International flight to Barcelona question

[cruisinqt]

We are long time cruisers but have never done an overseas cruise or an international flight. But now that we’ve retired and have the time we plan on traveling extensively. We booked a 2 week cruise going from Barcelona to Orlando for October 2023. I’m looking at flights and trying to just keep my eyes open for something good. I think I might have found a decent flight but I’m not familiar enough with fares or airlines or the different types of planes used for overseas to know if it’s a good deal. My husband is 6’6” so for a long haul flight we need something a little more spacious. Business and first class flights have been several thousand dollars so they’re not an option. We've been keeping our eyes open for premium economy seats (or something similar) and one of them caught my eye. It’s from DFW  to Barcelona with a 3 hour 20 minute layover in Madrid. The times are perfect, it’s a premium economy seat on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner with Iberia and it includes 2 free bags per person. The price is $1245.  Is this a good deal or should I wait? Is one plane or airline better than another or are all premium economy seats and service the same? 

[CruiserBruce]

Have you checked with your cruise line air program?

 

International airlines tend to be better in the upper cabins than US airlines. Hopefully some one will answer if Iberia is better than AA. I don't have any experience with them.

 

The price doesn't seem too outrageous. As I mentioned in the other thread you started...common advice here...if you are comfortable with the price, buy, and DON'T LOOK BACK. it will just drive you nuts.

[cruisinqt]

6 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

Have you checked with your cruise line air program?

 

International airlines tend to be better in the upper cabins than US airlines. Hopefully some one will answer if Iberia is better than AA. I don't have any experience with them.

 

The price doesn't seem too outrageous. As I mentioned in the other thread you started...common advice here...if you are comfortable with the price, buy, and DON'T LOOK BACK. it will just drive you nuts.

Yeah that’s good advice. Thanks. 

[dabear]

I'm 6'2" so I also prefer extra legroom & nonstop flights if available (less stress, baggage risks, connection times & quicker). We're also going to Barcelona this spring & your price for premium economy is reasonable. We've also flown Iberia & it's fine. In general, imho many foreign airlines are better than the US ones

[cruisinqt]

2 hours ago, dabear said:

I'm 6'2" so I also prefer extra legroom & nonstop flights if available (less stress, baggage risks, connection times & quicker). We're also going to Barcelona this spring & your price for premium economy is reasonable. We've also flown Iberia & it's fine. In general, imho many foreign airlines are better than the US ones

I’ve been looking at AA, United, and Delta which all have nonstops from the US but they’re pricey and the planes are smaller. I researched Delta’s comfort plus and it’s not even comparable to a premium economy seat on one of the foreign airlines. I’m thinking I’ll probably go with one of the foreign airlines that have bigger planes with comfier seats and more leg room. Thanks for letting me know the price was reasonable. I thought it was but I wasn’t sure. 

[CruiserBruce]

The size of the plane doesn't matter much for these long haul flights.  The planes commonly used are 767, 777, 787, A330 and 350. It's the layout and how they use the space. For example, the seating in the front of a 777 can be 2-4-2! More commonly for international operations its now  2-2-2 or 1-2-1, which is the most desired. You may even see 1-1-1 in some planes.

 

The back of the plane is 3-3-3 or 3-4-3. So layout and use of the space is pretty important. 

 

If you really want to get picky about plane interior features, the better pressurization of the 787 models will make your flight and it's after effects far more enjoyable. Not sure if any of the Airbus models have this feature or not.

[cruisemom42]

3 hours ago, cruisinqt said:

I’ve been looking at AA, United, and Delta which all have nonstops from the US but they’re pricey and the planes are smaller. I researched Delta’s comfort plus and it’s not even comparable to a premium economy seat on one of the foreign airlines. I’m thinking I’ll probably go with one of the foreign airlines that have bigger planes with comfier seats and more leg room. Thanks for letting me know the price was reasonable. I thought it was but I wasn’t sure. 

 

Delta has Premium Select which is equivalent to a true premium economy (or better) for overseas flights. Not to be confused with Comfort Plus.  Their Comfort Plus category really only offers a few extra inches of legroom -- maybe worth upgrading on a mid-range flight but doesn't really provide much more in the way of comfort or amenities.

