Which Flight from Barcelona to Detroit

[taylortime05]

We will be home from our cruise on Sat, Oct 12 in Barcelona.

 

Which flight would you recommend on Delta and why?  Thanks for your feedback.

 

1) Leave 12:45 PM and arrive in DTW at 9:50 PM with 3 h 41 min layover in JFK.

 

2) Leave 11:05 AM and arrive in DTW at 6:22 PM with 1 h 50 min layover in Amsterdam.

 

Thanks

 

 

 

[Zach1213]

I would choose the second one. Two hours in AMS is plenty, even considering the need to clear Schengen immigration on the way out, and I would much rather clear immigration in DTW and then just head home versus in JFK and then still have to keep going. PLUS, overall less travel time.

 

Aircraft type and class may skew my feedback, but based on the info you have provided the answer is easy to me.

Edited April 22, 2019 by Zach1213

[taylortime05]

We are traveling in Main with preferred seating.  I was hoping for great deal on business class but haven't found a deal.  From aircraft type it looks like they are pretty similar.  

 

Option 1 - Leave 12:45 PM and arrive in DTW at 9:50 PM with 3 h 41 min layover in JFK

 

DL 477  8H 59M Airbus A330-300

DL 1419  2H 25M Boeing 717-200

 

Option 2 -  Leave 11:05 AM and arrive in DTW at 6:22 PM with 1 h 50 min layover in Amsterdam.

 

DL 9411 | 2H 30M  Boeing 737-800

DL 139 | 8H 57M  Airbus A330-300

 

[Zach1213]

I'll stick to my original statement then and vote for BCN-AMS-DTW without a doubt

[taylortime05]

6 minutes ago, Zach1213 said:

I'll stick to my original statement then and vote for BCN-AMS-DTW without a doubt

 

Do you think there is sufficient time to get to the port for an 11:05 flight?   Thanks

[Zach1213]

40 minutes ago, taylortime05 said:

 

Do you think there is sufficient time to get to the port for an 11:05 flight?   Thanks

 

I don't know anything about the port as I have never done a cruise there, and I also wasn't aware you were flying immediately after a cruise. I'll have to let someone else answer that one, as my answer was purely an "all other things equal" scenario, which apparently isn't the case.

Edited April 22, 2019 by Zach1213

[teacherman]

I believe you can get from the Barcelona port to the airport, in a taxi, in about 20 minutes.  If you are off the ship by 8:00, you should be fine.  My opinion.  Are you only flying one way on Delta?  If so, can't you get a decent rate on business class through the cruise line?

[TruckerDave]

The BCN-AMS leg, while having a DL flight number won't be on a delta plane. It will most likely be on a KLM plane.  The AMS-DTW flight could be either a Delta or KLM plane.  The routing via JFK will be all on Delta metal. Just be aware of that. Could effect seat selection and if the have/don't have premium econ, extra legroom seating.  Just something to keep in mind. 

[taylortime05]

1 hour ago, teacherman said:

I believe you can get from the Barcelona port to the airport, in a taxi, in about 20 minutes.  If you are off the ship by 8:00, you should be fine.  My opinion.  Are you only flying one way on Delta?  If so, can't you get a decent rate on business class through the cruise line?

 

I'm flying round trip with Delta and I booked thru Celebrity Air for 650 PP round trip so it seemed like a good deal.  I keep checking for business class and it's around 3500 PP.  We are celebrating our 40th anniversary so I've been looking for a deal to upgrade to business class but it's way to expensive right now.

[taylortime05]

56 minutes ago, TruckerDave said:

The BCN-AMS leg, while having a DL flight number won't be on a delta plane. It will most likely be on a KLM plane.  The AMS-DTW flight could be either a Delta or KLM plane.  The routing via JFK will be all on Delta metal. Just be aware of that. Could effect seat selection and if the have/don't have premium econ, extra legroom seating.  Just something to keep in mind. 

 

With our current pricing Delta let us select preferred seats which isn't anything great, just closer to the front.  When I talked to Delta today about switching to the BCN-AMS-DTW flight, she said they could not give preferred seat selection for the BCM-AMS because it is with KLM.  

[teacherman]

I think you really only save money for business class with cruise line air is when you do a one way international flight, like when you do a trans Atlantic cruise and only need to fly one way.  We have booked rt air, business class, through a cruise line for DTW to South America and it is almost $4400 pp, but still less than if I had booked direct with the airline.  I chose to do Delta down and then American return, which was much less than if I had selected Delta both ways. Maybe look at using different airlines. We also live in Michigan and fly out of Detroit.  Hey, it's your 40th.  Live it up.🤔🤔

[alcpa1]

If you are taking the 11:05 flight you should consider self disembarking. The airline counter will probably open 2 hours before your flight but you do want to be in line prior to that. Now that Delta no longer requires a recheck in the atrium at AMS the connection time is very doable even with the brief Schengen stop.

The connection time is fine at JFK. Do check to see if the runway work will be complete by October. The 717 is a smaller plane (smaller than the airbus - not a crj) and anything smaller than a 737 for example has been experiencing delays since the construction began.

If you have never self disembarked you do need to maintain control of your luggage from cabin to pier. What you also need to consider is the real possibility that you will have to move your luggage up or down stairs.

For me the hassle is self disembarkation. It gets worse every cruise. People can be so rude.

