cdavis5711

Hi,
I need help planning an anniversary trip to Greece. I can only make the trip for 7-9 days so I'd like to fly an open jaw, like into an island (preferable JTR/Santorini) and out of ATH. I'd like to fly in early March of next year. I can fly out of WAS, PHL or NYC airports, but I'd prefer the WAS area. I have found a fair amount of open direct returns from ATH to PHL all in early May, so I'm ok with the return. I'd like some help get open availability from the Northeast to an island in Greece. Any thoughts?

I've looked at AA, BA, Air Berlin & Iberia and I can't find anything. Maybe Qatar from IAD to DOH to Greece. Does anybody have suggestions on how I can find open dates from the Northeast to Greece in late April or early May 15? Thanks!

236Dakota

Going in mid-April. Booked AA to Vienna via DUS, then took a short hop RT on a Star Alliance flight to Athens. Return through FRA.

VSLover

this past may i booked LAX-LHR-JTR on miles because BA runs a 2x weekly LHR-JTR, fyi.

rrgg

"I'd like some help get open availability from the Northeast to an island in Greece."

If you didn't notice, Air Berlin/Niki have JMK-VIE and JTR-VIE on some dates, but I don't know what it's like in March. You might be able to use that on the way back, although you may have to stay overnight somewhere like VIE, CDG, LHR. Sometimes it helps to use Kayak or something as if you were paying cash, and from there figure out what part of it you can get as an award.

Also, Vueling and others have some (seasonal?) nonstops from the islands to Italy. If you're lucky enough to find an award from Italy, maybe you can buy one of those short hops.

reeg2

I've found it far easier to get to the islands via ATH and a ferry from Piraeus. Much more cost-effective too...

curlimommy

Forgive me because I am a novice here....but I am trying my best to navigate the waters of booking our first transatlantic trip using our AA miles. We are trying to plan ahead as much as possible for a 10th anniversary trip late next July-early August 2015. I realize the travel schedules are not yet out that far, but I'm trying to be on top of it to be prepared to book miles award travel as soon as the booking window opens.

We are coming from Chicago O'Hare and ultimately want to spend our time on Santorini and either Milos or Naxos. I have searched alot and am trying to decide if there is even a way to get from Chicago to Athens on AA miles? I'm looking into May/June and I"m not seeing this as an option on the AA website for award travel.

I'd like to try and avoid alot of extra nights in other European cities waiting for layovers to either Athens or the islands directly.

Does anyone have any good starting point suggestions? From my reading it seems I should avoid a London hub b/c of extra taxes/fees?

I just want to be prepared and know if miles award travel will even be an option or if I'll have to pay cash? I'm wanting to just use economy travel and hope to be able to get to Athens or Santorini on the 60K miles per person travel.

Thanks for any direction!!

miamigrad

First, welcome to FlyerTalk!

As American Airlines and US Airways are still operating as distinct airlines, this question is being moved to the appropriate pre-merger airline forum.

Please note the sticky at the top of the consolidated thread which is titled PLEASE READ ME BEFORE POSTING! Welcome to the New American Airlines Forum!. With all of the changes about, it is important to know where to post, and reading that thread before posting (as the title suggests ) will help get you in the right place.

~Moderator

JDiver

It might make more sense to fly to / ex-ATH and use the many ferries from Piraeus (you can even use the train ATH-Piraeus, but watch for pickpockets and petty thieves).

Chicago to Athens is eminently doable - check the oneworld interactive timetable / map here, though of course one must find MileSAAver seats if not flying AA (which will only get you as far as LHR, CDG, FCO, etc.)

Also be sure to check this thread (where your query is liable to be merged):

MileSAAver / SAAver Award Availability - Help, Assistance & Discussion (consolidated)

and

oneworld and Other Airline (Partner) Awards info, rules 2014 on .

British Airways charges very high fees for using miles, so you will want to avoid using BA - particularly transatlantic.

openseas, greeceferries, fastferries etc. will give you ideas on how to use the ferries (the trip out istelf can be nice), and Trip Advisor has this helpful page.

mikelat

It's not necessary to avoid connecting in London. It's just necessary to avoid BA flights for the transatlantic portions unless you want to pay high fuel surcharges. You might find some AA operated flights LAX/ORD/DFW/JRK-LHR that would not have the fuel surcharges that BA operated flights would have.

Also note that Iberia availability is not shown at aa.com. You'd need to call in to check if there are Iberia flights that could work for you.

cdavis5711

Great. Thanks for all the help! I can get to Vienna but I'm not finding anything out of Vienna to Greece on Air Berlin. I Can get to Rome and theres a flight out of Rome on Vueling, but they are not a One World partner. Flying out of LHR is crazy expensive, like 315 with taxes for a one way flight so thats a "no". Looks like the ferry maybe the best option. I much rather do an open jaw but I'm out of ideas.

JDiver

To search for it here, the name is airberlin. It's oneworld affiliate is Niki, AKA flyNiki, airline code HG. Niki flies to a number of Greek islands, but seasonally. See this list in Wikipedia (which may not be the ultimate resource).

You may wish to use some tools like the oneworld online timetable / interactive map here.

N.B. We have merged these two threads about using AA awards to the same destinations to avoid information fragmentation. Please also refer to the threads linked to in other posts. /Moderator

CityFlyerNYC

BA also has a non-stop from LHR to Santorini (JTR). It's not daily but a good way to get on the islands direct.

reeg2

Good advice. A buddy and I were boarding a train in Athens to ATH and I warned him about putting his wallet in his back pocket. Not 2 minutes later, he got bungled into on the way onto a train and voila! wallet gone!

UA-NYC

Man - I'm finding it BRUTAL to get to/from Athens...I can get solid TATL flights in J both ways, and can even get to HER...but absolutely nothing ATH-MAD/LHR, let alone the more exotic LHR-JTR option.

Any suggestions?

carlosdca

Have you tried looking for COACH seats for ATH-MAD/LHR or only business?