linda@inuxa.UUCP (Linda Pearlstein) (02/16/84)
Some of the charter fares to Europe this summer are so
inexpensive that I'd like to hear experiences with and
opinions of charter companies.
I was just quoted a roundtrip fare to Brussels of $400
for summer 1984 (maximum stay of four weeks) by a New Jersey
travel agency with an 800 number. When I asked what carriers
would be used, the agent indicated they probably couldn't tell
me that till a month before departure. She said that the trip
would probably be on a "scheduled flight" -- presumably of a
commercial airline; charter agents book blocks of seats on
commercial airlines who don't want it known you can buy their
seats more cheaply through a charter company, according to her.
We had an entirely positive experience on a charter
flight last summer - $479 round trip New York to Paris
through the international student exchange charter known
as C.I.E.E. Although the carrier was supposed to be TransAmerica
(it was on the return trip), we were transferred to an Air
France flight for the trip over. Both flights departed on
time and were comfortable en route.
Now I'd like to explore even cheaper alternatives and
charters that leave from Chicago -- much closer for us
than New York.
Random thought -- is there some version of the Better
Business Bureau for charter companies? Has anyone gotton
valuable information from it?
preuss@umcp-cs.UUCP (02/18/84)
.
Two other cheapies to Europe are People's Express, and ISTAA. We used
both of these last summer. Peoples Expresss N.Y. - London about $150
one way. There was a $20 connecting charge if you wanted to leave from
other cities Peoples flies from.
We used ISTAA to charter from London to Israel, but they mentioned
that they had flights N.Y. - London for about $380 r.t. (I think). ISTAA
is a student charter agency so they (the agency) supposedly gets cheaper
fares.
--
Don Preuss
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