Experienced flyers? HEEEEEEEEEEELPPP! :)

[VA_Traveller Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close VA_Traveller]

I need some "flying" advice.

My wife and I are not flyers, we drive. The handful of times I have flown, most have been paid by employers, so this booking a flight thing is very very confusing

For instance, today, my wife said, check the airfare to go to Aruba, maybe we will save some $$ for the flight. Off I go to travelocity.

CHO (Charlottesville) to Aruba...18 hour flights ~$700 pp. NP. Lets check Richmond. Out of RIC, its ~$380 pp, but there is a hitch. We arrive the next day. Leave RIC aprox 5 pm, fly to Charlotte NC. From Charlotte NC, leave @ 10 PM to philly, stay overnite, leave aprox 7 AM for Aruba. Get to Aruba 1 pm the next day.

Well, being kinda sharp, I think to myself, why not just leave from Phiily, and save all that other hassle.

I move the date so I leave the next day from Philly, and that same flight, is now $700!!!..... (if anyone wants to know what went through my mind, think of Walter and Jeff Dunham..."what the heeeeeeeeeeeellll?")


so my question is, could I book the cheaper flight, and show up @ the philly airport for the last leg of the flight (I would have to drive to philly, and grab a hotel, but the hotel is a given anyway..not sleeping in an airport!)

Thanks!
Greg

[wackymother Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wackymother]

Nope. They would cancel your reservations after you missed the first leg. Try Charlotte to Philly to Aruba and see how those prices look.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

I vote No, too.

Just fly to Tampa.

[VA_Traveller Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close VA_Traveller]

Nope. They would cancel your reservations after you missed the first leg. Try Charlotte to Philly to Aruba and see how those prices look.

HA!!

so I put in charlotte to Aruba...and guess what...it takes me charlotte --> RICHMOND --> philly...


airlines are just run by idiots.

[wackymother Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wackymother]

Yes, I hate buying airline tickets too. Use Kayak to get general ideas of prices, and try playing around with dates/times of departure and return. We were able to get an affordable ticket from New York to Miami during a holiday week by taking LaGuardia over Newark and Miami over Fort Lauderdale, and by leaving late in the evening and returning early in the morning. Good luck, it's all a big annoying game!

[Larry Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Larry]

I agree go to kayak to check fares and you can play filters by Listing maximum travel times, airports, maximum connections etc. I go to Aruba a lot and first start with direct flights then if price is too highest I add 1 stop max and 7 or 8 ,hours max flying time.

[voyager1 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close voyager1]

I have also found some of the best fares by going directly to the airline website associated with the cheapest "leg". For example: skip the search engine for the flight from Philly to Aruba and see what that airlines fare is for that leg. You might also play around on Kayak with the various DC airports, I've found fare can vary dramatically between the 3 locations.

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

try using www.google.com/flights/#search;q=bing for your search

[bellesgirl Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close bellesgirl]

An oldie but goodie:
Subject: IF AIRLINES SOLD PAINT.....
\
From an airline Captain with more than three decades in the airline industry.


Customer: Hi. How much is your paint?

Clerk: Well, sir, that all depends on quite a lot of things.

Customer: Can you give me a guess? Is there an average price?

Clerk: Our lowest price is $12 a gallon, and we have 60 different prices up to $200 a gallon.

Customer: What's the difference in the paint?

Clerk: Oh, there isn't any difference; it's all the same paint.

Customer: Well, then I'd like some of that $12 paint.

Clerk: When do you intend to use the paint?

Customer: I want to paint tomorrow. It's my day off.

Clerk: Sir, the paint for tomorrow is the $200 paint.

Customer: When would I have to paint to get the $12 paint?

Clerk: You would have to start very late at night in 21 days, or about 3 weeks. But you will have to agree to start painting before Friday of that week and continue painting until at least Sunday.

Customer: You've got to be *&%^#@* kidding!

Clerk: I'll check and see if we have any paint available.

Customer: You have shelves FULL of paint! I can see it!

Clerk: But it doesn't mean that we have paint available. We sell only a certain number of gallons on any given weekend. Oh, and by the way, the price per gallon just went to $16. We don't have any more $12 paint.

Customer: The price went up as we were talking?

Clerk: Yes, sir. We change the prices and rules hundreds of times a day, and since you haven't actually walked out of the store with your paint yet, we just decided to change. I suggest you purchase your paint as soon as possible. How many gallons do you want?

Customer: Well, maybe five gallons. Make that six, so I'll have enough.

Clerk: Oh no, sir, you can't do that. If you buy paint and don't use it, there are penalties and possible confiscation of the paint you already have. If you change any colors there is a $50.00 change fee, even if it is the same brand. Also, no refunds.

Customer: WHAT?

Clerk: We can sell enough paint to do your kitchen, bathroom, hall and north bedroom, but if you stop painting before you do the bedroom, you will lose your remaining gallons of paint.

Customer: What does it matter whether I use all the paint? I already paid you for it!

Clerk: We make plans based upon the idea that all our paint is used, every drop. If you don't, it causes us all sorts of problems.

Customer: This is crazy!! I suppose something terrible happens if I don't keep painting until after Saturday night!

Clerk: Oh yes! Every gallon you bought automatically becomes the $200 paint.

Customer: But what are all these, "Paint on sale from $12 a gallon", signs?

Clerk: Well that's for our budget paint. It only comes in half-gallons. One $6 half-gallon will do half a room. The second half-gallon to complete the room is $20. None of the cans have labels, some are empty and there are no refunds, even on the empty cans.

