Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with flights

Travel/Proposal trifecta in play

2legit2quit — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 19:22:13 -0800

Triple whammy travel/proposal question. For those of you following my previous questions, I am almost home. I now have the diamond and the ring. I also have the flight to Europe. My questions now are: 1) How do I get from Frankfurt to Paris cheaply during the second week of January? 2) Where in Paris should I propose considering the cold January weather? 3) She knows nothing about the trip. How/when do I tell her about it? 1) As to the travel, we are flying into Frankfurt on January 5th and flying out on the 6th. I have a hotel in Frankfurt for the night of the fifth, but don't have to use it. We have a hotel in Paris for the rest of the trip. Searching skyscanner and related sites yields flights of around $350. Using raileurope, train trips are $300. There has to be a cheaper way to get there and back. And, ryanair does not allow me to select Frankfurt and Paris as connectors.

2) Past threads have been very helpful, but I want to ask specifically with a consideration of cold weather. Weather underground says to expect cold in the 40s.

3) I feel that anticipation of a trip is almost as much fun as actually going, so I don't want to just spring it on her last minute. We are not very well off and I have been saving for several months for this trip and it will be a very big deal to her. I am toying with the idea of giving her the tickets to Frankfurt for Christmas and then telling her that we aren't really staying in Frankfurt a little bit later and then nonchalantly mentioning that we are actually ending up in Paris over New Years. I would like to hear your general thoughts on this and how I can romantically play this out for maximum fun for me the information giver, and her the information receiver.

Home (not broke) for Xmas.

nicoleincanada — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 04:20:45 -0800

Please help me get from Europe to Canada for the Xmas holidays without having to live out of a cardboard box. This is my first time living abroad, and I've rather naively discovered that holy crap, airfare to North America is super expensive from mid-December to early January. I've managed to get a bit of wiggle room on my travel dates from my employers (I work at a school and the holidays are pre-scheduled), but the reasonable/cheap airfare is still a day or two out of reach and I don't want to push my luck much further.

This isn't a make or break thing - I've promised the family I'll go home either way - but if there's a way to get from Paris to Winnipeg without spending $1800 Cdn after tax, I'd be appreciative. Especially considering $1800 is the price I managed by wiggling the dates.

Is finding reasonable airfare at peak travel time in December a total pipe dream? Am I just booking too late, or too early? Are there any genuinely useful sites for this sort of thing? I've tried both Expedia and Travelocity and find them pretty useless when the destination isn't a major hub - they seem to miss a lot of cheap fares I can find by checking airlines myself.

My holidays are from Dec. 19 to Jan. 3 (like the rest of the Xmas-celebrating world). Employers are willing to let me leave the Wednesday before and return the Wednesday after, which is how I managed the price above. I'd like to be home for Xmas day but I'd be willing to leave pre-NY if that generally makes a difference. I'm also willing to fly to other European centres or take the train to get a better price.

FYI, I've checked other threads on this site and, oddly, can't find a similar question, but my AskMF skills might be lacking. So if you find the same question previously, by all means share.

Thanks much in advance.

Cheap Air Travel

sepsis — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 18:11:47 -0800

How do I get to London, England on the cheap? I live in Boston and I want to visit England in January. I already have a place to stay, I'm just curious about flight prices. I've searched kayak.com, travelocity, expedia, orbitz, and cheapflights.com and the cheapest flights seem to be in the $700ish area. While this price point isn't a deal breaker, I'm curious to know if there are any flight secrets out there that I'm not aware of to get that price point down closer to $500 (or even less). So hive-mind, do you have any suggestions, tips, or tricks? Thanks for the help!

Argentina Flights

nyu2 — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 06:03:50 -0800

Is there any way around the foreigner-pricing for internal flights within Argentina? I'm trying to fly from Buenos Aires to El Calafate and found that airfare is almost 40% higher if you are not from Argentina. Is there a way to book a flight for the local price - or this price difference included in the taxes and fees?

Has anyone had experience booking w/ a travel agent in Argentina and getting a local fare without hassle once you arrived at the airport?

3 Questions about Travelling to Mexico

Anonymous — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 04:59:20 -0800

I am traveling to Mexico with my significant other (who is from Mexico), and I have three questions about our trip! Whats a good website to book flights, where shouldn't I miss seeing and can I buy an engagement ring cheaper there than in Australia? So I am lucky enough to have an awesome girlfriend, who is from Monterrey in Mexico. We are going together from the 5th of Dec to the 5th of Jan. We already have a bit of a plan worked out:

Monterrey
Zacetecas
Guadalajara
San Miguel de Allende
Mexico City (with day trips to Pachucha de Soto and Taxco)
Then back to Monterrey for Xmas

After that we have a few days and I'm not sure where to go, I was thinking we could fly to Oaxaca or somewhere else, but not sure where. Any recommendations? Neither of us is into hanging out at the beach, adventure holidaying (bungee jumping etc), or partying like crazy animals (so no Tijuana). I'm definitely into the history and any naturally beautiful parts of the world.

