flights out of Rome, Fiumicino after cruise? Are there later options?

[World Gallery]

I am having a hard time finding a later flight out of Fiumicino post-cruise. We are hoping not to have to stay a night after our cruise since we are staying 4 nights pre-cruise. The only option I am finding is 9:50AM and we wouldn't make it. Our final destination is New Orleans. I am wondering if I am really looking at all of my options. I was on Kayak dot com and travelocity dot com. Lufthansa is the only option showing as a return flight but there are many options into Rome.

[letsgo39]

Try 1800 Fly Europe.There are lots of flights there and on Orbitz. I have a 11:30 Flt on American to Chicago and than to Nashville that I booked thru 1 800 Fly Europe yesterday..It should not be much of a problem to fly to Chicago and connect to New Orleans for you.If you want to give me your dates I will be glad to help you look as will others I am sure.

[euro cruiser]

There are lots of options, but it depends on how much you are willing to spend, how many stops you are willing to make, and how long you are willing to take for the entire trip.

 

You don't say the date you are looking for, but on a typical Tuesday in October there is a KLM routing from FCO to Amsterdam, then Amsterdam to Atlanta, then Atlanta to New Orleans. The departure from FCO is at 12:55 PM and arrival in New Orleans is at 10:28 PM.

 

The best site I know of for finding flights is ITA Software (here: http://matrix.itasoftware.com/, click on airfare search). You can put in a limit on the number of stops you will accept.

[wantocruisemore]

I remember when I was searching for a return flight from Rome it seemed like all of the cheaper options left too early. But I do know that American Airlines and US Air has flights that will fit. We used US Air and I know some people don't like them but they were fine. In some cases they really did well (providing gluten-free meals for DD) and in others just moderate (small seats).

[austinlw]

I was looking for the same thing about a month ago, and here's what I found. I looked for later flights on the major travel websites and found, like you, the choices were VERY limited. We live in Austin and the best option was that 11:50 flt on AA from Rome to JFK, then on to Austin possibly via DFW. But we would have to stay overnight by either JFK or DFW and we didn't want to have to rush and be stressed trying to make that 11:50 flight. So I figured as long as we're going to have to stay overnight somewhere on the way back, I'll try to find a later flight. Found the best options for us on the American Airlines site (which is not as user-friendly as it should be) choosing OneWorld (to widen the options), and looking at 50 choices at a time. I had to really dig down to find the best time/price combo. By doing that, I found several late afternoon and evening options via British Airways from FCO to London Heathrow, spend the night, then fly LHR to Austin via DFW the next day. So we're going to take a train to Roma Termini, check our bags, walk around Rome for a few hours, then take the Leonardo Express to FCO mid-afternoon, fly to LHR that evening, and the rest of the way home the next day.

[euro cruiser]

So we're going to take a train to Roma Termini, check our bags, walk around Rome for a few hours, then take the Leonardo Express to FCO mid-afternoon, fly to LHR that evening, and the rest of the way home the next day.

Can I ask why you wouldn't just spend that extra night in Rome? It seems, on the surface anyway, like a lot more aggravation to handle your luggage and go through the airport to hotel and hotel back to airport stuff for that extra one night stop.

[ksps cruise fan]

Can I ask why you wouldn't just spend that extra night in Rome? It seems, on the surface anyway, like a lot more aggravation to handle your luggage and go through the airport to hotel and hotel back to airport stuff for that extra one night stop.

 

I'm reasonably confident that if there are fewer than 24 hours between flights, travelers are allowed to check luggage through to the final destination from the originating airport. Assuming I'm right, the OP could check luggage at FCO all the way to Austin and simply have to cope with a carry-on with clothes/toiletries.

 

I know this applies to flights in the Star Alliance (United) group. I've taken a considerable number of flights to Munich and Frankfort, stayed overnight in a hotel on the airport property and flown home the next day. I only had my carry on with me for the overnight stay.

 

Check to see whether or not the One World group allows this, too.

[austinlw]

"Can I ask why you wouldn't just spend that extra night in Rome?"

 

We considered that option. If we spent the night in Rome, we would then need to take the Leonardo Express the next morning to FCO, getting there early enough and scheduling the flight late enough to make it through security, etc. at what most folks describe as a very chaotic airport. Even if we did schedule a late morning flight, most likely on Delta or AA, there are no all day flight combo options that get us back to Austin until late at night, if not the following day, and we need to get to work the next day (2 days after disembarking).

