Flights - is it best to book on one ticket New York to Palermo; Catania to New York or is it safe to book New York to Rome; Rome to Palermo; Catania to Rome, Rome to New York. The fares are much cheaper going to Rome roundtrip. Wonder if it is safe to do the transfer from international to domestic flights ourselves with separate tickets.
Thanks.
Wonder if it is safe to do the transfer from international to domestic flights ourselves with separate tickets.
IF you leave enough time for the transfer in Rome.
Depending on time of year, and what weather issues you might have to deal with in NY, I think anything less than 4 hrs., is more risk than I would be comfortable with. Your tolerance for risk, tension, drama may be more or less.
How much is 'much cheaper'?
There is always additional risk. What if first flight is canceled? Rare but it happens. One ticket is always better than two.
The biggest risk is on the return. If you miss the hop from Catania to Rome, you'll be buying a replacement one-way Rome-NYC ticket. In that direction, I'd give very, very serious consideration to traveling to Rome the day before the flight back to the US. In fact, I don't think I do it any other way.
On the outbound trip, the financial risk is not as great, because the Rome-Palermo ticket shouldn't be terribly expensive. And if you book two separate Rome-Palermo and Catania-Rome tickets (rather than a single, multi-city ticket for those routes), you won't have to worry that if you miss the Rome-Palermo flight because of a transatlantic delay, they'll cancel the Catania-Rome flight out from under you.
I am in the exact same situation, but coming from the west coast. I agree that RT fares to Rome are much cheaper, so I have a RT to Rome from SFO in May, and then two separate flights, the first Rome to Palermo, and then returning Catania to Rome. What makes it work for me is staying at the Hilton hotel at the airport, both when arriving and then before departing Rome. Since my flight gets to Rome in the late afternoon, I feel better taking it slow and staying over, then getting a flight to Palermo the next morning. Coming back, I'll leave Catania in the evening, stay at the airport hotel and be ready for the morning flight back. I figure the cost of two hotel stays is less than the price of booking one ticket. Also, I feel there is more flexibility and convenience for when I arrive in Palermo and leave from Catania. Coming from NY, though, you may have more options.
I ran into this same pricing scenario a few years ago when booking my flight from the US (West Coast) to Sicily. Interestingly, I found a multi-city (open jaw) flight that was nearly the same price as the round trip to Rome.
Ticket #1 multi-city ticket
Outbound Leg #1 of multi-city ticket: US to Rome
Return legs #2 and #3 of multi-city ticket: Catania to Rome (change planes/flights) to the US
Ticket #2 Rome to Catania
I bought a separate ticket (on a different airline) from Rome to Catania. I stayed in Rome a couple of nights so missing my onward flight wasn't an issue.
Are you planning to make the connections on the same day? If so, and something goes amiss, it will be very expensive as you will have to buy a new ticket. (If you are on a non-refundable ticket). The new ticket will NOT be at a discounted price.
Most of the experienced travelers here will say it's best to buy one ticket all the way through for travel the same day.
Thanks for the information. I will look at just one ticket NY to Palermo and either Catania to NY or train back to Palermo and then fly to NY.
Check on going into Catania as well, just in case the schedule is noticeably better for you. Catania is actually the largest/busiest airport on the island.
