How To Book Frankfurt-Ny-Cabo/ Mexico-Nyc--Franfurt

[THAIPHUKET]

I have no experience in multi-city trips. Always go straight.

Is it worthwhile to get a multiple stop ticket or would you rather take two separate tickets?

With whom you would preferable fly to Mexico?

[craigt3365]

What are your time lines with this ticket? When will the trip start, how long in NY (and where), how long in Cabo?

Like you said, 2 separate tickets are probably the way to go...but it would be worth checking with a few agents to see what they can do also.

[THAIPHUKET]

Timing early December return before New Year.

Q; Would it make any sense to buy the ticket here instead of in Frankfurt?

Q: just heard Cabo has 2 airports,

any preferences?

Edited October 2, 2011 by THAIPHUKET

[craigt3365]

I'm assuming your stay will be in NYC? For how long?

How long in Cabo?

[IMA_FARANG]

If you travel with one of the airline "alliances"...like the Star Alliance....you can purchase a round-the-world ticket, but often that isn't much of a saving. It also has restrictions in that you only can go counter-clockwise or clockwise around the world and can't backtrack on your path. There are two options for the round the world ticket...all flights pre-booked or going standby flights. The standby flights option is less expensive than the pre-booked one.

You need to be careful about which of these several round the world alliance tickets you pick, because you are limited to traveling on airlines that are members of that alliance.

Most of these tickets must be begun within 90 days after purchase and typically must be completed within 6 months to a year after travel begins. You travel from the city of purchase around the world and return...if you have not completed your journey by the time your ticket expires, all further travel is voided.

So theoretically you could purchase one of these round-the-world tickets in Frankfurt, travel to New York, then Mexico, from there to somewhere in the Pacific...Hawaii for example...then keep going through Asia to Europe picking your stops back to Frankfurt.

This kind of ticket however is really for travelers with time to kill and who can be flexible on dates of travel.

I actually met a German girl about 1980 who won a round-the-world ticket on a television show in Germany. She and her (then) boyfriend were doing the trip. When she got to Bangkok, she ditched her boyfiend to go off on her own. She ended up getting "attached" to a German guy who was working for a BOI company here in Thailand as an advisor to a Thai company. Eventually she left with him for Germany when his job was finished.

But that's another story.

[WilliaminBKK]

You may want to look at American Airlines Vacations or United Vacations, to buy a package tour from NYC to Cabo, another one is Apple Vacations.

You may also want to compare charter to Canada-YYZ then something with itravel2000 or air transat and a side trip to NYC. From Toronto there are flights from YYZ and YTZ to EWR/LGA.

Watch out for baggage fees, some are charging for the 1st bag now.

[THAIPHUKET]

Your input is much appreciated.

1.Accommodation is taken care of. It's only about the flights.

For a itinerary going out of Frankfurt and not touching BKK could buying the ticket at a travel agency here be cheaper than in Frankfurt?

I guess it has to be through an agent, because by booking online the server would know that I am in BKK and simply convert the exchange rate. I.e I wouldn't get a local price, which may differ between FRA and BKK.

[THAIPHUKET]

The perfect search engine =

http://matrix.itasoftware.com/ not for booking, details only ,

[yermanee]

The perfect search engine =

http://matrix.itasoftware.com/ not for booking, details only ,

Sorry but I disagree.

I have always managed to find cheaper flights with travel agents, airlines websites and/or other booking engines.

The software can however give you an indication of who are the cheapest airlines for your itinerary including travel times, and for that it's useful.

Yermanee :jap:

[THAIPHUKET]

I'm in no position to contradict you. Mind you , you can't buy on this site , you still need to go to a travel agent for the ticket. You have an excellent yard stick that you can show.

Though the quote I got for FRA-SanJose Cabo/Mexico via DFW

then to New York then stop in London and back to Frankfurt

sounds unbeatable Euro 1092 on economy class for the whole trip. Business class some 3000 Euro which is mere 1000 Euro more than I pay on simple Qatar Air = BKK-FRA return.

The beauty of the software is, you can play with each and every segment of you flight, change departure times, airlines, airports (JFK or Newark) and price. To do the same with an agent with this many options is simply impossible.

Hope you can see my search and perhaps click further on to see the options.

http://matrix.itasof...fc-810c8ec62d74

I suggest you play with it. It gave me the idea of an unplanned stop in London for pennies more instead of going straight JFK - FRA.

Because I could see who is flying when, from where in NY, to where in London at what price.

Edited October 5, 2011 by THAIPHUKET

[geriatrickid]

The perfect search engine =

http://matrix.itasoftware.com/ not for booking, details only ,

No it is not. I used to think it was, but after playing with permutations, times and routings I found much better prices on Vayama simply because Vayama had a deal going with the airline at that time. I had always used Orbitz up until then, but Vayama was cheaper by $1000 for a business class ticket to North America. I also found that it was cheaper to buy my Hong Kong -Phuket direct from Thai instead of the search engines. I'm saving 5000 baht. That never used to happen before. The program doesn't cover airlines like AirAsia, Bangkok Airways Jetstar, Tiger or Nok. (BTW, TG website doesn't allow for the purchase of International tickets originating in Phuket. Very weird.)

Use the search engine to get a price indication. Then go check out Vayama, Orbitz and the airline websites. Trevelocity and Expedia almost never have the good fares for Asia. Have a look at Air Berlin to go from HKT-FRA-NYC. Sometimes they have a special deal. Book the Mexican trip seperately. AA has the most extensive latin America network, so you might want to check out the AA website as they can offer some specials.