 

The option of flying FCO to LHR in the evening and out of LHR the next morning has a couple of important advantages for us.

1. There are non-stop AA flights directly from LHR to DFW (unlike FCO), and many AA flights from DFW to Austin. Our flight from LHR to DFW leaves between 9 and 10, allowing plenty of time to get through security, etc. And it gets to DFW mid afternoon, so that we can connect and be in Austin by early evening (impossible from FCO), able to get up and go to work the next day.

2. There are many places to stay right by LHR that are easy to get to via hotel shuttle or cab. It will likely be easier and quicker to get from hotel to the airport in the very early AM than it would be from Rome.

 

On balance, I think this solution will work out better for us trying to return to Austin, and it might also be a reasonable option for someone returning to New Orleans (like the OP).

[CathyCruises]

I'm reasonably confident that if there are fewer than 24 hours between flights, travelers are allowed to check luggage through to the final destination from the originating airport. Assuming I'm right, the OP could check luggage at FCO all the way to Austin and simply have to cope with a carry-on with clothes/toiletries.

 

I know this applies to flights in the Star Alliance (United) group. I've taken a considerable number of flights to Munich and Frankfort, stayed overnight in a hotel on the airport property and flown home the next day. I only had my carry on with me for the overnight stay.

 

Check to see whether or not the One World group allows this, too.

 

This shocks me. I thought since 911 that you absolutely could not fly on a plane that your luggage was not on.

[TheBestIsYetToCome]

We also live in Austin. There's an early afternoon flight to AUS on AA from Madrid through DFW. I really like this flight because it gives you one pretty long leg where you can (try to...) get some sleep. You still need an overnight, of course -- but in Rome or Madrid.

 

But the schedule and price may be better through LHR....

[ksps cruise fan]

This shocks me. I thought since 911 that you absolutely could not fly on a plane that your luggage was not on.

 

Clearly, there's some confusion. The person and the luggage will always be together in flight. The only thing being discussed is where the luggage will be in the gap between the first and second flights since these will bracket an overnight hotel stay. A poster made the assumption that the vactioners would have to check their luggage for the first flight only -- to Heathrow (LHR) -- retrieve it at the luggage carousel, and transport it to the hotel where they sleep overnight. Then, the vactioners would have to transport all their luggage to the airport and do a full check in the next day when they showed up to fly trans-Atlantic part of their trip. My experience on Star Alliance flights contradicts this.

 

For the sake of simplicity, I'm going to pretend that the poster only wants to fly as far as Dallas (DFW) rather than all the way to Austin. Using this example, the traveler will arrive at FCO and check in for his full journey to Dallas. His luggage will be tagged all the way to DFW. Assuming my experience applies to his carrier, when the plane arrives in LHR, the luggage will not be sent to baggage claim. It will be held in a secure room on the "clean" side of security. The owner of the luggage would be free to go to his hotel without his big luggage.

 

The next day, when the owner checks in for the LHR -- DFW flight, his arrival will trigger a signal to the secure holding room that the luggage should be loaded on the flight for which it was booked. The people and their luggage are now re-united on the same flight.

 

Again, on Star Alliance this procedure only works for people staying fewer than 24 hours at a midway destination.

 

Incidentally, when things go wrong and luggage gets waylaid/lost, there are plenty of people on plenty of planes flying without their luggage.

[euro cruiser]

"Can I ask why you wouldn't just spend that extra night in Rome?"

 

We considered that option. If we spent the night in Rome, we would then need to take the Leonardo Express the next morning to FCO, getting there early enough and scheduling the flight late enough to make it through security, etc. at what most folks describe as a very chaotic airport. Even if we did schedule a late morning flight, most likely on Delta or AA, there are no all day flight combo options that get us back to Austin until late at night, if not the following day, and we need to get to work the next day (2 days after disembarking).

 

The option of flying FCO to LHR in the evening and out of LHR the next morning has a couple of important advantages for us.

1. There are non-stop AA flights directly from LHR to DFW (unlike FCO), and many AA flights from DFW to Austin. Our flight from LHR to DFW leaves between 9 and 10, allowing plenty of time to get through security, etc. And it gets to DFW mid afternoon, so that we can connect and be in Austin by early evening (impossible from FCO), able to get up and go to work the next day.

