please, this is part of my travle planning to Germany this summer.
I never went with one of those places before but today i by coincidence clicked on Orbitz ad and i got a better deal than directly thru Delta and now may be flying in the mid summer and not the end of may-end june. I got a cheaper price thru orbitz (500 per person) eventho it had one layover. Anyway, I was hoping all my fellow travelsavy mamas can help me. This is just one of my many ??? I will be asking before I book my tickets lol!

I need to be able to book one adult, child (4) and infant (Lap) .....I was told not all sites let you book an infant thru their site.

My brother flies frequently and he likes Travelocity. I have booked thru them before. The one thing about Priceline is you have to take what they offer you - even if it's a flight in the middle of the night - which isn't so great if you have kids. With Travelocity you can at least pick your own flight times. I booked once thru them with a baby on my lap, and just called Delta direct after I booked and told them I'd be traveling that way. It worked out fine, but this was 4 years ago.

PS Bring me back some toddler board books in German please. LOL!

Evi..

I know A LOT about getting European flights.. We are leaving May 3rd for a month, going to Spain...and we got them for $550 round trip.

I have gone through travelocity before for European flights...it was the cheapest way ONCE...other times, it hasn't been. We fly every summer, so this is what I have found..

Explore your options.. Get a local travel agent, get on-line, get on the phone...and TAKE NOTES. Get a notebook and take clear notes (including peoples names that you talk to!). You can get one deal on the phone with Delta and get another on-line with Delta, it depends on the minute.

We have done it so many ways, so many times that I have found you give yourself a window of time find a ticket. Lets say, you start looking today, and decide to purchase by April 15th. No later. Giving yourself a window MAKES you go look...if not, you can forget, leave it, come back to it, what you found is out of date, etc, etc..and it takes forever.

I think you can find good deals on-line, and you can find good deals in other places. Also look into packages that include hotel or car rental, sometimes they are CHEAPER than just the flight.

Good luck! PM me if you want to talk!
Christina

Originally posted by shanleysmama
My brother flies frequently and he likes Travelocity. I have booked thru them before. The one thing about Priceline is you have to take what they offer you - even if it's a flight in the middle of the night - which isn't so great if you have kids. With Travelocity you can at least pick your own flight times. I booked once thru them with a baby on my lap, and just called Delta direct after I booked and told them I'd be traveling that way. It worked out fine, but this was 4 years ago.

PS Bring me back some toddler board books in German please. LOL!

I will check all the second hand stores like everytime for Kids books plus my friend who is a director of a pre-school always gives me TONS of books! lol! Last time i brought back 35 lbs of Kids books *grin.
If I end up with doubles (I have a ton already) I will post them here FS. If you are in a rush......there are two moms right now that I know of in Germany.....Antonia (who just moved there) and MILK42.

Thanks for the tip on Priceline.........I guess I am scratching that one off my list.
I have checked a lil bit and so far, orbits does not seem too bad. I can pick the flights.....don't have to take what they give me. They seem to give me a choice of flights etc....evne choices of non stop - 2 stops flights (I wanted non stop......but for a savings of 500 a person......I tote the kids around a airport If I have to lol)

Originally posted by midwesternmomma
Evi..

I know A LOT about getting European flights.. We are leaving May 3rd for a month, going to Spain...and we got them for $550 round trip.

I have gone through travelocity before for European flights...it was the cheapest way ONCE...other times, it hasn't been. We fly every summer, so this is what I have found..

Explore your options.. Get a local travel agent, get on-line, get on the phone...and TAKE NOTES. Get a notebook and take clear notes (including peoples names that you talk to!). You can get one deal on the phone with Delta and get another on-line with Delta, it depends on the minute.

We have done it so many ways, so many times that I have found you give yourself a window of time find a ticket. Lets say, you start looking today, and decide to purchase by April 15th. No later. Giving yourself a window MAKES you go look...if not, you can forget, leave it, come back to it, what you found is out of date, etc, etc..and it takes forever.

I think you can find good deals on-line, and you can find good deals in other places. Also look into packages that include hotel or car rental, sometimes they are CHEAPER than just the flight.

Good luck! PM me if you want to talk!
Christina

Thanks Christina! I never really shopped around too much, i was too lazy and wanted a non stop flight with DS and just called Delta direct every time (I cannot book it thru their site I was told since I have a infant in my lap and that needs to be done thru their agents they told me). I flew with DS 3 times so far non stop to Frankfurt.....but now that there are three of us AND DS has to pay for a full ticket (before he was still under 2...aka lap child). ONLY DD gets to be a lap child this time. Anyway, If I would fly now it would be cheaper, but i am booking my flights during Germans Urlaubs- (aka Vacation) season. Originally I was going to fly outside of the main Vacation season, but my family is so desperate to see me and to spend time with us (noone other than my mom has met DD....the only lil girl in the family ;) and they cannot wait to spend time in the sun......to take us to the Schwimmbad and to take us on short trips. Anyway, I will do what you suggested and start a folder with all notes of different places etc. I think I can handle a layover .........probably need to give me some time to make it to my next terminal with two kids.
DS is now older and can be a helper of sorts......DD just has to be in the sling or backcarrier. KWIM.
I def will PM if i have any ?.

Thanks,
Evi

PS> Ya know what is not fair......a trip from Germany to hereand back is almost half of what I have to pay from her to there and back. :(

Is Luftansa no longer in business? I found myself much happier on a european airline than on an american one. JMHO...

