Another Air France

[oshawa]

I had posted previously re service etc. on Air France and using Celebrity air that seemed to have the best price. I have been checking regularly on Expedia and with Air France on the Internet also with Cheap Tickets etc. I noticed now that Expedia and Air France is showing trip to Barcelona with LOL which I understand is a Polish airline (possibly partnered with Air France) with a connection to Barcelona from Warsaw.

 

Previously upon checking the Internet sites Air France was the airline used with connecting flight to Barcelona via CDG in Paris. This information was also provided to me by my TA. So now I am wondering what is going on -- I have never even heard of the Polish airline before so now I am really at a loss to know what is happening. Is it possible Air France is now partnering with the Polish airline or have they gone out of business.

 

Any insight you may have would be most appreciated. (My TA is currently not available).

[oshawa]

Oops! Should read L0T Airline in place of L0L.

[Kruizefan]

I had posted previously re service etc. on Air France and using Celebrity air that seemed to have the best price. I have been checking regularly on Expedia and with Air France on the Internet also with Cheap Tickets etc. I noticed now that Expedia and Air France is showing trip to Barcelona with LOL which I understand is a Polish airline (possibly partnered with Air France) with a connection to Barcelona from Warsaw.

 

Previously upon checking the Internet sites Air France was the airline used with connecting flight to Barcelona via CDG in Paris. This information was also provided to me by my TA. So now I am wondering what is going on -- I have never even heard of the Polish airline before so now I am really at a loss to know what is happening. Is it possible Air France is now partnering with the Polish airline or have they gone out of business.

 

Any insight you may have would be most appreciated. (My TA is currently not available).

 

Hi,

did you check this site?

 

http://www.lot.com/default.aspx?_lang=en

 

As a Star Alliance member LOT is NOT an Air France Partner as KLM, Aeroflot etc. are

[greatam]

MAYBE with an example I can explain what you are seeing on Expedia/Cheaptickets, etc.

 

Third party vendors are often consolidators. They buy tickets in bulk from the airlines. Tickets are sold at a flat rate to the consolidator and the airline does not care how much the consolidator resells the tickets for. There are often VERY stringent restrictions on consolidator class tickets-large change fees, if a change is allowed, NOT endorsable (no good) to another airline, and if the airline changes your flight, you may have NO recourse to change the ticket-fly or forget it.

 

Example:

 

Company XXXX bought 200 tickets-JFK to CDG on Air France. They also bought 200 tickets on Air France from CDG to BCN. They bought 100 tickets on LOT-CDG/BCN. The tickets on AirFrance from CDG/BCN have been sold-this would be a popular routing for Intra-Europe travel.

 

YOU need a flight from JFK/BCN. Air France has the cheapest price, so you pick Air France. But when you actually see the itinerary, it is AirFrance from JFK to CDG, then LOT from CDG/BCN. You cannot get an all AirFrance flight because the AirFrance component from CDG/BCN has been sold out.

 

 

Airlines sell these bulk tickets to third party vendors AND cruise lines. But they generally only sell a limited amount. So when segments/segments are GONE, you are given a ticket from the next stack of tickets. You will have no problems with LOT-part of Star Alliance, newish fleet and highly regarded in Eastern Europe. But you may have problems with your consolidator class ticket, whether you buy it from the cruise line or a third party vendor.

 

Head over to the cruise air forum, post your dates, origin and departure airports, and what the cruise line is charging you and you should receive a lot of help-routings, pricing, etc.

[ikelmay]

LOT is a pretty decent airline with a young fleet of aircraft. My concern from the information you have given is that if you are flying into CDG with Air France, you likely will be connecting CDG-WAW-BCN (via Warsaw) rather than flying CDG-BCN direct. That is of course, unless LOT has started a direct Charles De Gaulle flight into Barcelona (which is possible with the deregulation in Europe, but I would be surprised).

[greatam]

LOT is a pretty decent airline with a young fleet of aircraft. My concern from the information you have given is that if you are flying into CDG with Air France, you likely will be connecting CDG-WAW-BCN (via Warsaw) rather than flying CDG-BCN direct. That is of course, unless LOT has started a direct Charles De Gaulle flight into Barcelona (which is possible with the deregulation in Europe, but I would be surprised).

 

You are entirely correct. CDG/BCN via Warsaw on LOT

[YOW]

Warsaw is not exactly on the way between CDG and BCN... More importantly, however, is having to make two connections, one of which (at CDG, not the smoothest of airports on a good day) involving separate and unaffiliated carriers. So in this scenario you're increasing the chances of what can go wrong (delays, missed connections, lost baggage, etc), and putting into a grey area the accountability for said events. Things to factor in when looking at such a ticket.

[greatam]

Have your TA look into a Canada (I don't know where in Ontario) to JFK, then nonstop on either AA, SWISS or Delta. May even have to book it as two tickets, but would sure save the hassle of CDG. AA has been running some super specials to promote their new nonstop JFK/BCN. Prices as low as $585RT depending on date.

[ocngypz]

AA to Boston from Toronto. Connecting to Aer LIngus in Dublin.. into BCN. I believe you are on Connie's Sept transatlantic. Pricing for Sept 8th.

That's the cheapest one way coming up today. Newark to home is really not an issue.

 

I avoid CDG at all expense, and won't accept the airport as a connector for any of my clients. Unfortunately, the airport has a very short legal connecting time which in the real world is impossible to make. Cheaptickets is the worst for selling tickets with impossible connections.. ergo.. they are cheaper.

[oshawa]

Thanks everyone for your informative responses.