May 18, 2013 MAGIC EBTA - Who is with us?

[woody73]

. . . I can book one way Barcelona to Orlando via Miami for $1049 pp on American Airlines . . . Do you think this is a decent price?

If I could get that price for Barcelona to L.A., I would be very happy.

Woody

 

[valbob89]

thought this might make a nice magnet for my door:

 

[JenDen]

Val, Dennis and I are interested in shirts. We like the third option also. It would be great if we could get the $25.00/shirt like we did for Hawaii, but we understand that may not be possible.


I like your magnet design.

cheers, Jennifer

 

[valbob89]

Val, Dennis and I are interested in shirts. We like the third option also. It would be great if we could get the $25.00/shirt like we did for Hawaii, but we understand that may not be possible.


I like your magnet design.

cheers, Jennifer

Jennifer, I hope we get enough interest to get the lower price too. I thought I would handle the ordering like I did for the Hawaii cruise shirt order. Once we get an approved design I'll post it along with a form to give me your order info. When I know how many orders we anticipate I'll post the cost info I get from the shirt maker and the USPS shipping chart. I'll make sure everything about the costs and process are transparent to the group, just like I did the last time.

If you have any suggestions regarding the design or how to improve the ordering process, please don't hesitate to let me know.

Val

 

[padalyn]

where are people staying in Galveston? or Houston? I have my TA looking and we have been searching - so far most are running around 100 for a night. We have a rental car (somehow managed to get a one way for 63.00!!) So we don't mind going a little ways away.

Also - any word on hotels in Barcelona? We are staying for a few days, then going to DLRP (booking that one on DVC!)

The air I have found so far is 1005 for Barcelona to Paris/Paris to JFK on Air France...let me know if anyone finds it for less!!

Cayla

 

[MandyGirl]

where are people staying in Galveston? or Houston? I have my TA looking and we have been searching - so far most are running around 100 for a night. We have a rental car (somehow managed to get a one way for 63.00!!) So we don't mind going a little ways away.

Also - any word on hotels in Barcelona? We are staying for a few days, then going to DLRP (booking that one on DVC!)

The air I have found so far is 1005 for Barcelona to Paris/Paris to JFK on Air France...let me know if anyone finds it for less!!

Cayla

Galveston - not all hotels are out for booking yet for May 2013. Hotel Galvez and it's sister properties will become available for booking in September from what I was told when calling down there. I actually asked about group rates if we were to all want to save a few bucks.

Barcelona - We are still looking around, and the place we stayed last year has not opened up rates for June yet. We are also looking at apartments - a relative has had good luck with that in the past. (More room, less money, and a good thing when you have two kiddos with you!)

Airfare - if you consider a post-cruise visit at one the IcelandAir cities in Europe, which I think you mention Paris, you might luck out with great rates. They offer a free stopover in Iceland for up to 7 days with no additional fees (a great opportunity if that is on your bucket list).

I just checked random dates, and saw fares for next June from Paris CDG to Iceland (nonstop) to JFK (or BOS) nonstop for $455 each including all taxes. Going to another connecting US city with their codeshare (such as Dallas) made it increase to $595 total per person.

The dates I checked were June 4 (CDG-KEF) and June 7 (KEF-JFK), giving you some time in Iceland, which I have heard is beautiful.

With no stopover CDG-JFK (which connects in KEF) it is also just $455 any time from June 1 - June 11 looking at their calendar when booking. Including connection time in Iceland, you are looking at 10 hours 30 minutes, and no crazy connect times. Leave Paris at 8AM, at JFK at 12:30PM. Or leave Paris at 2:15PM, at JFK at 7:00 PM. All their flights from Europe connect at KEF (Iceland), and if you look at the flight routings when crossing the big pond, they often arch up north for the crossing.

When I was looking at flights for our family, we found booking directly through IcelandAir was cheaper than using CheapoAir.com by $125 a ticket.

I'd personally suggest looking at one routing to get from BCN to CDG for your time in Paris, and then look at IcelandAir to get home from Paris, especially if Iceland is something that intrigues you to stop a couple days. Don't hesitate to book both portions (to Paris, and to JFK) using different airlines since you are stopping in Paris anyway. Just my two cents...

 

[MandyGirl]

And looking at Barcelona to Paris... take a peek at EasyJet.

http://www.easyjet.com/EN

They offer nonstop flights BCN - CDG. Although they do not include luggage, you can add that on for a fee. Their schedule is only open through March 24 right now, but clicking a random date in March, it was €27.99 (including admin fee).

