Booking International Flights

[gatlinburg]

Hi all.  We are still in the planning stages of our next venture to the Greek Islands.  Back in April the flights over to France from the US was very affordable, but now has increased by over $300-$500.   Please share some places online you all are having good luck booking reasonable airfares from the Washington, DC area over to Venice, Italy.   We flew Air France last April, and Delta, but are not opposed to flying with other Airlines if the price is under $1300 for Adults, and less for our two children (7/9yrs).  Thanks for any helpful website info. Cruises are priced reasonably enough, but have not booked anything yet due to high cost of International flights over.  :-(

 

[Bestbubba]

Not sure if we're allowed to name other travel sites on here, but in case we can, try Skyscanner 😊

[gatlinburg]

thank you.  Will take a look see.  We usually use Delta or Air France site directly, but prices or horrible lately. Appreciate you giving us this info.

[Bestbubba]

Hope you find something affordable and can book your Mediterranean cruise. The sail away out of Venice is magical! 

[gatlinburg]

grew up over in Cyprus. Can't wait. We loved doing France, Italy, Malta and Barcelona this past April.

Have not been on a smaller MSC ship like Musica.  We were spoiled on Meraviglia.  lol

[Bestbubba]

We're the opposite! Our first MSC cruise was last year on the Musica, loved it. Rio to Venice. Doing the Meraviglia TA in September, we've never been on a ship that size, can't wait. 

[gatlinburg]

we sailed on Meraviglia out of Marseille.  Loved it there, and were onboard the Ship by 12:00pm.  Balcony cabin was nice and spacious enough for two adults, and our children loved the converted Sofa/bunkbeds.  Pools were all heated nicely, especially the outside Atmosphere pool.  Hot tubs could have been warmer, but just fine.  Drinks were good, food was adequate considering our normal food on a working weekday when we're not on a Vacation.  Staff was lovely, and we did not find the Staff overly pushy at all with their Sales.  We had pre-booked several things, so they pretty much left us alone.  Loved having the Laundry package.  The Gelato onboard and bread was delicious.   Enjoy.

[Bestbubba]

1 hour ago, gatlinburg said:

we sailed on Meraviglia out of Marseille.  Loved it there, and were onboard the Ship by 12:00pm.  Balcony cabin was nice and spacious enough for two adults, and our children loved the converted Sofa/bunkbeds.  Pools were all heated nicely, especially the outside Atmosphere pool.  Hot tubs could have been warmer, but just fine.  Drinks were good, food was adequate considering our normal food on a working weekday when we're not on a Vacation.  Staff was lovely, and we did not find the Staff overly pushy at all with their Sales.  We had pre-booked several things, so they pretty much left us alone.  Loved having the Laundry package.  The Gelato onboard and bread was delicious.   Enjoy.

Thank you so much for the info, now we're even more excited! We're Princess /Celebrity cruisers mainly, but have sailed most of the mainstream lines. We were more interested in the itinerary than the ship so it was a bonus when we were delighted by both. We found Musica easy to navigate, our aurea balcony cabin (an upgrade) on deck 12 a good size with enough wardrobe space for this serial overpacker! The staff were friendly and eager to please, the food was mainly OK, the risottos were outstanding. The gelato on deck was fantastic. We really enjoyed meeting people from all over the world, even when neither party could speak each others language, somehow with good humour and a lot of hand gestures, we always managed to enjoy the interaction. I'm sure you'll have another memorable cruise.... you just need to find the airfare 😉

[Bases5]

 FYI.  There is also another board on cruise critic called Cruise Air. 

They might be helpful over there.

[Noncon]

I'd find a way to get to NYC and get on Norwegian Air direct to Venice.

[thetaro]

I booked JFK-MXP on Emirates for $400 each a few months ago.

 

I set a price monitor and email notification on Google Flights. I also use IFTT to set up alert on secretflying and fly4free.

Whenever there is a deal from NYC, I would get a notification. I have seen plenty of deal to Europe between $250-400.

