Just booked with a consolidator for the 1st time

[tom5178]

I just booked one way tickets for our TA in Dec. This is the first time using a consolidator. I got many different opinions on this board but the two tickets from Philadelphia to Barcelona 1 way were only 853. total including tax and fees. The same flights were well over 2000 each person when seqarching without using a consolidator. We used Cheapo air. I am concerned but the savings were too good to pass up. Hopefully we will be alright. We are laveing 4 nights before our cruise leaves so we should have time to allow for problems.

 

Has anyone else successfully used cheapoair or any other consolidator? If so please tell!

[greatam]

I just booked one way tickets for our TA in Dec. This is the first time using a consolidator. I got many different opinions on this board but the two tickets from Philadelphia to Barcelona 1 way were only 853. total including tax and fees. The same flights were well over 2000 each person when seqarching without using a consolidator. We used Cheapo air. I am concerned but the savings were too good to pass up. Hopefully we will be alright. We are laveing 4 nights before our cruise leaves so we should have time to allow for problems.

 

Has anyone else successfully used cheapoair or any other consolidator? If so please tell!

 

Be prepared with alternative routings on the ORIGINATING carrier (s). Example: you are flying PHL/BCN with a stop someplace in the middle (you didn't post routing or carriers). Alternative: You MAY have to fly PHL/Chicago/London/Madrid/Barcelona (AA routing if your tickets are AA). Or PHL/BOS/CDG/BCN (Air France routing). Your tickets are NO good on another carrier-you MUST use the originating carrier for routing.

 

PS-AerLingus for your dates one way from PHL/BCN-about the same price ($14 higher for two) and NO consolidator tickets.

 

Too bad you didn't post this question on the cruise air board-you would have had your answers and not had to use consolidator tickets. Good luck!!!

[flashdog_1]

tom5178

Hindsight is always better, isn't it? ha

 

I hope your 4 days prior don't turn into unnecessary waits in airports. Tell us the routing and times so we can give opinions.

 

All I can say is $843 is much better than $4000. Good for you. With the new information tom5178 gave is there a chance you can get it changed with your consolidator and not have so many stops and risks? Hope so. Let us know.

[agabbymama]

Be prepared with alternative routings on the ORIGINATING carrier (s). Example: you are flying PHL/BCN with a stop someplace in the middle (you didn't post routing or carriers). Alternative: You MAY have to fly PHL/Chicago/London/Madrid/Barcelona (AA routing if your tickets are AA). Or PHL/BOS/CDG/BCN (Air France routing). Your tickets are NO good on another carrier-you MUST use the originating carrier for routing.

 

PS-AerLingus for your dates one way from PHL/BCN-about the same price ($14 higher for two) and NO consolidator tickets.

 

Too bad you didn't post this question on the cruise air board-you would have had your answers and not had to use consolidator tickets. Good luck!!!

 

How in the World do you know he has so many stops on his tickets? I don't see where he says anything about all the stops.

 

I booked cheapoair from Paris to Rome and it is supposed to be direct flights. Do they not have to tell you if they are routing you through other towns first?:confused:

[Gonzo70]

How in the World do you know he has so many stops on his tickets? I don't see where he says anything about all the stops.

 

I booked cheapoair from Paris to Rome and it is supposed to be direct flights. Do they not have to tell you if they are routing you through other towns first?:confused:

 

A direct flight is a flight where you make stop(s) along the way to your final destination but do not have to change planes.

[halbfl2]

tom5178--I don't know what your dates are, but if it's easy for you to get to JFK, there are two less expensive options. I just picked the date of Sept 10 not knowing what your real dates were, but it sounds as if you're fairly flexible and will go a few days early to allow for any snags. JFK to Dusseldorf and then DUS to Barcelona for $666. www.airberline.com. On Zoom airline www.flyzoom.com, it's JFK to GTW and then Easy jet to Barcelona for $456 that day. I don't know anything about these airlines, but will probably be using Air Berlin/LTU on our TA next spring coming home from London to RSW. LTU comes to RSW all the time (bringing hordes of German tourists) and has for a number of yrs.

