Advice on trans Atlantic ticket...probably will need to change return date
Feb 11, 2019, 5:12 pm
#1
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Advice on trans Atlantic ticket...probably will need to change return date
Greetings,
I need to buy my son a ticket to Europe leaving in March...the problem is we are not sure of his return date. Should I just guess and pay the change fee when I know the exact date or buy a refundable fare for the return knowing I will change it? Any other thoughts? Buying a one way fare is extremely high and does not make sense to me. Thanks
I need to buy my son a ticket to Europe leaving in March...the problem is we are not sure of his return date. Should I just guess and pay the change fee when I know the exact date or buy a refundable fare for the return knowing I will change it? Any other thoughts? Buying a one way fare is extremely high and does not make sense to me. Thanks
Feb 11, 2019, 5:19 pm
#2
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The problem isn't just the change fee - will the return date meet the advance purchase and length of stay restrictions? One possible solution is buying a discounted R/T with a potentially useful return date, and then a one-way Europe-USA if needed.
Feb 11, 2019, 5:45 pm
#4
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Be mindful of AP requirements and the like. Minimal change fee is generally $300 and if you add that to a significant fare difference, you may be shelling out a lot of money if this is not done in a timely manner.
Feb 11, 2019, 8:03 pm
#6
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Thanks for all the advice. We are aware of stay restrictions. He has applied for a residence card in Luxembourg but we will not know for about three or four weeks if he gets it. He will stay oversears longer than 90 days, but part of that time will be out of the schengen area. Last year when we did this we purchased the return for 112 days after he flew there...again he was out of the schengen zone for 26 of those days so he did meet the stay rules, but Delta gave us a bunch of grief and would not let him board the flight to Europe. I had to get a miles ticket return within 90 days then once he was in Europe we cancelled it. His return this year will probably be about 110 days after he gets there with e few weeks in Croatia to meet the schengen stay requirements.
Feb 11, 2019, 8:05 pm
#7
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This is a good thought. He is platinum and wants to stay at that level so we were planning on buying the ticket...but we could use miles as I and he both have plenty. Thanks
Feb 11, 2019, 8:30 pm
#8
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Suggest a bit more research or speaking with a travel agent. DL, AF and others make affordable one-ways available to Europe through consolidators.
Last edited by NYC Flyer; Feb 11, 2019 at 8:42 pm
Feb 11, 2019, 9:09 pm
#9
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Feb 11, 2019, 9:33 pm
#10
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Though, as I think about this, how realistic is the intent to stay platinum? Is a single flight to Europe going to help if based overseas for an extended period? Holding out to buy a Skyteam ticket for jaunts around Europe will likely be far more expensive than using the array of low-cost carriers Europe enjoys to maximize travel opportunities while there. Maybe get a $250-300 ticket on Norwegian, Level, Wow, XL, etc and call it a day (unless you see value in using miles or the marginal credit toward maintaining platinum on DL really makes sense).
Feb 12, 2019, 4:18 am
#11
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Don't dismiss that idea - some Europe-USA airport pairs on a ticket bought in Europe can be pretty affordable (although not necessarily on Delta). You already recognize the value of traveling with a return ticket. Something like LUX-DEN can be bought for less than Euro 600.
Feb 12, 2019, 5:17 am
#12
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Some fares don't permit you to stay beyond 30 or 90 days, so be careful not to buy one of those.
Since DMs can cancel/redeposit award tickets for free (but not avoid the T-72 rules) I'd get award tickets to use for visa applications and to use as proof that he'll depart within 90 days.
You're probably very aware of this, but be careful about the schengen rules about maximum days within a year as well as the 90 day maximum at one time without a visa. If he did 90 days not long ago, this could be an issue. There could also be restrictions about the purpose of the visit without a visa. To me, saying that one will spend 90 days in Luxembourg for tourism purposes seems like a stretch. If the true purpose is charity work, religious activities, significant other, etc. that might cause a visa to be required even for stays under 90 days.
Since DMs can cancel/redeposit award tickets for free (but not avoid the T-72 rules) I'd get award tickets to use for visa applications and to use as proof that he'll depart within 90 days.
You're probably very aware of this, but be careful about the schengen rules about maximum days within a year as well as the 90 day maximum at one time without a visa. If he did 90 days not long ago, this could be an issue. There could also be restrictions about the purpose of the visit without a visa. To me, saying that one will spend 90 days in Luxembourg for tourism purposes seems like a stretch. If the true purpose is charity work, religious activities, significant other, etc. that might cause a visa to be required even for stays under 90 days.
Feb 13, 2019, 8:02 am
#14
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You're right on this. Season/day of travel/specific flight restrictions, and of course, booking class inventory, of the purchased fare do apply. Even if you change the return city or are forced into buying a higher booking class due to availability, you're generally entitled to a look-back to the original date of purchase with respect to fares for the revised itinerary.
Feb 13, 2019, 8:11 am
#15
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You're right on this. Season/day of travel/specific flight restrictions, and of course, booking class inventory, of the purchased fare do apply. Even if you change the return city or are forced into buying a higher booking class due to availability, you're generally entitled to a look-back to the original date of purchase with respect to fares for the revised itinerary.
Minimum and maximum stay restrictions would also continue to apply to the rebooked itinerary. We're used to looking for the minimum stay requirements, but there typically are maximum stay requirements too, with traditionally only FULL Y allowing very long stays (up to a year). I've seen 30 and 90 days on a lot of international fares recently.
I wonder whether the student travel agency (on line and on many college campuses, but apparently open to all students under age 26) would have tickets on better terms since they do a lot of the study abroad travel arrangements.
I wonder whether the student travel agency (on line and on many college campuses, but apparently open to all students under age 26) would have tickets on better terms since they do a lot of the study abroad travel arrangements.