Rant: Finding a BCN Flight

[wcook]

Booked a family cruise out of Barcelona. Yeah.

 

Now trying to find tickets for everyone. Ouch.

 

The high prices are one thing. But I honestly think the airlines are just messing with my head sometimes.

 

I get an aleart for one of the cities I need. There's a flight MIA <-> BCN for $999. On American Air, connect at JFK.

 

So if Miami is "cheap," what about American out of other cities? Still sky high. Even out of JFK! It's $200 more to fly out of JFK than to fly from MIA to JFK and then take the exact same plane to BCN. Grrr.

 

Eventually this will all work out. But for now, thanks for letting me rant a bit.

[hancogran]

I truly understand your frustration! I just finished booking our flights for our cruise in January on Voyager.

 

I got what I thought was a good deal on United, from Buffalo NY to Houston for $102.00 each. It involves changing planes in Chicago but the price of the same flight, just from Chicago to Houston, is $342 each :eek::eek: How can that be??

 

Hope you find a decent priced flight!:)

[mommabean]

We booked our flight from Orlando to Barcelona about 9 months early. I selected Delta from Orlando to Dublin - $359 total pp. Then I booked SWISS from Dublin to Barcelona for $140 total pp.

 

The only problem is that by switching carriers we are limited to ONE 44 pound suitcase each and one 17 pound carry on with SWISS. They charge $25 for every 2.2 pounds overweight.

 

We selected a SWISS flight with a 6+ hour layover in Zurich so we can go eat at a great place we know about.

 

We are also staying in Ireland for a while but it could have been done without a stay over.

 

You need to check various airlines through different cities in Europe.

 

Also, if you have AA frequent flier miles, they have a lot of availability to Barcelona for only 20,000 miles one way economy class. NO...AA does not make you pay for a round trip in frequent flier miles anymore. At least not when I checked a month or so ago.

 

So basically, we worked our flight out to be $500 each and that includes all taxes and one free 44 pound suitcase.

 

Gina

[Gardyloo]

Booked a family cruise out of Barcelona. Yeah.

 

Now trying to find tickets for everyone. Ouch.

 

The high prices are one thing. But I honestly think the airlines are just messing with my head sometimes.

 

I get an aleart for one of the cities I need. There's a flight MIA <-> BCN for $999. On American Air, connect at JFK.

 

So if Miami is "cheap," what about American out of other cities? Still sky high. Even out of JFK! It's $200 more to fly out of JFK than to fly from MIA to JFK and then take the exact same plane to BCN. Grrr.

 

Eventually this will all work out. But for now, thanks for letting me rant a bit.

Iberia is flying nonstop from Miami to Barcelona starting in late March. Depending on your dates I'm seeing prices from $640 to $830 round trip in April/May. By June they bump up to over $1000.

 

As for why prices for indirect routes are sometimes lower than direct, it's because airfares are based on supply and demand, not just on the operating costs for one route vs. another.

[Bowie MeMe]

I know what you mean about not making sense on air routes or prices. I live outside of Washington DC. 3 airports within 60 miles of me are major international airports -- all have different prices for basically the same flights and even code (WAS for Washington area airports). My classic example was that the flight from BWI to TLH (Baltimore to Tallahassee, Fl through Charlotte, NC) was over $100 less than the last half of that flight Charlotte to Tallahassee. For those that think Southwest does not cause airline tickets to go down:rolleyes:

 

For Barcelona think about getting to Europe and then to Barcelona. I have often gotten good fares to Europe because of a new city pairing route by an airline and other lines matching. Did that through Copenhagen then down to Barcelona on Span Air (a subsidary of SAS!). You can try Madrid then take the high speed train to Barcelona (about 90 mins time I think). I have had good luck through Dublin and also through Brussels. My problem for my spring trip to Amsterdam is they want to route through Detroit or Chicago. Ridiculous when there are several direct flights non-stop per day. So far I have only seen $1,013 (ai) for IAD to AMS and then CDG to IAD. Think I can wait some. Have seen some slightly cheaper flights in March, 2011 and hoping that the next round of deductions will include April. Also could have problems in that need to travel week before Easter and on Easter Sunday itself.

[FlyerTalker]

I know what you mean about not making sense on air routes or prices. I live outside of Washington DC. 3 airports within 60 miles of me are major international airports -- all have different prices for basically the same flights and even code (WAS for Washington area airports). My classic example was that the flight from BWI to TLH (Baltimore to Tallahassee, Fl through Charlotte, NC) was over $100 less than the last half of that flight Charlotte to Tallahassee.