[tom5178]

Hi Again,

 

We are confirmed on Lufthansa with flight numbers and schedules. After I booked the ticket with Cheapoair, I took the booking # that they gave me and went directly to Lufthansa's website. They already had us in the system. I called Lufthansa for further confirmation and she even allowed me to get seat assigmnets and took our Frequent Flier info from Us Airways (part of the Star Alliance.)

 

We are not making a bunch of stops. We fly Philadelphia to Frankfurt Germany and then we have a 2 1/2 hour layover and then we fly Frankfurt to Barcelona.

 

I purposefully chose this one because on cheapo, they do have some flights listed where they don't tell you the airlines (just use the term "major carrier") I was leary of them.

 

I live in South Jersey just 24 miles south of Philadelphia. Getting to JFK is a major pain in the back-end so this worked out better.

 

We are leaving on Thanksgiving evening at 6pm for arrival in Barcelona the next day at lunchtime Friday. Our cruise on Century does not leave until Mon 12-1-08

 

I will update later as necessary

[FinelyCruising]

How many bags can you take?

[greatam]

How in the World do you know he has so many stops on his tickets? I don't see where he says anything about all the stops.

 

I booked cheapoair from Paris to Rome and it is supposed to be direct flights. Do they not have to tell you if they are routing you through other towns first?:confused:

 

Please read my post with more care. I posted: OP is flying PHL/BCN with a stop in between. IF something goes downhill (missed connection, mechanical, etc. etc), prepare with alternative routings on the ORIGINATING carrier. Those ALTERNATIVE routings may have to include numerous stops to get to the final destination. I posted various carrier routings to BCN, not knowing the carrier OP was using.

 

And no, they do not have to tell you if you book through an "opaque" site. You have to read the FARE RULES carefully, ESPECIALLY on consolidator class tickets. The flight MAY be direct (stop, but stay on the same plane), nonstop, or it may be a connection (two different planes). From Paris to Rome-could be any of the above.

 

OP-you made a smart move picking Lufthansa. Not only a better airline than most of the US carriers, but they will take better care of you on your consolidator class tickets than a US carrier. With 4 flights daily from PHL/Germany (one flight goes via Munich, not Frankfurt) and quite a few flights from Germany to BCN, you will hopefully have an uneventful trip.

[greatam]

tom5178--I don't know what your dates are, but if it's easy for you to get to JFK, there are two less expensive options. I just picked the date of Sept 10 not knowing what your real dates were, but it sounds as if you're fairly flexible and will go a few days early to allow for any snags. JFK to Dusseldorf and then DUS to Barcelona for $666. www.airberline.com. On Zoom airline www.flyzoom.com, it's JFK to GTW and then Easy jet to Barcelona for $456 that day. I don't know anything about these airlines, but will probably be using Air Berlin/LTU on our TA next spring coming home from London to RSW. LTU comes to RSW all the time (bringing hordes of German tourists) and has for a number of yrs.

 

Please check the baggage allowance using European discount carriers. Air Berlin allows two checked bags of 25 pounds each from USA/Canada to Europe. Zoom only allows one bag-44 pounds. EasyJet has a slightly lower luggage limit. Other European carriers have VERY limited luggage allowance and the price for going over is about $10.00-12 US PER Kilo. Not cheap.

[FinelyCruising]

I am OK to pay for less brain damage in this regard then...I think....so don't shoot me....:o

[tom5178]

How many bags can you take?

We are allowed two checked bags each up to 50 lbs and also 1 carry-on plus a laptop etc. They did have total size limits in inches but I have to check those numbers. I was happy to hear 2 bags at 50lbs each. All together, we will be away for 20 days so we were figuring we were going to have to pay extra because there was no way that we could do 1 bag each!

[DC2OC]

What would the cost of an extra bag be as compared to having laundry done onboard?