In our experience there were plenty of cabs at the pier in Barcelona. 

Have a great cruise.

[Zach1213]

8 hours ago, alcpa1 said:

 

The connection time is fine at JFK. Do check to see if the runway work will be complete by October. The 717 is a smaller plane (smaller than the airbus - not a crj) and anything smaller than a 737 for example has been experiencing delays since the construction began.

 

 

Just about everything is experiencing a delay if your timing is wrong. I've had multiple colleagues on longhaul widebodies delayed out of JFK in the last week or two - Aer Lingus to Dublin, Cathay Pacific to HKG, and BA to LHR all saw my colleagues delayed at least two hours.

[buggins0402]

Nice to see you finally have a decent AMS connection option.  The extra hour for the BCN departure over your previous choice back a few months ago (10:00 am to CDG) provides a decent cushion.   Agree with the others, near two hours in AMS is fine. 

[taylortime05]

So I had option 1 already booked.  At the time I booked they didn't have option 2 available.  Since I booked they have made several changes to the times for option 1.  I called Delta to see if I could switch from Option 1 to Option 2 and they were ready to make the change with no charge then they saw that I booked through Celebrity Air.  So they made notation in my account and told me I'd need to contact Celebrity to make the changes.  I called Celebrity tonight and they said they'd put the request in and it would depend on Delta. So now I'll need to wait for 24-48 hours to see if they approve the change.   I hope I made the right choice.  I also have travel insurance.  

 

Option 1 - Leave 12:45 PM and arrive in DTW at 9:50 PM with 3 h 41 min layover in JFK

 

DL 477  8H 59M Airbus A330-300

DL 1419  2H 25M Boeing 717-200

 

Option 2 -  Leave 11:05 AM and arrive in DTW at 6:22 PM with 1 h 50 min layover in Amsterdam.

 

DL 9411 | 2H 30M  Boeing 737-800

DL 139 | 8H 57M  Airbus A330-300

[Hlitner]

We would grab option 1 without a 2nd thought.  And we agree that express disembarkation is wise, but that assumes that the OP is physically capable of hauling their own luggage off the ship..since it is a pretty long walk from the pier through the long walkway and then Barcelona's port terminal.

 

As to why we would take Option 1, we think that changing at Schipol is a far better option at JFK.  JFK change means going through US Immigration (which can be a zoo on a busy afternoon), retrieving your own luggage, walking through Customs and then rechecking your luggage.  And then, you still have to go through a regular TSA security check.  The schedule certainly gives you enough time, but we just hate the hassle.  And departure delays at JFK during the late afternoon early evening are all too common.  

 

Hank

[taylortime05]

24 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

We would grab option 1 without a 2nd thought.  And we agree that express disembarkation is wise, but that assumes that the OP is physically capable of hauling their own luggage off the ship..since it is a pretty long walk from the pier through the long walkway and then Barcelona's port terminal.

 

As to why we would take Option 1, we think that changing at Schipol is a far better option at JFK.  JFK change means going through US Immigration (which can be a zoo on a busy afternoon), retrieving your own luggage, walking through Customs and then rechecking your luggage.  And then, you still have to go through a regular TSA security check.  The schedule certainly gives you enough time, but we just hate the hassle.  And departure delays at JFK during the late afternoon early evening are all too common.  

 

Hank

 

Hi Hank,   

 

Do you mean you’d select option 2 going thru Amsterdam?   I have put in a request so need to see if Delta will change our reservation.

 

Thanks

 

Sue

[Hlitner]

1 hour ago, taylortime05 said:

 

Hi Hank,   

 

Do you mean you’d select option 2 going thru Amsterdam?   I have put in a request so need to see if Delta will change our reservation.

 

Thanks

 

Sue

Oops.  Yes, that is what I meant.  But you would also be OK going through JFK, just more hassles.   We do enough International travel that I have developed a dislike of the US entry process when it involves a transfer to domestic flights.  I certainly would not pay a change fee to alter those flights...and Delta sure loves to charge their change fees.

 

Hank

[Ashland]

Just to pipe in here and ask.....I've given myself 2 hrs 45 min to connect from a DL flight from BCN-LAX at JFK ..good choice ? 

[Zach1213]

6 hours ago, Ashland said:

Just to pipe in here and ask.....I've given myself 2 hrs 45 min to connect from a DL flight from BCN-LAX at JFK ..good choice ? 

 

That should be fine as long as it's all on one ticket. JFK isn't always the best, but they're not always the worst either...busy as hell in immigration/customs, but often staffed appropriately in my experience. And assuming you have a US passport, nearly three hours shouldn't be an issue. Plus, they have so many JFK-LAX flights each day that if you miss one the chances of there being an open seat on another are decently high.

[Ashland]

8 hours ago, Zach1213 said:

 

That should be fine as long as it's all on one ticket. JFK isn't always the best, but they're not always the worst either...busy as hell in immigration/customs, but often staffed appropriately in my experience. And assuming you have a US passport, nearly three hours shouldn't be an issue. Plus, they have so many JFK-LAX flights each day that if you miss one the chances of there being an open seat on another are decently high.

Yes (two of us) all on one first class ticket (DL One)...round trip purchased at a great rate a long time ago...and great care choosing our seats...hopefully no changes....so far so good (I check often)....US Passports...we have never traveled without them.

Thanks so much !

Edited April 26, 2019 by Ashland