We would like to fly AA to London from Chicago to get the extra leg room, but overnight flights are almost full. Considering a 9:00 am to 10:30 pm flight. Anyone have an opinion? Thanks so much. I need to book soon.
There have been several long threads on this topic on the "Europe" board. Some people think they are more comfortable, but you also "lose" a whole day in London.
Do a search on that board.
Do a search on that board.
Unless you get a good price on a hotel in London, I would avoid it. Hotels during the summer are very expensive (like everything) in London.
Combine it with a Priceline room at Heathrow (we typically get the Sheraton Skyline for ca. US$60 (v. rack rate of &pound150+) and your first "full" day in London might be less jet-lagged than it would otherwise. I like the daylighters; YMMV.
We chose to take day flight Boston-London (April 2005 - so I can't report back yet). Decision was based on fact that I am going with 76 year old mother and 14 year old daughter and none of us are good at sleeping on planes. Our flight arrives around 7 PM - so although we "lose" a day and therefore have to pay for an extra night hotel, I figured the arrival day after a night flight would be almost lost anyway as we would be too exhausted to do anything.
So we plan to arrive, get to hotel, eat something and probably go to slepp - hoping that this avoids jet lag and then we are ready to go.
So we plan to arrive, get to hotel, eat something and probably go to slepp - hoping that this avoids jet lag and then we are ready to go.
I have done Air Canada'a daytimer from Toronto to London four times in recent years and will again in 12 days. Obviously I like flying by day, or more to the point, hate overnight flights but I don't sleep well on planes. My experience is that it is surprisingly easy to get to sleep early (home time) when I get to London. Get up in the morning and voila, no jet lag.
I will recommend daytime flights if all of these apply:
- There's a departure from your city. I wouldn't make sense to get up really early to catch a connecting flight to the gateway.
- You're going to London. No connection after arrival.
- You have lots of time and don't mind wasting half a day.
- You don't mind spending more for another night of hotel in London.
- There's a departure from your city. I wouldn't make sense to get up really early to catch a connecting flight to the gateway.
- You're going to London. No connection after arrival.
- You have lots of time and don't mind wasting half a day.
- You don't mind spending more for another night of hotel in London.
<i>Does AA still offer more leg room on international flights?</i>
Depends on the aircraft. The 777s are due to have the reconversion to "less room throughout coach" beginning in October. The remainder of the fleet (meaning the 767s used for most non-London destinations) are being converted over the next few months, so you may or may not get one with the smaller seat pitch. By the autumn, though, all of the 767s will be done, and the 777s are due to be done sometime around the first of the year.
The majority of the domestic fleet is now being converted and will likely be done before the summer tourist season. The 757s and A300s were scrunched some time ago.
Depends on the aircraft. The 777s are due to have the reconversion to "less room throughout coach" beginning in October. The remainder of the fleet (meaning the 767s used for most non-London destinations) are being converted over the next few months, so you may or may not get one with the smaller seat pitch. By the autumn, though, all of the 767s will be done, and the 777s are due to be done sometime around the first of the year.
The majority of the domestic fleet is now being converted and will likely be done before the summer tourist season. The 757s and A300s were scrunched some time ago.