Also any recommendations for a website for checking flight prices? Spanish or English is fine!

Lastly... and the reason this is anonymous... I'd like to propose to my girlfriend while there. I was going to buy a ring here (Australia) but thought better of it, thinking perhaps the quality will be better, or the prices lower in Mexico? Am I insane for thinking this, and given my limited abilities in Spanish and blonde hair and blue eyes, will I be able to get good quality and a good price?

Muchas gracias por todo!

Ordering a return ticket Melbourne to Los Angeles with V Australia; can I travel to LA and cancel the return flight for a refund?

Eastgate — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 06:31:51 -0800

I'm going to be flying one way from Melbourne, Australia to Los Angeles with V Australia. It's cheaper to book a return ticket than a one way ticket. Can I cancel the return flight and get a refund? I'm looking at going via Premium Economy with V Australia and getting a "Premium Deal" ticket from Melbourne to Los Angeles (approx. $923) and selecting a "Premium Flexi" ticket for the return journey (approx. $2500). After arriving in LA, I would want to cancel the return ticket. Is it possible to do this and get a full refund of the $2500 for the return ticket? Has anyone had experience doing this kind of thing before?

Going with a return ticket option was much cheaper than going with one way. I had considered selecting a "Premium Deal" ticket for the return, but I read that there was a $550 cancellation fee, which is why I'm asking about the "Premium Flexi" instead.

Flights and hotels for two

girlmightlive — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 18:52:44 -0800

It's easy to search for flights and hotels for one destination, but I need to search for flights and hotels for two. I actually did find a site that let me search this way, but of course I can't remember what it was. Any ideas? Thank you.

Suggestions for traveling cheaply, and (mostly) comfortably within Asia?

dubitable — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 16:50:18 -0800

Suggestions for traveling cheaply, and (mostly) comfortably *within* Asia? Hi folks, we are planning a trip to Asia this summer, between end of June and beginning of July. We will be hitting three countries: Singapore, Thailand, and Japan, in that order. We will be going to Chiang Mai in Thailand. Our master plan was to buy tickets from Boston to Singapore and then, at the end, out of Narita back to Boston, and assume we could figure out how to get around cheaply from Singapore to Thailand and then Thailand to Japan. At least, we'd heard of other people doing this and it seemed reasonable, but...is this really feasible and economical? Has anyone done this? Which are the best Asia-regional airlines to get around? For recommending airlines, know that we'd rather pay a bit more (but not a lot more) and get some more service, comfort and security than go with the bottom of the bucket sort of airline (a la no Ryanair analogs, thank you very much...).

The cheapest distance between two points

Pater Aletheias — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 06:21:02 -0800

Let's say that traveler X would like to fly from city A to city B on American Airlines. The cost to fly from A to B is $500. X notices that a flight from A to C costs $300, and includes a layover in B. What, if any, are the negative consequences to X if he purchases the A to C itinerary, carries his bags on the flight, and leaves the airport after arriving at B, never to complete the B - C leg? For purposes of this question, please set aside abstract moral consequences, such as "eternity in hell" or "a permanent dark spot in the soul" and focus on more tangible, earthly problems.

Dropping like birds.

Evstar — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 07:36:15 -0800

Given the current economic state in Iceland and of the air travel industry in general, how risky is it to be buying cheap tickets on Icelandair a couple months in advance? To get to Canada to start a new job there I need to fly from France to Toronto around April 23-30th, preferably for less than 3500eur.. Flying with multiple carriers is going to be impractical. Do I run a large risk if I choose Icelandair? I was lucky enough before fly the very last flight with Zoom before they tanked, and I don't want to find myself at the other end of that divide this time around.

Thanks!

Can I travel extremely last minute for cheap?

Scientifik — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 11:46:42 -0800

What if I don't care where I want to go? Is it possible if you were extremely flexible to travel to random places for very cheap. Say you just show up at the airport, walk up to the ticket counter and say "I don't really care where I'm going, do you have any flights that are departing in 30 minutes that have an empty seat you can give me for dirt cheap?" Also I'm guessing people at the gate have some flexibility in terms of what they can charge you for the fare. If a flight is 1/2 full at least they would get something than nothing right?

While speculating is fun I'd like to know for sure

Mutant — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 08:06:44 -0800

Mrs Mutant & I live in London. We see lots of planes flying overhead. We wonder where they are coming from and where they are going and how to find out. I'm a farm boy and pretty much always orient myself by compass; I know where Heathrow, Gatwick and City Island (our local) airports are relative to our home in London's East End, and I can tell when planes are coming from or going to those airports. We currently use City to get to Amsterdam every month and that airport only flies two engine prop Fokker 50's, so that's easy. And there were years when I was flying about 100K miles (or more) annually for banking, so I know the approach and descent routes for the other airports in the metropolitan area.