[cruisinqt]

28 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Delta has Premium Select which is equivalent to a true premium economy (or better) for overseas flights. Not to be confused with Comfort Plus.  Their Comfort Plus category really only offers a few extra inches of legroom -- maybe worth upgrading on a mid-range flight but doesn't really provide much more in the way of comfort or amenities.

The Premium Select seats on Delta are already sold out for our dates. If they were available I’d definitely get them if the price was reasonable. All they have available is Comfort Plus which I don’t think is worth the extra money for what you get. 

[cruisinqt]

37 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

The size of the plane doesn't matter much for these long haul flights.  The planes commonly used are 767, 777, 787, A330 and 350. It's the layout and how they use the space. For example, the seating in the front of a 777 can be 2-4-2! More commonly for international operations its now  2-2-2 or 1-2-1, which is the most desired. You may even see 1-1-1 in some planes.

 

The back of the plane is 3-3-3 or 3-4-3. So layout and use of the space is pretty important. 

 

If you really want to get picky about plane interior features, the better pressurization of the 787 models will make your flight and it's after effects far more enjoyable. Not sure if any of the Airbus models have this feature or not.

Unfortunately I’m not looking for First or Business class seats. I’d love those seats but the price is just too high considering we are already paying for a 2 week cruise along with several days vacationing pre cruise in Barcelona. I think Premium Economy is more in line with our budget. The Finnair flight we are looking at has a 2-4-2 configuration for the Premium Economy seats we are thinking about. It’s aboard a 787 Dreamliner. I know some have a 3-3-3 or 3-4-3 configuration so I’m thinking maybe the 2-4-2 configuration may have a little more room. This is all new to me and I’m still learning so thanks for the info it really helps. I’m keeping notes on everything so I won’t have as many questions about future transatlantic flights. Now that we are retired we plan on traveling extensively. 

[em-sk]

38 minutes ago, cruisinqt said:

Unfortunately I’m not looking for First or Business class seats. I’d love those seats but the price is just too high considering we are already paying for a 2 week cruise along with several days vacationing pre cruise in Barcelona. I think Premium Economy is more in line with our budget. The Finnair flight we are looking at has a 2-4-2 configuration for the Premium Economy seats we are thinking about. It’s aboard a 787 Dreamliner. I know some have a 3-3-3 or 3-4-3 configuration so I’m thinking maybe the 2-4-2 configuration may have a little more room. This is all new to me and I’m still learning so thanks for the info it really helps. I’m keeping notes on everything so I won’t have as many questions about future transatlantic flights. Now that we are retired we plan on traveling extensively. 

 

Finnair is a good airline.   They are part of the Oneworld alliance, so you can credit any miles you own to their loyalty program or another member.  The two oneworld partners airlines in the US are Alaska and American.

 

[cruisinqt]

15 hours ago, em-sk said:

 

Finnair is a good airline.   They are part of the Oneworld alliance, so you can credit any miles you own to their loyalty program or another member.  The two oneworld partners airlines in the US are Alaska and American.

 

Oh that’s good to know. I have an Alaskan cruise booked in May and have the airfare booked through Alaska Air. 

[waterbug123]

On 12/12/2022 at 12:11 AM, cruisinqt said:

The Premium Select seats on Delta are already sold out for our dates. If they were available I’d definitely get them if the price was reasonable. All they have available is Comfort Plus which I don’t think is worth the extra money for what you get. 

What are your travel dates?

[cruisinqt]

6 minutes ago, waterbug123 said:

What are your travel dates?

Our cruise leaves Barcelona on 10/23/23 and arrives in Orlando on 11/6/23. We are not set on exact dates but we’re looking at arriving several days before the cruise to do a little sightseeing. I’ve been mostly looking at leaving on 10/19/23 which has me arriving on 10/20/23 which gives us 3 days to enjoy the sights before our cruise. 

[waterbug123]

19 hours ago, cruisinqt said:

Our cruise leaves Barcelona on 10/23/23 and arrives in Orlando on 11/6/23. We are not set on exact dates but we’re looking at arriving several days before the cruise to do a little sightseeing. I’ve been mostly looking at leaving on 10/19/23 which has me arriving on 10/20/23 which gives us 3 days to enjoy the sights before our cruise. 

