Flights So CA-Italy
 

We are planning a trip to Cinque Terre for Oct 2012. I am doing advance planning looking for flights. There are other options, but I'd like to arrive in Milano so as to see family there. I don't want to fly from CA-NY-Italy. It splits the trip in a bad way. I want to sleep on the plane and not arrive at what would be 3am or so to my body. Ick. I can go out of Ontario, CA close to my house, or use LAX with a limo ride. Any ideas? I could use other Italian cities to arrive in.

I always fly Lufthansa, LAX directly to Zurich and then straight to Malpensa. I never want to stop in the USA, the weather can be bad and delay the plane and I like the long first leg so I can settle in. At least if weather causes a delay I will already be in Zurich!

LAX-Zurich-Milano or LAX-Munich-Milano or LAX-Frankfurt-Milano would be excellent choices. These flights qualify for United Mileage Programme. Also LAX-Amsterdam-Milano if you're part of the Delta Sky Team Programme.

Another possibility: LAX-Munich-Pisa with Lufthansa.

How about LAX-PARIS-MILIANO ... Air France

We will be doing LAX-PARIS-FLORENCE in November / Booked with Delta

for Air France using F.F. miles

I did the connnection at CDG with AF several times, but got tired of having to take the shuttle bus between terminals. Now I use LH through MUC, and the connection is made in heaven. Both airlines are very good, but the connection at CDG sucks in comparison to MUC.

We use AA or BA, LAX to LHR to Milan, either Malpensa or next spring Linate. The over the pole route gives us a long stretch for sleep or rest, then a short flight to Milan. If you can use BA then it's the same terminal in and out.

You are much better off ignoring LHR or CDG - since they all have multiple terminal and transits can take forever. Using ZUR or Munich is much less complicated.

Alitalia has a seasonal LAX-FCO flight. It usually runs March-Oct. So if that holds true for next year, the flight will be available for your trip.

ONT is not an option if you want to connect in Europe, not the US. There are no nonstops to any European city from ONT.

If you want to sleep on the long LAX-Europe leg and not arrive in the middle of the night LA time, you would have to limit your flights to ones that leave in the late afternoon or evening.

I'd suggest going to Kayak.com and putting in some dummy dates, since next Oct is too far out, and a lot of airlines have published their schedule yet. Choose 1 stop, slide the take off time to late afternoon and deselect all the US layover cities. That will give you the best idea of what flights are available that meet your needs.

Leaving from LAX is your best bet.