2. There are many places to stay right by LHR that are easy to get to via hotel shuttle or cab. It will likely be easier and quicker to get from hotel to the airport in the very early AM than it would be from Rome.

 

On balance, I think this solution will work out better for us trying to return to Austin, and it might also be a reasonable option for someone returning to New Orleans (like the OP).

You've found a solution that makes sense for you; it's a lot of time in the air, no matter what you do. As an east coast person, I'm spoiled by relatively short and usually non-stop flights.

 

There is a British Air/American combo that goes from FCO at 11:30 in the morning, connects at O'Hare and arrives in Austin at 8:35 PM. A lot of time on planes and airports in one day, but I lean more toward getting it over with, that's my trade off I guess.

 

As for Fiumicino, I wouldn't call it chaotic, but the process for taking a U.S. carrier directly to a U.S. destination requires an additional level of security that slows things down.

[ksps cruise fan]

... As an east coast person, I'm spoiled by relatively short and usually non-stop flights.

 

I think you once wrote something that led me to believe you live in the NYC area. I live on the East Coat in a major metropolitan area with an international airport, but I am so very, very jealous of NYC's vastly superior choices for non-stop flights all over the world.

 

My husband and I are considering re-locating and one of the first things that crossed my mind was the fact we would always be doomed to a flight within the US after a trans-Atlantic or trans-Pacific flight. At least with our present location, we can hop around within Europe or Asia to make sure our last flight takes us to our home airport. Emotionally, when I touch down on US soil the only traveling I want to remain is a taxi ride to my front door.

[euro cruiser]

I think you once wrote something that led me to believe you live in the NYC area. I live on the East Coat in a major metropolitan area with an international airport, but I am so very, very jealous of NYC's vastly superior choices for non-stop flights all over the world.

So much of life is perspective ... we spoiled New Yorkers complain about the time and aggravation it takes to get out to JFK, which generally has many more flights and slightly better prices than Newark. We need to remind ourselves occasionally how good we have it (when it comes to flight options), versus pretty much anywhere else in the States.

[CathyCruises]

Clearly, there's some confusion. The person and the luggage will always be together in flight. The only thing being discussed is where the luggage will be in the gap between the first and second flights since these will bracket an overnight hotel stay. . . quote]

 

I've gotcha now--makes perfect sense. I have just had big hassles over trying to change flights when the luggage was already booked through that it has become a big deal to me--that's why I was so surprised on first read.

[World Gallery]

There are lots of options, but it depends on how much you are willing to spend, how many stops you are willing to make, and how long you are willing to take for the entire trip.

 

You don't say the date you are looking for, but on a typical Tuesday in October there is a KLM routing from FCO to Amsterdam, then Amsterdam to Atlanta, then Atlanta to New Orleans. The departure from FCO is at 12:55 PM and arrival in New Orleans is at 10:28 PM.

 

The best site I know of for finding flights is ITA Software (here: http://matrix.itasoftware.com/, click on airfare search). You can put in a limit on the number of stops you will accept.

 

Our "leaving Rome date" is June 27th, 2012. That date isn't quite out yet but I have been putting in the Wednesday before and a few other dates and hadn't found a later flight. I am going to try again.

Thanks so much for this information. I didn't realize that flights to would be overwhelming.

[World Gallery]

I have another question. Are all airlines and flight options represented on kayak dot com and travelocity dot com? There are so many online booking sites (the ones I checked were mentioned here on CC) but I am just realizing that maybe all airlines aren't represented, therefore, I wouldn't know all of my options.

[austinlw]

We also live in Austin. There's an early afternoon flight to AUS on AA from Madrid through DFW. I really like this flight because it gives you one pretty long leg where you can (try to...) get some sleep. You still need an overnight, of course -- but in Rome or Madrid.

 

But the schedule and price may be better through LHR....

 

Howdy fellow Austinite! The whole combo of times and price just seemed to work best for us with the least stress overall. Our fare for Nov 1 (arr Nov2) FCO/LHR/DFW/AUS is just over $1000 pp, which is only a bit more than the 11:55 AA flight.

[austinlw]

I have another question. Are all airlines and flight options represented on kayak dot com and travelocity dot com?

 

No. That's why you have to really dig down into the schedules of the airlines to find a flight option that's best. Kayak (much less Travelocity, Expedia, etc.) nor Airfare.com were not showing me the option I eventually chose. And there were a few other flight combos that were viable, just somewhat more expensive on that particular date.

