ATL to Barcelona $700 buy or wait?

[Rockwife]

Hi all, just popping in to ask if $700 is a decent RT price. We'll be traveling next Feb, if that matters. Thanks!

[hammer52]

I would say that is a good price from ATL. It was over $1000.00 a few months ago. With the oil price rising again , it could start to rise again. Also remember that this is a Delta controlled market, as Delta goes, so do the other airlines from ATL.

[Rockwife]

Thanks, Hammer! I'm also thinking to go ahead and book. That way I can choose our seats, the exact times, and stop worrying. :)

 

Happy travels!

[pyrrhus]

I would sign up for a fare watching website and just see what happens. I thought I had a great fare from DFW to ATL to Barcelona on Delta of around $748 and nearly booked, but a friend convinced me to give a fare watching site a try. About a week later I got a notice in my email of a major fare drop. I got 2 coach Y class (unfortunately, but hey why complain) roundtrip, exact same trip as before, for a mere $480 a person. So while I am not saying don't book, it is a good price, you have time and might get lucky.

 

 

Michael

[fbgd]

I would sign up for a fare watching website and just see what happens. I thought I had a great fare from DFW to ATL to Barcelona on Delta of around $748 and nearly booked, but a friend convinced me to give a fare watching site a try. About a week later I got a notice in my email of a major fare drop. I got 2 coach Y class (unfortunately, but hey why complain) roundtrip, exact same trip as before, for a mere $480 a person. So while I am not saying don't book, it is a good price, you have time and might get lucky.

 

But that's a route with a different dynamic.

 

AA don't offer non-stops from DFW-BCN so they have to offer comparable fares with DL who could also fly DFW-BCN with a stop; AA's through JFK, DL's through ATL.

 

There is no competition on ATL-BCN so you are unlikely going to see fares that are essentially taxes plus a few bucks.

[pyrrhus]

But that's a route with a different dynamic.

 

AA don't offer non-stops from DFW-BCN so they have to offer comparable fares with DL who could also fly DFW-BCN with a stop; AA's through JFK, DL's through ATL.

 

There is no competition on ATL-BCN so you are unlikely going to see fares that are essentially taxes plus a few bucks.

 

 

Sure, but even if I saved $50 bucks, it would be worth it to me. Of course it is still a gamble and the fares could rise. I posted the information as an example for a fare I probably would have never found on my own. BTW: The AA flights were about $900 and some change pp, even when Delta dropped their fares to $480. So Delta was still quite a bit cheaper then AA even at the original $748. My BCN flights in Sept are now $1800 for the same itinerary. That price only lasted a day.

[FlyerTalker]

Perhaps a better question might be: What are you willing to risk in the way of a higher price to possibly get that $50 savings?

 

For every time when waiting has gotten a reduction in the price paid, there are likely many times that often when it resulted in the current price going up. It's just that those folks don't post that waiting cost them (who wants to admit in public that they blew it??).

 

Go onto ITA and do some searches to see just what the market is. Depending on your day of travel, you can find some mid-$600 fares, albeit at the "cost" of two connections and flying US and Spanair.

[NCMtnBoys]

Go onto ITA and do some searches to see just what the market is. Depending on your day of travel, you can find some mid-$600 fares, albeit at the "cost" of two connections and flying US and Spanair.

 

Flyertalk, was wondering if you could email me exactly the website you're referring to as "ITA" I tried doing a search for ITA and am not sure I found what you're really referring to. I'm going to be beginning to search for airfare from CLT to CPH for later next year and would like to have as many search options as possible.

 

My email is: jd_ljr at hotmail dot com

 

Thank you!

[FlyerTalker]

http://matrix.itasoftware.com

 

Read the various help pages, including the one on advance query language. There is also a thread here on CC Cruise Air with even more advanced language tips. But that's not necessary for simple to intermediate searches.

 

ITA has two different interfaces in their site. I highly suggest using both and spending some time "playing around" to get a real feel for it. Very powerful searching, and the "original" interface isn't as dumbed-down as a number of other sites out there. Which can be good or bad, depending on your perspective.

[mollyanne]

Hi all, just popping in to ask if $700 is a decent RT price. We'll be traveling next Feb, if that matters. Thanks!

