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You can definitely find cheap flights from Lisbon to Madrid or visa versa.. I would do that instead, less risky for sure.. A quick search for a random day in January yielded flights on TAP Portugal for 36 dollars.
This is definitely the easiest option, and likely the cheapest overall as well. Just be sure to figure in the total cost including luggage, etc., as low-cost carriers are notorious for adding very expensive luggage fees onto a very cheap baseline ticket price.
And depending on what frequent flyer miles or credit card points the OP has, another cheap award ticket may be feasible for the Lisbon>Madrid hop. British Airways Avios points can be very useful for booking short intra-Europe hops.
What I wouldn't do is price this out as two separate tickets using any of the major US frequent flyer programs, as it will be very expensive that way. Not a good use of miles at all!
If it is two seperate tickets, it may work. But it's getting complicated if you want to check luggage, because usually they check it right to the destination. Years ago I used a cheap fare on miles on YYZ-CDG-SAW and left at CDG, however it was difficult to persuade the gate people to check the luggage to Paris only, even though I had a whole day (11 hours) in Paris and told them that I need some clothes to change.
Would she have to claim and recheck bags in Lisbon anyways since it's the entry point for the Schengen zone and her scheduled connecting flight is another Schengen country? (Haven't done that kind of connection myself.)
I am assuming you've booked these already, which is why you're asking this way.
You will most likely be ok getting off in Lisbon but you do need to make sure that your bags are getting off with you. If not, you will want to go with your bags lol.
The airline would most certainly cancel the rest of your itinerary if it were one ticket, and in this instance they reserve the right to go after you somehow (probably penalizing you airline miles) but highly doubt they would bother if this is your first infraction and you were using award flights anyway.
It's a no brainer domestic- but going International, I would not do this.
Do you have an EU Passport?
You're definitely posing a risk if you by chance need a visa or have to explain things to US customs or anywhere for that matter taking an unexpected leg of an international flight.
If you are on vacation and hence not in that much of a hurry to get to Madrid, why don't you just book your flight to Lisbon (as your final destination and keep the return the same) and then take a train from there to Madrid at your leisure? There is even a night train I think so that would save you a hotel room for at least one night. The train is relatively cheap and the service usually good in Europe. It seems you are going to find some form of transportation anyway from Madrid to Barcelona at some point .. so I am guessing you already have figured on using the train system and are not flying that leg.
The airline would most certainly cancel the rest of your itinerary if it were one ticket, and in this instance they reserve the right to go after you somehow (probably penalizing you airline miles) but highly doubt they would bother if this is your first infraction and you were using award flights anyway.
"I felt ill on the transatlantic leg and decided to just stay in Lisbon rather than having another flight make my presumed bad sinus infection feel worse." can likely be said once or twice in a frequent flyer's travel career without the airline getting testy about it. The airline doesn't want sick people breathing on others in tight quarters- increases the risk of their employees getting sick as well.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by IonRedline08
You can definitely find cheap flights from Lisbon to Madrid or visa versa.. I would do that instead, less risky for sure.. A quick search for a random day in January yielded flights on TAP Portugal for 36 dollars.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Aery11
If you are on vacation and hence not in that much of a hurry to get to Madrid, why don't you just book your flight to Lisbon (as your final destination and keep the return the same) ....
as per above... best to do with 'one-ways'
travel within a region is very inexpensive and EZ (at the moment)...
Would she have to claim and recheck bags in Lisbon anyways since it's the entry point for the Schengen zone and her scheduled connecting flight is another Schengen country? (Haven't done that kind of connection myself.)
Nope, unlike in the US where you have to claim the bag for customs, in the Schengen zone, the bag is checked right to the destination. By entering through the green corridor at the destination airport, one declares that one doens't have something to declare.
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