[CathyCruises]

No, they are not all there. We needed last minute tickets from DC to San Francisco and the flights on Kayak were all horrible, huge layovers, expensive etc. Went to Virgin America and got $199/pp one way nonstop! Worked out great. So some airlines, including Southwest, you have to check on your own.

 

I have even gotten better fares going directly to the airline site, once I identify who flies where. When I find that an airline I like serves a particular route, I always go there directly.

[euro cruiser]

This is why I use the ITA Software site. They are a software company that writes the programs the airlines use, and they make it available on line to the public. They don't sell flights and are not beholden to any particular airlines, so they don't organize the information to support any one in particular.

 

The downside of ITA's program is that it turns up a million options, most of which a sane person wouldn't consider. You have to use the filters to bring it down to a managable number.

[World Gallery]

This is why I use the ITA Software site. They are a software company that writes the programs the airlines use, and they make it available on line to the public. They don't sell flights and are not beholden to any particular airlines, so they don't organize the information to support any one in particular.

 

The downside of ITA's program is that it turns up a million options, most of which a sane person wouldn't consider. You have to use the filters to bring it down to a managable number.

 

euro cruiser - thanks. I went to the site and started trying to look up things. I need to look at it a bit more to understand it better.

After researching there, what site do you the use to actual book? I am getting very wide price ranges, something like $1,800 to into the $3000's for an economy ticket from New Orleans to Rome.

[euro cruiser]

I usually book directly with the airline, after checking to see that their price is as good (or almost as good) as Expedia/Kayak/Travelocity etc. It's pretty rare that I've found a huge savings booking with someone other than the airline in recent years.

[metla]

euro cruiser - thanks. I went to the site and started trying to look up things. I need to look at it a bit more to understand it better.

After researching there, what site do you the use to actual book? I am getting very wide price ranges, something like $1,800 to into the $3000's for an economy ticket from New Orleans to Rome.

 

$1800 is ballpark for most that I have seen. You need to be getting economy plus or a WHOLE LOT of amenities for $3000. We are going June 1, 2012 and the DL fare from MSY-ATL-FCO is $1700 and change. Return flight is at 10:30, which I feel is a little close given the distance from the port to FCO, so we are staying one extra night upon returning and then taking the 10:30 FCO-ATL-MSY the next morning. Later flights on the day of arrival send you to another connection in Europe (Amsterdam, London, Paris, Frankfurt) and gets you home close to midnight. The one stop in ATL get you back to MSY at 6:05. Good Luck!

[Softball20]

"Can I ask why you wouldn't just spend that extra night in Rome?"

 

We considered that option. If we spent the night in Rome, we would then need to take the Leonardo Express the next morning to FCO, getting there early enough and scheduling the flight late enough to make it through security, etc. at what most folks describe as a very chaotic airport. Even if we did schedule a late morning flight, most likely on Delta or AA, there are no all day flight combo options that get us back to Austin until late at night, if not the following day, and we need to get to work the next day (2 days after disembarking).

 

The option of flying FCO to LHR in the evening and out of LHR the next morning has a couple of important advantages for us.

1. There are non-stop AA flights directly from LHR to DFW (unlike FCO), and many AA flights from DFW to Austin. Our flight from LHR to DFW leaves between 9 and 10, allowing plenty of time to get through security, etc. And it gets to DFW mid afternoon, so that we can connect and be in Austin by early evening (impossible from FCO), able to get up and go to work the next day.

2. There are many places to stay right by LHR that are easy to get to via hotel shuttle or cab. It will likely be easier and quicker to get from hotel to the airport in the very early AM than it would be from Rome.

 

On balance, I think this solution will work out better for us trying to return to Austin, and it might also be a reasonable option for someone returning to New Orleans (like the OP).

 

Actually, and I'm really not trying to beat this to death, but there are several hotels near FCO. We stayed at the Courtyard Marriott last year that was very close and had a shuttle.

 

This year we are doing the flight from FCO to Chicago - and back to South Carolina via Jacksonville! (We fly on AA because that's where we have all our miles and like to be able to fly business class to Europe) There is no easy way to get anywhere from here, and we were spoiled by living in DC. In any event, since both Chicago and DFW are AA hubs, you should be able to get from Rome to Chicago to Dallas fairly easily, I would think. Just a thought.