Confessions of a YYC Travel Junkie

[cmyden]

Similar to their South America price drops, now Aeromexico is offering some pretty crazy prices to Central America.

The flights are about as fast as these destinations can be done from YYC. Some dry season dates are available (November, early December)

Dates:
August, September, October
-- dry season begins --
November, December

Calgary to Managua, Nicaragua - $294 CAD roundtrip including taxes
http://yycdeals.com/calgary-to-manag...ncluding-taxes
(see update at very bottom)


Calgary to Guatemala City, Guatemala (GUA) -- $348 CAD roundtrip
Calgary to San Salvador, El Salvador (SAL) -- $348 CAD roundtrip
http://yycdeals.com/calgary-to-guate...ncluding-taxes
(see update at very bottom)

-

[Wormius]

What is the likelihood of success for getting on a flight at a connecting city rather than your original departure city? Will airlines ever work with you on this or is it a lost cause? We have a flight leaving Paris but connects in Amsterdam prior to heading back to Calgary. After some consideration, it would make more sense to leave fro Amsterdam instead of having to head back to Paris.

[billybob123]

Originally Posted by Wormius

What is the likelihood of success for getting on a flight at a connecting city rather than your original departure city? Will airlines ever work with you on this or is it a lost cause? We have a flight leaving Paris but connects in Amsterdam prior to heading back to Calgary. After some consideration, it would make more sense to leave fro Amsterdam instead of having to head back to Paris.

If you don't show up for the first segment, the entire flight will be cancelled. You can call the airline to see what it would cost to refare the return flight from Amsterdam rather than Paris - but you'll be on the hook for change fees and any fare difference. It's not necessarily very customer-friendly but that's the way they work.

At least it's only a few hours train ride from Amsterdam to Paris?

Enjoy your trip!

ETA: if your plans suit, next trip you can book an 'open jaw' (multi-city) that arrives in one city and departs from the other - there are restrictions on these types of trips (open segment has to be shorter than the other two) but it's not much of a problem in Europe.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Question, if my wife and I are travelling to Europe together, but coming home on different dates is it possible to book that on the same itinerary? Or are we better to do that separate?

Thanks!

Any thoughts on this?

[billybob123]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Any thoughts on this?

You can't book two different flight dates on one intinerary - unless you are doing one-way to Europe and one-way back. What you can do is book the itineraries separately and then call the airline and ask that the record with the outbound flights to Europe be linked. They may not be able to do much more than make a notation in the reservation but that way if there are cancellations or delays, there is at least a note there stating that the two people travelling are together.

[Fuzz]

Great thanks, good to know.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Question, if my wife and I are travelling to Europe together, but coming home on different dates is it possible to book that on the same itinerary? Or are we better to do that separate?

Thanks!

Be prepared for the questions at customs on why you left your wife in Europe.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by topfiverecords

be prepared for the questions at customs on why you left your wife in europe. my wife sent me home from vacation early

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

His name is Antonio, and he makes great pottery out of his clay.

[Fuzz]

Germany, actually. So more like Dietrich making sausages...oh no!

[Wormius]

So, kind of an odd thing happened with Airbnb that is leaving me a bit uncomfortable. I booked a place for a pretty reasonable price and had it confirmed. I went back later to the listing to show my wife some pictures, and the daily rate is now more than double what it was before, and there are now extra fees for guests and such. I checked the dates, and the price has changed for the dates before and after my booking, so it wasn't some kind of seasonal shift. Is this a red flag that I will probably get my reservation cancelled or attempted to be renegotiated at some point before my trip? It just seems very odd that it happened over the course of the day. I messaged the host as diplomatically as possible and hope to hear a reasonable explanation for it, but still we are at their whim if they decide to change our rate at the last minute.

For perspective, the rates went from $156 CDN per night with no extra guest fees, to $284 CDN and a fee of $78 per extra guest so $440 in total per night, which is totally out of the question. Even though it is a very nice apartment.

Thoughts?

[Amethyst]

They are allowed to change rates at the last minute? I've never used Airbnb but that sounds like a crazy policy. Maybe they realized after they got your booking that they weren't charging enough and decided to change their rates, but I think once they've accepted something, they shouldn't be able to change it whenever they want. But, as I've said, I've never used the service.

