Celebrity Air - Flying From Detroit to Barcelona Sep 2019 - Is this good deal?

[taylortime05]

We are taking our 1st non-Caribbean cruise next year to celebrate our 40th anniversary.  We will be on 12 Night Reflection in Italy & Greece next September. I have been watching airfare and thru Celebrity we can fly from Detroit to Barcelona on Delta for $605 for economy seats with 1 stop.   Is this a good price for airfare?  Should I book it now or wait?  I have heard about people getting great deals on business or 1st class.  This seems like a reasonable deal.  Appreciate your feedback.

[SFCAcruiser]

3 hours ago, taylortime05 said:

We are taking our 1st non-Caribbean cruise next year to celebrate our 40th anniversary.  We will be on 12 Night Reflection in Italy & Greece next September. I have been watching airfare and thru Celebrity we can fly from Detroit to Barcelona on Delta for $605 for economy seats with 1 stop.   Is this a good price for airfare?  Should I book it now or wait?  I have heard about people getting great deals on business or 1st class.  This seems like a reasonable deal.  Appreciate your feedback.

 

I assume this is per person, round trip, Detroit to Barcelona. If so, it seems like a good fare. Have you checked the normal airfares for this route next September? What are the fares you found, if you did not book through Choice Air?

Edited November 18, 2018 by SFCAcruiser

[buggins0402]

6 hours ago, taylortime05 said:

We are taking our 1st non-Caribbean cruise next year to celebrate our 40th anniversary.  We will be on 12 Night Reflection in Italy & Greece next September. I have been watching airfare and thru Celebrity we can fly from Detroit to Barcelona on Delta for $605 for economy seats with 1 stop.   Is this a good price for airfare?  Should I book it now or wait?  I have heard about people getting great deals on business or 1st class.  This seems like a reasonable deal.  Appreciate your feedback.

It is a very good price...if price is your number one concern. If you go with this, be aware of the risks with cruise line air and mitigate them as best you can...go in a few days early. DL pricing right now is $1500. I usually shoot for under $1200 for economy in season to Europe when I’m buying from the airline.  I have no clue what seat selection opportunities you will have through Celebrity Air. 

 

A great deal for business class would still be over $2K. DL does not have an international first.  

 

 

[TruckerDave]

Price wise it is fine.  Now the real questions that need to be asked are, where are you connecting, how much time do you have on the connection, what times are the flights, do you have to change airlines, are there other flights from the connecting airpot in case you miss your original flight for whatever reason etc etc etc.   Price should only be ONE factor when deciding on what flights to take. 

[taylortime05]

The airfare is much higher on Delta if booking directly.  1500 PP round trip vs 605 PP round trip. 

 

Below are the flight times.  We do have to change planes.  Celebrity Air has some type of arrival guarantee so they will assist in rebooking another flight if their are travel delays with flights.

 

DTW	AMS	10:45 PM	12:30 PM next day
AMS	BCN	2:15 PM	4:25 PM
BCN	CDG	12:20 PM	2:15 PM
CDG	DTW	4:00 PM	6:40 PM

[buggins0402]

Is there another AMS choice leaving earlier for a bit more?  I prefer AMS for connections. An hour and 3/4 is enough in either airport, but more of a nail biter in CDG. I’ve done the late departure  AMS a couple times, because I could get a full day work in, but, for some reason it left me more zoned out on arrival.  There are also fewer places to hang out preflight in DTW after 9 pm.  Given you are flying out of a DL hub, there are a number of options if things go sideways with one of the earlier flights, but not with the last flight of the day.

 

If if you do want a one stop in true first class you could always ask hubby to put Lufthansa tickets under the Christmas tree, it will only set him back $14,000 or so. 

