how to get the cheapest ticket from Holland to Madagascar?

Hi there,

You’ll need to get yourself to Paris first of all, whether you fly from Belgium or Germany.

From Germany, which is where I normally fly from, it’s usually Air France which offers the best deal, though you should also check Lufthansa for your specific dates.

You should also check the through price offered by Air France from your departure airport to Antananarivo, which is sometimes, although not always, cheaper than booking the Paris flight and the long-haul flight separately.

In Paris your best choices for flights to Antananarivo are Air France, Air Madagascar and Corsair. All three airlines fly direct.

Corsair flies from Orly, which can be a disadvantage, as most flights into Paris from EU departure points fly into Charles de Gaulle, and transfers between the airports are expensive. Also, Corsair’s flight times often force you to spend a night in a hotel in Paris.

The greatest advantage of Air Madagascar is that if you fly long-haul with them, you get a substantial discount on domestic flights. This is usually more than enough to outweigh any price advantage which the other airlines may sometimes offer on their long-haul flights.

If you do decide to fly Air Madagascar, it’s better to book your domestic flights at Air Mad offices when you get there. If you need to book one before you leave, you need to know that the “multidestination” function in their booking mask is defective and instead of offering a discounted price for domestic flights currently calculates around double the normal price!

It is possible to book through tickets to a limited number of domestic destinations at a very good price, but only if you fly straight to that destination after arrival and fly back from it on the day you want to leave the country – which is not very useful. If that doesn’t fit your plans, book your long-haul flight on line and then contact the Paris Call Centre for your initial domestic flight.

Out of Amsterdam, you can take a look at Kenya Airways (changing planes in Nairobi) as well as Air France (changing planes in Paris).

Out of Frankfurt, you can take a look at South African Airways (changing planes in Johannesburg) although it's unlikely to be the cheapest option.

Otherwise, go to Paris (either by plane or overland) and fly out of Paris with one of the airlines quoted by Marogisa in #1. If you don't bother to change planes in the route from Paris to Madagascar, you can take a look at Air Austral. Air Austral flies from Paris to several destinations in Madagascar changing planes in Reunion.

To add to excelent advice above:

An important advantage of a through flight is that if a section is delayed then the airline has the responsiblity of getting you to, or back from, your final destination. If you book with different airlines this does not apply.

Happy to be corrected if I am mistaken.

If you book with different airlines this does not apply.

If you book separate tickets, it doesn't apply. If you book a single ticket that includes several airlines and flights to get from your starting point to your final destination, it should apply (BTW, note the should).

How do you book a single ticket with different airlines? Not arguing just trying to find correct information.

How do you book a single ticket with different airlines?

Most times, through a travel agent. For example, you can go to Skyscanner (or to Kayak or to any other similar web), make a search for a random route without direct flights (e.g.: Madrid-Tananarivo), look only for the "airline combinations" results and you'll see links to the webs where you can book them.

Thanks for the info, I thought and this might well be incorrect in view of what you say that the travel agent booked separate tickets and had no liablity if there were flight delays, If I am incorrect and in view of what you write I might well be then that info is most helpful to me.

All the main airlines have interline agreements with other main airlines that allow to book a single ticket that includes a flight with one airline and another flight with another airline (even the luggage can be transfered -most times- till your final destination if the laws of the country where is located the airport where you change planes allow it).

If the airlines don't have that interline agreement, they (the travel agents) can't issue a single ticket and they have to issue separate tickets and, as you say, the airlines won't have any liability if due to a late arrival or a canceled flight you miss one of your legs. The travel agent should tell you that you are booking two different tickets to make your route and the risks it implies. In Skyscanner if you want to see the options that involve two separate tickets you have to tick the "non-protected transfers" box (or if that option is already selected, click on it in order to no see them), if you click in ? next to "Complex bookings", you'll get the relevant info about about this options involving several tickets.

Thank you very much appreciated. It is always good to have correct information from someone who clearly knows what they are talking about. I shall be looking into this on my next flight to Madagascar where I would like Air Kenya out and Air France/KLM back. Why, a convenient time out from London and it avoids an almost eight hour wait on the way back.