OnTheJourney Posted June 25, 2016 #1 Share Posted June 25, 2016 (edited) Hi, I've been looking and so far just can't find something that I really like. This is for February. The nonstop schedules out of JFK look decent (and certainly nonstop for long haul is always convenient), but I was really hoping for premium economy. Most of those itineraries seem to have 2 stops, generally with Air Canada through Toronto and Santiago. What really has me bummed are the departure times back to the US - most seem to leave at 9 - 10 p.m. That's fine except that at the end of my cruise we come back into Buenos Aires at 5 a.m. That is aLOT of time to kill until leaving for home. Any suggestions appreciated. British Air has a great premium economy schedule - I think one stop only - but is around 7k pp....a bit more than I'd care to spend. Edited June 25, 2016 by three4rd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kauaijim Posted June 26, 2016 #2 Share Posted June 26, 2016 Check out Copa business class is a tad better than domestic first class and you need to stop in panama city. But its daylight flying not those 11pm flights . fares are not too bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sitraveler Posted June 26, 2016 #3 Share Posted June 26, 2016 Almost all flights are late night. BTW, you are looking for BA to PA, not the reverse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kauaijim Posted June 26, 2016 #4 Share Posted June 26, 2016 Right from NY , our orlando -BA leaves 7am arrives 915 pm approx , with the stop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pickypicky Posted June 26, 2016 #5 Share Posted June 26, 2016 I got the impression that almost all flights to and from the states are overnight, at least that was the best we could do. Don't know if your schedule permits, but since we had never been to Buenos Aires, we opted to spend a couple of nights there. We were also lucky enough to be able to get a late checkout from our hotel. So our last day there we were on our own, free to look around a bit more, have a nice lunch, then back to hotel to shower, change and get to airport by 6PM for our 10PM flight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheJourney Posted July 14, 2016 Author #6 Share Posted July 14, 2016 Almost all flights are late night. BTW, you are looking for BA to PA, not the reverse. No...I am looking for PA to BA....but then also from BA back to PA after the trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheJourney Posted July 20, 2016 Author #7 Share Posted July 20, 2016 (edited) I got the impression that almost all flights to and from the states are overnight, at least that was the best we could do. Don't know if your schedule permits, but since we had never been to Buenos Aires, we opted to spend a couple of nights there. We were also lucky enough to be able to get a late checkout from our hotel. So our last day there we were on our own, free to look around a bit more, have a nice lunch, then back to hotel to shower, change and get to airport by 6PM for our 10PM flight. Thanks for the suggestion but we're really not interested in spending time in BA after the cruise. I'd like to get there a day or two early and do the sightseeing then. Right now I'm seriously considering canceling the cruise due to the crappy flight schedules I'm finding. It's either settle for a Boeing 737-800 with a 3-3 seating configuration (WAY too small a plane and cramped seating for any long haul...I know...I've done it), a late night flight out of BA on the 19th (who wants to spend 17 hours in the airport after the ship comes back in?), OR (and this is even more ridiculous) pay the equivalent of business class fare for essentially 2 one-way economy fares using Argentine Airlines (or Delta) going over (nice since it's nonstop) and COPA coming back - since they do have an 11:40 a.m. departure with one stop in Panama City. I've never had this sort of problem with any long-haul trip finding flight schedules that I like. Not really sure it's worth the hassle. I have spent many hours looking at flights probably over a dozen times already and still can't come up with something I like short of, of course, springing for business class. I guess given the choice between waiting until late night to fly back out of BA or using a Boeing with 3-3 seating and the chance to get home the evening of the 19th yet, I'd probably opt for the latter but I'm having a hard time convincing myself that the trip is really worth putting up with flights I'm not happy with - especially rather long flights at that. Sorry for being so grumpy and complaining but I'm really unhappy about this and truly ready to throw in the towel. Edited July 20, 2016 by three4rd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheJourney Posted July 21, 2016 Author #8 Share Posted July 21, 2016 (edited) I see there is a 9-hour BA tour that X offers on debarkation day, so I guess I'll consider that. It sure makes for a L O N G day though with being up so early when the ship comes back in, then the tour, then the airport, then the long flight. Somehow some of this does not sound like a 'relaxing' vacation (?) Edited July 21, 2016 by three4rd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racj846 Posted July 24, 2016 #9 Share Posted July 24, 2016 While schedules may have changed we flew to BA this past February non-stop from Houston, Boeing 787, premium economy on United. If you can fly non-stop PA to Houston would that work for you? As an aside we stayed 4 nights in BA before the cruise - there is plenty to see both inside and outside the city. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheJourney Posted July 25, 2016 Author #10 Share Posted July 25, 2016 While schedules may have changed we flew to BA this past February non-stop from Houston, Boeing 787, premium economy on United. If you can fly non-stop PA to Houston would that work for you?As an aside we stayed 4 nights in BA before the cruise - there is plenty to see both inside and outside the city. I'm assuming you meant to ask me if I'd consider flying non-stop from PA to BA rather than from PA to Houston (?) I'm not sure why I'd want to go to Houston first...but premium economy is certainly nice. Only did that twice but really enjoyed it. Thanks for suggestions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racj846 Posted July 26, 2016 #11 Share Posted July 26, 2016 Your original post expressed concern that the non-stop from JFK did not have premium eceonomy, while a couple of 2 stop routes did. Hence my suggestion of a possible one-stop, in Houston, with premium economy from there to BA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnrich Posted July 26, 2016 #12 Share Posted July 26, 2016 What part of PA? Philly, Pittsburgh, Scranton, Harrisburg, Erie? Depending what airport determines what is available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheJourney Posted July 26, 2016 Author #13 Share Posted July 26, 2016 (edited) Your original post expressed concern that the non-stop from JFK did not have premium eceonomy, while a couple of 2 stop routes did.Hence my suggestion of a possible one-stop, in Houston, with premium economy from there to BA. OK...now I see your point. Right now I'm leaning towards non-stop both ways. I've not seen any schedules that even go through Houston, so that's interesting. I'm trying to concentrate mostly on what the Air2Sea program offers, since I'd feel more comfortable going through them. Thanks. Edited July 26, 2016 by three4rd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheJourney Posted July 26, 2016 Author #14 Share Posted July 26, 2016 (edited) What part of PA? Philly, Pittsburgh, Scranton, Harrisburg, Erie? Depending what airport determines what is available. Reading area. I checked on going out of Allentown, Philly, and Newark. It seems that JFK has the best schedules to BA. The other airports have alot of 2-stop itineraries. Edited July 26, 2016 by three4rd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chairsin Posted July 27, 2016 #15 Share Posted July 27, 2016 Why do you feel more comfortable booking through them rather than directly with the airline? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VidaNaPraia Posted July 27, 2016 #16 Share Posted July 27, 2016 (edited) ....recommendations for flights from PA to Buenos Aires? I read this thread title as PA=Porto Alegre, a city in southern Brazil fairly close to BsAs. LOL Edited July 27, 2016 by VidaNaPraia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheJourney Posted July 29, 2016 Author #17 Share Posted July 29, 2016 (edited) Why do you feel more comfortable booking through them rather than directly with the airline? Due to the stated purpose of them being that if something does screw up, they have a dedicated team that works to reroute your flights to the best of their ability to get you to the ship - rather than having to do that legwork yourself. I have no experience with how efficacious this actually is, but that's the whole point of air2sea. I only ever used them once, and everything went smoothly, so as I said I have no idea how the emergency situations are actually handled. Edited July 29, 2016 by three4rd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheJourney Posted July 29, 2016 Author #18 Share Posted July 29, 2016 I read this thread title as PA=Porto Alegre, a city in southern Brazil fairly close to BsAs. LOL That's funny...I was wondering if you perhaps meant someplace else!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cawags Posted July 30, 2016 #19 Share Posted July 30, 2016 Due to the stated purpose of them being that if something does screw up, they have a dedicated team that works to reroute your flights to the best of their ability to get you to the ship - rather than having to do that legwork yourself. I have no experience with how efficacious this actually is, but that's the whole point of air2sea. I only ever used them once, and everything went smoothly, so as I said I have no idea how the emergency situations are actually handled. We usually drive for direct flights. Just on a whim I checked flying from Harrisburg, 20 minutes from home. We have Harrisburg to Atlanta to Buenos Aires booked through celebrity's choice air for our South America/Panama canal cruise in March. Price was great Business class. It was actually cheaper for Harrisburg/Atlanta/BA than Atlanta/BA direct. Go figure. First time using the cruise line service. Only needed