I was asking because you said Premium Economy was sold out on your travel dates on Delta, but I am seeing it as available on codeshare flights sold by Delta but operated by Air France, connecting in Paris. The Delta operated flight from JFK-BCN isn't sold out in PE per se; rather, it is on a plane that doesn't even offer PE.  They do have Comfort+ which offers extra legroom, and it's in a 2-3-2 configuration which is nice, because neither of you has to climb over a stranger to get out to use the lav.

[cruisinqt]

1 hour ago, waterbug123 said:

I was asking because you said Premium Economy was sold out on your travel dates on Delta, but I am seeing it as available on codeshare flights sold by Delta but operated by Air France, connecting in Paris. The Delta operated flight from JFK-BCN isn't sold out in PE per se; rather, it is on a plane that doesn't even offer PE.  They do have Comfort+ which offers extra legroom, and it's in a 2-3-2 configuration which is nice, because neither of you has to climb over a stranger to get out to use the lav.

What I meant was that I couldn’t book a nonstop from the US (which is usually out of MIA or JFK) to Barcelona in a Premium Economy seat which was my first choice. And yes I was going to individual websites to try and book those flights. On Kayak I saw some connecting flights that weren’t nonstop with Premium Economy that I’m considering. I did see the Comfort + on Delta but wasn’t sure it was worth all the extra money for a few inches of legroom. The seat isn’t any wider and it doesn’t recline anymore than normal seats either. I’m thinking the Premium Economy seats that are wider and recline up to 7-9 inches instead of the standard 3 would be worth the extra money. But I wasn’t aware of the 2-3-2 configuration on the Comfort+. That is definitely a selling point for me since it’s just the 2 of us and we wouldn’t have anybody else sitting with us. There’s so many choices it’s exhausting. Thanks for the info it helps a lot. 

[Post Captain]

5 hours ago, cruisinqt said:

I did see the Comfort + on Delta but wasn’t sure it was worth all the extra money for a few inches of legroom. The seat isn’t any wider and it doesn’t recline anymore than normal seats either. I’m thinking the Premium Economy seats that are wider and recline up to 7-9 inches instead of the standard 3 would be worth the extra money. But I wasn’t aware of the 2-3-2 configuration on the Comfort+. That is definitely a selling point for me since it’s just the 2 of us and we wouldn’t have anybody else sitting with us. 

 

My wife and I have flown in Delta Comfort+ seats on a number of transatlantic flights, albeit on the A330 (which has a 2-4-2 configuration but otherwise has a similar cabin to the 767).  We've found that the tw0-seat pairing gives you and your companion a little sense of privacy, in that neither of you will have a stranger sitting right next to you.  It's almost like being in your own little world.

 

Even though Delta's Comfort+ seat is identical to their regular Economy seat, and the Comfort+ perks (such as they are) aren't a significant upgrade from Economy, I find that the few inches of extra legroom makes a noticeable difference to my overall comfort during the flight.  But that's just my experience; YMMV.  (I'm about 6' 2½".)

Edited December 16, 2022 by Post Captain

[cruisinqt]

4 hours ago, Post Captain said:

 

My wife and I have flown in Delta Comfort+ seats on a number of transatlantic flights, albeit on the A330 (which has a 2-4-2 configuration but otherwise has a similar cabin to the 767).  We've found that the tw0-seat pairing gives you and your companion a little sense of privacy, in that neither of you will have a stranger sitting right next to you.  It's almost like being in your own little world.

 

Even though Delta's Comfort+ seat is identical to their regular Economy seat, and the Comfort+ perks (such as they are) aren't a significant upgrade from Economy, I find that the few inches of extra legroom makes a noticeable difference to my overall comfort during the flight.  But that's just my experience; YMMV.  (I'm about 6' 2½".)

It’s nice to hear an honest review of them. That helps a lot, thanks. 