Adding luggage:
1 Cases
1 x €14.00
20kg total combined weight.
You’re saving €14.00 by pre-booking compared to paying at airport
(And you can actually book higher weights of luggage to check - this was the minimum)

So I believe even with the exchange rate and adding luggage, you can get to Paris at an affordable rate if the rates are similar when they go on sale for June.
€27.99 + €28 (assuming two bags) = $68 when doing the conversion calculator

Add that to the $455 CDG-KEF-JFK on IcelandAir (you check two bags free on IcelandAir) I bet you save several hundred dollars per person.

$ 68 EasyJet BCN-CDG
$455 IcelandAir CDG-KEF-JFK
------
$523 grand total per person including all fees
(now you have extra money you could spend a night or two in Iceland!)

Hope this helps some!

 

[MandyGirl]

And then the math nerd in me has to figure out percent saved... since I just worked with a student on it today LOL:

Your original quote: $1049
Possible EasyJet / IcelandAir: $523
Percent of change: 50.14% saved -- that's like a two-for-one special

That is assuming the EasyJet rates in June are comparable to March that they have showing today on their website. They have four nonstops a day in March from BCN-CDG.... would hope that is the same in early June.

Conversion calculator I used

 

[MandyGirl]

Cayla - I am still poking around with airfares because we have other family members who may be joining us now, and I am usually their planner who books everything. I peeked for you. Definitely look at IcelandAir's website directly. The June 4 CDG-JFK I looked at for $453 just now on IcelandAir... on Orbitz the same exact flights are $590 (same date/times/airline/cities).

Orbitz:

Depart
2:15 PM
Paris , France
Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) Terminal 1
Stop 1
3:45 PM
Reykjavik , Iceland
Keflavik Int'l airport (KEF)
Change of planes. Time between flights: 1hr 15min

Depart
5:00 PM
Reykjavik , Iceland
Keflavik Int'l airport (KEF)
Arrive
7:00 PM
New York, NY , United States
Kennedy Airport (JFK) Terminal 7

Your current trip cost
Flight
Adult: 1
$331.00
Airfare taxes and fees
$258.90
Total due at booking
$589.90


By comparison of checking the exact same itinerary on http://www.icelandair.us/ :

passengers flights Taxes, fees and surcharges booking fee
1 adult(s) x (182 + 259 + 12) = 453 USD
total for all passengers 453 USD

I also checked the flights for other dates in June, such as June 7 (Friday) and the same rates were showing up. Booking direct on IcelandAir's website saves you about $137 per ticket

Having never flown IcelandAir, we also researched their safety record. Green is good, and the more negative green it is, the better safety record it is:
http://planecrashinfo.com/rates.htm

 

[padalyn]

Cayla - I am still poking around with airfares because we have other family members who may be joining us now, and I am usually their planner who books everything. I peeked for you. Definitely look at IcelandAir's website directly. The June 4 CDG-JFK I looked at for $453 just now on IcelandAir... on Orbitz the same exact flights are $590 (same date/times/airline/cities).

Orbitz:

Depart
2:15 PM
Paris , France
Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) Terminal 1
Stop 1
3:45 PM
Reykjavik , Iceland
Keflavik Int'l airport (KEF)
Change of planes. Time between flights: 1hr 15min

Depart
5:00 PM
Reykjavik , Iceland
Keflavik Int'l airport (KEF)
Arrive
7:00 PM
New York, NY , United States
Kennedy Airport (JFK) Terminal 7

Your current trip cost
Flight
Adult: 1
$331.00
Airfare taxes and fees
$258.90
Total due at booking
$589.90


By comparison of checking the exact same itinerary on http://www.icelandair.us/ :

passengers flights Taxes, fees and surcharges booking fee
1 adult(s) x (182 + 259 + 12) = 453 USD
total for all passengers 453 USD

I also checked the flights for other dates in June, such as June 7 (Friday) and the same rates were showing up. Booking direct on IcelandAir's website saves you about $137 per ticket

Having never flown IcelandAir, we also researched their safety record. Green is good, and the more negative green it is, the better safety record it is:
http://planecrashinfo.com/rates.htm

wow..Mandy you weren't kidding when you said typing out loud!!! I am going to check those sites out today. At those prices we will be booking ASAP. We are still looking for hotels in Tx and Spain. Please, if you decide to do a group rate - keep us in the loop. Cathy is on the FB page much more than I am - I am the Diser of the pair!