[taylortime05]

1 hour ago, buggins0402 said:

Is there another AMS choice leaving earlier for a bit more?  I prefer AMS for connections. An hour and 3/4 is enough in either airport, but more of a nail biter in CDG. I’ve done the late departure  AMS a couple times, because I could get a full day work in, but, for some reason it left me more zoned out on arrival.  There are also fewer places to hang out preflight in DTW after 9 pm.  Given you are flying out of a DL hub, there are a number of options if things go sideways with one of the earlier flights, but not with the last flight of the day.

 

If if you do want a one stop in true first class you could always ask hubby to put Lufthansa tickets under the Christmas tree, it will only set him back $14,000 or so. 

I'd love to experience 1st class but 14,000 is little too pricey, lol!

 

There is an earlier flight leaving DTW at 8:30 pm going thru AMS.  We could still work almost an 8 hour day.  So I might go with this option.  This is same cost as the 10:30 pm flight.

 

There is another option coming home that leaves Barcelona at 12:10 pm and has connection in JFK.  Arrives JFK 12:10 and leaves at 3:05 and arrives in Detroit at 7:16.  This might be a better option because there is more time between flights and it puts us back in US.  I'm sure JFK is a crazy airport though. 

 

Thanks for your feedback.

[buggins0402]

We avoid JFK like the plague, but a non stop flight to a US Airport from BCN on the day of disembarkion does usually work out better than connecting in Europe.  If you are staying a day after, a European connection would be preferable.   

 

How long is the connection for the 8:30 flight?  I have made 1 hour in AMS on entry, but I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who isn’t insane. My preference in AMS is two hours and perhaps a tad more for CDG.  

 

I have only returned through JFK a few times (because we hate it and prefer to connect through AMS or CDG).  Perhaps someone else can give an opinion on three hours in JFK with immigration.  Do you have global entry? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[FlyerTalker]

5 hours ago, taylortime05 said:

Celebrity Air has some type of arrival guarantee so they will assist in rebooking another flight if their are travel delays with flights.

 

Sure hope you can find that "guarantee" from Celebrity -- don't know of anyone else who's been able to find that in actual terms and conditions, as opposed to marketing blurbs.

 

You would likely get more assistance directly from the airline.  Stop and think....what's the cruiseline going to do from an office in Florida versus an airline agent with direct access to the reservations systems?

 

[em-sk]

1 hour ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

Sure hope you can find that "guarantee" from Celebrity -- don't know of anyone else who's been able to find that in actual terms and conditions, as opposed to marketing blurbs.

 

You would likely get more assistance directly from the airline.  Stop and think....what's the cruiseline going to do from an office in Florida versus an airline agent with direct access to the reservations systems?

 

 

If it is in the marketing material I would expect Celebrity would try to live up to the commitment.   How well they try and how effective they are at living up to the commitment is a different issue.   

 

I would agree the airline staff will likely be more effective at resolving the issue and have more options at their disposal that a travel agent in Miami.  

[taylortime05]

5 hours ago, buggins0402 said:

We avoid JFK like the plague, but a non stop flight to a US Airport from BCN on the day of disembarkion does usually work out better than connecting in Europe.  If you are staying a day after, a European connection would be preferable.   

 

How long is the connection for the 8:30 flight?  I have made 1 hour in AMS on entry, but I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who isn’t insane. My preference in AMS is two hours and perhaps a tad more for CDG.  

 

I have only returned through JFK a few times (because we hate it and prefer to connect through AMS or CDG).  Perhaps someone else can give an opinion on three hours in JFK with immigration.  Do you have global entry? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the flight leaving DTW at 8:36 PM there are 2 options for connecting in Amsterdam.  We can either have 2 hour layover or 4 hour layover so we can get to Barcelona at either 2:30 pm or 4:30 pm.  I'd like to get there by 2:30 but it might be worth having the 4 hours so we don't have to be so concerned if we are running late.

 

For the flight coming home there are not too many options on Delta departing at 12:10 or 12:20. There are more options departing at 10:05 am but I think that might be hard to make same day as leaving the ship.   So if we go through CDG we only have 1 hour 45 min.  If we go through JFK then there are 2 options to either have 1 H 50 min layover vs a 4 hour layover.  The 4 hour layover would make it a long day and we wouldn't get home until 9:20 pm but then again we wouldn't have to worry so much about being late.

