Has anyone bought flights for Med cruise in June/July yet?

[Redbarnphotog]

I have been researching and watching flight prices since last July. They really haven't changed and I feel like I'm getting down to the wire. Flying from Cincy to Venice with a stop on the way back in Paris.

 

We leave on June 10th.

 

Wondering if I should bite the bullet or hold out a month or two more?

[epixx]

Are you referring to the approximately $1600 airfare offered by Delta and its partners? If so, then I would purchase now. That's a pretty good fare for all that flying you're doing, especially since the round trip flight just from CVG to VCE is about the same price.

[Redbarnphotog]

The best price I've found for the flights I want is around $1800.

Thats:

6/10 CVG to VCE 5:40pm

6/22 VCE to CDG Noonish

6/25 CDG to CVG 10am ish

 

If it's the consesus that its a good price, I'm ready to buy. I just don't want to see it drop $300 next month.

[epixx]

Do you want to save a significant amount of money?

 

June 10:

American Airlines #3967. CVG to JFK 1215-1425.

Aer Lingus #104. JFK to DUB 1730-0510.

Aer Lingus #422. DUB to VCE 0725-1105.

 

June 22:

EasyJet #4296. VCE to Orly 2050-2225.

 

 

June 25:

Aer Lingus #523 CDG to DUB 1350-1430.

Aer Lingus #109 DUB to JFK 1545-1815.

 

Overnight in New York.

June 26:

American Airlines #4329. JFK to CVG 1510-1725.

 

 

You would need to purchase 3 tickets (round trip CVG to JFK on AA, multi-city JFK to VCE and CDG to JFK on Aer Lingus, and one way VCE to Orly on EasyJet.

 

1. AA rt ticket = $386.

2. Aer Lingus ticket multi-city = $906.

3. EasyJet one way ticket = $58.

 

Grand total = $1350. Also factor in one night in NYC and potential baggage charges on EasyJet, but you still come out ahead.

[Redbarnphotog]

That is a great price, but after the cost of a room in NYC the couple hundred I would save probably wouldn't make me feel like it was worth all those flight changes.

 

Great idea though! I guess it will just be worth it to have only one plane change the whole trip.

[euro cruiser]

You may be able to save about $100 by going with Delta:

 

Cincinnati (CVG) to Venice (VCE) - Mon, Jun 10

Cincinnati (CVG) to Atlanta (ATL) - Mon, Jun 10 Delta 2315 Dep: 7:00AM Arr: 8:40AM 1h 40m Boeing 737 Economy (U)

Layover in ATL

8h 40m Atlanta (ATL) to Venice (VCE) - Mon, Jun 10 Delta 192 Dep: 5:20PM Arr: 9:05AM 9h 45m Boeing 767 Economy (U)

 

Tue, Jun 11

 

Venice (VCE) to Paris (CDG) - Sat, Jun 22

Air France 1727 Dep: 3:35PM Arr: 5:25PM 1h 50m Airbus A320 Economy (L)

 

 

 

 

Paris (CDG) to Cincinnati (CVG) - Tue, Jun 25

Delta 229 Dep: 10:50AM Arr: 2:00PM 9h 10m Boeing 767 Economy (U)

 

 

 

 

Cost per passenger (including taxes & fees) $1,697.70

 

The biggest downside is a long layover in Atlanta on the way over, but you may be able to find a later Delta flight that day.

[Hlitner]

The problem with booking Delta so far in advance is that they will likely change their schedule (or cancel a flight) 2 or 3 times between now and June. We cannot remember the last time we booked any flight on Delta more then a few months in advance where something did not change.

 

Hank

[Redbarnphotog]

I was afraid of that with delta. It is delta/air france we're most likely going with. They have the best times and shortest flights.

 

But I've noticed one of the flights i'm watching has changed by 10 minutes.

 

Do you see them changing more than an hour or so?

[euro cruiser]

The problem with booking Delta so far in advance is that they will likely change their schedule (or cancel a flight) 2 or 3 times between now and June. We cannot remember the last time we booked any flight on Delta more then a few months in advance where something did not change.

Really? No wonder their customer service reputation is so bad. Fortunately for me they're not a big player in this area, so I haven't flown them in years.

[grand isle joe]

Really? No wonder their customer service reputation is so bad. Fortunately for me they're not a big player in this area, so I haven't flown them in years.

 

 

Delta???? WORSE airline EVER!!!! Greyhound bus of the skies.....no....that would be an insult to Greyhound.....

[Hlitner]

I was afraid of that with delta. It is delta/air france we're most likely going with. They have the best times and shortest flights.

 

But I've noticed one of the flights i'm watching has changed by 10 minutes.

 

Do you see them changing more than an hour or so?

 

An hour or so? We wish. Our latest Delta issue involved a flight to Puerto Vallarta (from ATL). We live in PV for part of the year and have used this Delta flight for ages. A few weeks ago (only a short time before our trip) we get an e-mail from Delta that they have cancelled the flight. What they did was cancel the Mon-Fri flights to that destination with only about 2 months notice. Their solution was a convoluted route (with 3 flights) that would take nearly 20 hours (including an overnight in Detroit). It forced us to change our entire trip to take advantage to a Delta weekend flight. They have since ...twice changed the time on the connection flight...at one time giving us just 41 min to change planes (and terminals) in ATL. When I called Delta to question the timing they said "40 min is the minimum and you are fine with "41." They then suggested that I try to get a seat near the front of the connecting flight so we can be off the aircraft sooner (and run faster). Gotta love Delta.

 

Another problem with Delta is that do not always notify you of schedule changes...so you have to routinely check on your flights. In fact, we just had another Delta flight changed (it leaves 20 min earlier from our home airport) and they did not think it necessary to tel us this fact.

 

Hank

[Starry Eyes]

How far would you drive to save some money? Driving to O'Hare, getting a park and fly hotel room, and using ORD for the transatlantic flights (and easy jet or another inexpensive for the Venice to Paris leg) would save some money. It might also reduce connections, since you can get 1 stop over and nonstop back.

 

If driving to an airport is a viable option for you, check a variety of airports, especially if you are buying tickets for a whole family.