 

But that's the problem....they aren't "basically the same".

 

You are applying the "corn flakes" view of economics. Boxes of corn flakes on the shelf are the same, and they should be priced the same. But that is most assuredly NOT the case with air tickets. And, believe it or not, there are extremely rational bases for the pricing you get.

 

DCA, IAD and BWI are distinct and separate markets, no matter how much you want to try to lump them together (the WAS code is just to make for more efficient searching - not to join them in pricing). Each has its own sets of supply and demand, and each operates interdependently, but not joined, with the other two. As for the CLT example....you are trying to apply a linear logic (longer flights, same last segment) to what is actually a case of two separate and distinct markets. Those are BWI-TLH and CLT-TLH, irrespective of whether flights in the BWI market transit CLT along the way.

 

If you insist on thinking in terms of route mileage, or overlapping segments, then it will continue to not make sense. If, instead, you think in terms of city-pair markets and forget about the routings, it may start to come into focus.

[Bowie MeMe]

Oh I believe what you are saying but I still think that there should be some logic of miles of trip and or something you can put a finger on. I am extremely happy to be in this area of SWA hub. Also you can go seat by seat on the plane and find almost a different price for each passenger. This too does not make sense but it does give you something to do while you wait for the countdown clock to get to zero.

 

Me of limited intelligence would like things to make sense but am old enough to know that probably will not happen in this lifetime.

[alcpa1]

Airlines sell seats in units. There may be 9 seats available in "T" and when those are gone you are looking at the next fare level until all seats are filled.

Even Southwest sells seats in units. You can get a web fare and a low cost fare and when those are gone you must purchase a fare at a higher level. The Southwest web site is the clearest example (without the number of available seats showing) of the way seats are sold.

There are also web sites available for a fee that will show the number of seats in every class still available.

I know its frustrating but it is something we all have to deal with when we book flights.

[Bowie MeMe]

AlCap do you book early or wait for the sale or a mixture of both? I am watching for a flight to AMS and back from Paris in April 2011. Juggling with the possible few dollars off vs the get a good seat. Why on a vacation costing close to $10 K I obssess over $50 difference in flight cost-- but I guess it is part of the challenge (and fun:o) I also believe that I am in control of my travel HAHA

[FlyerTalker]

The Southwest web site is the clearest example (without the number of available seats showing) of the way seats are sold.

The Alaska Airlines site is also pretty good....they also show the various "levels" for your ticket.

 

AlCap do you book early or wait for the sale or a mixture of both? I am watching for a flight to AMS and back from Paris in April 2011. Juggling with the possible few dollars off vs the get a good seat.

Two thoughts:

 

1) Why is there this belief in "sales"? Even if there is "the sale" by a particular airline, it may a) not apply to your route, b) not apply to the time period in which you are flying, c) even if it is on your day and route, inventory may not be there for you and d) the "sale" price may well be higher than what you could have obtained earlier. (And don't discount that last one....have often seen "sales" that price out higher than "non-sale" seats just weeks before.)

 

2) If flying KLM, seat assignment isn't available until 90 days before your flight. Other airlines may be even more restrictive.

[greatam]

AlCap do you book early or wait for the sale or a mixture of both? I am watching for a flight to AMS and back from Paris in April 2011. Juggling with the possible few dollars off vs the get a good seat. Why on a vacation costing close to $10 K I obssess over $50 difference in flight cost-- but I guess it is part of the challenge (and fun:o) I also believe that I am in control of my travel HAHA

 

A trip to AMS and out of Paris will be pricey in April. Tulip festival in the Netherlands brings tremendous tourist traffic. Same thing with Paris in the Spring-a couple of big concerts and a couple of big conventions this spring.

 

Lock on to the best price you can now. And don't look back.

[alcpa1]

I would also recommend booking as soon as you can. I don't think you will see lower price tickets without booking multiple airlines or routes. I firmly believe that the longest flights should be as hassle free as possible.

My other suggestions are to leave plenty of time to get to and from your destinations. Although we are not under a code red from the recent bomb threats it is always a possibility. Security in Europe may be higher now than next tulip time but just play it safe.

Also, make a concerted effort to check your airline reservations from time to time. Schedules and equipment changes are a fact of life.