 

I appreciate your suggestions because we haven't had much experience travelling abroad.

 

Thanks

 

[StLouisCruisers]

I think it's a great price.  My kids and grandkids (10 of 'em) are flying Detroit to Barcelona next June using Princess EZAir, returning Rome to Detroit 11 or 12 days later.  Their prices range from 945 to 986pp.  They leave different days.  They'd be thrilled with $605.  Are you flying back from Barcelona as well?  

[taylortime05]

Yes, our cruise starts and ends in Barcelona.   We are planning on going to Barcelona few days ahead of the cruise. But we were going to fly home the same day the cruise ends.  Do you think we can make a flight leaving at 12:25?  Otherwise, we'd have to stay 1 extra day.  

[buggins0402]

2 minutes ago, taylortime05 said:

 

For the flight leaving DTW at 8:36 PM there are 2 options for connecting in Amsterdam.  We can either have 2 hour layover or 4 hour layover so we can get to Barcelona at either 2:30 pm or 4:30 pm.  I'd like to get there by 2:30 but it might be worth having the 4 hours so we don't have to be so concerned if we are running late.

 

For the flight coming home there are not too many options on Delta departing at 12:10 or 12:20. There are more options departing at 10:05 am but I think that might be hard to make same day as leaving the ship.   So if we go through CDG we only have 1 hour 45 min.  If we go through JFK then there are 2 options to either have 1 H 50 min layover vs a 4 hour layover.  The 4 hour layover would make it a long day and we wouldn't get home until 9:20 pm but then again we wouldn't have to worry so much about being late.

 

I appreciate your suggestions because we haven't had much experience travelling abroad.

 

Thanks

 

Hoping Waterbug also comes in with her thoughts. 

 

I would have no issues with the two hour connection in AMS, but I usually have tickets issued by the airline and have some savvy on working on a plan B on the fly. There will be some other flights that can get you out of a mess. If there is an airline group I trust in Europe, it is Skyteam.  But, go in knowing that you are in the bottom of the barrel for airline help..cheap third party negotiated rate tickets. 

 

Regarding your options on the return...I would go with the JFK 4 hour, unless your employers wouldn’t be too upset if SHTF and you end up a day late. I would take an hour 45 in CDG second and the hour 50 in JFK last.  That said, my last return through CDG we made 1 hour 20, but it was a real nail biter. 

 

 

 

[sumiandkage]

I have done a 1:40 international to domestic connection at JFK that included going through the general immigration line chaos, getting sent to secondary agricultural inspection because I answered honestly that we had been hanging out with farm animals while hiking in Wales (it's Wales; There Will Be Sheep) and spending 10 minutes hanging out there before someone just ran our checked bags (though not carry ons) through an x-ray machine and sent us on our way, going through the usual post-ICE TSA rescreening with no Pre-check, changing terminals and we still had enough time for a restroom break and light snacks purchase before catching our connecting flight. It was a little stressful and not the most awesomest airport experience ever but it made me feel like anything I to D there with more than a 2 hour connection is generally feasible under normal circumstances. 

 

And yeah, when given a choice between connecting through Amsterdam and connecting through CDG, the vast majority of time Amsterdam is the correct answer. 

[taylortime05]

Thank you for all your feedback.  I didn't book my flights today.  I hope the good price doesn't disappear tomorrow.   I'm having a hard time making up my mind on the return flight because for the price I was quoted I have to fly into JFK and have either 2 hour or 4 hour delay.  I'll think about it more tomorrow.

[alcpa1]

Don't forget Delta,and every other major carrier, does tweek the schedules from time to time. Even with a cruise air booked ticket Delta will work with you if the need arises. I always monitor Delta flight changes on Sunday or Monday after the weekly adjustments occur.