But we're not interested in planes that are landing or taking off, we'd really like to know about the aircraft that are flying at 30K feet or more; small silvery specks, perhaps leaving contrails. While its fascinating to look up and speculate where these planes are coming from and where they're going (and who is on board and of course what they are doing), I'd like to know for sure.

I suspect some originate at Continental airports (e.g., Schiphol, Frankfurt am Main, de Gaulle, Paris-Orly, etc) and perhaps pass over London on their way to North American destinations, but how is there any way we can tell? Also, some must be long haul flights originating at points east of London (e.g., Stockholm-Arlanda, Istanbul Atatürk, Cairo etc) and are just passing over as well, but is there any way to tell for certain?

Even knowing what flight paths take aircraft over the London metropolitan region would be helpful.

We thank you for your patronage.

2bucksplus — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 08:24:07 -0800

Do consumer loyalty programs make sense or is it generally better to pick hotels and flights based on price and convenience? My boss and I travel together on business about 12-15 times per year and all but one or two trips per year are domestic.

My boss is tied to one airline (American Airlines, ugh) and has 2-3 preferred hotel chains that he will go out of his way to patronize, often at a price premium. I prefer to travel on whichever airline is most direct and best for our schedule at a lower price and generally stay in the hotel most convenient to our event.

Is there any general consensus as to whether reward programs ultimately pay off versus lower priced and more convenient schedules? Should we factor in the time spent on a layover when a competing airline offers a direct flight or cab fares to get us across town? Did reward programs make sense at one time and have they worsened over the past 10-15 years? Has anyone ever done the math or should I keep a running tab of the cost and time differential?

I should also mention that I am mid-twenties while my boss is in his fifties and I believe there is a generational difference at play here. Yes he is my boss and also the owner of the company so this question is ultimately academic. Neither of us use our points for "personal" travel (I would but I fly JetBlue personally). To my knowledge, we have never accumulated enough hotel points to get anything free and we only use our frequent flyer miles to upgrade our flights to first class.

Get where from here?

Framer — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 11:16:17 -0800

Is there a simple way to find out where I can fly to (nonstop) from a given airport? If I don't care what airline, what day, what time, etc., -- just what airports connect with another without having to stop.

Can I fly internationally with a lead acid battery in my carry-on?

mateuslee — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 08:06:49 -0800

In just a couple weeks I will fly to a remote area of Peru from Europe via the US. I'll be bringing some research equipment which including a mobile solar unit. That solar unit is powered by a lead acid battery like this one. Technically, this is an okay thing to bring on carry-on because it is dry-cell (i.e. not like a car battery), and as far as I know it conforms to TSA standards.

However, it is expensive and I know that the TSA aren't exactly known for their willingness to cooperate or their friendliness. This battery is pretty expensive and it would be a shame to lose it.

I wonder, is there some sort of documentation I can bring to show the TSA and other authorities which will demonstrate that I have a legal right to fly with this device and that it is not dangerous or threatening...

If not, and perhaps more importantly, is it safe to put this battery in my normal (non-carry-on) luggage? I don't know about the safety issues involved...

Thanks guys! You're the best.

London-Mumbai

Anonymous — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 17:14:56 -0800

Cheap flights London-Mumbai (Bombay)? So I'd like to fly to Mumbai around the 18th of August and return around the 1st of September.
I'm in England: where should I fly from, who's the cheapest?
O hive mind help me.
Anony cos this is a surprise for the bf!

Get me to Chapel Hill from NYC!

greta simone — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:33:52 -0800

How to get to Chapel Hill from NYC? Hey y'all. So I'm riding up to NYC from Chapel Hill, NC around the first of August, with a friend who is moving there. I was hoping to hang around for a few days and see friends, but I'm struggling with the best way to get back. I have always flown round-trip when visiting NY, when airline prices were more reasonable. Presently, I have very little money, so I'm trying to come up with the most economical way to take a one-way trip back to CH from NYC. I have looked at one way flights and Amtrak. While those options aren't super-expensive, I am looking for alternative ideas that I might not have considered.
A few things:
Please do not suggest taking a bus. I have my reasons for not wanting to take a bus.
As long as I can get to the general Chapel Hill area (Greensboro to Raleigh), I could have someone pick me up at the end.

Mostly, I'm just looking for secrets that others may have discovered when making this trek. Is there a website to find a good rideshare? I have looked at craigslist already, but haven't found much, and I'm not sure I would trust anyone from craigslist. Is there a place to find discounted Amtrak deals? Do you or any of your friends want to drive me?

I'm just trying to save a couple of bucks.
Thanks!

