European Airpass: Pricing Problem
 

First post on this very helpful board. It is here that I first learned about the *A European Airpass, particularly from this thread. My problem is getting the correct fares.

I’m flying PHL-FRA on a fully paid, qualifying US ticket.

I need to fly HAM-AOI (via MUC) and AOI-FRA (via MUC). I understand that each segment requires two coupons – one for each flight in the leg. I also understand that this itinerary has only one qualifying stopover. So, I’m flying FRA-HAJ upon arrival, then DBing its back to Kassel – just to qualify for the other two segments. All intra-Europe flights are LH.

Using Mile Marker, I calculated the distance of each segment. All are less than 500 miles, meaning a cost per coupon of $105 (plus taxes). Also, total cost would be much less than all LCCs that I investigated. And since two airports are not “major”, there’s not a lot of LCC availability anyway.

I understand that the Airpass must be purchased through a TA. So I took all of this information – *A information, copy of my transatlantic ticket, copy of the information from Keithl’s TA, mileages – to two TAs here in Philly. The first couldn’t get it done. The second queued it through US (she was told that she had to ticket through US), which came back with $145/segment – a fare that doesn’t correspond to ANY published coupon rate. Because it took so long to get through to US to queue it, she’s reluctant to retry.

I sweettalked the US int’l desk to queue the ticket for me. I’m expecting a call back from the rate people in the next day or so, so perhaps I can fight it out directly. But since I depart in two weeks, I’m seeking advice here. Whom should I contact at US if there’s an error? I’ve had such problems with LH (U.S.) that I’m reluctant to use them. How about UA? Any other suggestions would be most welcome. Thanks.

Welcome to FT ! :)

Ryanair is offering EUR0.99 (USD1.29) fares between HAM and LON(Stansted) at the moment with flights from Stansted to Ancona on offer for EUR18.00 (USD23.56).
Just another hat to throw into the ring - it seems silly (at those prices above) to buy a 5th airpass coupon @ USD100+ just to get your second required stopover in, to enable the airpass to be issued.

It does not have to be purchased thru a TA. US might be clueless since they are new to this. LH won't do it unless you buy the transatl ticket from them. SAS has accomodated me in the past. I try to avoid UA since they have to paper ticket.

Yeah, I researched that. But the layover was pretty lousy, requiring an overnight, IIRC.

You are correct, sir! I just reread the FAQs. In the interim, US called me with the itinerary I booked directly, and the price was correct: 5 segments @ $105 + tax. Also, my first TA called out of the blue (after 4 weeks) to say she had the 4-segment, 1-stopover itinerary priced (incorrectly, though). Which begs the question: if US tickets me on that itinerary, can I get away with it? Could LH refuse to honor the ticketing on the last leg if they discovered I'd had only one stopover?

Rather than put yourself through that extra flight and extra train, there may be another choice. Your 2 tickets must be cross-referenced with the number of your trans-Atlantic ticket printed on your airpass ticket, but that is all. Bearing in mind that you could, in theory, change the return date of your trans-Atlantic ticket if you were to pay a change fee, okay? Get this concept in mind. Let us say that you are thinking of postponing your return, but you just don't know the date yet. On that basis, add a third sector to your airpass as a throwaway, making it on a very short flight costing you the least money.

BA used to do it all the time. Their flights would always go out of London Heathrow and back, so say that you wanted to use their airpass to go to Athens and back. You would still need a third sector. So BA would sell you a London-Manchester sector as a throwaway. Usually you don't need to put a date on any flights after the first one - it just has to be a stopover.

Actually...'begging the question' means something quite different.
:)

cheers,

Henry

Thank you. I of course :o meant "raises the question." I'm a stickler for proper grammar, so I appreciate being called out on usage, henry.

fareguru: I awoke at 4AM this morning with this thought: What if I don't even board the first flight? I don't need it. I'll just DB it from FRA to Kassel and toss the ticket. Can/Would LH check to see if I've violated the terms of the Airpass? I just returned from my TA, who is, with difficulty, grabbing the locator and entering the itinerary. She said, yes, LH could check this. How about checking in for the flight and not boarding? Hmm, she said.

Anyone have any thoughts? Had fareguru's excellent suggestion occurred to me sooner, I'd certainly have applied his/her logic in the event of an argument.

No, you're bzggered.

If you have a reservation that you do not use, all subsequent reservations are autocancelled.

But ask your T.A. this question, assuming that you have a paper ticket. Could you cancel the first sector and pull the first coupon out yourself? Do not ask the T.A. to cancel it - he/she runs a risk of being charged $$$ if LH figures it out. You would have to phone LH and do it yourself, making sure that the downline flights aren't touched. This is a desperate measure and I don't have all that much faith in it, but ask anyways. They can't charge you more money after the fact without your permission.

Whew. Glad I asked.

W/out being pedantic, when you say "use" a reservation, that means board and fly? Again, what happens if I check in, then skip out? Also, in a valid case, what happens if my US arrival is way late and I miss the first segment on the Airpass? I would be screwed as to downline reservations?

Yes, "use" means to check-in, board, and fly.
If you check-in and don't fly, it will still be unused, and
your subsequent flights can be cancelled with no recourse.

If you're late for the first segment of your airpass
because your transatlantic is late, your flights might
be cancelled, but they should reinstate everything
since it's a valid delay. If this does happen, make
sure you verify with them that your subsequent
flights haven't been cancelled. You won't be accorded the
same courtesy if you check-in and don't fly.

Yes, they count the bodies in the cabin, and if they don't match with the number of check-ins or boarding passes, they figure out who isn't there.

Did you actually ticket with just 1-stopover? I know the rules are for min 2..... unless its different for US ticketed airpass :confused:
I made a mistake when I planned for just 1 and then my TA told me I couldn't ticket and had to revised to 2.

No, I'm taking the stupid puddle jump to get the required second stopover (just doin' it right off the bat, to get it over with). Although the rest of the itinerary involves four segments, there is only one stopover (rules require min. 24 hours) involved.

Thanks all for the advice on "using" a ticket. I'm thinking of asking the LH agent if he/she can spare me the flight. If I have to fly, I'll fly. The HAM-AOI-FRA itinerary is still, IMO, a bargain at US$580. It works out to be ca. €250 per leg, which is comparable to what I found on the LH website but for some #@*&(# reason cannot purchase for less than $1,000 if booking from the U.S.

Back in Philly and wanted to report on the solution to the unwanted third segment. I had booked this as my first flight: FRA-HAJ. Upon arrival in FRA, I went to the LH ticketing desk and told them I didn't want to use the ticket, preferring instead to travel by train. The agent kindly voided that ticket. I asked, several times, if the downline reservations would remain unaffected. He told me that by removing the unused flight from the itinerary, the other reservations would be intact. This was indeed the case. So, should anyone else need only two segments (better, need only one stopover), I recommend booking the required third for "use" upon arrival. Book the shortest possible route ($65, I think, at less than 100 or 150 miles). Cancel the reservation at the airline desk.

Thanks again to all for the help.