We are really excited about this whole trip - Cathy has just started cruising and did her first DCL trip last Nov - this Nov will be her 6th! She is gold already - less than a year!! (I think this may be a record or something). I am doing the last of the 4-3-2-1 cruises - but Cathy didn't get to the west coast for the Wonder...what is 4-3-2-1? 4 ships, 3 ports, 2 coasts in 1 year! (good thing the Magic was in NYC! We got three cruises in without air!) Well, during the first of the NYC cruises we were talking about how much we both love sea days, we had heard they discounted the TA but until I called DVC and found out that both of us could sail for the points of one typically we hashed it about for a week - and booked it! She is paying for the air/hotel/onboard costs as my graduation present. I am picking up the hotels all the way around and food is being split...so this is the trip of a lifetime for her and my graduation present also a kind of pre-honeymoon for us! We are getting married in Oct so we are hoping to really relax before all the craziness of the wedding takes over.

 

[MandyGirl]

Will do for Galveston. I will be down there in September to watch the Magic cruise in to Texas for the first time, and hope to check out hotels firsthand.

I don't know if you use credit cards, or how long you are in Paris, but if you get the Hyatt Visa card, you receive a free certificate for two nights at ANY of their properties. That DOES include the Park Hyatt Paris

http://paris.vendome.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels-paris-vendome/index.jsp?null

Although the credit card charges a $75 annual fee, get it, use your two night stay at a place that is normally $600+ a night, then cancel the card. You'll REALLY impress her with that surprise!! Just looking at a 2-night stay checking in June 1, that place is $640 per night for two adults in a queen room plus tax. You get both for that $75 annual fee. Would want to get the credit card soon so you get the certificates and hold a room. That credit card also does not charge international transaction fees, so great to use abroad. It's not Disney, but looks "WOW!"

Reviews: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re..._Hyatt_Paris_Vendome-Paris_Ile_de_France.html

 

[CINGULARONE@YAHOO.CO]

If I could get that price for Barcelona to L.A., I would be very happy.

Woody

As a point of reference (not that it will mean anything) - I was able to book ATL-BCN (non-stop_ for an OCT WBTA for $480. The prices being shown on the consolidators for May are still on the high side.

Hope all is well-

 

[valbob89]

As a point of reference (not that it will mean anything) - I was able to book ATL-BCN (non-stop_ for an OCT WBTA for $480. The prices being shown on the consolidators for May are still on the high side.

Hope all is well-

Good Price. October WBTA? Which cruise line?

 

[CINGULARONE@YAHOO.CO]

Good Price. October WBTA? Which cruise line?

Royal Caribbean (Liberty of the Seas).

Hope all is well-

 

[woody73]

As a point of reference (not that it will mean anything) - I was able to book ATL-BCN (non-stop_ for an OCT WBTA for $480.

That's a great price.

Woody

 

[kris3kid]

Our ta just got our flights set, pre night stay and post night stays in Barcelona and the transportation. feels like it is getting more real. now the saving to pay for it all begins.

 

[tigger2on]

How did you do price wise for your flight back?
So far the best I have found is $1400 for 4 of us.

 

[kaseyC]

Our ta just got our flights set, pre night stay and post night stays in Barcelona and the transportation. feels like it is getting more real. now the saving to pay for it all begins.

Congrats. I felt the same once flights and such were booked.

 

[kris3kid]

How did you do price wise for your flight back?
So far the best I have found is $1400 for 4 of us.

After spending lots of time searching flights, different airlines, flight times, and transportation costs we decided to go with the Disney air. It is costing us $1187. pp.
Looking into it on my own I found the best flight from Sac. to Houston was running $175. pp on southwest then a night in a hotel. Disney Transportation was the cheapest I found that included both ways was $70 pp. Flights home I could get us to the east coast cheaper at about $550.00 but then needed to get us to California at another $300. All this without tax was adding up to $1195.00 without transportation in Barcelona. We will be going out of San Jose because out of Sac with Disney was a crazy $700.00 pp more so a short drive is worth the savings.
Looking into all the different areas it was the same cost to do Disney and they take care of all the details and booking. We are also staying at the Renaissance Hotel through Disney for two nights after because they will take us to the hotel after the cruise and then to the airport the day we fly out as well.
We thought alot about doing it on our own, I grew up in Europe traveling all over so the whole doing it on our own was not an issue. The idea of being out on the ocean and who knows what is happening in the world but knowing that Disney is there to switch whatever needs to be done was a settaling feeling, and having that at the same basic price.....and the best part they take care of the luggage the whole time We went for the Disney.

 

[woody73]

. . . The idea of being out on the ocean and who knows what is happening in the world but knowing that Disney is there to switch whatever needs to be done was a settling feeling . . .

That is a valuable consideration.

We were on the 2010 Magic EBTA when Iceland had a volcanic eruption that created the infamous ash cloud that grounded flights throughout Europe.

Those who booked Disney air were given flight assistance onboard. Those who didn't were given the phone numbers to contact the airlines directly (ship-to-shore phone rates applied).

Woody