Sri Lankan Airlines

cillit bang — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 05:01:26 -0800

I'm looking at flights London-Tokyo and Sri Lankan are coming up far far cheaper than anyone else. Should I be concerned about flying with them? The obvious concern is Tamil Tiger related terrorism. I realise the chances of being personally injured are minimal, but should I be concerned about disruption (I'll be changing planes in Sri Lanka), or of the country collapsing into civil war between now and September? I know nothing about the situation beyond what's on Wikipedia.

Secondly, does anyone have any experience with Sri Lankan? Are they reliable and basically competent as an airline, or am I likely to be messed around

Finally, one of the flight options allows me to leave a day earlier and spend a night in Colombo or wherever (ca. 30 hours between flights). Good idea/bad idea?

(btw, the price difference is enough to determine whether I can afford to go or not. I'm not just looking to save a few quid)

Thanks!

Cheapest Flight to Anywhere

nivekraz — Tue, 27 May 2008 11:27:40 -0800

Cheapest Flight to Anywhere: I have a large flight credit on Continental Airlines that I need to use with in the next few months. I'd like to find the cheapest ticket for a same day departure/return so that I can get the remaining balance refunded. Is there somewhere I can find all Continental flights originating from Newark, NJ (EWR) over the next few months? Kayak.com is great but I have to know the destination to get the prices.

Cheap .au to .uk flights with stop off in .id?

singingfish — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 03:21:57 -0800

Best way to get reasonably priced flights from Sydney to Scotland and back with a stop off in Bali on the way back? My family (me, wife, 2 children both over 2 and under 12) need to go to Scotland to visit family, preferably stopping off in Bali on the way home to visit friends and old haunts. The dates are between mid-August and September this year. I'm going to try to get my employer to pay for my flight (but not the others), due to some work related stuff going on. Online travel agents overwhelm me, so can anyone suggest the best way to get a reasonably cheap deal?

How can I search for cheap, last minute flights out of a particular city, but with no particular destination in mind?

decoherence — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:01:27 -0800

I often find myself with an open weekend and an urge to fly to no place in particular, just to go exploring. Whether it's Sioux City, Billings, or Biloxi, I figure I can entertain myself anywhere for a weekend. Are there websites that allow you to search for cheap, last minute flights from a given origin, irrespective of destination? Most sites require you to enter a destination, which makes the whole process a lot more difficult.

Finding all possible flight destinations?

inflatablekiwi — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 16:30:18 -0800

Is there a travel site that will let me see all possible destinations from a given airport for a specific date (and let me filter by direct flights only, flight length, departure time, price, etc)? I'm looking for a travel site that lets me find out what destinations I can get to from an airport on a given date, and given other criteria like length of flight, number of stops, price, etc. Mainly looking for a site that works for North America (but all the better if it worked beyond that as well).

For example, if I know am going to be working in Seattle for the next few weeks, I may want to know all the weird and wonderful places I could possibly fly out to on a given Friday night for a weekend adventure that are less than 3 hours flying time.

The "Buzz" feature on Kayak and the "Activity" feature on Mobissimo are close-ish to what I want (but both appear to show you what other people have found around the dates - not what actual flights are available). Other travel aggregation sites seem to have similar "hot deals" type interfaces, but nothing I can see that matches what I'm after.

This comment suggests that what I want has existed previously, but the linked site (fareprice.net) appears to no longer operate and is now just an advertising-spam site.

Can I get a cheap flight by purchasing a ticket connecting in my actual destination?

newatom — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 15:28:52 -0800

Flying from Edmonton to Toronto: $285 on flight AC172. Flying Edmonton to Newark via Toronto(AC172): $258. I only have carry-on luggage. Is there any reason why I can't buy the ticket to Newark and just get off in Toronto? In addition, the flight from Edmonton->Toronto->Newark is a Tango Plus flight, which is a class ABOVE the $258 Edmonton->Toronto flight. If I wanted to fly Tango Plus from Edmonton->Toronto, it would cost me $332.

Much historical value to an old Guam WW2 Navy flight logbook?

Quarter Pincher — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 06:59:00 -0800

My grandfather recently showed us an old handwritten flight logbook from when he served in Guam in WW2 with the Navy. Would scanning this serve any interest to someone? Might it be considered classified info? It's a frailish, brown, pencil-written log books of flights, I presume in and out of Guam, in the WW2 time period. I thought scanning it might preserve the records made in it (no matter how scribbly).. is there someone who might benefit from its information?

International excess baggage-->Cash?

anonymoose — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 03:20:08 -0800

Is there any way to make some money with my excess baggage allowance on my routine international flights? I fly LAX-VIE and back about 4 times a year. I have ~100-150 lbs baggage allowance each way. Is there any way to turn that into cash? (Particularly the VIE-LAX leg, since I really don't take home much stuff)