Need advice to get from lhr to paris and italy. Doesnt matter which country first. Will be arriving in lhr in nov and have a week to spend in europe. I was thinking about either using avios for redemption; but i heard trains are convenient as well as possibly buying a tix with a local airline? Any advice?
Im picking rome or fco as my destination in italy. If you have a better suggestion pls et me know. Looks like ba flies from cdg to lhr to fco, a lot of back tracking..
train from london to paris is fast. probably faster than a flight when you take into consideration getting to and from airports.
paris to italy takes way too long. just getting to milano would take a whole day. rome and you're talking a long overnight train. you're better off flying.
train from london to paris is fast. probably faster than a flight when you take into consideration getting to and from airports.
paris to italy takes way too long. just getting to milano would take a whole day. rome and you're talking a long overnight train. you're better off flying.
Ba doesnt fly from cdg to fco. Would involve having to go back to lhr.
Is there a cheap local airline ti gi from cdg to fco or fco to cdg?
Do you plan on spending any time in London, or will you merely be connecting there in both directions?
I'd like to spend the last day or two in london. But we can spend the firt and last day there too.
If, on the return, you spend more than 24 hours in London, you'll be hit with the high UK APD on your departing flight back to the U.S. If you need to spend more than 24 hours at a time in London, do it on the outbound, since you would thereafter be departing London on a short, intra-European flight, or on a train to Paris.
Will you be using a BA 2-4-1 certificate on this trip? If so, you might be entitled to include BA connecting flights on the certificate, and also have an open jaw. Have you checked with BAEC?
If, on the return, you spend more than 24 hours in London, you'll be hit with the high UK APD on your departing flight back to the U.S. If you need to spend more than 24 hours at a time in London, do it on the outbound, since you would thereafter be departing London on a short, intra-European flight, or on a train to Paris.
Will you be using a BA 2-4-1 certificate on this trip? If so, you might be entitled to include BA connecting flights on the certificate, and also have an open jaw. Have you checked with BAEC?
Yes, ill be using 2-4-1 and just booked the ticket today sfo to lhr. I tried to book sfo- lhr- cdg as connecting flight but it came back as an extra 1000 miles but 325 in taxes and surcharge extra.
I didnt know i was entitled to an a free cinnecting flight. My total charge was 150k miles and $2450 in taxes and surcharge for 2 in F.
I didnt hink i could open jaw it since i though i had to depart from the same airport! I think all ba flights to sfo route through
Lhr right?
I think i have 24 hrs to cancel and rebook for any reason.
You're not entitled to a "free" connecting flight, but you might be entitled to a 2-4-1 connecting flight. You'd have to pay taxes/surcharges on both tickets, and the extra Avios on one.
If you have 24 hours to cancel, I would call back and see if you could do SFO-LHR//FCO-LON-SFO on your 2-4-1. You'd have to pay extra Avios one for one person on the FCO-LHR/LGW segment, and taxes/surcharges for two passengers for that segment. But if your onward LHR-SFO flight departs less than 24 hours after your FCO-LHR/LGW flight arrives, you'd be exempt from the UK APD on your LHR-SFO segment. That savings would likely more than cover the taxes/surcharges on the FCO-LHR/LGW segment.
You can take the train from London to Paris, and a LCC from CDG/ORY to FCO.
I think i have 24 hrs to cancel and rebook for any reason.
Award tickets can be cancelled until up to 24 hrs before departure (minus a small admin fee). So even if there is no availability for your short haul connection at the moment you can always wait for something to open up, then cancel and rebook.
You're not entitled to a "free" connecting flight, but you might be entitled to a 2-4-1 connecting flight. You'd have to pay taxes/surcharges on both tickets, and the extra Avios on one.
If you have 24 hours to cancel, I would call back and see if you could do SFO-LHR//FCO-LON-SFO on your 2-4-1. You'd have to pay extra Avios one for one person on the FCO-LHR/LGW segment, and taxes/surcharges for two passengers for that segment. But if your onward LHR-SFO flight departs less than 24 hours after your FCO-LHR/LGW flight arrives, you'd be exempt from the UK APD on your LHR-SFO segment. That savings would likely more than cover the taxes/surcharges on the FCO-LHR/LGW segment.
You can take the train from London to Paris, and a LCC from CDG/ORY to FCO.
I did a dummy booking and i end up paying about 200 more a person and 19k more avios. The uk apd, s it already in the $1250 tax/ surchage im already paying for that redemption?Or do i pay that prior to departing lhr?
So based on the cost for adding either cdg or fco, i'll be payng about 19k avios for two people plus 200 in taxes and surcharge. I can book separate flghts from lhr to fco for 7500 plus 22.50, might be better than to book
2-4-1? Or am i not understanding that suggestion? Again, thx for all you guys help and patience!
Flights from lhr to cdg or lhr to fco are about 4500-7500 avios each way plus 22.50 in tax and surcharge. Im having problem finding a flight from cdg-fco or fco to cdg. Checked kayak and only direct flights on air france for $700!
I did a dummy booking and i end up paying about 200 more a person and 19k more avios. The uk apd, s it already in the $1250 tax/ surchage im already paying for that redemption?Or do i pay that prior to departing lhr?
So based on the cost for adding either cdg or fco, i'll be payng about 19k avios for two people plus 200 in taxes and surcharge. I can book separate flghts from lhr to fco for 7500 plus 22.50, might be better than to book
2-4-1? Or am i not understanding that suggestion? Again, thx for all you guys help and patience!
Try the dummy booking as 2 one-ways.
SFO-LHR 75k + $460
FCO-LHR-SFO 90k + $318 (less if you do FCO-LHR in Y, you'd still get lounge access in FCO)
You should avoid UK APD altogether this way, and it's 15k extra miles.
Last edited by pauldb; Feb 26, 13 at 1:37 am..
Reason: EDIT: The avios you pay once of course, the taxes are per person.
