Is there a site I can book my preferred routing to Europe?

[AZjohn]

Is there an online booking engine that I can use to pick and price specific flights to fly to Europe from the west coast of US?

 

For example I live in Arizona and will now have to do monthly trips to Zurich for the next year or two. No matter what site or airline I use the only routing options that will be displayed has me flying to the east coast for a connection before crossing the pond. I want to connect somewhere in the western US and then take a long flight to cross the Atlantic and then connect somewhere in Europe to get to Zurich (two short connects with one long stretch in-between). The only way I found to do a routing like this is to book a round trip to LHR and then purchase another ticket round trip from LHR to ZRH. There hopefully a better way to do this?

 

Thanks,

John

[6rugrats]

Any airline webpage or other booking site, should give you a multi-city or multi segment option. Use this to plug in the segments you want.

 

For example, use this routing (change to any city pairs that work for you):

 

PHX-ORD - 1st segment

ORD-LHR - 2nd segment

LHR-ZRH - 3rd segment

 

Try this website:

 

http://matrix.itasoftware.com/cvg/dispatch/prego

[parody]

I believe that you can examine round trip flight options where you pre-specify the connecting cities using itasoftware.com. Since it is much more complicated to do compared to a multi-city analysis, you must look at their FAQ section to understand how to do it. Good luck.

[AZjohn]

Any airline webpage or other booking site, should give you a multi-city or multi segment option. Use this to plug in the segments you want.

 

For example, use this routing (change to any city pairs that work for you):

 

PHX-ORD - 1st segment

ORD-LHR - 2nd segment

LHR-ZRH - 3rd segment

 

Try this website:

 

http://matrix.itasoftware.com/cvg/dispatch/prego

 

I believe that you can examine round trip flight options where you pre-specify the connecting cities using itasoftware.com. Since it is much more complicated to do compared to a multi-city analysis, you must look at their FAQ section to understand how to do it. Good luck.

 

Thanks for both your suggestions> Guess I need to read up on FAQ section because this is what I was getting :o (lol)

No Trips Found

 

• The query seems to be forcing a connection between the first and second parts of the trip. Generating solutions for both stopovers and connections. Enable slice merging to limit the results to connections only.
  
• The query seems to be forcing a connection between the second and third parts of the trip. Generating solutions for both stopovers and connections. Enable slice merging to limit the results to connections only.
  
• The time ranges chosen for the second and third parts of this trip were too close together.
  

[Gardyloo]

Why not just go to the British Airways site and book a round trip to Zurich? Take the nonstop BA flight from PHX to LHR and connect to ZRH. Easy.

[AZjohn]

Why not just go to the British Airways site and book a round trip to Zurich? Take the nonstop BA flight from PHX to LHR and connect to ZRH. Easy.

 

Hi Gardyloo,

Two reasons come to mind. First, haven’t found a reasonable price for premium economy (my budget is < $2K per trip). Second, I find that two hour drive home very hard after landing and would like to avoid it if I can.

[FlyerTalker]

Long technical post to follow.

 

Using ITA, you want to take advantage of their route language to get the best results. There is an info page that you can get to (and print out) by following the "Advanced Query Help" link at the top of the opening page.

 

For your example, you would put in the "From" box:

 

TUS::lax,sfo F+

 

In the "To" box, you would type:

 

ZRH::F+ lax,sfo

 

What that meant is that you want to go from Tucson to ZRH, using a connection through either LAX or SFO, but it must go through one of them, with any number of flights afterwards. The comma with no space is an "or" expression....if you have a space, that means "and". The "F+" means any number of flights on any airline. If you only wanted to go through LAX, you would kill the comma and SFO and just have "TUS::LAX F+" (without the quotes). You can also specify airlines. For example, if you want to take UA to LAX, then either UA or LX or LH, the query on the from line would be:

 

TUS::UA LAX UA,LX,LH+

 

Which means.....leaving TUS, take a single UA flight to LAX, then any number of flights on either UA or LX or LH (or any combination of those).

 

It is a VERY powerful search language, and you really need to play with it. Why don't you give it a try and I'll be happy to answer any questions that I can.

