For All You Experts...Please be gentle

Hi:)...the last time I sailed "across the pond" was in May 2012 so it

has been awhile since I have cruised from Europe....OK...I booked my

first River Cruise:D and am very excited....I am sailing in April out of

Amsterdam and am looking at flights.....

OK...another part of my scenerio....I don't have FF miles......and if

you are going to ask "why not"?....I just never got 1 credit card to

do it. I normally just book the cheapest flights when I fly....I guess

at this point I should probably change:rolleyes:....as the prices I am seeing

from here to AMS are really high.....over 1200 bucks roundtrip...and

FF miles would have helped alot......:eek:

I have been researching flights and have found UNITED with very

good times and only 1 stop....Jax to either Dulles or Newark and then

directly on to AMS....prices are alot (in my opinion).......need some

advice......should I wait for the summer to finish and see if $$ will drop?

I did find Lingus/Jet Blue for less money but there is an extra stop......

Jax/Boston/Dublin/AMS.......it is about 170.00 less than United but

as you can see there is the extra stop in Dublin........I think one stop

would be better....even though it is more $.

Any advice you want to give me?......many of you are "flying

experts".........

Thanks and remember, please be gentle:)

Please provide dates. Thanks

Flying to Europe is expensive - no way around it. The closer you wait to your trip dates, the price usually goes up.

Please provide dates. Thanks

April......flying out on the 5th and flying back home on the 14th.

We have flown to Europe several times during "shoulder season," which is typically April/May and Sept/Oct, and have always paid at least $1300, so the price you're seeing seems about what I'd expect.

Ok...thanks:).....so I just have to bite the bullet:eek:

Even if you do just go for the cheapest flight you should still sign up for each airlines FF program. Doesn't cost anything and those miles can add up over the years even if it is just a short flight here and there. :D

I looked at award availability using American Airlines miles, and there's space (via Dallas, so not super convenient) on both your days for 20,000 miles each way, plus around $140 in fees and taxes.

You can purchase 41,000 AA miles with their current bonus (good until 8/5) for around $925, then turn right around and redeem them. Or if you bought 70,000 miles for around $1400, you could fly over in coach and back in business class (this time much more conveniently, Amsterdam to Philly to JAX.)

I looked at award availability using American Airlines miles, and there's space (via Dallas, so not super convenient) on both your days for 20,000 miles each way, plus around $140 in fees and taxes.

 

You can purchase 41,000 AA miles with their current bonus (good until 8/5) for around $925, then turn right around and redeem them. Or if you bought 70,000 miles for around $1400, you could fly over in coach and back in business class (this time much more conveniently, Amsterdam to Philly to JAX.)

Thanks for the help:)...I am not seeing this one stop route on the AA

website. Everything I am looking at shows 2 stops.

United flies me across with only one stop...Jax to either Newark or

Dulles and then directly to Amsterdam.......looks like AA has to stop

here in the states, then a stop in London and then on to AMS..........

I guess I can call them to see if I am missing something and if I can

get the cheaper tickets;)

Thanks for the help:)...I am not seeing this one stop route on the AA

website. Everything I am looking at shows 2 stops.

 

United flies me across with only one stop...Jax to either Newark or

Dulles and then directly to Amsterdam.......looks like AA has to stop

here in the states, then a stop in London and then on to AMS..........

 

I guess I can call them to see if I am missing something and if I can

get the cheaper tickets;)

It's via PHL. That is about the only direct on AA from the states.

Thanks for the help:)...I am not seeing this one stop route on the AA

website. Everything I am looking at shows 2 stops.

Yes, the outbound shows as JAX-DFW-LHR-AMS, the business class return AMS-PHL-JAX. Like I said, not as convenient outbound.

However, AA allows changing flights on award tickets for free as long as the origin/destination city pair remains unchanged, in your case JAX and AMS. Since JAX-PHL and PHL-AMS are former US Airways routes, I suspect that the reason more "US" seats aren't showing up on aa.com is that the two airlines' merger is still ongoing; their reservations systems only started being merged a couple of weeks ago.