I'm one of those crazy flyers who prefers CDG over AMS but would be comfortable with two hours in either airport.

[Globaliser]

17 hours ago, taylortime05 said:

DTW AMS 10:45 PM 12:30 PM next day

AMS  BCN 2:15 PM 4:25 PM

 

If the departure time is good for you, then personally I would do this connection and not worry about it. If you misconnect, there's another KLM flight AMS-BCN at 1645-1855, so only 2½ hours later. Depending on the day of the week, you might even get onto a later Transavia flight if things were to go very wrong.

 

I should say that the departure time would be a good one for me because it would maximise the chances of sleep on the flight - get some dinner before you board, and ignore all of the on-board service and simply aim to sleep for as much as you can of the ~7 hours from takeoff to landing.

 

17 hours ago, taylortime05 said:

BCN CDG 12:20 PM 2:15 PM

CDG DTW 4:00 PM 6:40 PM

 

16 hours ago, taylortime05 said:

There is another option coming home that leaves Barcelona at 12:10 pm and has connection in JFK.  Arrives JFK 12:10 and leaves at 3:05 and arrives in Detroit at 7:16.  This might be a better option because there is more time between flights and it puts us back in US.  I'm sure JFK is a crazy airport though.

 

There's no advantage to picking a route that connects in the US simply because it puts you back in the US. You're still half a thousand miles from home, which is too far to walk, and misconnecting at JFK is no better than misconnecting at CDG - indeed, arguably it could be worse given the dreadful standard of hotel accommodation around JFK. In addition, connecting international-to-domestic in the US is almost always more hassle than connecting at a European hub because of the amount of time that you have to allow at the US connecting point for the highly variable process of clearing immigration, collecting your bag, clearing customs, and then dropping or re-checking your bags for the second flight.

 

If you're prepared to give the shorter JFK connection (1:50) a go, then you have the backup of the later flight with the 3:54 connection. That would be a strong argument in favour of JFK - there's no backup flight if you connect at CDG. But if you are stuck overnight at CDG, you can get the non-stop CDG-DTW at 1015-1308 the next day. You'd simply clear at DTW and be on your way. And you'd have the consolation of an afternoon and evening in Paris, at the airline's expense.

[waterbug123]

11 hours ago, buggins0402 said:

Hoping Waterbug also comes in with her thoughts. 

 

I would have no issues with the two hour connection in AMS, but I usually have tickets issued by the airline and have some savvy on working on a plan B on the fly. There will be some other flights that can get you out of a mess. If there is an airline group I trust in Europe, it is Skyteam.  But, go in knowing that you are in the bottom of the barrel for airline help..cheap third party negotiated rate tickets. 

 

Regarding your options on the return...I would go with the JFK 4 hour, unless your employers wouldn’t be too upset if SHTF and you end up a day late. I would take an hour 45 in CDG second and the hour 50 in JFK last.  That said, my last return through CDG we made 1 hour 20, but it was a real nail biter. 

 

 

 

 

I would have absolutely no issue with a 1 hr 45 min connection at AMS.  The airport has good signage and that's plenty of time to connect there.

I usually arrive in ATL rather than JFK when returning from Europe so don't have as much experience with immigration and customs there.  That said, at JFK you'll arrive at Delta's T4 which his HUGE.  There's a jitney that runs a loop from T2 to 2 different stops at T4, but there can still be a lot of walking to get to your gate.  All things considered, I'd probably opt for the 4 hour connect unless you have Global Entry, in which case I personally would go with the two hour connect. 

[Flymia]

All I know is that 2-hours is enough time and $605 is a fantastic price. 

 

What I don't know is the caveats of booking via the cruise line. I have never done that before and have always booked directly with the airlines. The important thing is get into Europe as soon as you can, connecting in Europe for getting to the cruise is the way to go. And you have the problem solved. 

 

Back home, I never worried too much about it, because well that is the trip back home. Something goes wrong, you are not missing a ship, just missing a day at work. 