one way. This is with Delta. And when I booked, the airfare was much less through the cruise line than booking with Delta. Our return from Miami to Harrisburg was the same price with Delta directly or the cruise line so I booked that part with Delta. Carol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheJourney Posted July 30, 2016 Author #20 Share Posted July 30, 2016 (edited) We usually drive for direct flights. Just on a whim I checked flying from Harrisburg, 20 minutes from home. We have Harrisburg to Atlanta to Buenos Aires booked through celebrity's choice air for our South America/Panama canal cruise in March. Price was great Business class. It was actually cheaper for Harrisburg/Atlanta/BA than Atlanta/BA direct. Go figure. First time using the cruise line service. Only needed one way. This is with Delta. And when I booked, the airfare was much less through the cruise line than booking with Delta. Our return from Miami to Harrisburg was the same price with Delta directly or the cruise line so I booked that part with Delta. Carol Hi Carol, That is interesting. So far I'm not seeing much difference in price between expedia searches and what I'm finding on choiceair. What is really driving me crazy about them is that the website does not show the same flights each time. I understand their need to apply a filtering system that automatically weeds out any flights that would not be suitable for the requirements of the cruise departure and arrival dates and times, but I fail to see why a nonstop flight would not show up that arrives the day before embarkation. The flights I'm most leaning towards for the February cruise do not show up at all. I wrote to them and asked why this is and simply got a reply indicating that I need to call them to reserve the flights I want. I'm not sure I really want to spring for business class. We had it once as a free upgrade, and it was pretty amazing (having never had it before), but otherwise it just goes against me to spend like $2500 pp for a long haul flight. I don't think I looked into flying out of Harrisburg...thanks for mentioning this. I'll check it out. I have no problem with a connection but we do like nonstop the best for longer flights. Keith Edited July 30, 2016 by three4rd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cawags Posted July 30, 2016 #21 Share Posted July 30, 2016 Hi Carol, That is interesting. So far I'm not seeing much difference in price between expedia searches and what I'm finding on choiceair. What is really driving me crazy about them is that the website does not show the same flights each time. I understand their need to apply a filtering system that automatically weeds out any flights that would not be suitable for the requirements of the cruise departure and arrival dates and times, but I fail to see why a nonstop flight would not show up that arrives the day before embarkation. The flights I'm most leaning towards for the February cruise do not show up at all. I wrote to them and asked why this is and simply got a reply indicating that I need to call them to reserve the flights I want. I'm not sure I really want to spring for business class. We had it once as a free upgrade, and it was pretty amazing (having never had it before), but otherwise it just goes against me to spend like $2500 pp for a long haul flight. I don't think I looked into flying out of Harrisburg...thanks for mentioning this. I'll check it out. I have no problem with a connection but we do like nonstop the best for longer flights. Keith I never would have thought Harrisburg would have even been in the ball park. I feel like we are being "paid" to fly from Harrisburg. I have to book business class if I want to get DH to go at all. Business class and premium alcohol or no cruise for David. 😉 That's my boy! Carol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheJourney Posted July 30, 2016 Author #22 Share Posted July 30, 2016 (edited) I never would have thought Harrisburg would have even been in the ball park. I feel like we are being "paid" to fly from Harrisburg. I have to book business class if I want to get DH to go at all. Business class and premium alcohol or no cruise for David. �� That's my boy! Carol I don't blame him....it's a different world up there (in first class)! Checked out Harrisburg...don't like it. One or two stops, and much more expensive than going out of JFK. I think I'm still leaning towards nonstop JFK to EZE with Delta....3:25 p.m. departure and arrive BA 4:20 a.m. The thing that scares me about this trip is the potential for bad weather and the possibility of losing Port Stanley in the Falklands. I've been checking out peoples' youtube videos on the cruise I have booked. It's really unpredictable. The 2010 sailing lost Port Stanley completely due to weather, and the 2011 sailing managed to get to Antarctica for ONE HOUR, then had to head north. Since then - at least the last two years - it looks like they got to do the entire itinerary. Maybe global warming is in my favor...at least for this trip. They'll likely be fewer icebergs if I wait too much longer.... Edited July 30, 2016 by three4rd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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