pdx

First - Good morning to all....it's supposed to get up into the high 70's here in Portland and I have the day off! Yahoo!
I'm looking for advice on how to match up with our friends for the flight to France (not til next year). They will leave from Las Vegas and we will leave from PDX. I'm looking at itasoftware and printed out a list of flights for both cities but I'm wondering if there is a search engine or website that can figure this out. Nice or Marseille is the destination. Thanks.

Mimar

So you're looking for routings from Las Vegas and Portland, Oregon that arrive at the same airport at about the same time? I wouldn't try. Just arrive on the same day and each set of travelers get themselves to the same hotel. You can meet up at the hotel. I assume you're not going to try to drive immediately after the long flight from the west coast?

Gretchen

Look at the connecting city and meet there for the same flight.

rex

I don't think that is what pdx is asking. Seeking a common gateway city so that both itineraries will share the same trans-oceanic flight.

Seems like you have oodles of choices:

AA or United: via Chicago
NW: via Detroit
DL: via Atlanta
USAir: via Philadelphia

countless others, no doubt...

Best wishes,

Rex

Christina

I'm not sure I understand this, but it seems the most logical place would be New York City -- for the most flight choices, and best prices.

I would not choose Delta or USAir or NOrthwest (mentioned above) for various reasons have to do with the airlines themselves and their instability and possible flight problems. I would choose United or Air France, probably, or maybe Continental from Newark. I would not book Delta rather than Air France, even in a codeshare (and AF usually has cheaper prices for the same flight). Really, if any airline has a nonstop to Nice or Marseille from somewhere in the US, I'd consider that. I think there might be from New York.

pdx

I think what I was looking for was probably what we pay travel agents for...someone else to do the work. From the bit of searching I have done Delta has a (reasonably priced) flight that matches us up at JFK. Delta isn't very popular right now but might be stable by the time I'm ready to buy tickets in the fall.

cantstayhome

Another way to approach is to determine whether you all have access to a discount airline into a certain gateway city (JFK, Chicago, etc.), then put a watch on airfares through Expedia, Orbitz, or one of those guys for your transatlantic and just buy when you feel the price is right. We just did a trip with people in Boston, Houston, and Chicago coming together. We decided to all go together from Boston, booked those flights, then the others watched for good flights to Boston and bought them when appropriate. Don't know if this helps, but good luck!