 

If you're traveling by Delta it would be my advice to follow-up OFTEN on the flight to check for changes in the schedule. We booked a flight in June for the following February and it probably changed no less than 10 times. Just be sure to stay on top of it so you don't end up with times and connections that you can't live with.

[pyrrhus]

Perhaps a better question might be: What are you willing to risk in the way of a higher price to possibly get that $50 savings?

 

For every time when waiting has gotten a reduction in the price paid, there are likely many times that often when it resulted in the current price going up. It's just that those folks don't post that waiting cost them (who wants to admit in public that they blew it??).

 

Go onto ITA and do some searches to see just what the market is. Depending on your day of travel, you can find some mid-$600 fares, albeit at the "cost" of two connections and flying US and Spanair.

 

Precisely, it's a gamble, but this far out....... Of course this is also the first time I have paid for a flight in close to ten years. I finally used up my Advantage miles from years of business travel, so what do I know? :)

[NCMtnBoys]

http://matrix.itasoftware.com

 

Read the various help pages, including the one on advance query language. There is also a thread here on CC Cruise Air with even more advanced language tips. But that's not necessary for simple to intermediate searches.

 

ITA has two different interfaces in their site. I highly suggest using both and spending some time "playing around" to get a real feel for it. Very powerful searching, and the "original" interface isn't as dumbed-down as a number of other sites out there. Which can be good or bad, depending on your perspective.

 

Thanks a bunch for this, I spent a little time with it and was amazed at the depth of information the searches provided. Bookmarked it and will spend more time with it when searching for the flights I need.

[Strawberry]

As info -- I have been watching flights for May 2010 from EWR to London Heathrow. I really want the Continental non-stop, day time direct flight. When I started watching a few months ago it was around $650+ tax. A week ago it went up to $883+ tax. Today it is over $1600+ tax. Hopefully, it will go back down a little and I will buy our tickets right away!

[fbgd]

My BCN flights in Sept are now $1800 for the same itinerary. That price only lasted a day.

 

But you can't compare like for like. In that case $1800 is likely as you are past the advance purchase requirements for the cheapest published fares on the route.

 

DL's cheapest published fare on the ATL-BCN route for a random day in February '10 is $614 (an inflexible U class fare) so from $700 it can't come down a whole lot but with no competition, and one non-stop flight, not even daily it can certainly go up a whole lot more. My screen runs out of space at $1600 return for a semi-flexible H class fare, and coach will go fair bit higher than that.

[Rockwife]

Thanks, Yall- I really do appreciate all the feedback and advice from you wise folks.

 

Prices were changing *as* I was trying to book yesterday (with Air France), so I ended up going with Delta for $679.50 RT, one connection in JFK on the way and a direct (woohoo!) flight home. I'm not much of a gambler, I must admit, and I am happy with the price.

 

Another plus to flying Delta was smaller planes which will allow my husband and I to sit together without a third person next to us. The Air France plane rows were grouped by three- not a huge deal, but sleeping next to a stranger is slightly uncomfortable to me.

 

I also chose seats based on seatguru.com's recommendations. Love that site!

[fbgd]

one connection in JFK on the way and a direct (woohoo!) flight home.

 

Direct or non-stop?

[Rockwife]

Direct or non-stop?

 

I thought they were the same?

 

A single plane leaves Barcelona and arrives into Atlanta, no stops or connections.

[fbgd]

I thought they were the same?

 

Nope.

 

Direct = continuation of a flight number. e.g. DL1234 could fly Barcelona-Atlanta-Chicago and Delta could market it as direct service from Barcelona to Chicago, even though it requires a stop. You may need to change aircraft and even terminal in these instances.

 

Non-stop = as it sounds.

 

In your case it does appear as though you have non-stop flights though sometimes it isn't until you've booked (or as my wife's parents found your flight makes a stop!) that you realise that you aren't on a non-stop.

[kenish]

If the BCN-ATL flight is DL115, that is a true nonstop on a 767-400. Window/aisle are the 2-seat groups, either AB on the left side of the cabin or HK on the right.

 

It's easy to check whether a flight is nonstop or direct, and in the latter case whether it's a change of aircraft. The airline's website or a flight tracking program such as www.flightaware.com will provide the info.