CHEAP AIR from Barcelona

[bozemanman]

For any of you wanting to get airfare back from a transatlantic ending in Barcelona at a VERY reasonable price and willing to do a little (very little) work on your own...I have an answer.

 

Look into Air Berlin one way to JFK and only to JFK, if you need to go to a different part of the country do so on a separate booking. We did this and the BCN to JFK in April was $500pp.

 

We booked a separate multi-city booking on Delta for Montana to FLL for the start of the cruise and NYC to back to Montana (one booking) for $492pp.

 

If I had booked all flights in one booking it would have cost over $2500pp instead of $992pp. A savings of over $3000.00!!!!:eek::D.

[Tampa Girl]

I have heard that this airline is really good in terms of comfort and service. Did you find it so? From what other cities in Europe do they fly to JFK?

[bozemanman]

I guess i did word it a little funny....we go this April, so hope they are as good as you heard. As far as other cities in Europe...there are a lot they fly from. Best to go to their website and check for whatever you are interested in.

[barante]

We took Air Berlin from JFK to Berlin in October, with a continuation to Venice.

Air Berlin was excellent. But because of weather-related delays, we got to Berlin at 9:30 a.m. on a Satuday, hours late, only to find out that all the flights from there to Venice were gone for that day Air Berlin put us on a Brussels Airways flight first to Brussels and then from there to Venice. Brussels, too, is a good airline and fed us twice.

Now here are the wrinkles: The airport Berlin flies to is a mess. It's fine if you go to Berlin but may not be if you have to transit. Because you first have to clear the customs, then walk to another terminal on a lengthy path open to the elements. Also, we did not have any problem with luggage. But another couple, having checked their multiple bags fist class, suddenly became subject to Air Brussels's European luggage weight rules and had to pay $300 extra.

As to the Brussels-Venice detour, it made us realize how close together all those European countries are. Crossing over the Alps offered us some splendid scenery.

The bottom line: Our experience made us realize how optimistic we have always been in our flight arrangements. We usually arrive on the morning of departure. Had we not been overnighting on the Nieuw Amsterdam before the ship's departure the next afternoon, Air Berlin would have caused us to miss the ship.

[Tampa Girl]

barante - I assume that Air Berlin was not responsible for the weather delays, however, right? From the sounds of it, this airline is best for direct flights where you don't have to change plane - at least if going on a cruise with "multiple" bags.

[bozemanman]

We took Air Berlin from JFK to Berlin in October, with a continuation to Venice.

Air Berlin was excellent. But because of weather-related delays, we got to Berlin at 9:30 a.m. on a Satuday, hours late, only to find out that all the flights from there to Venice were gone for that day Air Berlin put us on a Brussels Airways flight first to Brussels and then from there to Venice. Brussels, too, is a good airline and fed us twice.

Now here are the wrinkles: The airport Berlin flies to is a mess. It's fine if you go to Berlin but may not be if you have to transit. Because you first have to clear the customs, then walk to another terminal on a lengthy path open to the elements. Also, we did not have any problem with luggage. But another couple, having checked their multiple bags fist class, suddenly became subject to Air Brussels's European luggage weight rules and had to pay $300 extra.

As to the Brussels-Venice detour, it made us realize how close together all those European countries are. Crossing over the Alps offered us some splendid scenery.

The bottom line: Our experience made us realize how optimistic we have always been in our flight arrangements. We usually arrive on the morning of departure. Had we not been overnighting on the Nieuw Amsterdam before the ship's departure the next afternoon, Air Berlin would have caused us to miss the ship.

 

Sorry you had a bad experience. As an experienced flier I realize you can't cut it close for time schedules, the longer the journey the bigger allowance for flight delays. As you first stated it was a weather delay, mechanical is possible too...on any airline....I've had my share of delays.

 

I've read on this board about others whom sail out the same day as the morning of their flight arrival...I would NEVER do that -both for flight delays and for comfort reasons after an overnight flight to Europe.

 

As my original post indicates this is post cruise to the U.S., delays (while always irritating) are not crucial.

[KirkNC]

That is a great fare :eek:.

 

Kirk

[bozemanman]

That is a great fare :eek:.

 

Kirk

 

 

Thanks....beat "the system" for once and thought I should share it...in case anyone else could duplicate my good fortune.:D

[marco]

Also...look into Aer Lingus through Dublin or Shannon. They were almost $250 less than anyone else Rome to JFK. Granted, everyone else was nonstop, but for $500 a couple, a two hour layover was well worth it!

[bozemanman]

Also...look into Aer Lingus through Dublin or Shannon. They were almost $250 less than anyone else Rome to JFK. Granted, everyone else was nonstop, but for $500 a couple, a two hour layover was well worth it!

 

 

marco...I saw Aer Lingus, they were slightly higher from Barcelona than Air Berlin...but only slightly...and no one else even came close, nice to find a deal huh?

[barante]

Many valid points made here. As I said, Air Berlin was excellent. And it got us from JFK to Venice for less than $500. They had no control over weather. In fact, had there not been weather delays on the East Coast, we would have missed the plane at JFK in the first place because we connected from BWI. and that plane too was late.

This experience served the purpose that posters said it did. In all my years of traveling, I have always counted on planes to be on time. Generally they have been. And if they haven't, it hasn't much mattered. But when you have a cruise ship to catch, you need to build some buffer time, which we didn't.

Interestingly, we'll go to New Zealand in March. HAL has us flying BWI - Cincinnati - LAX -Auckland, arriving at 7 a.m. on the day when the ship departs at midnight. I'm not worried. Plenty of ports to catch up with the ship if it comes to that.

ANOTHER POSSIBIITY: I haven't researched Brussels Airways, but it has a dense network in Europe (trying to fill the gaps of the now-defunct SABENA. But it's a low-cost airline with multi-tiered ticket and service level system.

I don't know whether they fly to the U.S. but I think they work together with Delta.

[IndyDenise]

I am glad the OP has booked their airfare at a great rate BUT keep one thing in mind..if there is any kind of glitch ( mechanical, weather etc ) you may lose your next flight if your current one is late due to it being seperate bookings.

 

However the OP got such a great rate that even if they had to buy new tickets they could be ahead. :D Plus, their only worry would be travel onward from JFK which would leave them a lot of options.

 

Last year my flights ( on Delta ) IND-NEW York-London was cancelled then my flight changed Indy- Detroit-London which never happened due to a late plane. ..Delta again re-routed , and I finally got to London!! ( much later than planned ) ..and coming home my Paris to Atl was late causing me to miss ATL -IND. We tried to make it but running through the airport with luggage and the immigration line killed us....:mad:

 

Delta took care of me because they had too ( actually I was impressed by the help/care they did, even if I was frustrated )

 

My original booking had long layovers planned so it was not an issue of cutting connections to close.