cgreer426

I've booked the hotels, but I ran into an obstacle when booking my flights. I have always done straight round-trip flights, and I hope someone can help with this slightly more complicated itinerary.

When we first looked into this, I quickly checked flights, and it seemed easy and not much more expensive to fly from Louisville to London, then to Madrid a few days later, then back to Louisville.

But now that I'm looking ready too book the flights, I'm having a problem with the flight times. The biggest problem is the flight from London to Madrid. I thought there would be plenty of nonstop, midday flights. But when I enter my information, that flight either leaves at 6 a.m. (not a good option), or it involves another stop and takes 10 or 12 hours.

And on some of the sites, I might get a good London-Madrid flight, but the other legs take 22 hours.

I've tried Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, Kayak, AAA and American Airlines. I've tried breaking out the London-Madrid leg and doing that separately. But I just can't get a good combination.

If anyone has a suggestion about options I'm not considering, I would really appreciate it.

Thanks!

nytraveler

Well going from London to Madrid is usually tourists (want an early fight to max their time there) or business (who want either early flight for a daytime meeting or a late flight for a meeting the next day).

I think you need to get the best transatlantic flights you can - since those are the longest legs - and then just pick the least objectionable London to Madrid and just suck it up.

DebitNM

you need to look at low cost airlines, not be locked into the trans-atlantic carrier.

use:
http://www.skyscanner.com/

DebitNM

[And the trips to Europe and home are done as multi-city or open jaw flights.]

CarolA

Your best bet is to book one flight Louisville London and return Madrid Louisville

Then book London Madrid separate. And your best options are probably going to be Easyjet and Ryanair (make sure you understand the luggage and seating costs ).

CarolA

Oh and while this will bring out the "you can't do that group" don't rule out a roundtrip. For example last year I booked a round trip London Paris with a return back to London long after I had actually returned home. A one way was $489. That round trio $159.

Yes, in theory they can charge you. In reality doing it once isn't going to result in this happening.

cgreer426

Good advice, all. Thanks very much. After I posted, I thought of trying Trip Advisor, which I've never used for flights. Prices and flights both were much better!

janisj

I had the same problem only my cities are London and Venice. I booked the the London and Venice flights but will use easyJet from London to Venice. easyJet has really cheap and really convenient flights out of Gatwick.

I'd guess it would be similar via Madrid -- use one of the budget airlines London > Madrid.

flanneruk

Your problem probably lies in the lack of clarity with which you've described it.

It's nonsense to say that " the flight from London to Madrid... either leaves at 6 a.m... or it involves another stop and takes 10 or 12 hours."

There are direct, nonstop, flights from Heathrow to Madrid more or less every hour.

What there aren't, though, are ANY flights to Madrid from Gatwick (or vv) that can be booked as part of a transatlantic flight. And, whenever I've flown from SDF to London, I've used a connection to CVG or ATL that got me into Gatwick.

It makes lots of sense to book a cheapo flight from any of London's six airports to Madrid separately from your transatlantic booking. It makes no sense whatever to book a return from Madrid to SDF that involves changing at Gatwick, or changing airports within the London system.

You need an open jaw SDF to whatever London airport's available, returning MAD-SDF. You then book the most convenient flight within Europe that you can get to from your hotel.

There's absolutely no need to book a fake London-Madrid return ("round trip", in some colonial dialects) ticket. Single cheapo London-Madrid fares are easily available through any booking engine.

CarolA

Well, it might make sense to book a cheap throw away round trip.

WHen I did this for Paris my otptions were "budget airlines" with strict luggage rules and "fees" or Air France without the game but wasting half a ticket. Same price eithe way. Guess which one I picked? LOL

Southam

Skyscanner.com, already mentioned, shows both easyJet and Ryanair with mid-afternoon flights to Madrid at very low cost if bought quite early (around $100 unless you really run up the supplementary charges).
British Air/Iberia run frequent mid-day flights but, using www.itasoftware.com for the same test period next spring, showed round-trip fares almost 50 per cent higher than the budget lines.

chapla

Lik the previous poster mentioned, Britiah Airways and Iberia have plenty of flights during the day.By the time you add the cost of getting from the airport where you arrive to the airports of the chesap airlines plus the luggage restrictions your cost will go up.up. up. Not worth it IMO.

lincasanova

listen to chapla.. and careful with all the luggage fees and restrictions. Look up multi-destinations to book.. also call airlines before locking in anything in case they have a good solution. Good luck.

Easyjet from Gatwick is easy to get to from London as is Heathrow. avoid Luton and Stansted even if price is tempting.

cgreer426

Thanks for all of your help, everyone. I think I have a solution through Trip Advisor.

BCNLucca

Tons of cheap flights from London to Madrid. You just need to decide on which London airport. You can fly Veuling, EasyJet, (I won't recommend Ryan Air or Monarch)...

go to Rumbo.es or Rumbo.com or edreams.com for flights to Spain

annhig

IME Ryanair is cleaning up its act and we were pleasantly surprised with our recent flights to Valencia and back. The only snag was the lack of check-in staff at Valencia but even that was just about bearable.

but I would still prefer Easyjet if available.

janisj

I'd have no problem at all w/ easyJet (as long as you carefully read/understand the luggage/check in rules). Even paying for the 'enhanced' boarding that allows larger carry ons, they are often much cheaper. Can save you hundreds of $$/€€/££

I tend to avoid RyanAir but <i>maybe</i> they are getting better . . . maybe.