First time in Spain & first time long haul flight questions

[cruisinqt]

We are doing a 14 day transatlantic cruise and it will be our first time ever visiting Spain. And it’s our first flight to Europe. We’ve never done such a long flight and looking at airfare has us overwhelmed. With such a long flight should we opt for nicer seats? I’m afraid to even look at the price for first class. Is there something in between? And are there certain airlines that are preferable for long haul flights like this? 

[Ex-Airbalancer]

4 hours ago, cruisinqt said:

We are doing a 14 day transatlantic cruise and it will be our first time ever visiting Spain. And it’s our first flight to Europe. We’ve never done such a long flight and looking at airfare has us overwhelmed. With such a long flight should we opt for nicer seats? I’m afraid to even look at the price for first class. Is there something in between? And are there certain airlines that are preferable for long haul flights like this? 

There is premium economy seats 

The flights are usually over night so you might be able to get some sleep unless it filled with small children 

check Flights by Celebrity for one way flights sometimes they have excellent pricing 

Also I would fly in at least 2 days early there is a lot to see in Barcelona 

[MeHeartCruising]

The flights to Europe from the US are generally done overnight.  The return flight is usually done during the day.  Of course, I would opt for the most comfortable seats that you can afford.  If you can't go business or first class, then look for an airline that has Premium Economy seats.  American, Delta, Virgin, etc. all have these now.  They are similar to business class seats when you are on a domestic US flight.  Much better than regular economy seats.  If you can't afford better seats both ways, I would try to find better seats for the overnight leg of the trip so that you might increase your chances of sleeping some.  It's not so important to sleep on the way home, so worse seats can be tolerated.

 

[VMax1700]

As you are doing a TransAtlantic, it may be beneficial to check air transport through your cruise line.  Trans Atlantic one ways are very expensive specially for Business or PE.

Presuming that your Trans Atlantic is for Fall 2023 I would be inclined to hold off on booking just yet unless you can get a flight with your cruise line that is cancellable and fully refundable (or pay at Final Payment date).

[Rysyonok]

A few suggestions based on experience.

 

- seats towards the back of the plane, where there are only two between a window and a walkway

- a plush / soft hoodie that can become a pillow, pressed against the window / wall

- walk, walk, walk, stand up until the moment you have to board

- an extra drink brought onboard so you don't have to call a crew member every time

- underdress slightly to avoid overheating

- easy to remove shoes

- fully charged batteries and fully emptied bladders 🙂

[Langoustine]

Frankly, I think all overnight flights from the US to Europe are miserable (and I've done it a lot), no matter which airline you fly. Flying back is much easier, since it's usually in the daytime. And unless you are flying back to someplace like NYC, you will be stunned by the one-way fares. Try for a window seat so that you can rest next to the window; a middle seat is the worst, and in an aisle seat I can almost guarantee that someone in the other two seats will disturb you mid-flight when they have to get past you to use the restroom.

[d9704011]

12 hours ago, cruisinqt said:

We are doing a 14 day transatlantic cruise and it will be our first time ever visiting Spain. And it’s our first flight to Europe. We’ve never done such a long flight and looking at airfare has us overwhelmed. With such a long flight should we opt for nicer seats? I’m afraid to even look at the price for first class. Is there something in between? And are there certain airlines that are preferable for long haul flights like this? 

I guess you'll be flying DFW to BCN.  I suggest you check Air Canada Premium Economy; it will connect through Toronto (YYZ) and is as fast, time-wise, as anything else you'll find, comfortable, and reasonably economical (less than 1,000 USD).

