Another Matrix question

When going from Austin to Amsterdam-is there a way to break up the classes for coach for the Austin to east coast and then business for east coast to Amsterdam? I'd like the business just for the 10 hr flight over the ocean and don't feel we need business for the shot flights. Is there a way to do this?

Teanne

When going from Austin to Amsterdam-is there a way to break up the classes for coach for the Austin to east coast and then business for east coast to Amsterdam? I'd like the business just for the 10 hr flight over the ocean and don't feel we need business for the shot flights. Is there a way to do this?

Yes, but it's quite complex and requires you to know the booking classes used by the airline you're thinking of for each cabin. This means that you have to know the likely routings and the airlines that market flights on each routing, and find out the lists of booking classes for each of those airlines. And then you have to search airline-by-airline.

 

You may still find that you're told that the cheapest way of doing this is to book a through business class fare that may (depending on airlines) get you into domestic first class anyway. It's possible that the only way of doing what you want to do at an acceptable price is actually to buy separate tickets for the short-haul flights. But holding separate tickets comes with another set of risks that you then have to manage.

When going from Austin to Amsterdam-is there a way to break up the classes for coach for the Austin to east coast and then business for east coast to Amsterdam? I'd like the business just for the 10 hr flight over the ocean and don't feel we need business for the shot flights. Is there a way to do this?

Teanne

Airfares aren't generally published with point-to-point subtotals; the price is set for "city pairs," e.g. Austin to Amsterdam, not Austin to Atlanta to Amsterdam, or Austin to Philadelphia to Amsterdam, etc. Prices are based on supply and demand between those city pairs; distance and number of stops has little to do with it.

 

For example, for travel from Austin to Amsterdam between Sept. 1 and 22, ticketing this week, Delta Airlines publishes 101 different fares, ranging (before taxes and fees) from $509 round trip to $25,804 round trip. That's not a misprint.

 

For the same dates, Austin to Atlanta has a similar number of fares, ranging from $220 to $11,684, and from Atlanta to Amsterdam, $509 (note same as from AUS) to $23,170. Note this is just Delta; American, United and other airlines will have a similar range of fares.

 

And in case you're wondering about separate tickets, on the same days flying to AMS from Atlanta was $14 cheaper in coach than from Austin, and business class was $60 more from Atlanta than from Austin.

 

Don't try to make sense of this unless you were a star pupil at Hogwarts.

Edited July 4, 2016 by Gardyloo

OK-thanks for the input. Guess I will forget about trying to fly economy on domestic legs of the flights. Too complicated and it doesn't seem worth it in the long run. This whole flight information is so confusing. Thanks everyone.

Teanne

When going from Austin to Amsterdam-is there a way to break up the classes for coach for the Austin to east coast and then business for east coast to Amsterdam? I'd like the business just for the 10 hr flight over the ocean and don't feel we need business for the shot flights. Is there a way to do this?

Teanne

 

 

Where are you flying from? Over the ocean is not close to ten hours of flying unless you are on a nonstop from the west coast.

Where are you flying from? Over the ocean is not close to ten hours of flying unless you are on a nonstop from the west coast.

 

From Austin TX. There is a flight on BA to London and then on to AMS. But delta Gones from Atlanta to AMS. So I was thinking coach from AUS to ATL and then business from ATL to AMS.