Travel&Vacation

Ed Perkins on Travel

Most low-fare airlines from the United States to Europe limit their U.S. gateways to either New York (Eurofly, flyglobespan, and Zoom) or Florida (Condor, flythomascook, Martinair, and Thomsonfly). That’s fine if you live in those areas. But most of those lines do not offer through fares from other U.S. cities, and they typically don’t interline tickets or baggage. If you’re one of the 200 million or so Americans who don’t live within driving distance of one of those few airports, available low-fare services from the United States won’t do you much good. Fortunately, you have a few other options.

As I noted last week, LTU operates seasonal flights to Germany from Las Vegas and Los Angeles, in addition to its more conventional pattern of year-round flights from Florida and New York. Also, it offers through fares from several dozen other U.S. cities, connecting at its U.S. gateways. No matter where in the United States you live, check with LTU for a possible deal to Germany.

Among the four low-fare all-business-class startup lines to Europe, Maxjet is of greatest interest to most travelers: It’s the only one of the four lines to fly from any U.S. city other than New York. It currently flies nonstop to London (Stansted) four times a week from Washington (Dulles), three times a week from Las Vegas, and (starting August 30) four times a week from Los Angeles. Of course, it does also fly from New York (JFK) six days a week.

Maxjet fares are generally lower than those of its competitors, and much lower than business class on one of the legacy lines. This summer, round-trip fares (including taxes and fees) to London start at $1,549 from Las Vegas, Los Angeles, or New York, or $1,299 from Washington.

Of the four all-business lines, Maxjet’s product is the least opulent. But with seat rows spaced at least five feet apart, there’s lots of legroom, with outstanding cabin service. Although the Maxjet fares are well above the best economy fares from New York, its lowest West Coast rates are almost the same as available peak-season economy fares. As far as I can tell, if you’re flying from Los Angeles to London, Maxjet is a no-brainer.

If you live within driving distance of a major Canadian city, a quick trip across the border can open the door to some low-fare options you might not have considered.

The most interesting is Oasis Hong Kong, a Hong Kong-based startup line: It already flies to Hong Kong from London and starts service from Vancouver the end of this month. So far, it’s the only low-fare transpacific airline. Round-trip summer economy fares from Vancouver to Hong Kong start at $783 CAD (about $745 U.S., see XE.com for current exchange rates). Equally spectacular is the business class rate, starting round-trip at $2,984 CAD, far less than the asking prices on a legacy line. And here’s a special deal for seniors age 55 or older (also for a companion of any age): round-trip to Hong Kong for $625 CAD in economy class or an astounding $1,543 CAD in business class. To get this deal, buy by June 25.

Two Canadian charter-style airlines fly seasonally from major Canadian cities to Europe. Both fly from Calgary, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, plus other cities. Air Transat flies to the U.K. plus six Continental countries, and Zoom flies to the U.K. plus Paris.

The European-based holiday lines I cited last week also fly seasonally to Europe from major Canadian cities: Condor, Martinair, flythomascook, and Thomsonfly. Condor’s Toronto flights actually operate from Hamilton—an easier drive than Toronto for U.S. travelers.

With the few noted exceptions, other low-fare lines ignore Americans who can’t easily reach airports in New York, Florida, or Canada. I expect, however, to see new flights from additional major U.S. gateways such as Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco over the next few years.