 

I would take the earlier DTW-AMS flight, it is late enough where you will get some sleep and not so late where arrival feels odd and messes up with your sleep schedule as much. If booking with a cruise line does pose more "risk" then maybe take the longer connection time in AMS for an extra buffer. 

[taylortime05]

3 hours ago, Flymia said:

All I know is that 2-hours is enough time and $605 is a fantastic price. 

 

What I don't know is the caveats of booking via the cruise line. I have never done that before and have always booked directly with the airlines. The important thing is get into Europe as soon as you can, connecting in Europe for getting to the cruise is the way to go. And you have the problem solved. 

 

Back home, I never worried too much about it, because well that is the trip back home. Something goes wrong, you are not missing a ship, just missing a day at work. 

 

I would take the earlier DTW-AMS flight, it is late enough where you will get some sleep and not so late where arrival feels odd and messes up with your sleep schedule as much. If booking with a cruise line does pose more "risk" then maybe take the longer connection time in AMS for an extra buffer. 

 Yesterday I thought I had option of coming home either thru Paris or JFK for same price. But today the only option for 605.00 leaving at 12:10 is going thru JFK with 1HR & 50 Min layover.  The price goes up to 753 to go thru Paris.  If I leave at 10:30 I can go thru Atlanta for 613.    But 10:30 seems very early to make a flight since we are leaving the same day we arrive back in prot.  I really wanted to go thru Paris to avoid customs until we get back home.  

Edited November 19, 2018 by taylortime05

[waterbug123]

18 hours ago, taylortime05 said:

 Yesterday I thought I had option of coming home either thru Paris or JFK for same price. But today the only option for 605.00 leaving at 12:10 is going thru JFK with 1HR & 50 Min layover.  The price goes up to 753 to go thru Paris.  If I leave at 10:30 I can go thru Atlanta for 613.    But 10:30 seems very early to make a flight since we are leaving the same day we arrive back in prot.  I really wanted to go thru Paris to avoid customs until we get back home.  

 

I would not want to rush to make a 10:30 flight on disembarkation day.  Only you can decide if saving $150 each is enough savings to make it worth going through I/C at JFK instead of at the end of your trip at DTW.

[taylortime05]

2 hours ago, waterbug123 said:

 

I would not want to rush to make a 10:30 flight on disembarkation day.  Only you can decide if saving $150 each is enough savings to make it worth going through I/C at JFK instead of at the end of your trip at DTW.

Thank you for all the great feedback.  Just curious,  would it be worth 300 to you to avoid customs at JFK?  This what is holding me back from making the reservation.  I keep hoping the Paris flight will drop but I might wait to long.  Airline prices seem to fluctuate so much.

[Flymia]

14 minutes ago, taylortime05 said:

Thank you for all the great feedback.  Just curious,  would it be worth 300 to you to avoid customs at JFK?  This what is holding me back from making the reservation.  I keep hoping the Paris flight will drop but I might wait to long.  Airline prices seem to fluctuate so much.

 

I don't see why. Sure JFK is busy. But what is the worst thing that happens? You miss your connect and get on another flight out of JFK to DTW? 

 

If you were not a U.S. Citizen then maybe worth avoiding. But you need to go through customs at some point, always easier at the final destination but so be it. I would not spend $300.00 more to avoid a specific airport customs unless the timing was horrible or it was at the start of the trip to catch the cruise. 

 

Going home. I want to save money. 

[Zach1213]

44 minutes ago, taylortime05 said:

Thank you for all the great feedback.  Just curious,  would it be worth 300 to you to avoid customs at JFK?  This what is holding me back from making the reservation.  I keep hoping the Paris flight will drop but I might wait to long.  Airline prices seem to fluctuate so much.

 

No way. I would never spend that kind of money to avoid JFK. I probably wouldn't even spend $50 avoiding JFK. It's not the most efficient airport, but it's far from the worse. I don't connect through JFK too often, but when I do it's really not a big deal.