# "Open Jaw" flights for our Europe trip summer 2013



## senorak (Jan 12, 2013)

Planning our summer trip to London & Paris.  Flying into London; one week stay in apartment found on Holiday Lettings.  Taking Eurostar to Paris, for one week stay at Royal Regency in Vincennes, then flying home out of Paris.  In searching for airfares, I am finding rates right around $1500.  (Five of us traveling, including my father and his wife--couple in mid-late 60's).  We want direct/nonstop flights, (I know there are cheaper flights w/ changing planes).  Right now....my choices seem to be USAir out of Philly (closest airport to us....less than an hour away) for a little over $1500pp OR United out of Newark for about $100 less pp, (almost 2 hours away).  We DON'T want flights out of JFK.  All of the above flights will arrive in Heathrow; and leave from Charles de Gaulle.  Any thoughts/opinions?  I looked into British Air, (from Newark), but they were at least $200 pp more expensive.
Been to London & Paris several times....but it was always as the "leader" of a student tour, and all the arrangements were made by the tour company.  This is the first time I am making all the arrangements myself, so it's a bit overwhelming/scary.  Will be my father's first trip to Europe.

DEB


----------



## Carolinian (Jan 13, 2013)

You are doing it right to avoid the big UK TATL APD, flying into London, and returning from Paris.  Eurostar has had a big London/Paris sale recently, but I do not know if it is still going on.

I do not mind connecting flights, especially when it involves collecting more ff miles, but looking at only direct flights does limit your price advantages but limiting your selection.  Airlines also somes tend to charge more for direct flights.


----------



## senorak (Jan 13, 2013)

If it was just my daughter and I, connecting flights would not be a problem.  But having my father and his wife, (and probably my aunt), joining us....I want to keep things as simple as possible.  (Plus, my father and his wife asked for direct flights.)
I've been checking for Eurostar tickets, but it's my understanding they become available 120 days prior to travel?  Nothing showing up yet for my late July travel dates.

Deb


----------



## beejaybeeohio (Jan 13, 2013)

*Frail Father?*

Ideally, nonstop flights are great. For a couple of years we had direct flights from CLE to LHR and CDG offered by Continental but we were never able to take advantage of those routings.  So DH & I, who are above your father's age, always have to connect from here to Europe- sometimes needing more than one connection if we are heading to a destination such as Florence or flying out of Venice.

If there is plenty of connect time, the price savings may just be worth the minor inconvenience of connecting, especially if your father is in good health and average physical condition.


----------



## PStreet1 (Jan 14, 2013)

Yes, you might look at connecting flights and see what the difference in price is.  As long as you don't have hours to wait and aren't hauling suitcases, connecting isn't bad--and we, too, are older.  Sometimes it's kind of nice to get off the plane, walk around a bit, even eat something that isn't placed across your lap.

Because we normally use miles for our tickets to/from Europe, we generally have connecting flights, but we are sometimes quite pleased with the break, though we don't start out as far east as you are so that makes a difference, too.  We often find, too, that we wind up changing the flight because it's rare for the airline not to change the schedule--and if they change it too much, when you complain, you generally wind up with a significantly better flight


----------



## senorak (Jan 14, 2013)

Neither my father nor his wife is frail.  They are both healthy and very active, so I don't think think changing flights would be difficult.  They just like the convenience of a direct flight.  Plus, in my searches, I've found that only one leg has a reasonable wait/layover, (4 hours or less), while the other direction has a wait/layover of 10 hours or more.  NO WAY do any of us want to hang out in an airport for that length of time, and if we'd have to get a hotel, that would defeat the purpose of the $$ saved.  
I will keep looking, though.  Thanks for the advice.

DEB


----------



## beejaybeeohio (Jan 15, 2013)

senorak said:


> Neither my father nor his wife is frail.  They are both healthy and very active, so I don't think think changing flights would be difficult.  They just like the convenience of a direct flight.  Plus, in my searches, I've found that only one leg has a reasonable wait/layover, (4 hours or less), while the other direction has a wait/layover of 10 hours or more.  NO WAY do any of us want to hang out in an airport for that length of time, and if we'd have to get a hotel, that would defeat the purpose of the $$ saved.
> I will keep looking, though.  Thanks for the advice.
> 
> DEB



10 hours is ridiculous!  4's not bad, especially with all that seems to interfere with flights being on time of late, it could end up being half that time.  Good luck in your quest!


----------



## Carolinian (Jan 15, 2013)

beejaybeeohio said:


> 10 hours is ridiculous!  4's not bad, especially with all that seems to interfere with flights being on time of late, it could end up being half that time.  Good luck in your quest!



Actually, I love long layovers in places like Vienna, Paris, Amsterdam, Zurich, and London where it gives me a chance to go into the city a bit.


----------

