help from the more flight-savvy - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

**juliagulia** · 05-30-2010, 03:03 PM

So, since asking TPunkers has only ever led to good things (I got a one way ticket to Dublin for less than $300 last time!), I figured I would try my luck once more.

I'm trying to find a flight to visit my boyfriend in Belfast in December 2010/January 2011 (preferably leaving Christmas night and coming back MLK Jr. day). I'm not buying it until August or so, but I wanted to get an idea of how much money I need to save (therefore, how many hours a week I'll need to work this summer [

]). They are... a lot more expensive than I remembered from last year when I was trying to get a one-way ticket and looked at round-trip tickets out of curiosity.

The cheapest ones I'm finding are from NYC to Dublin (but they're still more expensive than I anticipated), but I really don't want to take a bus all the way to NY on Christmas day and then take a trans-atlantic flight just to take another bus all the way to Belfast. And then have to do it all over again a few weeks later. So, I was thinking of getting a flight from DC/Baltimore to Dublin, then taking a bus, then trying to find a ticket from Belfast to DC/Baltimore?? I mean... I can't find any options like that... Is that even possible? Are one-way tickets from different locations all that more expensive than round-trip tickets?

Bah. I just really don't think I'll be able to afford a ticket in the $1000 range (DC to Belfast), and NYC to Dublin is just... ugh, it makes me exhausted just thinking about it.

This isn't really pressing at the moment... I'm going to save up and hope that there's a good deal going on in August and that I've made enough money by then. But just in case someone stumbles upon great deals to Ireland, or finds a search engine that lets you change your departure and arrival cities (

), let me know!

**Elizabeth** · 05-31-2010, 03:36 AM

U can fly Aer Lingus DC - Dublin. Just wait for their sale to come out (maybe in the end of July??). Depending on your dates I can't imagine it being $600 RT MAX. I got a JFK - DUB $370 RT ticket last yr from their sale and the range of dates for flying included yours as well.

Otherwise maybe someone will come up with a great ticket for u!

**marc873** · 05-31-2010, 09:46 AM

I agree with Liz, Aer Lingus is more than likely the best shot and they do a lot of fare sales... The busses, well what can you do....

**juliagulia** · 05-31-2010, 09:40 PM

Bah!! I wish they gave me a warning about these sales! A few months advance notice would be nice :P

Okay, okay. I'll hold my horses. I'm already registered for those obnoxious emails from Aer Lingus, so hopefully something will come up for my dates. Thanks Lizz! I keep forgetting about them, mostly because when I normally check on their website, the prices are significantly higher than anywhere else--gotta pay for the sales somehow, I guess!

**juliagulia** · 05-31-2010, 09:40 PM

Bah!! I wish they gave me a warning about these sales! A few months advance notice would be nice :P

Okay, okay. I'll hold my horses. I'm already registered for those obnoxious emails from Aer Lingus, so hopefully something will come up for my dates. Thanks Lizz! I keep forgetting about them, mostly because when I normally check on their website, the prices are significantly higher than anywhere else--gotta pay for the sales somehow, I guess!

**Elizabeth** · 06-01-2010, 02:33 AM

I'm not modding this...Julia you truly are the double post queen!

**juliagulia** · 06-01-2010, 08:53 AM

Wtf!!! Ughh, I hate my computer. The space bar does that too...it'll add more spaces where I only want one. That's another thing--I was hoping on saving enough to buy a plane ticket AND a new laptop, but it looks like you all will have to deal with my double posts/extra spaces for a couple of more months. Going to school and working at the same time SUCKS.

Cheer123 · 06-24-2010, 11:18 AM

Ill check that out! thanks!

**juliagulia** · 07-30-2010, 10:24 PM

Bought my ticket, bought my ticket, bought my ticket!!!

I got it for the dates I wanted (Dec 27-Jan 12) from the most convenient airport (BWI) with the shortest layovers I could find (though I WAS tempted to stay overnight at Amsterdam for one of my layovers...

).

I didn't get the cheapest ticket (with taxes, fees and insurance it ended up being $630), but I was trying as all hell to not get Delta since I keep hearing horror stories about them and last time I flew with them they changed my itinerary less than a week before my original flight. I figured I would kick myself more for not spending the extra $30 to get US Airways if something went wrong with Delta than I would for not being more frugal.

SO!! It's all set! Every time Gerard and I visit each other, I like to have the next time we'll see each other set in stone, just because it makes it a lot easier when which ever one of us leaves, so I'm super stoked to have bought my ticket for December out of the way a week before he gets here!

(By the way, I'm going to try really hard to not make this a double post.)

**expatben** · 07-30-2010, 10:41 PM

Congrats Julia!! Both on the flight and not double posting!

**Elizabeth** · 07-31-2010, 07:06 AM

Congrats chica! The extra $30 is worth it!

**juliagulia** · 07-31-2010, 07:32 AM

Yeah, after I spoke with you, I remembered how soon before my flight they randomly rebooked on me, so I'm glad I coughed up the extra $30 for that tiny bit of reassurance. I think I could have gotten cheaper if I waited on aer lingus and their sales (they put out their winter sales earlier this month, but it only extended until Dec. 16), but like I said, I wanted to get this booked before Gerard got here...

(Also, Ben, I DID double post, but I made sure to check and deleted it almost as soon as it happened...

)