GREECE FLight arrangements
 

I had posted this exact thing in the Airmile forum and someone stated it wasn't airline mles program related

So thought I would try here.

Greece FLight arrangements
Wasn't sure if I should post here or in the actual Europe forum.

I have to confess that I do not have our plans IN GREECE fully developed, as this was a quick decision (too quick for me)..as I am the planner of the group.

we are taking my 22 year old niece to Greece. Looking at where exactly we want to go - this will be April 2014. I need to use American Airmiles as much as possible...and this is where i have landed, but wanted to see if there are any suggestions/confirmation.

I have been searching over the last week to get the best cost / least miles etc. Trying to stay away from BA as much as possible.

I did look at NOT going to London, but couldn't find anything with my dates and trying to get to Greece without going through London. Tried other airlines too. Example flying into Madrid and then Madrid purchasing a ticket to Athens or one of the islands.

I have two options and they all depend on if I want a connection and less vacation days or if I want direct and have to take more time off.


I am hoping I can at least determine my INTO Greece and OUT OF Greece flights..which right now is into Athens and out of Santorini.
i h
Miles - DFW - LON (20K award either 4/16 direct or 4/18 not direct)
Miles or PURCHASE - LON - ATHENS * (20k 4/19)
PURCHASE through EasyJet - Santorini to London
Miles - LON - DFW (20K BA direct on 5/3 COSTLY or 20K AA on 5/3)


* purchase tickets from EasyJet to Athens only 300.00 for all of us (OR use miles based on availability - but right now more then the 300. due to BA taxes and only 20K miles available for that leg - I am getting charged miles as we have to stay longer then 24 hours)


- fly out of Santorini Saturday - Norwegian Air - is less then $300 for all of us

- stay 1 or 2 night(s) in London - fly home to DFW

so schedule would be into Athens and out of Santorini. (right now only 3 seats left for the flight I need!!)

Does that sound like a good plan? In otherwords if you didn't know your exact islands etc, does that sound good NOT going back to Athens - like is that a good idea.

(example going to Hawaii...if poeople were visiting multiple islands I always recommend flying in and out of different islands).

is Easyjet reliable etc?

Suggestions? I hope I made this clear and didn't add too much or not enough details.

I was trying to update the above as I got some updated info...

Here is possible good iterinaries for us to fly.
checked norwegian air ..and we can get to Santorini on that same day that we could fly to Athens at over half the cost savings only 131 for all 3. AND I can fly out on easy jet from athens for only 150.00 all 3.

OHHH decisions decisions.

So price wise looks like we could do

DFW to London (airmiles)

London to Athens Easy Jet or BA

Santorini to London (norwegian

London to DFW (airmiles)

OR

DFW to London (airmiles)

London to Santorini (Norwegian)

Athens to London (Easyjet)

London to DFW (airmiles)

The above would allow me to see Athens one way or another. But I have thought about leaving from Santorini as it would be a high note from BEAUTY....

OR

Skip Athens and just go in and out of Santorini and see the islands ...etc.

Norwegian air...like easy jet? do you know..reliable etc.

Thoughts???

FlyNiki (HG) flies to/from Santorini from Vienna and can be booked with oneworld miles. airberlin is another option.

Norwegian is a low cost carrier similar to easyJet. Yes, easyJet is quite reliable.

What miles do you currently have and in which programs?

American Miles.

So far seems best to do the use air miles in and out of London and then book the separate tickets in and out of Greece.

mainly need to decide if we want to see Athens…

Right now we can get into and out of Athens, Crete, or Santorini pretty easy and inexpensive.

I will check Vienna but I think I did and there wasn't miles available to get there. (London was the best available dates/flights etc)

seems like Norwegian, EasyJet and Niki seems to be ones people are comfortable with.

Aegaen Air - seems some people aren't as comfortable with reliability. etc.

Hi Bgsnmky, and welcome to the Europe forum.

I can certainly recommend Norwegian - I use them a fair bit, and their planes are comfortable, and the free wi-fi is a definite bonus. easyJet are fine (all allocated seating now, which makes it much more civilised) and Air Berlin/niki are barely LCCs these days at all.

However... Your thread's getting little response here, and that may be because the main topic is how to use your AA miles. If that's your main concern, then I can move this thread over to the AA forum. Just let me know.

stut
Moderator
Europe Forum

I cannot figure out the logic of these proposals.

You seem to want to use miles - fine
You have limited holiday time - fine
You are not interested in staying in London - fine

But then you seem to want to fly to London and change to another airline there. To do this safely you have to leave a large amount of time for the connection because, if the inbound flight is late, there will be no refund or accommodation - so you end up staying the night in London at both ends - plus paying APD twice ex-London, as well as the hotels. And that's not to mention you will have to change airports both times.

Why not fly straight into wherever you are going? If it's Athens there have to be connecting flight options that obviate all these shortcomings, if not non-stop flights. If it's one of the islands, you are just as likely to get connecting flights from other cities that you actually want to visit and which avoid APD.

Don't wait too long to make your travel arrangements (air & land), April 20th is Easter for Orthodox Christians and Western Christians in 2014. It will be spring break for everybody!