No US airline offers direct service to Los Cabos so you will have to either transfer in ATL with DL or ORD with UA or Dallas/Houston with AA. Prepare for price shock on your US airfares.

[THAIPHUKET]

Thanks, I love to learn of options, Vayama is new to me. And I was always looking for a search engine which is Asian market driven.

However, checking Vayama against Matrix with identical dates , the result was again almost to the dime samesame 1.100 Euro ( USD 1477) for the whole stretch. AirBerlin was unbelievable USD 3700 with many Stops.

I tried another search business class roundtrip BKK -FRA , same dates

Matrix and Vayama came out with 85.000 THB.

Seems you can't go very wrong with either one.

Still, booking direct with QatarAir, which I do normally anyhow, is 4000THB cheaper at 81.000THB.

Conclusion, direct seems most economical. If it is a multi-stop trip the answer is more difficult, if at all answerable.

[yermanee]

Thanks, I love to learn of options, Vayama is new to me. And I was always looking for a search engine which is Asian market driven.

However, checking Vayama against Matrix with identical dates , the result was again almost to the dime samesame 1.100 Euro ( USD 1477) for the whole stretch. AirBerlin was unbelievable USD 3700 with many Stops.

I tried another search business class roundtrip BKK -FRA , same dates

Matrix and Vayama came out with 85.000 THB.

Seems you can't go very wrong with either one.

Still, booking direct with QatarAir, which I do normally anyhow, is 4000THB cheaper at 81.000THB.

Conclusion, direct seems most economical. If it is a multi-stop trip the answer is more difficult, if at all answerable.

I have it on (I believe) good authority that many airlines are not giving any, or drastically reduced commissions to booking agents.

This to promote their own websites and getting the money more quickly, which is logical I suppose.

Probably Qatar is one of these airlines.

Yermanee :jap:

[THAIPHUKET]

makes perfect sense what you are saying , Yermanee.

Also seeing these big ads in the BKK Post et altera about great flight deals, I often think, how can they costwise offer anything better than a direct internet booking.

I admit, I'm too lazy to check in detail.

[just_Elaine]

Is it worthwhile to get multiple stop tickets? You really need to research this. I usually use matrix to figure out what days to fly-looking for the cheaper days - by clicking the calendar of low fares. However, you must be flying business class BKK-FRA (81000 TB) to Frankfurt. Some days show lower Business Class fares than that on Gulf Air and Kuwait Airlines, but then you need to go on the airlines web site to see if you really could get that price.

To Mexico, I think I would fly United because I am a Star Alliance member. However, I haven't been to Mexico in a long, long time.

Oh, I might also check to see what offers are available for North America passes/coupons.

Edited October 17, 2011 by just_Elaine

[THAIPHUKET]

Here is the final outcome=

Showed Matrix prices to German travel agent, reaction :

I can't do it for that money.

But she was challenged, after 2 hours of phone calls PLUS clarifiction that, YES , I wanted a one night stop over in Dallas (instead of sitting at the airport for 8 hours waiting for connecting flight) she said=

this changes everything, this one hotel night makes the trip a ?? Package tour??

(not sure if this was the correct explanation)

In short the total price for the whole journey PLUS one night in a 4 star hotel including airport shuttle came out to be 100Euro cheaper than the best Matrix

price.

Conclusion= It may pay to have an overnight hotel stop, secondly, it pays to have an inquisitive agent plus have Matrix as a yardstick.

[yermanee]

Conclusion= it pays to have an inquisitive agent plus have Matrix as a yardstick.

Indeed.!!!!!!

Yermanee :jap:

[yermanee]

However, you must be flying business class BKK-FRA (81000 TB) to Frankfurt. Some days show lower Business Class fares than that on Gulf Air and Kuwait Airlines, but then you need to go on the airlines web site to see if you really could get that price.

Correct if you are governed by price only.

However if the business class experience of comfort level and service is also considered then Qatar outshines Gulf Air and Kuwait Airlines by a lot more than the proverbial country mile.

Yermanee :jap:

[THAIPHUKET]

However, you must be flying business class BKK-FRA (81000 TB) to Frankfurt. Some days show lower Business Class fares than that on Gulf Air and Kuwait Airlines, but then you need to go on the airlines web site to see if you really could get that price.

Correct if you are governed by price only.

However if the business class experience of comfort level and service is also considered then Qatar outshines Gulf Air and Kuwait Airlines by a lot more than the proverbial country mile.

Yermanee :jap:

Didn't fly Gulf or Kuwait. First couple of flights, years ago were with Brunei Air, then I discovered Etihad and the pleasure of a 180 degree bed. However , not all that good, disturbing was the narrowness at shoulder level, cabin layout sub optimal. Now I fly only Qatar, hard to come up with any suggestions for improvement!

[yermanee]

Didn't fly Gulf or Kuwait. First couple of flights, years ago were with Brunei Air, then I discovered Etihad and the pleasure of a 180 degree bed. However , not all that good, disturbing was the narrowness at shoulder level, cabin layout sub optimal. Now I fly only Qatar, hard to come up with any suggestions for improvement!

Have flown Gulf twice in 1st class. Wouldn't want to try business class especially since its always a lottery between the old a340's or the newer a330's, but now they have priced themselves out of my comfort zone. Kuwait just read skytrax. Etihad I have given up on. Qatar excellent if the price is right.

However as for comfort and service nothing beats Oman Air's business class even if they are a bit more expensive and less frequent flights.

Yermanee :jap:

Edited October 23, 2011 by yermanee