Practically Speaking: Transatlantic Travel Tips

Abstract

It is the year of the tiger in China; the year of the bug in Washington; and, for the rest of the world, the year of the horse. (Mohammed's white steed of ascension, which lifted him to heaven, is now carrying the Arabs to billionaire statusand academics, along with other wage slaves, to the heights of inflation.) Putting aside tigers, bugs, and horses, the transatlantic travel season for the summer of 1974 poses some troublesome possibilities: higher prices, currency fluctuations, fuel shortages, and cancelled airline flights. Nevertheless, foreign travel remains particularly tempting to academics who can get away from it all for a full summer or, better still, for a sabbatical. Flying to overseas destinations is as simple as writing a check. First-class fares are stratospheric and not ordinarily subject to bargain prices, but tourist (or excursion) fares offer some relief for the budget-minded. To begin with, there is the regular one-way economy fare. A round trip is normally twice the amount of the one-way fare. This is valid for a full yearbut it is relatively expensive. The International Air Transport Association (I ATA), the international airlines' organization which fixes fares ( subject to the paranoia of the U.S. Civil Aeronautics Board), has created a strange system of financial penalties for all who stray from the prescribed time limits. Consider the following: a reduction (over twice the one-way fare) is made for those who remain abroad not less than 14 days but not more than 21 days. A greater reduction is made for the 22to 45-day traveler. (Why?) But many academics plan trips longer than 45 days, and they must pay the highest fare of all: twice the one-way fare, which is higher than either the 14-21or 22-45-day excursion fares. Charter flights for specialized organizations are a money-saving possibility. They usually return within a month of departure and are relatively inexpensive. But beware charters sponsored by quasi-mythical organizations; they are subject to governmental crackdowns, and cancelled flights may result. It isn't unusual to see an 80-year-old at an airport, ready to fly as a member of an Alpine ski club. If the unreliability of charter flights puts you off, consider a flight to Europe on Icelandic, the only transatlantic airline that isn't a member of the regulatory I ATA. Flights aboard Icelandic are likely to be informal (you may rub shoulders with students), fatiguing, herbivorous, and totally lacking in privacy-but they are cheaper. Airline fares are expected to rise by 10 percent in the near future, so the following figures may be outdated upon publication. However, they offer a comparative guide to peak season fares (eastbound: June, July, August; westbound: July, August, September). Icelandic charges $494 for a round trip, a $222 savings over the I ATA fare of $716. But your arrival point will be Luxembourg (pleasant and rather tame), and the cost of transportation to your desired destination diminishes the savings somewhat. One miscellaneous pointer: If you're flying to London (for example), and contemplate (for example again) a trip to Greece, see a London travel agent, who often has super-bargain charter fares on flights to Greece (not subject to I ATA regulations). Passenger ship and freighter travel are attractive alternatives to flying, but neither is inexpensive. While days at