Edited October 24, 2022 by d9704011

[cruisinqt]

19 hours ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

There is premium economy seats 

The flights are usually over night so you might be able to get some sleep unless it filled with small children 

check Flights by Celebrity for one way flights sometimes they have excellent pricing 

Also I would fly in at least 2 days early there is a lot to see in Barcelona 

I’ll definitely check Celebrity. Thanks

[cruisinqt]

17 hours ago, MeHeartCruising said:

The flights to Europe from the US are generally done overnight.  The return flight is usually done during the day.  Of course, I would opt for the most comfortable seats that you can afford.  If you can't go business or first class, then look for an airline that has Premium Economy seats.  American, Delta, Virgin, etc. all have these now.  They are similar to business class seats when you are on a domestic US flight.  Much better than regular economy seats.  If you can't afford better seats both ways, I would try to find better seats for the overnight leg of the trip so that you might increase your chances of sleeping some.  It's not so important to sleep on the way home, so worse seats can be tolerated.

 

We are doing a transatlantic repositioning cruise. It starts in Barcelona and ends in Florida. So we’re only looking at one long haul flight. The flight home from Florida will only be a couple hours. I’ll be looking for the premium economy seats. I didn’t even know there was such a thing. Thanks. 

[cruisinqt]

16 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

As you are doing a TransAtlantic, it may be beneficial to check air transport through your cruise line.  Trans Atlantic one ways are very expensive specially for Business or PE.

Presuming that your Trans Atlantic is for Fall 2023 I would be inclined to hold off on booking just yet unless you can get a flight with your cruise line that is cancellable and fully refundable (or pay at Final Payment date).

I didn’t even think about looking at airfare through the cruise line. I’ll check that out. 

[cruisinqt]

15 hours ago, Rysyonok said:

A few suggestions based on experience.

 

- seats towards the back of the plane, where there are only two between a window and a walkway

- a plush / soft hoodie that can become a pillow, pressed against the window / wall

- walk, walk, walk, stand up until the moment you have to board

- an extra drink brought onboard so you don't have to call a crew member every time

- underdress slightly to avoid overheating

- easy to remove shoes

- fully charged batteries and fully emptied bladders 🙂

Great advice. Thanks. 

[cruisinqt]

12 hours ago, d9704011 said:

I guess you'll be flying DFW to BCN.  I suggest you check Air Canada Premium Economy; it will connect through Toronto (YYZ) and is as fast, time-wise, as anything else you'll find, comfortable, and reasonably economical (less than 1,000 USD).

Yes we will be doing DFW to BCN. I’ll start keeping an eye on Air Canada for any sales between now and then. 

[mom4mom]

Be careful to look at stopover times, especially if in a foreign city.  You usually need to get off the plane and go thru customs which may take a while.  I usually look for layovers of 2.5 hours minimum.  Sometimes they are as little as 1 hour and connecting flights get missed.

[d9704011]

3 hours ago, cruisinqt said:

Yes we will be doing DFW to BCN. I’ll start keeping an eye on Air Canada for any sales between now and then. 

BTW, connecting in YYZ (US to International) is fast and easy.  No worries about baggage, immigration, customs or security.  See this for info...

https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/home/fly/at-the-airport/airport-information/toronto-pearson-international-airport/us-int.html#/

[ahl]

I definitely recommend booking premium economy/economy plus with its extra legroom. Airlines call this option by different names. There is an additional charge, but well worth it. 

 

A transatlantic flight will typically include one meal and a snack.

[cruisinqt]

On 10/25/2022 at 4:07 AM, mom4mom said:

Be careful to look at stopover times, especially if in a foreign city.  You usually need to get off the plane and go thru customs which may take a while.  I usually look for layovers of 2.5 hours minimum.  Sometimes they are as little as 1 hour and connecting flights get missed.

Ooh good point I’ll watch out for that. Thanks. 

[cruisinqt]

On 10/25/2022 at 5:09 AM, d9704011 said:

BTW, connecting in YYZ (US to International) is fast and easy.  No worries about baggage, immigration, customs or security.  See this for info...

https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/home/fly/at-the-airport/airport-information/toronto-pearson-international-airport/us-int.html#/

So the bags will be transferred to the connecting flight for me? Great to know. That map and instructions is exactly what I needed. Thanks. 

