Cheap airline flights ?

[Moondance]

Looking for cheap airline flights fro Detroit to Lisbon or Barcelona or Madrid.
Any advice on where to go for legitimate help would be appreciated .
I love booking.com what else should I check?
My friend got burned by ASAP
Thenk You
moondance

 

[Bradypus]

My favourite flight website/app is Kayak. You can opt to include other local airports in your search and up to 3 days either side of your chosen search date. Once you have identified a flight that suits you you can either buy through the app or go to the airline's own website and book direct (my own preference).

 

[dbier]

Before you go cheap (I use Kayak, but YMMV), think through a few things:

1. Do you want to check a bag, or pay for a carry on? The cheaper the airline, the more likely you will have to pay big bucks for both/either. It can often negate most of the money you "saved"

2. How do you feel about third party reservations (you book through one airline, but it's flown by another)? I can tell you from bitter experience that if your third-party airline gets cancelled, you tend to be out of luck on rebooking, unless you pay for a fully refundable ticket.

3. Do you have a current passport? You need one with at least 6 months of margin past your return date. The airline *will* cancel your booking if that's not the case.

Now, I fly from the East Coast , and I love Tap Portugal through Lisbon to Madrid. But, again, YMMV.

 

[Antnix1]

My favourite flight website/app is Kayak. You can opt to include other local airports in your search and up to 3 days either side of your chosen search date. Once you have identified a flight that suits you you can either buy through the app or go to the airline's own website and book direct (my own preference).

A lot of people criticise kayak for using unreputable online travel agents that have hidden charges and poor service -eg they'll charge high baggage costs over and above the airline's charges, or charge for baggage that was included when you made the booking.. at least, they're the allegations. I usually try to book directly with an airline and i use Google flights or Skyscanner. You can use aggregators to identify good deals and then see how much extra it costs to book direct with the airline.

Be careful about booking flghts with connections. Make sure the connection is protected (if your first flight is delayed, the airline arranges for you to catch another flight for no extra cost). Also be careful about very high hand luggage and checked baggage costs especially with online travel agents and low cost airlines-especially when you have multiple connections as it can be more cost effective to book a flight with luggage included.

 

[Bradypus]

A lot of people criticise kayak for using unreputable online travel agents that have hidden charges and poor service

That's why I said that my preference is to use Kayak to search for flight options and then go directly to the airline's website to make the booking. It often suggests routes and airlines which I had not previously considered. Booking direct with the airline simplifies matters if there is a problem later.

 

[TMcA]

This may not appeal to you, but if you'd like to start and finish at the Toronto Pearson airport, check out fares on Air Transat. They service seasonally Porto, Lisbon, Madrid, and Barcelona and their open jaw fares do not penalize you price-wise. So you can fly to Barcelona or Madrid and return from Porto, taking the bus there from SdC assuming that is where you will finish your Camino. Or from Madrid using the new train route there from SdC. I have used Air Transat for multiple Caminos. I fly out of Montreal and drive to the airport there. Even after paying for airport parking, I used to save about $500 or more for my wife and my tickets.

Buen Camino!

 

[Bradypus]

This may not appeal to you, but if you'd like to start and finish at the Toronto Pearson airport,

Another option might be to book a round-trip flight to London or Dublin. Then cheap one way short flights to your starting point in Spain/France/Portugal and back to London or Dublin for your return home.

 

[J Willhaus]

Pre-covid we flew Iceland Air once and another time we also flew SAS and got good fares, good connections, and good but Spartan service. I have not checked since 2019. I had to do the digging directly with the airlines though to find these tickets as they didn't show up on Kayak or any of the other search engines I tried. I just heard about them from other travelers so gave it a look myself.

Phil also few Air France in 2021 on a very discounted fare and was completely skunked and stranded when they cancelled his flight and wouldn't accept any customer service calls.

We have flown American, Delta, United, Lufthansa the last few years and had flights cancelled with Lufthansa, Delta, and United. I have heard good things about TAP airlines although don't have much desire to walk the Portuguese so have not done any research there.

 

[trecile]

I love booking.com what else should I check?

Do not book flights via booking.com. They outsource the bookings to another company.

It's best to only book directly with the airlines, then you don't have someone between you and the airline. Online ticket sellers have notoriously poor customer service, and often don't have "live" prices. They pay the likes of Skyscanner and Kayak to show up on the search, and sometimes the quoted fares are out of date.

I use Google Flights to search, then go directly to the airline website to book.

 

[David Tallan]

This may not appeal to you, but if you'd like to start and finish at the Toronto Pearson airport, check out fares on Air Transat. They service seasonally Porto, Lisbon, Madrid, and Barcelona and their open jaw fares do not penalize you price-wise. So you can fly to Barcelona or Madrid and return from Porto, taking the bus there from SdC assuming that is where you will finish your Camino. Or from Madrid using the new train route there from SdC. I have used Air Transat for multiple Caminos. I fly out of Montreal and drive to the airport there. Even after paying for airport parking, I used to save about $500 or more for my wife and my tickets.

Buen Camino!

Speaking as someone who tends to fly out of Toronto Pearson, what seasons? How far in advance do you tend to book?

 

[TMcA]

@David Tallan

Speaking as someone who tends to fly out of Toronto Pearson, what seasons? How far in advance do you tend to book?

Flights to Barcelona start April 14, based on a "test" I just tried. I selected a return from Porto and return flights were available into November. But best to check it out yourself with your own possible itinerary.

