Group pricing for air travel

[Elaine55]

Hi Everyone, My family is going on a cruise this summer. We will be traveling to Spain from Phoenix AZ. Needless to say the airfare is the most expensive part of this trip. There are 6 of us, and if there was a way to form a group of folks all traveling to the same destination if we could get together and get some discounted airline tickets. I have discovered that 10 people constitutes a "group". Has anyone ever done this, did it work. We have looked at driving to the east coast and flying from there, this saves almost 600/pp. I am open to any valid suggestions. Thanks
Elaine55

[green_rd]

Hi Elaine,
I would work with a travel agent that specializes in small group travel. With six they might be able to hook you up on the ground as well as in the air. At least they can advise whether your plan is reasonable.

Don't forgot the cost of wear and tear on your vehicle, hotels and meals on the road if you drive from AZ to the East Coast.

[storybookcruises.com]

As was already stated, talk to your agent and let them help you with all this. They can come up with ideas and suggestions you may not have considered.

Unfortunately, a group of 6 is not really considered a group by anyone. Cruise lines don't consider a group unless there usually at least 8 cabins (16 people). Depending on the airline, they often consider groups to be at least 10 people and sometimes even 20 or more. But then everyone in the group has to travel on the same plane with the same itinerary.

As for airfare from Phoenix versus driving, definitely not something I would want to do. You're talking a minimum of 3 days in each direction, not to mention hotels, food, gas, and car rental.

I would suggest looking at the air reservations as separate entities instead of trying to do them all at once. In other words, look at airfare from Phoenix to the East Coast and then look at air from the East Coast to Europe. Also, when flying to Europe, look at several of the major airports and consider taking the train.

Another option would be to look at flying to Europe out of other cities and not just East Coast cities, such as Chicago.

Again, talk to your agent as there are more options available to you than what you're considering.

Pete

[peterpaul877]

There are many companies which provides tour packages. Just visit them.

Thanks