[lonig]

Just did a round trip for a cruise with Royal.  We made our own reservations with Delta and chose their Comfort + seats, well worth the extra charge.  There were two of us and since we made our reservations early we got the two seat configuration (2 - 5 - 2)  which was easy to get in and out for restroom and walks.  

 We stayed at the Apolo Barcelona by Milea and toured the day we got in.  We took the Hop-On Hop-Off bus which was within a short walking distance of the hotel.  We ate dinner at the Listo Restaurant near the hotel which was delicious.  The breakfast at the hotel was great.  Las Ramblas is also within a short walking distance of the hotel.  We only stayed one night but should have done two nights so we could have seen more of Barcelona.  

[cruisinqt]

2 hours ago, lonig said:

Just did a round trip for a cruise with Royal.  We made our own reservations with Delta and chose their Comfort + seats, well worth the extra charge.  There were two of us and since we made our reservations early we got the two seat configuration (2 - 5 - 2)  which was easy to get in and out for restroom and walks.  

 We stayed at the Apolo Barcelona by Milea and toured the day we got in.  We took the Hop-On Hop-Off bus which was within a short walking distance of the hotel.  We ate dinner at the Listo Restaurant near the hotel which was delicious.  The breakfast at the hotel was great.  Las Ramblas is also within a short walking distance of the hotel.  We only stayed one night but should have done two nights so we could have seen more of Barcelona.  

This is exactly the type of info I was looking for with hotel and restaurant info too, thanks. I’m definitely looking into the upgraded seats since my husband is 6’6” and will need the additional leg room. How far out did you make your reservations? We are almost a year out. I’m not sure if I should look now or wait till 6 months out. 

[marazul]

1 hour ago, cruisinqt said:

This is exactly the type of info I was looking for with hotel and restaurant info too, thanks. I’m definitely looking into the upgraded seats since my husband is 6’6” and will need the additional leg room. How far out did you make your reservations? We are almost a year out. I’m not sure if I should look now or wait till 6 months out. 

Reservations open about 11 months before the flight. I would say to book as soon as reservations open if you are planning to use points or if you need to have your choice of seats. For example,  your 6'6" DH might want to make sure he gets bulkhead seats in premium economy on a 2-seat window section.

Edited October 27, 2022 by marazul

[d9704011]

36 minutes ago, marazul said:

Reservations open about 11 months before the flight.

Yes.  Air Canada is already taking bookings for mid-October; they open their booking system 350 days in advance.

[cruisinqt]

5 hours ago, marazul said:

Reservations open about 11 months before the flight. I would say to book as soon as reservations open if you are planning to use points or if you need to have your choice of seats. For example,  your 6'6" DH might want to make sure he gets bulkhead seats in premium economy on a 2-seat window section.

Thanks. I’ll start looking right away then 

[Korimako]

Just a small caveat. We are frequent longhaul international fliers ( New Zealand to Europe)  and would never choose a bulkhead seat (my husband is also 6ft plus),  not in premium economy (or whatever it's called) nor business class. On many airlines the bulkhead seats are designated as bassinets. Long haul with a screaming baby next to us, or across the aisle is not my idea of fun!!
Check on Seatguru with whichever airline you decide to go with, for advice on choosing a seat.

Happy travels!!

Edited October 28, 2022 by Korimako
Spelling

[Korimako]

And another thing. There are non-US based airlines who fly transatlantic. One of our return flights from Europe via the US was Aer Lingus Dublin to Boston.

Also Air France, British Airways, TAP, Lufthansa to name a few.

[Rysyonok]

On 10/27/2022 at 12:33 AM, cruisinqt said:

So the bags will be transferred to the connecting flight for me? Great to know. That map and instructions is exactly what I needed. Thanks. 

If you're flying the same airline all along, yes.

 

Watch out for "hacker fares", plain speak for several separate legs booked "together". You're on your own there with lugging the bags to the next plain. Oh, and going through security and customs.