NYC-VENICE ---ROME-NYC- AMEX or LOW FARE

[Lookingforfacts]

Looking for a cruise October 2012. I would need to fly into Venice and back from Rome.

 

Lowest fare I'm currently seeing is with Aer Lingus. Connecting flight in Dublin both directions. Any issue with the airline or with a connection in Dublin?

 

Alternately I might use AMEX membership rewards. I can transfer into Delta and book Delta.

 

Any alternatives, which don't require fuel surcharges?

 

Thanks.

[Zach1213]

Don't expect anything too fancy from Aer Lingus...average food, average comfort, average service, average to poor inflight entertainment depending on which A330 you are on across the Atlantic. Connecting in Dublin is fine - it's a small enough airport, everything is in English so it's easy to get around.

[luvs2beachit]

We are doing the same exact flight in October 2012: JFK to Venice on Aer Lingus. We are even able to stay in Dublin a few days on the same ticket. We have flown Aer Lingus multiple times and have always had good, friendly service on all our flights. And yes, the on board entertainment is not state of the art but it's an overnight flight so we are sleeping anyway. Dublin airport is small and easy to get around.

I did quite a bit of checking and their rates were the best I could find booking directly with an airline. I try to stay away from consolidator tickets if possible. I also used AMEX points to pay for the tickets. No problem with that either. Our tickets are only one way as we will be returning on a TA to Fla.

[6rugrats]

Alternately I might use AMEX membership rewards. I can transfer into Delta and book Delta.

 

Any alternatives, which don't require fuel surcharges?

 

Thanks.

 

http://www.membershiprewards.com/catalog/search/?N=13000000&mrnavlink=topnav%3aTravelAirlines&ResetBreadcrumb=true

If you use points, make sure you find availability and have those seats on hold before you transfer points. It's very difficult to find award seats on DL that don't cost hundreds of thousands of points. I would advise you to also look at other airlines.

 

What do you mean by "fuel surcharges"? You're going to pay the taxes/fees on any award ticket.

[Lookingforfacts]

Does DL release more seats at the "saver" levels closer to the departure date or is availability always poor?

 

Some of the foreign airlines charge passengers using a FF ticket a fuel surcharge (hundreds of dollars) in addition to the nominal charge for taxes and fees charged by other airlines.

[frugaltravel]

Alternately I might use AMEX membership rewards. I can transfer into Delta and book Delta.

 

Actually you can transfer into lots more programs than just Delta. This is key.

 

http://www.membershiprewards.com/catalog/search/?N=13000000&mrnavlink=topnav%3aTravelAirlines&ResetBreadcrumb=true

If you use points, make sure you find availability and have those seats on hold before you transfer points.

 

Wise advice, but not always possible with some AmEx partners. Also not possible if booked on the phone with DL.

 

It's very difficult to find award seats on DL that don't cost hundreds of thousands of points. I would advise you to also look at other airlines.

 

Difficult but by no means impossible. With enough knowledge and work, one can usually find low level business class (and economy class) awards to Europe with DL and partners.

 

What do you mean by "fuel surcharges"? You're going to pay the taxes/fees on any award ticket.

 

Many airlines charge fuel surcharges on award tickets that go way beyond just taxes and fees. For example, British Air charges such hefty fees, but they are far from the only airline doing so.

 

Does DL release more seats at the "saver" levels closer to the departure date or is availability always poor?

 

DL and other airlines release more seats when they feel they are not going to fill the plane. I don't find DL's award availability "always poor" though I spend a lot of time booking awards. It takes a lot of work - using outside sources like ExpertFlyer and/or KVS, trying to "trick" their website, calling Delta and paying the phone fee (is a $20 phone fee worth saving 50,000 miles? It is to me), etc.

[FlyerTalker]

Does DL release more seats at the "saver" levels closer to the departure date or is availability always poor?

DL uses a computer-modelled dynamic system for allocating award seats at the various levels. During a DL sponsored event, the head of their FF program said that there are no pre-set releases of seats, even at the time of the first date into the GDS. Completely supply/demand driven.

 

That being said, DL will have low-level seats available for redemption at fairly short windows before departure. Not on all routes or all dates, but more often than you would think. This really doesn't help though when you have date-critical travel, such as flying to a cruise. It does work nicely for more spontaneous types of travel.

 

Difficult but by no means impossible. With enough knowledge and work, one can usually find low level business class (and economy class) awards to Europe with DL and partners.

OK....I may lose my status in the secret elite "keep it to yourself" club, but here's one trick for DL TATL redemption of SkyPesos. Fly on AF from IAD or YUL.