[aprilF]

A bump to an old thread because I have some questions about booking international airfare as Ive never done it before.  Ive been looking at Expedia to get from Raleigh, NC to Rome, Italy.  Obviously I fly a couple of different airlines to do this.  If I could find cheaper fare individually, is it possible to link the reservations across lines.  My concern is that if flight #1 is delayed and I miss flight #2 what happens?  I know when I book multi stop itineraries altogether the airlines just help me get on the next available flight. 

 

Many people talk about flying this way (having one flight to get to a major international hub and then another flight to get where ever they were ultimately going) so I know its doable, just wondering how much more of a hassle if things go sideways on flight #1.

 

Also if anyone has a suggestion for a whole itinerary booker other than Expedia I am all ears.  Thank you!

[Epos Man]

if you just want flights then skyscanner is useful if you want flights and hotel then kayak.com could be used its part of booking .com if you choose US as the country then the tab packages will give the price for hotel and flights

 

[mef_57]

23 hours ago, aprilF said:

A bump to an old thread because I have some questions about booking international airfare as Ive never done it before.  Ive been looking at Expedia to get from Raleigh, NC to Rome, Italy.  Obviously I fly a couple of different airlines to do this.  If I could find cheaper fare individually, is it possible to link the reservations across lines.  My concern is that if flight #1 is delayed and I miss flight #2 what happens?  I know when I book multi stop itineraries altogether the airlines just help me get on the next available flight. 

 

Many people talk about flying this way (having one flight to get to a major international hub and then another flight to get where ever they were ultimately going) so I know its doable, just wondering how much more of a hassle if things go sideways on flight #1.

 

Also if anyone has a suggestion for a whole itinerary booker other than Expedia I am all ears.  Thank you!

No, you can't link tickets. If you book each leg on different tickets, you are out of luck if you miss one.

I expect from Raleigh you have to do connecting flights.  I use Matrix ITA (it doesn't sell flights) to plan my travel.  It is the old software travel agents used to plan travel.  You can ask for nearby airports, give or take a day (sometimes flexibility leads to cheaper pricing) and then filter by your criteria.  Some people take the risk of separate tickets, but I would only consider that if I was going to spend a day or two in the connecting city.  From Canada and a secondary airport, I rarely find the deal - unless it was to fly cheap to a place in Europe and then get a cheap ticket on one of the European cheapo airlines.  Others use flight consolidators, or join a 'club' with fare discounts.  But you need to consider your risk quotient.  Know that anything you book off the main airline site, if things go wrong, the airline isn't going to be helpful.  You will have to go back to the company that sold you the ticket.  Expedia is pretty strong about being helpful, but who knows about the consolidator or  the club.

Alternately, you could enquire about flights through the airline.  You won't have much control about the times, but maybe they have some good charter pricing from say JFK to Rome and they'll arr

ange the Raliegh flight as well.

[jkrislc]

I have found some of the best international airfares during Thanksgiving week from the U.S. I've also flown to both Paris and London and then booked separate tickets to fly to my final destination in Europe and saved about $1200 doing this even after accounting for the additional costs of a hotel in London or Paris before flying home. If you do this, keep in mind that the airlines won't book your baggage through to your final destination, so you'll need to go through immigration, collect your bags, and then recheck them. We have ourselves 5 hours between flights just to be safe. 

[mef_57]

27 minutes ago, jkrislc said:

I have found some of the best international airfares during Thanksgiving week from the U.S. I've also flown to both Paris and London and then booked separate tickets to fly to my final destination in Europe and saved about $1200 doing this even after accounting for the additional costs of a hotel in London or Paris before flying home. If you do this, keep in mind that the airlines won't book your baggage through to your final destination, so you'll need to go through immigration, collect your bags, and then recheck them. We have ourselves 5 hours between flights just to be safe. 

Maybe time of year matters.  5 hours certainly won't be enough when a winter snow storm grounds the eastern seaboard for 36 hours.