 

Just for grins, I put in Sept 11 and 18 as dates for this hypothetical trip. Got a TUS-SFO-FRA-ZRH for $1060. This was for coach. There are also ways to specify fare codes as well, if you are trying to look for something like a prem econ. But that's ITA 201.

 

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[AZjohn]

 

It is a VERY powerful search language, and you really need to play with it. Why don't you give it a try and I'll be happy to answer any questions that I can.

 

You ARE the Man FlyerTalker! Thanks once again for your help and teaching. I will play around this weekend but your example is exactly what I was looking for:D

Thanks,

John

[Gardyloo]

Hi Gardyloo,

Two reasons come to mind. First, haven’t found a reasonable price for premium economy (my budget is < $2K per trip). Second, I find that two hour drive home very hard after landing and would like to avoid it if I can.

If you want premium economy, then your choices are limited to three airlines serving the western US, all going to London: Air New Zealand from LAX; British Airways (out of Phoenix, LA, SF, Dallas, Denver, or as of this fall, Las Vegas) or Virgin Atlantic out of LA and SF (also Vegas but that flight goes to London Gatwick, and getting to/from Zurich from LGW might be problematic.) Your biggest issue will be finding a flight from TUS to the US gateway of your choice that works for you.

 

Learning the ITA route syntax is indeed useful, but with your need to go to Zurich and to fly in premium economy, you can save time by going straight to the airlines that offer that product. You can't find it by using Travelocity, Expedia, Kayak et al because they don't let you search by premium economy, just coach/business/first.

 

You may or may not be able to find "code share" flights from TUS to the gateway, and if you're in premium economy, you'll be in regular coach from London to Zurich, since nobody flies that route in PE.

 

So do learn the ITA syntax, but meantime you might try phoning the airlines you can use, and having them help you solve your problem. They may charge a nominal fee for a phone booking, but it might expedite things big time.

[AZjohn]

If you want premium economy, then your choices are limited to three airlines serving the western US, all going to London: Air New Zealand from LAX; British Airways (out of Phoenix, LA, SF, Dallas, Denver, or as of this fall, Las Vegas) or Virgin Atlantic out of LA and SF (also Vegas but that flight goes to London Gatwick, and getting to/from Zurich from LGW might be problematic.) Your biggest issue will be finding a flight from TUS to the US gateway of your choice that works for you.

 

Learning the ITA route syntax is indeed useful, but with your need to go to Zurich and to fly in premium economy, you can save time by going straight to the airlines that offer that product. You can't find it by using Travelocity, Expedia, Kayak et al because they don't let you search by premium economy, just coach/business/first.

 

You may or may not be able to find "code share" flights from TUS to the gateway, and if you're in premium economy, you'll be in regular coach from London to Zurich, since nobody flies that route in PE.

 

So do learn the ITA syntax, but meantime you might try phoning the airlines you can use, and having them help you solve your problem. They may charge a nominal fee for a phone booking, but it might expedite things big time.

 

Gotcha. All info good and I can handle the back of the plane on the short connections, just the long one I want PE. Now I know UA doesn't have a real PE, but their 3-4 inches more in E+ is better than nothing and I can get upgraded to that free. But I much rather fly the airlines you mentioned but my boss is sticking to his guns about the less than $2K price:(. So let me try the ITA 101 first and then go from there (will have plenty of flights to try and figure out the best itinerary;)).

Thanks,

John

[FlyerTalker]

FWIW, if you want to be able to specify booking codes, try reading THIS THREAD from FlyerTalk. In in, they discuss the ways to specify class of travel, which is not documented on the ITA website.

 

Once you get the hang of simple route language searches, you can start with these which will give you result in your particular desired fare bucket(s).

 

Again....more very technical "shop talk", but a way to find those special fares and/or routings beyond what you can get with the simple searches from basic website entries.

[Gardyloo]

FWIW, if you want to be able to specify booking codes, try reading THIS THREAD from FlyerTalk. In in, they discuss the ways to specify class of travel, which is not documented on the ITA website.