 

Finally, I suspect that the OP is focused on DL because of their nonstop service into VCE. Which leads to the big question....what is nonstop routing worth to you compared to connections?

[Lookingforfacts]

Difficult but by no means impossible. With enough knowledge and work, one can usually find low level business class (and economy class) awards to Europe with DL and partners.

 

Many airlines charge fuel surcharges on award tickets that go way beyond just taxes and fees. For example, British Air charges such hefty fees, but they are far from the only airline doing so.

 

DL and other airlines release more seats when they feel they are not going to fill the plane. I don't find DL's award availability "always poor" though I spend a lot of time booking awards. It takes a lot of work - using outside sources like ExpertFlyer and/or KVS, trying to "trick" their website, calling Delta and paying the phone fee (is a $20 phone fee worth saving 50,000 miles? It is to me), etc.

It's worth the phone fee. I'll give KVS a shot. Is there a summary as to which airlines charge high fuel surcharges. Looks like AZ has a somewhat large surcharge, IB is a little more reasonable and airlines like DL don't seem to charge any.

 

 

OK....I may lose my status in the secret elite "keep it to yourself" club, but here's one trick for DL TATL redemption of SkyPesos. Fly on AF from IAD or YUL.

 

Finally, I suspect that the OP is focused on DL because of their nonstop service into VCE. Which leads to the big question....what is nonstop routing worth to you compared to connections?

 

AMEX MR transfers into DL miles. DL offers N/S (and connecting) flights. No large fuel surcharge.That's why I checked them first.

 

I posted here (and FT) looking for alternatives. I'm already checking AF. I'll give KVS and expertflyer a shot.

 

I'm probably not willing to fly out of IAD. OK maybe for a N/S flight, business class with saver miles. The time and money spent getting myself to DC could be spent with a longer connection in Europe or paying a fuel surcharge.

[frugaltravel]

OK....I may lose my status in the secret elite "keep it to yourself" club, but here's one trick for DL TATL redemption of SkyPesos. Fly on AF from IAD or YUL.

 

Finally, I suspect that the OP is focused on DL because of their nonstop service into VCE. Which leads to the big question....what is nonstop routing worth to you compared to connections?

 

There are several secrets to using DL miles, a couple of which I will never share in a public bulletin board, but your advice is correct. Just flew IAD-CDG and onward in October in business class. I prefer paying 100K miles and connecting than paying 200K miles and flying non-stop!

 

I'm probably not willing to fly out of IAD. OK maybe for a N/S flight, business class with saver miles. The time and money spent getting myself to DC could be spent with a longer connection in Europe or paying a fuel surcharge.

 

Actually it might be worth paying for one of the services that books frequent flyer seats for people since you don't quite understand the system. You wouldn't necessarily fly OUT OF IAD, but THROUGH IAD. But if you want non-stop from somewhere, you almost always end up paying more - more miles or more money.

[Lookingforfacts]

Actually it might be worth paying for one of the services that books frequent flyer seats for people since you don't quite understand the system. You wouldn't necessarily fly OUT OF IAD, but THROUGH IAD. But if you want non-stop from somewhere, you almost always end up paying more - more miles or more money.

 

I'm realistic. I understand I'll probably need a connecting flight. I don't think I want to connect in IAD and again in Europe. At least one of the threads talked about people getting themselves to IAD, booking a discount airline, then starting their trip. Others talked about booking a LGA-IAD segment through DL. How much time to you need to allow in IAD for the "connection" to work? Sounds like you first need to find an AF flight that works then hope you can get DL flight with availability which works for.

 

Sounds like you first research what airlines (segment by segment if necessary) have availability then calling DL (assume they're DL partner airlines) to book (assuming you're unable to do it online).

[FlyerTalker]

There are several secrets to using DL miles, a couple of which I will never share in a public bulletin board, but your advice is correct. Just flew IAD-CDG and onward in October in business class. I prefer paying 100K miles and connecting than paying 200K miles and flying non-stop!

The AF gimmick is pretty well known, but nice to see others taking advantage of it. Not quite as useful from here on the left coast.

Sounds like you first research what airlines (segment by segment if necessary) have availability then calling DL (assume they're DL partner airlines) to book (assuming you're unable to do it online).