[aprilF]

1 hour ago, mef_57 said:

No, you can't link tickets. If you book each leg on different tickets, you are out of luck if you miss one.

I expect from Raleigh you have to do connecting flights.  I use Matrix ITA (it doesn't sell flights) to plan my travel.  It is the old software travel agents used to plan travel.  You can ask for nearby airports, give or take a day (sometimes flexibility leads to cheaper pricing) and then filter by your criteria.  Some people take the risk of separate tickets, but I would only consider that if I was going to spend a day or two in the connecting city.  From Canada and a secondary airport, I rarely find the deal - unless it was to fly cheap to a place in Europe and then get a cheap ticket on one of the European cheapo airlines.  Others use flight consolidators, or join a 'club' with fare discounts.  But you need to consider your risk quotient.  Know that anything you book off the main airline site, if things go wrong, the airline isn't going to be helpful.  You will have to go back to the company that sold you the ticket.  Expedia is pretty strong about being helpful, but who knows about the consolidator or  the club.

Alternately, you could enquire about flights through the airline.  You won't have much control about the times, but maybe they have some good charter pricing from say JFK to Rome and they'll arr

ange the Raliegh flight as well.

 

Thank you for your input. Youve basically confirmed what I have been thinking.  We dont really have the extra time to spend as an overnight layover somewhere.  We have the vacation time to spare but my husbands work cant really let him off for longer than we are already taking.

 

35 minutes ago, jkrislc said:

I have found some of the best international airfares during Thanksgiving week from the U.S. I've also flown to both Paris and London and then booked separate tickets to fly to my final destination in Europe and saved about $1200 doing this even after accounting for the additional costs of a hotel in London or Paris before flying home. If you do this, keep in mind that the airlines won't book your baggage through to your final destination, so you'll need to go through immigration, collect your bags, and then recheck them. We have ourselves 5 hours between flights just to be safe. 

 

Thank you for the Thanksgiving week tip.  I will be sure to BOLO pricing then.  Where did you find this good pricing?

 

7 minutes ago, mef_57 said:

Maybe time of year matters.  5 hours certainly won't be enough when a winter snow storm grounds the eastern seaboard for 36 hours.

 

True.  We are traveling in May so I wouldnt expect any snowstorms.  LOL  But your point is well taken.  The best flight I am currently looking at has a 5 hour layover in Detroit before heading out to Rome BUT there are flights from Raleigh to Detroit at approx 2 hour intervals prior.  Maybe move up a flight for some added comfort.

[mef_57]

25 minutes ago, aprilF said:

True.  We are traveling in May so I wouldnt expect any snowstorms.  LOL  But your point is well taken.  The best flight I am currently looking at has a 5 hour layover in Detroit before heading out to Rome BUT there are flights from Raleigh to Detroit at approx 2 hour intervals prior.  Maybe move up a flight for some added comfort.

I am Canadian, what can I say? I often travel in Winter and it can sometimes take me 3 weeks of planning on and off to find the best flight for taking snow cancellations into consideration - that was a flight to Ecuador before an incountry flight to the Amazon.  With only one flight a day from only one of 3 airports in the US and none from Canada - I had to plan carefully...and do 2 overnights to ensure I didn't miss that Amazon flight.  I have also been just saved from flights in March to Florida for cruises when the runways got cleared just in time for my flights.  

I certainly am comfortable with 3 hour layovers.  Enough time to get to the right gate area, stretch your legs, have a bite, but not so much time that you are bored or frustrated.  Good luck.

 

[Epos Man]

what about a stop at philly

[jkrislc]

57 minutes ago, mef_57 said:

Maybe time of year matters.  5 hours certainly won't be enough when a winter snow storm grounds the eastern seaboard for 36 hours.

Good point. I usually fly direct from the California and have only done this in the summer as winter process from here to Europe are really affordable in the winter (cheaper than flying to Florida). 

