Travel agent, or magical booking site?
December 11, 2012 10:57 PM Subscribe
How to book flights for 5 people, originating in different cities, flying together sometimes?
Do we need a travel agent for this? Any advice for that? Or, is there some secret travel site where I can do this?
5 of us are planning a trip to Europe next year. We'll be flying from 3 or 4 cities in the US. 1 city is a hub (Chicago), the rest would require connecting flights--so we may have them connect through Chicago and we'll all fly together.
Flights are cheaper when booking all legs together, but I cannot figure out how to book this and be sure the plane doesn't sell out before I've clicked around and booked everybody.
Additional complications: Some of the group will be returning home on different dates. Also, we're doing one flight within Europe that is also cheaper to book at the same time as the main flight.
We're just using one credit card for payment, if that helps.
Thanks.
Do we need a travel agent for this? Any advice for that? Or, is there some secret travel site where I can do this?
5 of us are planning a trip to Europe next year. We'll be flying from 3 or 4 cities in the US. 1 city is a hub (Chicago), the rest would require connecting flights--so we may have them connect through Chicago and we'll all fly together.
Flights are cheaper when booking all legs together, but I cannot figure out how to book this and be sure the plane doesn't sell out before I've clicked around and booked everybody.
Additional complications: Some of the group will be returning home on different dates. Also, we're doing one flight within Europe that is also cheaper to book at the same time as the main flight.
We're just using one credit card for payment, if that helps.
Thanks.
I can recommend a European travel agent whom I found extremely helpful and worth the very small premium for helping put together a complicated multi modal itinerary for me. Memail me for contact details.
posted by infini at 11:49 PM on December 11, 2012
posted by infini at 11:49 PM on December 11, 2012
If you don't want to do this through a travel agent you could probably call the airline and book it over the phone. I believe the agents can hold tickets like this briefly.
posted by matildatakesovertheworld at 1:36 AM on December 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by matildatakesovertheworld at 1:36 AM on December 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
I've had this arrangement before, through my university. Four fellowship students, with the same departure date/city (Los Angeles to Europe), but different return dates/cities. A travel agent was used. The four of us ended up flying out of Los Angeles on the same flight and seated next to each other, then getting split up all over the plane in the (shared) connecting flight from Atlanta to Europe. Our return trips varied, with the greatest gap being 3 weeks between the earliest return and the latest return ... and varying between Dublin, Florence, Manchester, and Madrid.
My overall ticket price was $1400, about 3 months in advance and from the deep, no-negotiations-required pockets of my university's budget. During my stay, I randomly Kayak-ed the prices and it would have been $850, had I booked a ticket on my own. My anecdata can go either way; take what you will from it. It would have been cheaper on my own. Travelling with friends took the hell out of the long-haul flight.
posted by Xere at 3:30 AM on December 12, 2012
My overall ticket price was $1400, about 3 months in advance and from the deep, no-negotiations-required pockets of my university's budget. During my stay, I randomly Kayak-ed the prices and it would have been $850, had I booked a ticket on my own. My anecdata can go either way; take what you will from it. It would have been cheaper on my own. Travelling with friends took the hell out of the long-haul flight.
posted by Xere at 3:30 AM on December 12, 2012
Or just fly separately allowing each of you to find the cheapest ticket for your itineraries and arrange the one flight in Europe jointly. It is unlikely that routing everybody through the same hub with different return dates would in any way be the cheapest option for all of you. Just arrange to meet at your hotel or hostel at your destination when you get there. Less hassle all round.
Presumably the flight there is a return flight to your original destination? If not forget all that and use travel agent.
posted by koahiatamadl at 6:15 AM on December 12, 2012
Presumably the flight there is a return flight to your original destination? If not forget all that and use travel agent.
posted by koahiatamadl at 6:15 AM on December 12, 2012
My recommendation is to call a couple of airlines with hubs in Chicago (United, American) and explain the situation. The agent should be able to put everyone together on the flight from the hub to European Destination.
Depending on your dates, this won't be the cheapest way to do it, but it will be the most comprehensive.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 8:28 AM on December 12, 2012
Depending on your dates, this won't be the cheapest way to do it, but it will be the most comprehensive.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 8:28 AM on December 12, 2012
As long as you pay attention to any notices about the number of seats available and avoid flights that say that there are less then 5 seats available at that fare, you should be fine booking on your own. Many airlines have a 24 hour free cancellation period, so if seats run out, just cancel and start over. One quick way to add some certainty is to do a search for 5 tickets on the ORD-Europe flight. Any that come up here for cheap should be ok to book (if you can figure it out, ideally you should match the fare code). It is a bit annoying booking on your own, but I have booked flights in similar situations dozens of times with little trouble.
posted by cspurrier at 10:07 AM on December 12, 2012
posted by cspurrier at 10:07 AM on December 12, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by PorcineWithMe at 11:43 PM on December 11, 2012