That's the theory for all airline's FF redemption. Look at availability on the most restrictive/difficult part of your trip first, then work to piece things together. That is usually the trans-oceanic leg. Don't just put in your complete itinerary and have the computer say one of two things: either 1) Sorry, your routing is unavailable or 2) The rate for your ticket is 575,000 miles per person. (Or some other ridiculous number - my personal high for a computer generated pricing was 825,000 miles per person)

 

Remember that you have 24 hours for connections on international routings, plus the availability of a stopover. For example, you are cruising out of Cape Town. You can get availability USA-CDG and CDG-CPT, but they are three days apart. WHEE!! Take the two flights, have a three day stopover in Paris, all on one ticket! You got a free visit to Paris, as the rate with the stopover is the same as for a quick connection at CDG. On a revenue ticket, it would cost you more.

 

Now, for some, it's all about the convenience of non-stop flights. Like so many things in life, you pay for that convenience. Whether the "cost" is acceptable to you or not is a very personal decision. I'll join Frugal in taking the lowest number. (Sidebar story - just booked tickets to Asia. In order to get the lowest rate, Mrs. FT and I will be on separate itineraries and routings. Would I prefer to fly with her - yes. Do I prefer saving 120,000 miles over that? Yes. And she agrees. No separation anxieties in this family.)

 

Finally, when previewing this post, I was told that this was post #5000 for Mr. FT. Thank you all for putting up with these messages over the years.

[6rugrats]

[quote name=FlyerTalker;31906190

Finally' date=' when previewing this post, I was told that this was post #5000 for Mr. FT. Thank you all for putting up with these messages over the years.[/quote]

 

Congratulations! Each one a small gem of wisdom.

[Bowie MeMe]

Congrads on 5000. Know that you have helped me often as I think out my few flights a year.

[Lookingforfacts]

Congrats on 5K and thanks for your help. I'll use some of your ideas after I book the cruise. Hopefully the ideas shared in this thread will either let me book business class, at least one leg, or at least reduce the number of miles required for economy.

 

This is a cruise board. Combine the flight requirements dictated by the cruise with set vacation schedule and some of the techniques used by FF experts won't always work. I burned double miles for my Alaska cruise. I was ultimately able to change my return flight to F class for the same miles (not that first class was a big deal). A few people thought that was a bad use of miles but my vacation was limited and that allowed me to maximize vacation time.

[Ms Understood]

Congrats, Mr FT. I also have profitted mightily from your wisdom!

--------------

Helen

[Lookingforfacts]

OK--I've done some research. Is there a way to book AF premum economy as a Delta Award ticket? Posters on FT say no but I think both FlyerTalker and frugaltravel know more then (almost?) all the posters on FT.

 

Otherwise is AF Premium Economy worth having to use one of the discount carriers (and pay more for luggage then I'll be paying for the ticket) in order to fly to and from CDG?

[FlyerTalker]

To the best of my ability, you can book economy or business on AF using SkyPesos. Premium economy can be obtained by using DL upgrade certs from regular economy fares on certain routes.

[Lookingforfacts]

I want to thank the posters in this thread for their advice and suggestions. Different people have different opinions on how to use award tickets to their best advantage. Posters in this thread gave some good ideas and suggestions. Some fit my circumstances and some may apply to future trips.

 

I would have sent Fyertalker (frugal traveler...)a pm thanking them but this board doesn't seem to offer that feature.

[FlyerTalker]

You are very welcome. The key, IMO, is evaluating options and making value judgments. There are many different "costs" in life, and often the least of them is "money". I just want folks to know what they are getting and what kinds of options they may have. As I have long stated, both here and in real life, all life is a continuing series of cost-benefit decisions. (Spoken in a Milton Friedman-like delivery)

[kenish]

@Flyertalk- You're a huge asset to CC. I wonder if your Post #1 is available for old times' sake?

[FlyerTalker]

@Flyertalk- You're a huge asset to CC. I wonder if your Post #1 is available for old times' sake?

THIS POST in THIS THREAD.

 

I sorta jumped in with both feet after lurking for a while. Luckily, a thread came along that I had a lot of knowledge on, so I really went at it from the start.

 

Interestingly, I wrote this several posts into the topic in that first thread:

What I try to do is present information, so that someone can make an informed choice. Often I have strong feelings, but I try to differentiate facts vs opinions.

Not much has changed.

[marco]

One nice thing about flying Aer Lingus Dublin/NYC is that you go through customs and immigration in Dublin (don't ask me how or why) so when you land at JFK, you just claim your luggage and walk out! Where do you live? I ask because last year we went to Paris. It was $200 p/p cheaper to fly from Bradley (Hartford/Springfield) on Air Canada (Bradley/Montreal/Paris and return) than it was to fly on ANY AIRLINE direct from JFK/Newark/Logan. For us, it takes about just as long to drive to Bradley as to JFK or Newark