[Beardface]

On 10/21/2019 at 1:19 PM, aprilF said:

A bump to an old thread because I have some questions about booking international airfare as Ive never done it before.  Ive been looking at Expedia to get from Raleigh, NC to Rome, Italy.  Obviously I fly a couple of different airlines to do this.  If I could find cheaper fare individually, is it possible to link the reservations across lines.  My concern is that if flight #1 is delayed and I miss flight #2 what happens?  I know when I book multi stop itineraries altogether the airlines just help me get on the next available flight. 

 

Many people talk about flying this way (having one flight to get to a major international hub and then another flight to get where ever they were ultimately going) so I know its doable, just wondering how much more of a hassle if things go sideways on flight #1.

 

Also if anyone has a suggestion for a whole itinerary booker other than Expedia I am all ears.  Thank you!

 

You don't have to book different airlines if you don't want to.

 

RDU flies direct to Paris on Delta and London on American.  From there, you can get a connecting flight to Rome on a codeshare (Air France for Delta, British Airways for American) and its all handled through the original booking and Delta/American will handle any scrambling over missed connections, assuming the miss was their fault.  You could also connect domestically through Atlanta, JFK (Delta) Charlotte, or Philly (American) among others, and then take their long haul over to Rome.

 

My wife and I did the RDU-JFK-Rome flights on Delta back for our honeymoon and it was easy.  (Return was Venice-overnight in Paris-Atlanta-RDU, because Delta hadn't opened the Paris-Raleigh direct flight, yet) I highly recommend doing the same.  (I've also done RDU-Atlanta-Amsterdam with a return of Brussels-Detroit-RDU, and that was easy as well) And I would strongly suggest booking directly through the airline rather than a third party.  I've had terrible experiences with Expedia screwing up a name on the reservation and to get it fixed is an absolute nightmare.

Edited October 22, 2019 by Beardface

[aprilF]

Thanks! 

15 minutes ago, Epos Man said:

what about a stop at philly

IIRC the Philly flight has an extra stop in London, unless maybe there is a direct flight to Rome that was just so much higher priced I wasnt even looking at it.  Im not against stopping in Philly but Id rather have as few of stops as possible.

2 minutes ago, Beardface said:

 

You don't have to book different airlines if you don't want to.

 

RDU flies direct to Paris on Delta and London on American.  From there, you can get a connecting flight to Rome on a codeshare (Air France for Delta, British Airways for American) and its all handled through the original booking and Delta/American will handle any scrambling over missed connections, assuming the miss was their fault.  You could also connect domestically through Atlanta, JFK (Delta) Charlotte, or Philly (American) among others, and then take their long haul over to Rome.

 

My wife and I did the RDU-JFK-Rome flights on Delta back for our honeymoon and it was easy.  I highly recommend doing the same.  And I would strongly suggest booking directly through the airline rather than a third party.  I've had terrible experiences with Expedia screwing up a name on the reservation and to get it fixed is an absolute nightmare.

 

Thanks.  I dont recall a RDU-JFK-Rome option when I looked.  I believe there was one that originated in CL, which is only a little further away from us.  But the price for RDU-Detroit-Rome was better (or maybe it was the timing).  I will recheck, specifically on Delta.

[jkrislc]

I'm a fan of using Google Flights AprilF. 

 

Beardface, the code share airlines (at least British and American) will no longer do this if the record locators are different. We experienced this as we were booked on BA, but on two separate reservations. I believe they changed their policy in 2016. 

 

[Epos Man]

On 10/22/2019 at 8:29 PM, aprilF said:

Thanks! 

IIRC the Philly flight has an extra stop in London, unless maybe there is a direct flight to Rome that was just so much higher priced I wasnt even looking at it.  Im not against stopping in Philly but Id rather have as few of stops as possible.

 

Thanks.  I dont recall a RDU-JFK-Rome option when I looked.  I believe there was one that originated in CL, which is only a little further away from us.  But the price for RDU-Detroit-Rome was better (or maybe it was the timing).  I will recheck, specifically on Delta.

not the one i looked at it was 1 stop in philly then direct to rome

 

Basic economy obviously so you would have to go through the booking process to see the additional bag costa