it has been 3 years since we few home to ny but this holiday season we are heading stateside to see the fam/friend and introduct baby lync to the other side of the pond
ok, here's the dealy. last i flew to ny, i do not recall it being as crazy expensive as the prices i am getting these days while planning the trip.
i know oil has gone up a lot and that it is more expensive to fly at the holidays but i wanted to see if anyone has any super saver websites to book through for a flight for 2 adults and 1 infant madrid barajas -> jfk -> madrid barajas.
we want to go around dec. 10th 2007 and return around jan. 24th but the dates are flexible. as long as we are there for 5 to 6 weeks we can leave a bit earlier or later.
i have been getting quotes on direct flights for 2 adults and 1 infant of around 1,400-1,600 euros and quotes on flights with 1 change of planes around 1,100 euros.
these are total prices for all 3 of us after all taxes and fees but they seem high.
are they or am i just out of the loop?
i have also heard that if you stay for more than 30 days the cost goes up but i changed the dates to check a stay less than 30 days and it did not lower the quotes at all.
also, when did airlines start charging for infants (under 2 years old)? last i looked, babies flew free on mommy or daddy's lap. the u.s. airlines still offer the lap option for free but from what i can tell, the european airlines want from 200-400 euros for the wee one to fly
I checked a few flights for you jer, with the european airlines, and the total cost was average 1100€ total, but no non-stop flights. BA actually came in ok, via LHR, so at least your luggage can be booked straight through. The price for the infant was 23€, but then with all the taxes, surcharges etc came out around the 200€ mark
________________________________________ Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional
jer-- This year has been tougher, but I've found tickets for quite a bit less than this, even during the holidays. I've gotten the best results using Kayak.com. It shows you the fares, then you go right to the airline's site to book. You can control all of the variables with it. Right now they show a direct flight on Delta for $642 per adult:
Delta MAD 12:50p JFK 8:50p
JFK 3:10p MAD 10:25a (8h 20m)
About the "lap baby" thing... we always had to pay something for international flights (domestic flights were free). Once you have to pay for a seat, the European airlines tend to be better because they discount the ticket. Most American airlines no long discount kids' tickets at all!
Posts: 1064 | Location: Madrid | Registered: 10 December 2002
At this time, I would also suggest searching/buying through american websites like kayak or orbitz. With dollar value in the pits these days, it makes a HUGE difference (best example above: paying $642 vs €566.) I´m thinking of going to China this year and definitely want to pay in dollars.
Posts: 195 | Location: Madrid | Registered: 02 November 2004
Hey jer-- It was nonstop leaving Dec. 10, returning Jan 24. I just did the exact same search (it was saved under my recent searches) and it just came up as $867 all taxes included.
This happens a lot. I was looking for tickets for several family members visiting during that time. Every time that I found a good fare, we would call them and tell them to buy the tickets... They dilly-dallied for a few hours and then they were gone. If you have the time, it's worth checking several times a day.
Good luck... I tend to have the best luck really late at night (not sure why).
Edit: if you do a connection, pay attention to whether it is one of those tiny commuter planes (i.e. not a big jet). I try to avoid these at all costs, because the movements and weird air pressure tends to bother kids a lot. As much as I hate British Airways and Heathrow, I did have a great experience flying with them when Oscar was a baby, because they seated us in the bulkhead and had a little "baby cot" that attached to the tray table in front that he could sleep in. It's one of those things that you have to ask for ahead of time, I think. I've also had good experiences with USAir/Spanair going through Philly--the planes have always been newer with a bit more space. Definitely get to the airport really early and try to get a bulkhead seat if you can.
Posts: 1064 | Location: Madrid | Registered: 10 December 2002
About the "lap baby" thing... we always had to pay something for international flights (domestic flights were free). Once you have to pay for a seat, the European airlines tend to be better because they discount the ticket. Most American airlines no long discount kids' tickets at all!
i agree. so far the prices for a direct flight with the european airlines for 2 adults and 1 infant have been considerably lower than the price for 3 full tickets with a u.s. based airline.
ok, can someone explain why i am getting quoted 218 euros for lync's ticket when i go to book via the spanish site viajar.com but have to pay the full $800 if i book via orbitz.com even though the flight is the same (airline and flight number). THAT IS REALLY THROWING ME FOR A LOOP!!!
Lately I started booking directly through US Airways as it was consistently giving me better flights than cheaptickets.com which was for years my standby. I just flew home for the honeymoon and the cost for two tickets in september was 1560 dollars, with all the taxes and what not. Last year at xmas I paid 800 for the same flight, but solo.
The one good thing, and maybe someone said this already is that with dollar prices so low to the euro, booking through an american site will save you a bundle.
Also, I often call the airline directly (in teh US) to detail flights and get info. They can probably clarify the baby cost question.
Finally, I have used travel agents which have in the past secured me cheaper flights than any of the sights. Boardmember Queensita has a Tio here in Madrid that has a travel agent and in 2004 he booked me into New York for 390 euros. Granted that was three years ago.
Good luck, Candy
Posts: 988 | Location: MADRID! | Registered: 09 November 2002
jer-- I don't think most of the American consolidator type sites can really apply the discounts for infants and kids on international flights. Some airline sites can't even do this and you have to call to get the kid fare. To save time shopping around, I always get the fare from the discount sites and then go directly to the airline's site (or call). I've always been able to get the same discount fare, provided that I act fast and use the exact same itinerary. Kayak actually works this way. They don't sell the tickets, they just link you straight to each airline's ticketing system.
Posts: 1064 | Location: Madrid | Registered: 10 December 2002
i took your advice and called delta this morning. they told me that i can buy the adult tix online via their site and then call and buy the infant ticket.
the cost of the infant tick is 218 euros so that is reasonable.
the guy said it is best to buy the adults tix online since if you do it on the phone, they charge a 47 euro PER TICKET paper ticket fee, that muse be SOME paper!!!
also, i am not convinced that booking online in dollars via a u.s. based site will save anything since the airlines do a pretty exact currency conversion. for example, the direct tickets on delta i found on kayak.com are priced at $867 and the price i get on delta.com in spanish is 617 euros ($875). so, the savings are not significant at a mere $8 per ticket.
and on orbitz.com (site i usually use to fly my mom over) the same flight is $929 so i would lose money if i went that route.
i am not convinced that booking online in dollars via a u.s. based site will save anything since the airlines do a pretty exact currency conversion.
That has also been my experience (for flights from Spain to the US--domestic US flights are a different story). Two other Spanish sites to check are terminala.com and rumbo.es. Sometimes they catch options (usually requiring a trasbordo) that the American sites don't.
Personally, traveling with a really little one, I would probably pay whatever premium for a direct flight. I doubt you'll regret it.
And let me just stress this: bring a change of clothing for everyone in the family. If you want to hear the full, and truly embarrassing, story behind this tidbit of parental wisdom, someday I'll tell you the whole story--offboard...
Posts: 1064 | Location: Madrid | Registered: 10 December 2002
I've had good luck with Zepelin Viajes (near Santo Domingo metro) in the past. Online I always use Kayak and buy through airfare.com or cheaptickets.com.
There's also a really great Web site I found: www.skyscanner.net. It's best if your dates are flexible, but sometimes you luck out on exact dates as well. It basically scans all of the cheapest airlines and gives you real-time quotes.
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