Need help for lower fare SFO/LAX to BCN (May 2011)

[annimal]

Hi, I am traveling with a group of 10 people to Barcelona in May 2011. Our ship departs Barcelona on May 28. Seven of us will be coming from the San Francisco area and three of us will be coming from the Los Angeles area. We are planning on flying out several days early to experience Barcelona but plan to return home the same day our ship returns to Barcelona. So our travel dates are May 23 outbound and June 4 return. I have searched various websites (ITA, Expedia, Travelocity, United, American, Delta, etc.) from airports around SF and flights are coming out around $1300 - $1400 per person while flights from LA are a little less. It's rather pricey for our group of 10 people. I'd like to look into multiple carriers if that helps significantly reduce our costs, but I'm not sure where to start. I have read recommendations for airlines that Aer Lingus and Aer Berlin where other posters have gotten reasonable fares into Barcelona, but these travelers are coming from either the Midwest or the East Coast. I have no idea what connecting airports to start looking into since I'm out in California. Does anyone have suggestions or have other insight on how to find the lowest fares? Part of me wants to wait until December/January since sales for international flights "supposedly" come out 4 - 5 months in advance, but the other part of me is nervous about waiting until then as I don't want to really limit our options if many flights with good connection times, routes, etc. book up. Also, since our party is coming from SF and LA, I'm trying to find flights that are similar in arrival time into Barcelona and departure time out of Barcelona. Please help. Thanks!

[CruiserBruce]

Sounds like you are already doing the best job, comparing the various websites.

 

I wouldn't wait too much longer. The cheapest buckets of tickets usually go first. There might be a sale during the winter, but holding your breath only turns you blue!

[Bowie MeMe]

I think that for 10 folks I would check out a TA. For 10 there just might be a "quanity" discount. There might be a quanity discount for 10 on the cruise also. Can't hurt to ask.

 

For a trip this summer we flew Bwi (Baltimore) to LAX to SFO and back with no plane changes so that would be the best way to stay together is to get there on the same plane. SFO starts and picks up the LAX ers.

In Barcelona you might have a private tour company meet and transport you in a mini bus. Convenient and again for 10 possibly your most cost effective method. Port excursions also probably cheaper for 10 as a group with a guide than all do it your own. A good TA should be able to help you arrange this easy enough. Check your roll call too as folks there often arrange for groups and lots of experience as Barcelona is a popular port now.

[epixx]

Check prices in small groups of 2. For example, AA has the following for 2 people:

 

AA flight 12 SFO (leaves 9:15 am) to JFK (arrives 5:59 pm) connecting to AA flight 152 JFK (leaves 8:45 pm) to BCN (arrives 10:25 am) on May 23.

 

AA flight BCN (leaves 10:25 am) to JFK (arrives 1:20 pm) connecting to AA flight 85 (leaves 3:10 pm) to SFO (arrives 6:50 pm) on June 4.

 

Cost per person = $941.40.

 

However, this fare may not be available for all 7 of you, so you might need to buy the tickets 2 or 3 at a time to obtain the lowest average fare.

[farmerjohn]

We found the same problem with AA when trying to book 10 seats from Seattle to Barcelona last year. If we entered two passengers we could get the lower rate. However, if we entered more than two the rate would jump up. Also, we could hold the reservation for two passengers, but then when we would try to get two more seats at the lower price, it was not available--only the higher rate.

 

Eventually booked with Continental as they were matching AA's lowest rate and we could book all 10 seats.

[FlyerTalker]

We found the same problem with AA when trying to book 10 seats from Seattle to Barcelona last year. If we entered two passengers we could get the lower rate. However, if we entered more than two the rate would jump up. Also, we could hold the reservation for two passengers, but then when we would try to get two more seats at the lower price, it was not available--only the higher rate.

 

Eventually booked with Continental as they were matching AA's lowest rate and we could book all 10 seats.

 

What you were getting was something like this:

 

Pricing is based on the inventory of seats available for purchase in each fare "bucket". What you had, and likely didn't know, was a case where there were only two seats left in the lowest bucket.

 

If you try to buy more seats than what are left in the bucket, ALL the seats in the reservation come from the bucket with availability for the entire request. So, buying more seats than there is inventory means you pay more for ALL tickets, not just those outside the lowest available bucket.

 

As for CO...they had enough inventory to cover all 10 seats. So it wasn't that something was "wrong" with AA but "right" with CO.

[personnext]

Iberia/AA are launching a new Miami-Barcelona non-stop flight at the end of March and there are some really good deals (as low as $550 all-in, round-trip) during the spring. The key is to force the routing via Miami, possibly on a multi-city trip.

[Gardyloo]

Iberia/AA are launching a new Miami-Barcelona non-stop flight at the end of March and there are some really good deals (as low as $550 all-in, round-trip) during the spring. The key is to force the routing via Miami, possibly on a multi-city trip.

Iberia is also starting LAX-Madrid nonstop in March, however on the return the connecting times to Madrid would require the passengers to get a 10 AM flight out of Barcelona, which just can't be done on cruise days.

 

Using American SFO-JFK-BCN-JFK-SFO on the OP's dates I'm seeing $1184 all in. The price could be lower if they could depart earlier from BCN, but that seems unlikely and ill-advised.

 

The LAX pax (ha ha) would be on the same transatlantic flights but would get home for $1019 all in. The group would meet and split at JFK. If they all wanted to fly together, the SFO pax could fly to LAX for the same JFK/BCN flights, but they'd have to spend the night in LA on the return. However the price would go down for SFO-LAX-JFK-BCN-JFK-LAX-SFO - $1111 down from $1184. A hotel would probably snuff the difference, though.

 

The MIA routing doesn't save any time and doesn't allow same-day connections to SFO from BCN.

[annimal]

Wow Gardyloo, thanks for looking into this! I'll definitely check it out as an option. Just hard to swallow paying over $1000 for flights to Europe as that wasn't the case last year around the same time.

[sailinglisa]

Why not stay overnight in Barcelona and take an early flight out the next morning? That might save you some big bucks.....those flights will be too early to be made by cruisers departing the day the cruise debarks and the price could be lower. If it is a matter of time off from work, think about cutting one day off the beginning of the trip and tacking it onto the end of the trip? Think about a whole day in BCN post cruise and the great time you could have!

 

Also, I have traveled with a group that has met at a port of embarkation and we arrive from all over the country. Is it really necessary for all to be on the same flights? We meet up at the port of embarkation and then enjoy ourselves together.

 

Flyer Talker is right - I listened to his advice years ago and it was right on.