Need help purchasing tickets and other advice

[Sleepy]

I need to purchase a plane ticket to Italy for my son (age 12) and myself. The date will be more definite around March, but for now I have been told anytime around end of May or beginning of June. I have never purchased a ticket before and never traveled alone, so I am terrified. I have no idea where to begin.

I have the understanding that my options are buying directly from the airline or going through a place like Orbitz. I have no experience with how those discount places work, but the main thing I am looking at is reliability and cost. Mostly in that order. A discounted ticket though a 2nd party does me no good if the airline has no record of purchase and I am out a plane ride. I have heard of this happening to people with hotel reservations and this is what I fear.

I don't know about all these fees, etc. I did a bit of looking and Delta seems to have the majority of flights to Italy. On their website they can give me a schedule and a price, but it states there are fees, etc and one of them being international, could be more than $250 per ticket. If I do the same with a place like Orbitz, are there added fees the same as if I go directly through an airline? If I buy from a place like Orbitz, will I get a seat next to my son? I don't want him away from me.

I know nothing of flying so I need advice like how much time to allow between connections. If I stick with the same airline, do I have to collect my baggage between connections?

With the 6 hour time difference, I am worried about jetlag. This trip is not for pleasure. We are moving to Naples in July, but I have to make this quick trip for my son to audition for a ballet school. (please, leave the immature comments to yourself, thanks). He just turned 12 and I need to assure he is well rested and at peak performance for the audition. Do you think 2 full days between the arrival and audition is enough time to become adjusted to time difference? Will I need more time for him to rest? While I would love to get out and sightsee, we have a mission so we will only be focused on resting in the hotel before audition.
Thanks in advance.

 

[mudnuri]

Okay let's see if I can help a bit...

1st off don't worry too much about jet lag, more than likely your son and you will sleep most of the flight.

Im not sure where your flying out of, but if alitalia flies from there, try them. They are the Itailan Airline, like Air France etc..

I would buy an international ticket directly from the airline since this is your first time, you can call their 800 number and ask all the questions you just asked here regarding fee's etc...

Congratulations for your son, it sounds like a really big deal considering theres an audtition etc..!! I'm sure he will be so excited about it, that even if he were jetlagged nobody would notice.

You want to book all of your flights with the same airline, these connections will be guarantee'd...they will not put you on a flight with an invalid connection. They know how long it takes to get from one gate to another. If you book your seperate domestic tickets from another airline and it's delayed, your international carrier does NOT have to reprotect you. You can buy them all at the same time...for instance, I would buy mine from Mancheter, NH to Florence, but I would fly a domestic carrier from Mancheter to Boston...Delta would sell me the entire ticket, that way if something happens on either flight, and they are delayed, I am reconfirmed on the next available flight.

No you do not collect your baggage, it will be tagged with your final destination. I assume you'll be making a connection here in the states, and then again in Rome, or Florence. Make sure in your carry-on you have the stuff that your son NEEDS for his audtion, whatever clothing and shoes etc.. that way if your luggage happens to arrive someplace your not, he'll have his stuff. YOu can always buy regular clothes when you get there, but not necessarily the stuff he needs.

You BOTH will need passports, I STRONGLY suggest you get this taken care of ASAP as they can take up to 8 weeks to get back.

Any more questions shoot them out, I'll try to help you...I worked as an international travel agent for 4 years, even though we dealt with group travel, I'm pretty well versed. Also- a good thing to do is get online and get a map of the airports your connecting in, once you know the answer...that way you can see where the bathrooms are, and where the different gates are.

Also- RELAX, you guys will have fun, and I'm sure your son will do wonderfully!

I can't imagine the thrill he must have, auditioning to a ballet in Italy...just going would be any persons dream....Congrats again to him!

