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Any Disadvantages To Booking 2 RT Tickets To Get To Europe?


LEtue
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I don't have enough FF miles to get all the way to Barcelona so I was thinking about booking 2 RT tickets.

 

One to get to JFK (for example) with miles and then another to get to BCN. Just wondering if there are any issues that I am not aware of to get through airport security screening and immigration.

 

RT trip flights from NY and other northern cities are tempting!

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I don't have enough FF miles to get all the way to Barcelona so I was thinking about booking 2 RT tickets.

 

One to get to JFK (for example) with miles and then another to get to BCN. Just wondering if there are any issues that I am not aware of to get through airport security screening and immigration.

 

RT trip flights from NY and other northern cities are tempting!

What airline are your miles with? Have you looked into purchasing enough miles to add to what you've already got? Most airlines sell miles at 2 - 3c per mile, so if you need another 10,000 for the full round trip, that would cost $200 - $300, which is still way less than even the current cheap fares.

 

If this is for your Carnival cruise in April, be aware that round trips (nonstops) from Miami to Barcelona are $515 at the moment, roughly half what they are for the same days flying out of Tampa. I know it's a long drive from where you live, but what about just driving to MIA and leaving your car near the airport?

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The main disadvantage with this plan is, being on 2 tickets, you have no protection in case of delay. So, for instance, if your TPA-NYC flight is delayed, and you miss your ongoing flight to BCN, the airline is within their rights to say 'too bad so sad'. And if you miss your first flight, usually the rest of your itinerary is cancelled.

 

I'm with Gardyloo - look at buying miles to make up the difference.

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The main disadvantage with this plan is, being on 2 tickets, you have no protection in case of delay. So, for instance, if your TPA-NYC flight is delayed, and you miss your ongoing flight to BCN, the airline is within their rights to say 'too bad so sad'. And if you miss your first flight, usually the rest of your itinerary is cancelled.

 

I'm with Gardyloo - look at buying miles to make up the difference.

Plus, would they not have to retrieve and re-check bags at JFK?

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Why would you do this? The cost from your home city is probably similar, or even cheaper, than splitting the price in New York. Check it out. It would not make sense to use free miles to New York if the price is similar to flying from your home port.

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What airline are your miles with? Have you looked into purchasing enough miles to add to what you've already got? Most airlines sell miles at 2 - 3c per mile, so if you need another 10,000 for the full round trip, that would cost $200 - $300, which is still way less than even the current cheap fares.

 

If this is for your Carnival cruise in April, be aware that round trips (nonstops) from Miami to Barcelona are $515 at the moment, roughly half what they are for the same days flying out of Tampa. I know it's a long drive from where you live, but what about just driving to MIA and leaving your car near the airport?

 

I have under 25K miles on American so I am not close enough to buy miles.

 

Driving to MIA isn't impossible but I haven't seen $515 RT from there - yet......

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The main disadvantage with this plan is, being on 2 tickets, you have no protection in case of delay. So, for instance, if your TPA-NYC flight is delayed, and you miss your ongoing flight to BCN, the airline is within their rights to say 'too bad so sad'. And if you miss your first flight, usually the rest of your itinerary is cancelled.

 

I'm with Gardyloo - look at buying miles to make up the difference.

 

Thanks, that is the kind of information I was looking for and I definitely don't want to have that happen!

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Why would you do this? The cost from your home city is probably similar, or even cheaper, than splitting the price in New York. Check it out. It would not make sense to use free miles to New York if the price is similar to flying from your home port.

 

I would not be asking if this were the case. Did you really have to post this???????

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I have under 25K miles on American so I am not close enough to buy miles.

 

Driving to MIA isn't impossible but I haven't seen $515 RT from there - yet......

Don't know your precise dates, but out on 4/19 and returning on 4/30, $515 on British Airways (codeshare, flying on AA metal) bookable on Expedia right now.

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OP: Have you considered flying into some other airport in Europe and then taking the train? Might work, might not, but worth exploring. If you can get a cheap fair into another city it could be considerable savings depending on the prices you're seeing to BCN. Perhaps look at Madrid, Lisbon or Paris just to name a few.

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Thanks for all the feedback and ideas!

 

Still considering MIA on Friday night but it does take 4 hours to drive there so not sure that option works. I can add a flight from TPA to MIA though so this option is still on the table.

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Plus, would they not have to retrieve and re-check bags at JFK?

 

We have had bags go astray twice in our traveling career...once upon return to MHT, and once at JFK, where an extremely helpful luggage agent found it.

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I don't have enough FF miles to get all the way to Barcelona so I was thinking about booking 2 RT tickets.

 

One to get to JFK (for example) with miles and then another to get to BCN. Just wondering if there are any issues that I am not aware of to get through airport security screening and immigration.

 

RT trip flights from NY and other northern cities are tempting!

Try MCO (Orlando) the MOUSE means more flights than would be expected to foreign countries. Try open jaw by using the multidestination screen. home to hub to Europe -- then to where you need to be. (especially for points flights). Better hubs to Europe than NYC might be Boston Baltimore (one BA flight) IAD (Washington Va. side) Atlanta Chicago. Go to ITA matrix and play around until you get something that works then go to airline site. I have found it worthwhile to try planning with the booking representative for fee on award trips. They show so much more availabilities than you can see on your home screen. Often on award trips if strung together with some pixie dust it is less points than going to a really popular spot like NYC where the reward tickets are gone faster than the speed of light. Also just might glance at the middle eastern airlines (Emirates, Etihad and Qatar) who have very low economy flights and go through Abu Dhabi, or Dubai . One I was looking at was FLL - Dubai -to Barcelona. Lots of flying but under $600 rooundtrip on frequent flight. Flights are wonderful.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Try MCO (Orlando) the MOUSE means more flights than would be expected to foreign countries. Try open jaw by using the multidestination screen. home to hub to Europe -- then to where you need to be. (especially for points flights). Better hubs to Europe than NYC might be Boston Baltimore (one BA flight) IAD (Washington Va. side) Atlanta Chicago. Go to ITA matrix and play around until you get something that works then go to airline site. I have found it worthwhile to try planning with the booking representative for fee on award trips. They show so much more availabilities than you can see on your home screen. Often on award trips if strung together with some pixie dust it is less points than going to a really popular spot like NYC where the reward tickets are gone faster than the speed of light. Also just might glance at the middle eastern airlines (Emirates, Etihad and Qatar) who have very low economy flights and go through Abu Dhabi, or Dubai . One I was looking at was FLL - Dubai -to Barcelona. Lots of flying but under $600 rooundtrip on frequent flight. Flights are wonderful.

 

Thank you. I do use ITA software for my searches and it is a great site. :)

 

I will keep checking FLL since so far MCO isn't any different than TPA.

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