How far in advance is always a crap shoot, but if I were going to book something myself, I would book as soon as possible for the coming walking season.

 

[Gianni3333]

Looking for cheap airline flights fro Detroit to Lisbon or Barcelona or Madrid.
Any advice on where to go for legitimate help would be appreciated .
I love booking.com what else should I check?
My friend got burned by ASAP
Thenk You
moondance

Hi Moondance,

I’ve completed 5 Caminos and there are a few important points to consider. (I had to learn the hard way)

The best price ticket could cost you a lot more.
My first Camino I used a discount airline. We finished a week early so we tried to change out flights. Turns out most of them are not changeable. We had to buy new tickets.

Here’s my advice

Whatever airline you use make sure you can change the return flight. It might be a small fee but it’s well worth it.

Another thing to consider is your flights back. If your flying from Santiago you’ll need to use Iberia (spains airline)

I personally use American Airlines as they are partnered with Iberia. So I can book round trip from San Francisco and it’s all done. They do charge a $100 change flight fee but that’s normal and nice to know you can. Also if your bringing walking poles and/or a pocket knife you’ll need to check your pack (I wrap mine in Duran wrap to prevent any damage to straps) but the discount airlines usually charge you more to check a bag.

You can book multi city which means you can fly to Paris and depart Santiago to your home town.

Hope this helps!

Buen Camino!

 

[CaminoObsessed]

I travel quite a bit internationally and always use Google Flights to search for fares. It lets you enter multiple destination cities, and shows a date grid of the prices on different dates. The trick for flying cheap to Europe from the USA is to fly into the city with the best fares, then connect to your final destination on a low budget flight. There are some risks of course. Lots of things can go wrong. You have to allow for time to pick up your luggage and recheck it. If you miss your first flight, or there is a delay, you’re screwed because you bought two separate tickets. But the best way to avoid this risk is by not checking in any luggage and allow plenty of time for your layover. I am flying from DC to London for $450 round trip on AerLingus this summer, then connecting to Biarritz in the South of France on Ryanair nonstop one way for 86€. That’s a great price for peak season!

 

[MARSKA]

Google flights is the best way to do a general check on prices IMO.
It's very difficult to find "cheap" flights to Europe BTW, at least from my city. I often need to pay around 1k for a RT flight to Paris or Madrid.
Best of luck to you!

 

[C clearly]

Whatever airline you use make sure you can change the return flight. It might be a small fee but it’s well worth it.

They do charge a $100 change flight fee but that’s normal and nice to know you can.

The "small fee" of $100 is the least of the cost. Usually the big cost is the "fare difference" that is charged. You are charged the higher price that the last minute ticket would cost, and given credit for only the low price you paid when you first bought the ticket. Often there are other complications in the calculations, that lead to an expensive change - close to what you would pay for a brand new ticket. So don't be misled to think that changing your return ticket will only cost $100!

 

[Gianni3333]

The "small fee" of $100 is the least of the cost. Usually the big cost is the "fare difference" that is charged. You are charged the higher price that the last minute ticket would cost, and given credit for only the low price you paid when you first bought the ticket. Often there are other complications in the calculations, that lead to an expensive change - close to what you would pay for a brand new ticket. So don't be misled to think that changing your return ticket will only cost $100!

Like I said you need to check with your airline. I use American Airlines and they only charge a $100 fee. About to go on my 7th Camino. And have done this 3 times. Most recently in 2020.

That being said using a discount airline like Priceline or booking you will most certainly be screwed if you need to change your return flight. (I learned that the hard way on my first Camino. lol! )

 

[Marbe2]

Before you go cheap (I use Kayak, but YMMV), think through a few things:

1. Do you want to check a bag, or pay for a carry on? The cheaper the airline, the more likely you will have to pay big bucks for both/either. It can often negate most of the money you "saved"

2. How do you feel about third party reservations (you book through one airline, but it's flown by another)? I can tell you from bitter experience that if your third-party airline gets cancelled, you tend to be out of luck on rebooking, unless you pay for a fully refundable ticket.

3. Do you have a current passport? You need one with at least 6 months of margin past your return date. The airline *will* cancel your booking if that's not the case.

Now, I fly from the East Coast , and I love Tap Portugal through Lisbon to Madrid. But, again, YMMV.

Another consideration: Rarely will you find really “cheap” nonstop direct flights, so how willing are you to make stops? Are there direct flights from Detroit?

WHEN do you want to fly……off peak/shoulder seasons or winter months are usually lower cost, both in flights and hotels.

I love booking.com for hotels. As others have said, don’t use them for AIR bookings!

All the worries about Kayak.com or Skyscanner.com for “pricing” only is not really significant IMO because even the major airlines now charge for reserved seats if you book basic tickets as well as charging for checked baggage. So if you book almost any basic ticket, expect to pay for reserved seating and checked luggage! Also scrutinize the size of the carry-on allowed and the weight, if there is a lb. limit.

Use Skyscanner and Kayak or Google as search engines. Then go to the cheapest price the airline itself is providing..not the consolidators and review the offer. Remember too, that if you get a basic cheap ticket you won’t have the ability to get a refund or credit if you change your mind. I always recommend an economy but not basic ticket which usually allows you to get ticket credit or allows free date changes.

Do read the fine print/rule for the airline before purchasing as rulesvare different for each airline.

You need to do the work now as there are numerous factors you need to consider when making the booking!