miles to Europe but the cheapest from europe to Delhi is in the 1000$ range on BA. Can anyone offer some suggestions please? I can leave anytime after mid October.......

Thanks!

joepubli

Casey
Should be careful with Alitalia as they are VERY inflexible qnd unhelpful. I booked a return to Delhi via Expedia (just as unhelpful!). Had "finger"b trouble and booked the return for the wrong date - ie two days before Diwali rather than 2 days after! - not noticed until the tickets arrived a week later in early August. Despite the fact that the correct flight was still available at the same price neither Expedia nor Allitalia were prepared to fix the error (albeit it was mine - but easy to do online!) and the tickets are apparently completely unchangeable - so the only way to come back after Diwali is to throw away the tickets and buy new ones. Extensive discussions with both EXpedia (who say - too bad) and Alitalia (who say nothing to do with them as booked through EXpedia!). So the advice is be careful if using Alitalia or indeed Exbpedia- they may be cheaper but you will need to throw the ticket in the bin if you make mistake .
Joe

Anders

You book a cheap ticket that cant be changed and then you become surprised when it actually cant be changed? Which airline can you do that on?

Casey

Joepubli: Did you wind up having a good time despite missing Diwali? Or have you yet to go to India and this experience was just this year? If you have yet to go, I am sure you will have a fantastic time, despite your airline woes.

I booked our flights directly through the Alitalia website. With taxes etc. the flight actually cost $1440, still much cheaper than other airlines with more comlicated time consuming routes. There is a $185 fee for any changes, so while the dates at this price are locked, there is a possibility for change. I had pretty much the same restrictions when I flew KLM. I know that any booking, be it hotel or airline, done through Expedia ect are generally non-refundable. I don't think the airline is at fault, as most things booked throught these means are non refundable, although perhaps they could have allowed a change for a fee. I would always deal directly with the company you are buying from as they may be more apt to be accommodating even when it was not their error. You can always search and using Expedia etc. and then try to see if you can order via the airline. The price for the Alitalia tickets was the same. Also, it may be cheaper to fly out of another airport in Europe with more flights leaving for India.

indira

I am waiting to book my flight...........Münich - Goa. end December......maybe i get some more info here, for charter flights. I live in Innsbruck, so could take flights from Zürich or Milan as well.....

joepubli

Anders
You are of course right. Most web based comaponies are pretty good about sorting out ERRORS rather than a change of mind. It all takes a click to get it wrong - given that it would have cost them nothing to fix the error, I do think it is outrageous so I shan't be using them either of them again.

I( did get in touch as soon as I got the tickets. If u are right then its firly dangerous buying online!
Joe

joepubli

Casey
I still have to go - its next month. I just hit the wrong button on the return date and didn't notice until the tickets arrived a week later.

With Alitalia it is NO chnage whatsoever even I offer a fee - so same as binning the tiket and starting again. There are 3 of us - so that's a bit expensive for 2 days even though its Diwali and that's why we were going!
Joe

Casey

I just finished checking my ticket again and my rules are that I can change for 185 but have to do so in advance and blah bhah blah. I have to make sure that I am on time for my flights. Too bad about missing Diwali but I am sure that you will have such an amazing time with all the other things seem to pop up unexpectedly. There seems to always be a festival of some sorts happening. Perhaps, you can catch Diwali on another trip? I missed the the Taj. Perhaps this trip or the next or the next...have fun,
C

Lotus-Flower

does anyone knows any cheap flight from Budimpest to chennai maybe??
hm!!

machadinha

[edited entire post as Romania's Tarom no longer seems to serve India]

Russia's Aeroflot used to have some of the cheapest deals around, they serve Delhi and Mumbai from Budapest it seems, would probably involve a stopover in Moscow. They get mixed reports as far as service and safety goes, more a matter of image and Cold-War absurdity than anything else if you ask me, all I can tell you is I've flown with both several times and I'm still typing. You could try and book directly with them.

http://www.aeroflot.ru/eng/

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Lotus-Flower

Thanx Machadinha

It does not need to be actually just Hungarian airlines!

It should start from Hungary but any flight, i mean any company!

hehe!