[Fuzz]

Anyone fly on BA 788 to Heathrow? I'm reading that the seats are quit tight, and tempted to take 39 B and C. H and J are taken.

https://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Br...eing_787-8.php

The only other option is 30 B and C (exit row). Price is about the same.

Thoughts? Is the the same or worse than the Rouge 767's as far as seat space goes?

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by Wormius

So, kind of an odd thing happened with Airbnb that is leaving me a bit uncomfortable. I booked a place for a pretty reasonable price and had it confirmed. I went back later to the listing to show my wife some pictures, and the daily rate is now more than double what it was before, and there are now extra fees for guests and such. I checked the dates, and the price has changed for the dates before and after my booking, so it wasn't some kind of seasonal shift. Is this a red flag that I will probably get my reservation cancelled or attempted to be renegotiated at some point before my trip? It just seems very odd that it happened over the course of the day. I messaged the host as diplomatically as possible and hope to hear a reasonable explanation for it, but still we are at their whim if they decide to change our rate at the last minute.

For perspective, the rates went from $156 CDN per night with no extra guest fees, to $284 CDN and a fee of $78 per extra guest so $440 in total per night, which is totally out of the question. Even though it is a very nice apartment.

Thoughts?

The host can't change your rate.

Plus, airbnb penalizes hosts for cancelling, so it is unlikely they'll cancel on you, even if they have decided to charge more.

[Wormius]

Thanks. I wasn't sure. It seemed suspicious, and I have heard some stories of having reservations being cancelled or having the terms changed before arrival. Anyway, I get a response back from the fellow who said he had forgotten to change the rates on the apartment but that he would honour the rate in my confirmation so I am happy. I just didn't want to be in the situation where with a few days before arrival I get a message stating they want to change the rate, I say no, and then they cancel the booking. This is my first time using Airbnb so I am not sure of the ins and outs all that well.

[jwslam]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

The host can't change your rate.

Plus, airbnb penalizes hosts for cancelling, so it is unlikely they'll cancel on you, even if they have decided to charge more.

Yea no clue about your rate situation but I do know there are host penalties.

I booked a place in Taiwan 2 years ago. The host manually accepts it immediately. A day later he tells me the place is unavailable, but he will host us in his other property in the middle of nowhere and is highly inaccessible. I told him no thanks. He had set up a strict cancellation policy where I would only get half my money back, so I was adamant that he make the cancellation and not me. I ended up having to send it to dispute to get my money back and to ding his credibility as host.

[nik-]

I had to do a dispute with AirBNB this year too because of a non-reponsive host. It took some time, but eventually I got AirBNB to cancel it for me with no penalty. Now that property is no longer listed on the site.

AirBNB doesn't mess around lol

[driveway]

The first time I ever used airbnb I had the host cancel on me 48 hours before I was supposed to stay there.

AirBnB swung into action, returned my money, gave me a $100 CAD credit on top and notified all their hosts in that city I needed a place. I ended up getting a way nicer place in a way better part of town.

All of this, from cancellation to offers from other hosts for discounted rates had taken place in about an hour. Airbnb really looked after me and I've been pretty high on the company ever since.

Granted this happened five or six years ago when they were more unknown, but I'm really confident the company will help you out if your host is shady.

[curves2000]

Hello CP,

I am not sure if this is the proper thread to ask this question or not, but do any of you have experience with Edelweiss Air flying Calgary to Zurich??

I am looking at doing a trip to Europe in August and my travel agent gave me a few options including Air Canada Rouge (awful for economy) or Edelweiss.

I will be honest in I have never heard of this airline and I am wondering what anybody's experience is with them?

Thanks!

[verda13]

Originally Posted by curves2000

Hello CP,

I am not sure if this is the proper thread to ask this question or not, but do any of you have experience with Edelweiss Air flying Calgary to Zurich??

I am looking at doing a trip to Europe in August and my travel agent gave me a few options including Air Canada Rouge (awful for economy) or Edelweiss.

I will be honest in I have never heard of this airline and I am wondering what anybody's experience is with them?

Thanks!

Try the Aviation Appreciation Station.

http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=93479