good business class from Phila to Venice and back from Nice?
 

We're novices and would appreciate help about which airline to try to book. We also, of course, hope to find a flight that's short as possible. And we want to be able to be with each other. And I'm claustrophobic. Stay with economy??
Thanks!

If you are looking for non-stop flights, US Air is your only option going over and I don't see any non-stop coming back from Nice.

cheapoair.com biz class discount for all your options

Open jaw into VCE and out NCE bery expensive but

ba.com does this via LHR(Heathrow) have done it

My shortest best deals Premium Econo or Biz Class into italy

Into Milan then train seat62.com/italy cheap nice from there

To shorten your flight/save might also look at Philly LON RT

then hop a euroecono ryanair.com to VCE (1 pound/fees in past)

very cheap and back from NCE booked in advance...

Wait till Tuesday afternoon in late jan for best saled

farecompare.com

Happy Hunting!

seat61.com/italy sorry

if claustrophrobic skip econo

for any long period of time

Many thanks for replies. Not looking for best fare. We get a good rate on business upgrade from our cruise line. I just need to know which flights to ask for. (The flight dept is awful abt answering questions. They use mainly star alliance, btw.
Thanks again.

<i>Not looking for best fare. We get a good rate on business upgrade from our cruise line. I just need to know which flights to ask for. (The flight dept is awful abt answering questions. They use mainly star alliance, btw.</i>

Not wanting to sound like a poop, but this is important information. If you want people to help you you need to give them enough to go on, otherwise they'll be spinning their wheels on your behalf, like chasing options that might be non-starters (e.g. British Airways PHL-LHR-VCE) if it's not Star Alliance or if it's being arranged by cruise air departments. For that matter, not saying the month of travel might make a difference, too. Air schedules change.

If you want to fly transatlantic directly from PHL to Europe, then your options are quite limited - US Airways and Lufthansa with Star, British Airways with Oneworld, and Delta from Skyteam. If you don't mind traveling to some other US gateway - such as JFK or Newark, then the list grows significantly.

In general you're less likely to feel claustrophobic in business class than in coach; the cabins are just as wide but there are fewer seats and people, and more room to get up and walk around, or stretch out, whatever.

"Best" business class is very subjective; many people swear by seats that turn into horizontal beds - for example British Airways' "Club World" business class does this; however their cabin layout has half the business class seats facing aft, which is a little unsettling for some people. (You can stare into your loved one's face easily enough, or sleep next to his/her feet.) US Airways' nonstop to Venice (which is the obvious choice outbound) doesn't have horizontal "beds" but the seats are roomy and quite comfortable, and by all reports USAir's business class service has improved greatly over the past couple of years. They're in Star Alliance, so that might be the easy choice.

Coming back, you'd have to change planes someplace; probably in Munich (Lufthansa connecting to US Airways.) Again, comfortable enough.

If you don't mind splurging and can handle the arrangements, you could also ask about being booked on Singapore Airlines' flight from JFK to Frankfurt, connecting out on Lufthansa (or returning that way.) Singapore is in Star, and probably offers the best business class product over the Atlantic, full stop. Sometimes they put a surcharge on their premium cabin flights that raises the price beyond that people (or cruise air agents) will tolerate, but asking is free.

Depending on when you are going, I would go out of JFK nonstop to Venice and then nonstop from NCE back to JFK all on Delta. If you start doing routing though places like London/Heathrow you will be paying a very high departure tax-think around an extra $150 USD when you leave!

I know that your travel department is STAR but thought I might add an easier option? Besides-you get free beer and wine in economy with Delta which the other US airlines don't offer!

Thanks all.
Trip is in late July. We're able to use Delta. Cannot use NY. We're equidistant (2+ hrs from Balt. and Phila.)-- about 4 hrs from NY. NY (or DC) would give us much better options. We're in our 80's, husband doesn't like to travel at all unless things fairly easy.
Thank you for your input.