[zdcatc12]

On 12/12/2022 at 12:22 AM, cruisinqt said:

I think Premium Economy is more in line with our budget. The Finnair flight we are looking at has a 2-4-2 configuration for the Premium Economy seats we are thinking about. It’s aboard a 787 Dreamliner. I know some have a 3-3-3 or 3-4-3 configuration so I’m thinking maybe the 2-4-2 configuration may have a little more room. 

There is no Premium Economy on any airline that I am aware of that has 3-3-3 or 3-4-3. Those are strictly Economy or Economy with extra legroom.

[Hezu]

On 12/12/2022 at 7:22 AM, cruisinqt said:

Unfortunately I’m not looking for First or Business class seats. I’d love those seats but the price is just too high considering we are already paying for a 2 week cruise along with several days vacationing pre cruise in Barcelona. I think Premium Economy is more in line with our budget. The Finnair flight we are looking at has a 2-4-2 configuration for the Premium Economy seats we are thinking about. It’s aboard a 787 Dreamliner. I know some have a 3-3-3 or 3-4-3 configuration so I’m thinking maybe the 2-4-2 configuration may have a little more room. This is all new to me and I’m still learning so thanks for the info it really helps. I’m keeping notes on everything so I won’t have as many questions about future transatlantic flights. Now that we are retired we plan on traveling extensively. 

Finnair does not operate 787s since its entire fleet is from Airbus (or there is also Embraers and ATR-72s with Finnair livery on shorthaul routes, although technically these are operated by NoRRA subsidiary), so either you are looking at a codeshare flight (presumably on either American Airways or British Airways) or you are looking at Finnair flight that in reality will be on A330 or A350.

[cruisinqt]

3 hours ago, Hezu said:

Finnair does not operate 787s since its entire fleet is from Airbus (or there is also Embraers and ATR-72s with Finnair livery on shorthaul routes, although technically these are operated by NoRRA subsidiary), so either you are looking at a codeshare flight (presumably on either American Airways or British Airways) or you are looking at Finnair flight that in reality will be on A330 or A350.

It’s a codeshare flight through AA. I travel a lot around the US, the Caribbean, and nearby countries but I’m very new to long haul international flights. In the beginning I no idea what code sharing was until it was explained to me. I’ve learned a lot though thanks to Cruisecritic. You guys are awesome. Thanks for all the help and info. It will come in handy now that I’ve retired because we plan to travel out of the country quite frequently. 

[waterbug123]

On 12/15/2022 at 1:08 PM, cruisinqt said:

What I meant was that I couldn’t book a nonstop from the US (which is usually out of MIA or JFK) to Barcelona in a Premium Economy seat which was my first choice. And yes I was going to individual websites to try and book those flights. On Kayak I saw some connecting flights that weren’t nonstop with Premium Economy that I’m considering. I did see the Comfort + on Delta but wasn’t sure it was worth all the extra money for a few inches of legroom. The seat isn’t any wider and it doesn’t recline anymore than normal seats either. I’m thinking the Premium Economy seats that are wider and recline up to 7-9 inches instead of the standard 3 would be worth the extra money. But I wasn’t aware of the 2-3-2 configuration on the Comfort+. That is definitely a selling point for me since it’s just the 2 of us and we wouldn’t have anybody else sitting with us. There’s so many choices it’s exhausting. Thanks for the info it helps a lot. 

 Sure, happy to help.  I'm also seeing Premium Economy nonstop US-BCN on United out of Newark, or AA out of Chicago (I was actually looking at British Air but the flight was operated by AA.  Didn't do an exhaustive search, but there are options.

[6rugrats]

The reality is, you will spend hours comparing planes/airlines/routings, and if you book so far in advance, odds are there will be equipment swaps and schedule changes.

[cruisinqt]

4 hours ago, waterbug123 said:

 Sure, happy to help.  I'm also seeing Premium Economy nonstop US-BCN on United out of Newark, or AA out of Chicago (I was actually looking at British Air but the flight was operated by AA.  Didn't do an exhaustive search, but there are options.

Thanks I’ll check those out 

[cruisinqt]

3 hours ago, 6rugrats said:

The reality is, you will spend hours comparing planes/airlines/routings, and if you book so far in advance, odds are there will be equipment swaps and schedule changes.

Yeah that’s definitely a possibility I’ll have to consider.