atwnsw2

Before you begin to hammer me, let me begin by sharing the information below:

I am very, very lucky to have been married for 9 years and approaching my 10 year anniversary in 2004. Let me also say that I have Cystic Fibrosis, am age 38, and lucky to be alive as I have surpassed my average life expectancy.

So, here we go:

I promised my wife that if we made it to 10 years, that I would fly her to Paris either via 1st or Business class next year. I have 150K in Delta miles.

Can somebody suggest the least expensive way to do a round trip for two to Paris from Tampa? She is in school full-time so I neeed to work around her schedule.

My pockets aren't deep but my heart is.

Please provide any/all suggestions on how to get there with the most flexibility (in case I get sick) and the least expense.

I would prefer not to burn all my miles as they are great for an emergency trip to Johns Hopkins but have saved them for this purpose only.

Thanks in advance for all your help.....

Anthony

aw

Congratulations, Anthony! This is indeed worth celebrating for. Sometimes you might find cheaper F or J fares through a Consolidator or try booking it along with a vacation package from Delta Vacations. I know that AF used to offer a hotel package to Paris leaving in F and returning in J that was way cheaper than buying the full J fare only. Since you are using miles, I would also try to speak to DL's Skymiles for any specials. Best of luck.

NYBanker

You should keep an eye out for special fares that Delta offers to Europe from time to time in business class. Those fares, in the "I" fare category, are usually $1,800 per person from the US to Europe in Business Class and, when offered, would be available TPA-ATL-CDG.

These fares are offered from time to time, and only for a limited time (say 3-5 days to book, sometimes less). The fares are generally non-refundable, but can be changed with a $150 or $200 fee, so long as I is available on the flight you wish to change to.

Although these are restricted fares, for International service, if you have a doctor's note, DL will refund your purchase price, without penalty, if you cancel in advance. (I took advantage of this feature once - it was very helpful.)

Now - If you can afford $3,600 for two tickets - a walk up fare to Johns Hopkins will be significantly less - and miles fares may not be available on short notice, anyway. I'd recommend cashing in your DL miles for the trip to CDG, instead. The price is 80,000 miles per right now, going to 90,000 at some point in the next few months. J award seats on ATL-CDG (or JFK-CDG or CVG-CDG) are pretty tough to come by - so you should definitely book ASAP. Miles tickets can be changed, so long as you keep the cities the same, without penalty.

Looks like you're a few thousand miles short - even under the lower fares. Do you have miles at a hotel club or diners club or Amex to transfer over to DL?

In terms of hotels in Paris, in the Luxury Hotel forum there are several threads about the pros and cons of the various high-end hotels. (My favorites are the Plaza Athenee (perhaps the best city hotel?) and the FSGV.)

Hope this is helpful - book early and enjoy your trip!!

atwnsw2

Thank you both for the interesting information.

As far as hotels, I haven't even thought about that issue. I figured getting there would be the more challenging of the two issues.

From your posts, I must say that if I am looking at $3,600 for 2 tickets, I am more inclined to burn the miles. I believe that I can get to the required 160,000 miles. It will take me about 30 days to get them.

If the consensus is to burn the miles, is there a suggestion how to do it (some promotion, plan, etc...) or is it limited to calling Delta?

Thanks for your thoughts and please keep the information flowing.

Dovster

Unless you absolutely can't sit in Economy class because of your health, let me make this alternative suggestion:

Fly to Boston and spend the night there. The next day take your flight to Paris.

BOS-CDG is 6 hrs, 30 min, so it is not an incredibly long time to be in the less comfortable seats. Discount fares, as low as $300 r/t are often available leaving you with a lot more money to enjoy Paris.

The weather in Boston and Paris is usually about the same so you won't have to pack for two different climates. This will also give you the chance to spend some time in one of the East Coast's nicer cities.

Be warned that Paris is one of the most expensive cities in Europe and luxury hotels could well cost more for one night than your Economy Class r/t ticket.

On the other hand, there are some very nice, albeit small, hotels where you can get (for Paris) very low prices.

Paris is a beautiful and fascinating city. You and your wife will enjoy it no matter where you sleep. Dedicate your vacation funds to eating well, going to shows, and seeing the city -- not to enriching airlines and hotels.