Since you're not traveling until April, I'd be very surprised if seats on the JAX-PHL-AMS outbound flights didn't open before then, at which point you could just switch.

But if the additional time to fly via Dallas isn't worth a couple hundred bucks for you, then go with the United plan and don't look back.

Note AA's sale on mileage ends in the middle of next week.

Thanks for all the help:)

Lois,

You may want to take a couple of things into consideration when deciding on two stops and a longer flight time:

1. Less time to recover from jet lag before your cruise

2. More chances for the airline to lose your luggage.:eek:

Did you check KLM to see if they have any NS flights?

Lois,

 

You may want to take a couple of things into consideration when deciding on two stops and a longer flight time:

 

1. Less time to recover from jet lag before your cruise

 

2. More chances for the airline to lose your luggage.:eek:

 

Did you check KLM to see if they have any NS flights?

Hi, :) I know one stop is better.....(for me)....and you are right,

the luggage only transfers ONCE...

I did check KLM......they are part of Delta and the prices are not

any better than United.....(actually they are more).

If going the UA route, I'd suggest not traveling via EWR or IAD. A couple of reasons:

1) The IAD flight arrives AMS at 07:15. Pretty early for checking into a hotel or even dropping off bags to start some sightseeing. It does use a 767, which would be 2-3-2 in coach.

2) The EWR flight arrives at 07:45. Same thoughts as IAD. The EWR flight is on a 757. Not my favorite aircraft for a TATL, being 3-3 in coach.

3) Routing via IAH gets you into AMS at 09:20. Aircraft is 777, with a 3-3-3 coach layout.

4) Routing via ORD gets you into AMS at 09:30. It puts you on a 767, see #1 about seating.

So...if it were me, I'd be on the ORD routing. Better seating for a couple (if you can get a pair on the outside) and a later arrival time.

More grist for the mill.

You'd have to fly out/in Orlando, but current r/t fare in economy is $1035.83 for your dates.

But...with a sale (usually October) or booking with a stopover in Reykjavik you could fly for much less. We were looking at fares in the high 900s for our YYZ-KEF (2 nights in Iceland)-CDG with a return from MAN-YYZ and, during last fall's sale, booked for $700 total each!

If going the UA route, I'd suggest not traveling via EWR or IAD. A couple of reasons:

 

1) The IAD flight arrives AMS at 07:15. Pretty early for checking into a hotel or even dropping off bags to start some sightseeing. It does use a 767, which would be 2-3-2 in coach.

 

2) The EWR flight arrives at 07:45. Same thoughts as IAD. The EWR flight is on a 757. Not my favorite aircraft for a TATL, being 3-3 in coach.

 

3) Routing via IAH gets you into AMS at 09:20. Aircraft is 777, with a 3-3-3 coach layout.

 

4) Routing via ORD gets you into AMS at 09:30. It puts you on a 767, see #1 about seating.

 

So...if it were me, I'd be on the ORD routing. Better seating for a couple (if you can get a pair on the outside) and a later arrival time.

 

More grist for the mill.

Hi,:) I don't need seating for "a couple"........I sail on my own......

So I just need a seat for me;)

Have another question.....I feel ok waiting a few months before

booking.....later this year but a friend of mine said she never books

anything more than 4 months out....and she usually books flights 6 to

8 weeks out......that is too close for me.:eek:.......I don't want to book

a flight for April in February.....it seems too close......but I feel ok

booking in Oct/Nov..........what do ya'll think?

Especially for an overseas flight......she said sometime when it is close,

the prices will go down.....I was under the impression they would go UP.

Thoughts??

Have another question.....I feel ok waiting a few months before

booking.....later this year but a friend of mine said she never books

anything more than 4 months out....and she usually books flights 6 to

8 weeks out......that is too close for me.:eek:.......I don't want to book

a flight for April in February.....it seems too close......but I feel ok

booking in Oct/Nov..........what do ya'll think?

Especially for an overseas flight......she said sometime when it is close,

the prices will go down.....I was under the impression they would go UP.

 

Thoughts??

