Other European Frequent Flyer Programs - Cheap flight to Ireland for Irish Dancer?

Hopefully someone can help me out. My daughter does Irish Dancing competitively and we're planning to go to Shannon, Ireland (from Los Angeles) around 1/22 and return on 2/7 or so. She will be competing at the "All Irelands" in Ennis, a major competition. We'd like to take our family (six of us) and my brother and his family plan to go (four of them), so obviously we're looking for a good deal. I've heard that 2 for 1 deals and other specials happen from time to time with Aer Lingus and was wondering if anyone knows how I can find out about them or if anyone knows about any other methods to fly cheaply.

Any help would be most appreciated.

Thanks.

Dear modfather. Welcome to FT!

Congratulations on your daughter’s achievement. I wish her the best of luck!

Let me offer some thoughts on the flights. LAX-SNN will not be too cheap if you try to use EI. It’ll be a great flight, non-stop, A330, and fine hospitality, but it’ll be expensive. Call them anyway to calibrate yourself. They run two-for-one deals in January/February each year, which will save you a bundle if you can get seats. I know they have announced the offer from the East Coast already - saw it in a local Boston paper a week or so ago - didn’t look to see about LAX, sorry.

I think if you are price sensitive you have two choices:

1) Charter flights. Few and far between in January/February. Try contacting these people: http://www.crystal-tours.net/. They have the best charters from Boston, and might be able to point you in the right direction for LAX travel.

(I found a Crystal Tours in LA: Crystal Travel & Tours -- 727 W. 7th Street, Ste. 753, Los Angeles CA 90017 -- [213] 627-8720. Doubt they are the same people!)

2) Fly via LHR (Heathrow) or CDG (Paris). Generally you can get cheaper flights to LHR or CDG. They buy a second ticket to SNN. If you put them on the same ticket, it often does not save you money. You can price these itineraries on the United Airlines web site (for all airlines) www.united.com. (http://www.united.com.)

Finally, as general resources, see www.emigrant.ie (http://www.emigrant.ie) and www.Ireland.com. (http://www.Ireland.com.)

Hope all of this helps! Enjoy your trip, and good luck in the competition!


[This message has been edited by Dub (edited 11-07-2000).]

One of the prious replies indicated that LAX to SNN was non stop- it is not- all flights go to DUB first, so no matter what your routing, you will have one stop.

If you fly Ei from LAX, then you are limited to WED, FRI and SUN.

Check with both EI and American for rates and schedules.

Check on which routes ex USA that EI flies non stop to SNN, definitely ex JFk and possible ex BOS and/or Chicago and then possible fly there from LAX