One customer said he had tried in vain to book a $72 fare from London to Montpellier, France, on Buzz, a KLM subsidiary; the advertising standards authority found that the fare was good on as few as 2percentt of seats.
Many had bought their air tickets at this time of year - and for the early morning flight in particular - because the fare was good, $318 return before the Christmas increase.
Fares are good for travel Monday through Wednesday, and higher fares apply Dec. 18 to 23.
AUSTRIAN AIR FARES: For fliers who can buy their tickets by Dec. 16, Austrian Airlines offers discounted fares from New York ($438), Washington ($478) and Chicago ($518) to five Austrian cities. Travel must be completed by March 29, and fares are good for midweek travel in economy class; departure tax and airport fees are extra.
The Thalys fares are good until at least March, and Rail Europe, which represents the European railroads in the United States, has announced that no increases are planned this year in fares for the Europass or the Eurailpass and its subsidiary passes -- the Flexipass, the Saverpass and the Youthpass.
With airlines imposing fees for things like checked bags, priority seating and access to airport lounges, finding a good fare is just the starting point.
At another extreme, AirTran's mid-July "Beat the Heat" fare sale is good for travel through Dec. 15, because, the airline said, "our customers don't want summer to end".
It serves Mexican fare, which is good, but it is the hubcap margaritas you'll be going in for: full-size car-tyre hubcaps hold more than enough margarita for one person to drink (they come with multiple straws for a reason).