Early in the booking season (330 days, sometimes 360) the airlines don't know how much fuel (or other things) is going to cost in eleven months, so they often hedge their bets by not putting the cheapest seats on the market until they have a better handle on things. In my view there's very little danger that prices will go up significantly between now and the fall or early winter, and in fact they may come down. It's like with FF seats - the airlines will wait to see how a flight's doing in terms of sales before their computers will try to fill the unsold seats with FF users or with cheaper tickets. But trying to time airfare is a bit like trying to time the stock market. Many try but few succeed.

Early in the booking season (330 days, sometimes 360) the airlines don't know how much fuel is going to cost in eleven months, so they often hedge their bets by not putting the cheapest seats on the market until they have a better handle on things. In my view there's very little danger that prices will go up between now and the fall or early winter, and in fact they may come down. It's like with FF seats - the airlines will wait to see how a flight's doing in terms of sales before their computers will try to fill the unsold seats with FF users or with cheaper tickets.

OK...thanks:).....I think because I just booked my cruise I wanted jump

on and get my flights booked too. But after thinking about, I thnk I will

wait a bit.....I appreciate everyone's replies:)

OK...thanks:).....I think because I just booked my cruise I wanted jump

on and get my flights booked too. But after thinking about, I thnk I will

wait a bit.....I appreciate everyone's replies:)

Finally, ask yourself....are you willing to pay more for your ticket? How much more? Are you willing to risk that the price goes above that point on the hope that it will go down? How much do you realistically expect the price to to down? Is that a reasonable wager against a price hike of twice that savings? How far down does it have to go to get you to pull the trigger?

Unless you have those answers in your head, waiting is just deferring your purchase decision to an indefinite point in time.

But good luck.

Track your flights and see what the results are.

 

Finally, ask yourself....are you willing to pay more for your ticket? How much more? Are you willing to risk that the price goes above that point on the hope that it will go down? How much do you realistically expect the price to to down? Is that a reasonable wager against a price hike of twice that savings? How far down does it have to go to get you to pull the trigger?

 

Unless you have those answers in your head, waiting is just deferring your purchase decision to an indefinite point in time.

 

But good luck.

I don't have all the answers to the questions you are

asking me at this second:rolleyes: Since you asked 3 or 4 in a row.....

Yes, how much, I don't know? I don't know that one either.....

And Oh, don't know that either.....I was trying to get some input.

And yes, I know I am deffering the purchase......that much I do

know.

OK...thanks:).....I think because I just booked my cruise I wanted jump on and get my flights booked too.

I don't have all the answers to the questions you are

asking me at this second:rolleyes: Since you asked 3 or 4 in a row.....

Yes, how much, I don't know? I don't know that one either.....

And Oh, don't know that either.....I was trying to get some input.

Anyone who tells you that if you wait, fares will go up is talking rubbish. Anyone who tells you that if you wait, fares will go down is also talking rubbish. Nobody can know - not even the airlines themselves know now what will happen to the prices for your flights.

If you decide to buy now, you are gambling on the future. If you decide not to buy now, you are also gambling on the future. The difference is that if you buy now, you know the maximum price that you will have to pay for your ticket, even if you later find out that you could have got a ticket for less.

The main thing that you could do to improve your chances is to watch that specific air fare market every week for several years, noting on each occasion when and how prices tend to move for flights for every travel date then open for sale. Unfortunately, if your cruise is only 8 months away, you no longer have the time to do that research.

That is why FlyerTalker was posing those questions. You have to find out how you would feel about life in certain different scenarios. And then you can work out which decision you would be more comfortable with.

Hi,:) I don't need seating for "a couple"........I sail on my own......

So I just need a seat for me;)

Me too, usually. With 3-3 (757) or 3-3-3 (777) seating you could be in the dreaded middle seat. Since it's a long overnight flight, the window seat means disturbing (or waking up) 1 or 2 people to stretch your legs or use the lav. If you have the aisle, there are 2 others who may need you to get out of your seat.

2-3-2 is far better for aisle access...so is 3-3-3 in the center section of 3. This is a trivial issue on a 1-2 hour flight....but it won't be when you're 5 hours into a TATL flight :)