Customer: To hell with this! I'll buy what I need somewhere else!

Clerk: I don't think so, sir. You may be able to buy paint for your bathroom and bedrooms, and your kitchen and dining room from someone else, but you won't be able to paint your connecting hall and stairway from anyone but us. And I should point out, sir, that if you paint in only one direction, it will be $300 a gallon.

Customer: I thought your most expensive paint was $200!

Clerk: That's if you paint around the room to the point at which you started. A hallway is different.

Customer: And if I buy $200 paint for the hall, but only paint in one direction, you'll confiscate the remaining paint.

Clerk: Yes, and we'll charge you an extra use fee plus the difference on your next gallon of paint. But I believe you're getting it now, sir.

Customer: You're insane!

Clerk: Thanks for painting with United!


~ Author Unknown ~

[RESORT2ME Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RESORT2ME]

Don't know when you wish, but I just tried Southwest out of Richmond to Aruba on 6 Jan, returning on 13 Jan. Choose WANNA GET AWAY pricing.

Flt 172 departs 7AM to Orlando, out at 1035, arrive 245. Going was $185. Coming $199. $765.40 total for 2 adults.

I need some "flying" advice.

My wife and I are not flyers, we drive. The handful of times I have flown, most have been paid by employers, so this booking a flight thing is very very confusing

For instance, today, my wife said, check the airfare to go to Aruba, maybe we will save some $$ for the flight. Off I go to travelocity.

CHO (Charlottesville) to Aruba...18 hour flights ~$700 pp. NP. Lets check Richmond. Out of RIC, its ~$380 pp, but there is a hitch. We arrive the next day. Leave RIC aprox 5 pm, fly to Charlotte NC. From Charlotte NC, leave @ 10 PM to philly, stay overnite, leave aprox 7 AM for Aruba. Get to Aruba 1 pm the next day.

Well, being kinda sharp, I think to myself, why not just leave from Phiily, and save all that other hassle.

I move the date so I leave the next day from Philly, and that same flight, is now $700!!!..... (if anyone wants to know what went through my mind, think of Walter and Jeff Dunham..."what the heeeeeeeeeeeellll?")


so my question is, could I book the cheaper flight, and show up @ the philly airport for the last leg of the flight (I would have to drive to philly, and grab a hotel, but the hotel is a given anyway..not sleeping in an airport!)

Thanks!
Greg

[mav Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mav]

I will NEVER understand the airlines. I booked DH and I a trip to Beirut in February for about 20 days. I got a fabulous rate with a connection thru Dubai for only $707 apiece. Other routes and connections were over double that. Heck, just to Dubai non stop is over double that from our area. We also got a wonderful hotel rate that includes free breakfast and internet. VERY reasonably priced trip, out of the cold, gloom, and overcast of winter, into a new spot for us.

[mdurette Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mdurette]

I was just checking SW for the also. OP, check out southwest air out of Richmond.

Some airlines like SW, Spirit, Jet Blue don't show up on the mega search sites like Travelocity. You need to go directly to their page.

[gandalf252002 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close gandalf252002]

One suggestion since the issue with flying out of Richmond is the overnight in the airport is arrange for a hotel in Philly. There are generally lots of hotels with free airport shuttle. When you get in, go to the hotel get a decent night sleep in a bed, and then shuttle back in the morning. You shouldn't have to re-check in or anything, just go through security but this may vary. Yes, it might add $100 or so to your overall cost, but if you are saving $300 pp you are in a winning situation. It doesn't sound like your concerned about what time you get there or leave.

I need some "flying" advice.

CHO (Charlottesville) to Aruba...18 hour flights ~$700 pp. NP. Lets check Richmond. Out of RIC, its ~$380 pp, but there is a hitch. We arrive the next day. Leave RIC aprox 5 pm, fly to Charlotte NC. From Charlotte NC, leave @ 10 PM to philly, stay overnite, leave aprox 7 AM for Aruba. Get to Aruba 1 pm the next day.

Well, being kinda sharp, I think to myself, why not just leave from Phiily, and save all that other hassle.

so my question is, could I book the cheaper flight, and show up @ the philly airport for the last leg of the flight (I would have to drive to philly, and grab a hotel, but the hotel is a given anyway..not sleeping in an airport!)

Thanks!
Greg

[Carolinian Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Carolinian]

I often watch the milage run boards at www.flyertalk.com for deals some of the regulars there find. There are also some tricks to get good pricing. I also use www.skyscanner.com but that works best for flights in Europe.

I also try the airline websites themselves, although sometimes those are not the cheapest deal. Consolidators are not as common as they used to be, but sometimes they can get much better deals. Unfortunately, it has been years since I dealt with a consolidator in the states, so I cannot suggest any. But as an example, I was looking for a flight from Europe to Dubai, and the best fare I could find online was a bit over $300 with long layovers enroute. With a local travel agent who also is a consolidator, they found a direct flight with better schedules for about the same price on a different airline, which had priced out over $500 online on the airlines website.

[FamilyTraveler Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close FamilyTraveler]

so my question is, could I book the cheaper flight, and show up @ the philly airport for the last leg of the flight (I would have to drive to philly, and grab a hotel, but the hotel is a given anyway..not sleeping in an airport!)

Definitely not. If you don't check in for the original flight, then you are marked as a no-show and your entire itinerary gets forfeited. Not just your connecting flight, but your return too. It's a crazy messed up system, but the reason that that flight is so cheap is because of the hassel of the layover. I would also caution to be careful of the airline. Do not go with any Jet Airways flights. That airline is nothing but a nightmare.