 

Once you get the hang of simple route language searches, you can start with these which will give you result in your particular desired fare bucket(s).

 

Again....more very technical "shop talk", but a way to find those special fares and/or routings beyond what you can get with the simple searches from basic website entries.

There's no convention among the airlines as to what booking codes are used for PE. I started a listing on a post on FT, that might be useful if you want to dive into ITA. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/milesbuzz/964524-premium-economy-booking-codes.html

[Globaliser]

There's no convention among the airlines as to what booking codes are used for PE. I started a listing on a post on FT, that might be useful if you want to dive into ITA. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/milesbuzz/964524-premium-economy-booking-codes.html

That's really useful - thanks! I'll have to bookmark that.

 

Incidentally, the order of WT+ booking classes for BA is actually WET, not that it really matters.

 

On ITA, one of the ways that you can limit your search to a specific airline's premium economy fares is to use a switch in the following format (a variant of what's posted in the thread to which FlyerTalker linked):-

tus::f+ /f ba..t-|ba..e-|ba..w-

zrh::f+ /f ba..t-|ba..e-|ba..w-

This should only return flights fared on BA premium economy through-fares from TUS to ZRH. Obviously, the short-haul sectors will not be flown in BA premium economy, as that doesn't exist on those flights (nor on the connecting flights operated by other airlines), but it will get you into the premium economy cabin for the long-haul flight.

[tnr]

We are also from Tucson and prefer to fly from there whenever possible. I just booked a multi-city flight to Europe, and decided to fly out of Phoenix because it is non-stop for the overnight portion. We will come back to Tucson, with a change in Dallas. Friends are taking us to the shuttle stop to PHX, and picking us up at TUS. Just a thought-- if it helps.

BA will also let you book one class going, and another coming home. So you could fly premium economy going, and economy home.

Terri

[AZjohn]

Hey, this ITA code stuff really works (go figure...lol). Just started to play around this afternoon and of course made a few mistakes, but that is how we learn sometimes. Thanks again for sharing your knowlege and I will be back this weekend to ask a few class 201 questions (lol).

John

[AZjohn]

There are also ways to specify fare codes as well, if you are trying to look for something like a prem econ. But that's ITA 201.

 

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

 

OK, I think I'm ready for a little "ITA 210" now. Have used ITA a lot now and I would like to know how to search for H class or higher fares. Also, can I input specific flight numbers in for routing?

Thanks again,

John

[6rugrats]

OK, I think I'm ready for a little "ITA 210" now. Have used ITA a lot now and I would like to know how to search for H class or higher fares. Also, can I input specific flight numbers in for routing?

Thanks again,

John

 

Look here:

 

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mileage-run-discussion/391187-how-construct-book-mileage-run.html

[AZjohn]

Look here:

 

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mileage-run-discussion/391187-how-construct-book-mileage-run.html

 

Thanks 6rugrats,

I only had time to read through the second page but will make time to read more after flying tomorrow. I did see how to specify a specific fare bucket but not how to say = or > than H. Also didn't see yet how to enter specific flight numbers but will try to search more.

Thanks,

John

[6rugrats]

Thanks 6rugrats,

I only had time to read through the second page but will make time to read more after flying tomorrow. I did see how to specify a specific fare bucket but not how to say = or > than H. Also didn't see yet how to enter specific flight numbers but will try to search more.

Thanks,

John

 

Try here:

 

http://matrix2.itasoftware.com/

 

If you can't figure it out, I would ask on Flyertalk. I've never done this, so I don't know the procedure.

[Globaliser]

I would like to know how to search for H class or higher fares. Also, can I input specific flight numbers in for routing?

The only way I know of asking for "H class or higher" is by brute force.

 

For example:-

LON::BA /F BA..Y-|BA..B-|BA..H-

NYC::BA /F BA..Y-|BA..B-|BA..H-

But this depends on my knowing that "H class or higher" on BA means Y, B or H classes. You'd need to know that for the airline you're searching. And I think you know that for any particular combination of flights on your specified dates, you will only see one fare - the lowest using those classes.

 

Specific flight numbers: See the examples at the bottom of this page.