katiecat

Hi all -

This is my first post after lurking for a while and reading all the helpful comments and information posted by everyone here.

I'm planning a first anniversary trip to Athens and Santorini this October. I'm getting ready to purchase our airline tickets and, based on the lowest fares, our choices seem to be either 1) flying from JFK on Air France and changing planes at CDG to Athens or 2) flying from JFK on British Airways and changing planes at Heathrow.

I've read such bad things about both airports here that I'm really unsure which to choose. The BA flight is a little more expensive. The AF flights offer layover times at CDG from as short as 30 minutes to as long as an hour and 30 minutes. Even an hour and a half seems too short based on the things I've read here about changing planes at CDG.

We don't plan to check any luggage, but both my husband and I are pretty inexperienced travelers. Any suggestions or comments anyone has would be very much appreciated! Thanks!

Christina

I'd probably decide on a lot of things you haven't stated -- like what is the total flight time difference. You haven't stated how long between planes at Heathrow, for example. Connections there aren't a piece of cake if you have to change terminals or something. On the other hand, I wouldn't want to sit around an airport for 6 hours. How much of a price difference?

30 minutes at CDG is too short (I didn't think they allowed them that short, although I've seen about 50 minutes), but the 1-1/2 hrs would be okay by me. I've never had that long between planes at CDG and I've never missed one. It really depends on whether your first plane is late or not.

I'd choose AF with the 1:30 minutes layover since you haven't said anything about the other flight that makes it sound any better to me (and I hate BA).

P_M

"We don't plan to check any luggage,"

If you fly BA you will have to check your luggage, as the carry-on limit is only 13 pounds.

katiecat

Hi Christina - the total flight times are pretty close. The BA flight times are all between 12 and 13 hours, and the AF flight times are between 11 and 12 hours. The BA connection times are better, though - they range from and hour and 20 minutes to 2 hours (still short, but not quite as bad . . .). And the BA flights are only about $50 more per ticket. You're right about the AF connection times, though - I doublechecked, and the shortest ones are 40 minutes, not 30 minutes like I said.

PM - thanks for the info about checking luggage on BA. That's really swaying me toward the AF flights.

I think I'm leaning toward AF - I guess I was just worried, after all the horror stories, that an hour and a half wouldn't be sufficient.

Christina

Given that, I'd pick AF and the 1:30 layover. I wondered about not checking baggage, most airlines have fairly low limits nowadays, but if you pack really light maybe you can make AF's limits.

I'd never pay $50 more to fly BA when you have the same kind of time between flights. Also, you said the BA connection times were better, but the shortest is 1:20 which isn't much different than the 1:30 AF (worse, probably). It's taken me longer to change planes at Heathrow than at CDG, that's all I can say, and I don't like BA as well as AF in terms of planes or food, and it costs more. So, I'd pick AF.

Suspaul

Hi katiecat: We too are going to Greece in late September. We booked flights months ago (due to ff miles) and I think the BA flights flew into Gatwick but we'd have to get to Heathrow for the leg from London to Athens. I may be wrong but...

As a result we are flying Air France from Houston to Paris with only 55 minutes between flights. After two different calls to Air France and their assurances that it was very possible to make the connection, we went on and booked - the upside is AF also has 2 later flights out that same day and they stated they would put us one of them if we did not make our connection. My husband is getting really antsy but I'm trying to keep a positive attitude.

Good luck on whichever choice you make and have a wonderful trip.
Susan

JamesA

I would go for Air France service wise especially.