Brandy

 

[Sleepy]

Thanks Brandi,

We would be flying from Norfolk to JFK to Rome to Naples. I have seen Delta does all 3 and the time between arriving and leaving JFK is 46 minutes on one of the suggested schedules through Orbitz. Thats seems close. I would feel better with closer to 2 hours although that causes me to travel much longer overall (they do offer other schedules with longer layovers)....this is my first time and again, I am frightened of missing a connection.

SO that I understand, if I purchase through a place like Orbitz and they have a schedule totally Delta, are the connections still guaranteed even though I did not buy directly from Delta? I am starting to fear these discounted places as you use words like guaranteed. Sounds a bit like purchasing a tv through a Not authorized dealer thus voiding a warantee. I don't want to pay 5 arms and legs for a ticket, but I don't want to be out of a plane ride either. Getting to my destination is most important. If I have lost you, I aplogize...lol.

Thanks for the suggestion about the luggage. I had considered what would happen if they lost our luggage, so I planned to have my sons carry contain all audition wear, etc.

We just had passport applications filled out 2 weeks ago. Since you deal with travel details, can you maybe tell me something......We are military and they did a NO FEE Passport on base. Will my no fee passport work BEFORE we actually move to Italy? If not, what do I do about getting a regular passport? Our birth certificates went to the state dept with the no fee passport applications. There is no way they will come back in time for me to get a regular passport before this trip. Have I confused you again? ...lol

Thank you for the kind words about my son. yes, he is very talented. In his 4th year and a member of a local ballet company. We are very proud of him and yes, he is very excited about proving his talent. This school is one of the best in Europe and oldest in Italy.

 

[mudnuri]

, if I purchase through a place like Orbitz and they have a schedule totally Delta, are the connections still guaranteed even though I did not buy directly from Delta?

Yes, they are guaranteed. A lot of carriers have very close connections domestically. DH was just heading to Knoxville, with a connection in Detroit, that was 42 minutes, his travel agent said it was fine. I told him NO WAY...Flying out of Hartford in December- SNOW!!! I called her and tried to get him reprotected on an earlier flight out of hartford, she wouldnt do it...long story short, he spent 4 1/2 hours in Detroit waiting, since he was delayed out of Hartford for 52 minutes...

I will tell you this, I have NEVER purchased airline tickets from anyone other than the airline. We've flown many time domestically in the past 5-6 years, and I've always checked the airline prices through the 800# first, then online at their site, and whichever was cheaper I went with. Not that theres anything wrong with orbitz, or travelocity etc... but I like knowing I'm dealing directly with the airline. I've also never booked a hotel room through one of those sites either..always with the hotels website or directly with them. Piece of mind I guess?

My understanding is that a nofee passport is the same as a regular one. My uncle always had a "military passport" and travelled a lot when he was on leave etc... I would think they take the same time as the regular ones, and your birth certificates will be back in 6-8 weeks with your passport. Your passport is valid once the state department authorizes it and sends it back to you, I've never heard of a waiting period, or it being valid only when you are deployed, which I'm assuming is whats going on with your DH?

I use to take ballet when I was little, always loved it though wasn't that gracefull! DD's want nothing to do with it...figures huh? I do have 1 interested in playing Pee Wee football when she's 11....doesnt help that my Neice playes!

Good luck
Brandy

 

[Sleepy]

Originally posted by mudnuri
I will tell you this, I have NEVER purchased airline tickets from anyone other than the airline. We've flown many time domestically in the past 5-6 years, and I've always checked the airline prices through the 800# first, then online at their site, and whichever was cheaper I went with. Not that theres anything wrong with orbitz, or travelocity etc... but I like knowing I'm dealing directly with the airline. I've also never booked a hotel room through one of those sites either..always with the hotels website or directly with them. Piece of mind I guess?

That is my main concern........I want peace of mind. I guess i will probably do the same with these airline tickets.

If I go through the airline, does it make a difference to the price of the tickets when you purchase them? Trip is May/June timeframe and I won't be able to purchase till around March. I know that is close. Will it be too late to have seats available that close to a holiday and will the price increase the closer the date gets?