I also find Orbitz to be a good fare finder, but often get fares lower by calling the airline and telling them what is on orbitz or whatever. Delta (I'm in atlanta..it's the main airline here) is great on the phone for helping me get a few dollars off here and there :)

Doubt that will help, but I hadda say something LOL. I traveled to Frankfurt, going to Karlsruhe when Alexis was 4 and Jake was 1. Luftansa was fantastic.

Originally posted by Megmama
Is Luftansa no longer in business? I found myself much happier on a european airline than on an american one. JMHO...

I also find Orbitz to be a good fare finder, but often get fares lower by calling the airline and telling them what is on orbitz or whatever. Delta (I'm in atlanta..it's the main airline here) is great on the phone for helping me get a few dollars off here and there :)

Doubt that will help, but I hadda say something LOL. I traveled to Frankfurt, going to Karlsruhe when Alexis was 4 and Jake was 1. Luftansa was fantastic.

LOL.....I WISH I could afford Lufthansa.......they don't fly standart to Frankfurt from Cincinnati.....it would cost me 1700 per ticket to fly them.....and I would have to have a few layovers....one is enough for me. Delta is the only one that does non-stop from Cinci to Frankfurt. I def will keep the pages up when I call Delta etc......I just got one quote online that was for Delta (1072 per ticket......for non-stop.....that was 600 less for the SAME flight than at another discount place and 700 less than at Delta direct)

I am glad for all you Gals's tips!

I have been flying to europe for the past couple years mostly around summertime. I have so far ALWAYS found better prices by buying directly online from the airlines. I always shop around and try all the major european airlines. I have also found that prices can be different on the weekend and during the week. So my best advice is to try checking prices over a week or so. I got a 5 month ticket to Hungary for $500 with BA.
Good luck,

We were looking at Germany this year too...if you could have traveled before April, it was HALF of what it is now...it was cheaper to fly to Germany than to Hawaii! It was like $400 + from where I'm at. Now it's like $800 for the summer from here. Anyway, I found Travelocity to be cheaper.

Look Here:

www.hotwire.com
www.priceline.com
www.expedia.com
www.orbitz.com
www.travelocity.com

And check the major airlines' sites:

United
American Airlines
Luftansa (sp?)
Delta
etc.

Here are a few I found...with travel from now to August.

Round-Trip Price: USD 623.00+ Air France offers connecting service

Round-Trip Price: USD 623.00+ Northwest Airlines offers connecting service

Round-Trip Price: USD 623.00+ Lufthansa offers connecting service

Round-Trip Price: USD 623.00+ Alitalia offers connecting service

Round-Trip Price: USD 629.00+ American Airlines offers connecting service

Round-Trip Price: USD 639.00+ United Airlines offers connecting service

Round-Trip Price: USD 639.00+ US Airways offers connecting service

Round-Trip Price: USD 639.00+ KLM Airlines offers connecting service

Round-Trip Price: USD 639.00+ Continental Airlines offers connecting service

Round-Trip Price: USD 657.00+ British Airways offers connecting service

Round-Trip Price: USD 658.00+ Delta Air Lines offers non-stop service and connecting service

Originally posted by ~Heidi~
Here are a few I found...with travel from now to August.

Round-Trip Price: USD 623.00+ Air France offers connecting service

Round-Trip Price: USD 623.00+ Northwest Airlines offers connecting service

Round-Trip Price: USD 623.00+ Lufthansa offers connecting service

Round-Trip Price: USD 623.00+ Alitalia offers connecting service

Round-Trip Price: USD 629.00+ American Airlines offers connecting service

Round-Trip Price: USD 639.00+ United Airlines offers connecting service

Round-Trip Price: USD 639.00+ US Airways offers connecting service

Round-Trip Price: USD 639.00+ KLM Airlines offers connecting service

Round-Trip Price: USD 639.00+ Continental Airlines offers connecting service

Round-Trip Price: USD 657.00+ British Airways offers connecting service

Round-Trip Price: USD 658.00+ Delta Air Lines offers non-stop service and connecting service

Don't get cheap tickets even from Travelocity ........:( Cincinnati is known to be $$$ when it comes to their flights.

Are those fares high? I thought they were pretty reasonable (can you tell I don't fly much?).

With Priceline you can guarantee you don't fly in the middle of the night, but not much more than that. You can also limit the number of connections. I've gotten some awesome deals through them. I've used travelocity and orbitz as well, but got the best prices with Priceline.

Originally posted by ~Heidi~
Are those fares high? I thought they were pretty reasonable (can you tell I don't fly much?).

Heck no they are not high. The tix I found from Travelocity from Cinci were tho :(......i checked for cinci and on almost all the dates that were remotly reasonable.....they had no seats left. The lowest ticket I found was 811 (from Cincinnati)....same flight was 1700+ at the Delta site, it was even a lil lower if I go to Louiville or Columbus.....but not worth it if you consider that gas $.

I still need to call tho because they will not let me book a lap-child on TRavelocity ...only orbitz i think, so I will probably go with Orbits ($883) Will have to have a layover trip .....since I want to stay more than 30 days (the only reason I fly in the summer is so that i can have the kids enjoy time with all their relatives.....we don;t have any here in the US they can be around.

Heidi.....are you guys flying to Germany this summer then?

I don't know if it is too late but I would just like to suggest that after you find any flight with any website/travel agent.......always call the airlines directly and ask if they can discount it even more. It doesn't hurt and it only takes a few minutes. We saved $50 per tix on one vacation doing that.

Good Luck!