Poll: how many flight connections will you do from the West Coast?
Apr 5th, 2005, 10:15 AM
#41
Ah, no codeshares... 
I was initially surprised but when I probed my memory bank the last time I used an AS award for Europe it was all on BA metal, so I will fess up to the error. Cripes, another one...
So Giselle it looks like your options would be to fly to some AA gateway in Europe then connect, presumably on a low-cost carrier, to BUD. From the looks of it the cheapest/easiest place would be Gatwick, where you can get on easyJet straight to BUD for around £80 round trip, or something like US$150, i.e., around $100 less than buying the extra 10K miles on the AS FFP that would let you do the whole route on BA straight from Seattle. Note connecting to EZY at LGW would entail an overnight stay near LGW coming back (because they arrive from BUD after the last AA plane has left for DFW) so that $100 might go bye-bye at a hotel near the airport. I havent checked on other low cost options from other London airports, but the Air Berlin/Nikki connections to BUD from ZRH or FRA are not so hot and way more expensive than easyJet from Gatwick; in any of those scenarios buying the extra AS miles would be cheaper, and the BA nonstop to LHR, even with a terminal change to connect, would still shave hours off the time.
I was initially surprised but when I probed my memory bank the last time I used an AS award for Europe it was all on BA metal, so I will fess up to the error. Cripes, another one...
So Giselle it looks like your options would be to fly to some AA gateway in Europe then connect, presumably on a low-cost carrier, to BUD. From the looks of it the cheapest/easiest place would be Gatwick, where you can get on easyJet straight to BUD for around £80 round trip, or something like US$150, i.e., around $100 less than buying the extra 10K miles on the AS FFP that would let you do the whole route on BA straight from Seattle. Note connecting to EZY at LGW would entail an overnight stay near LGW coming back (because they arrive from BUD after the last AA plane has left for DFW) so that $100 might go bye-bye at a hotel near the airport. I havent checked on other low cost options from other London airports, but the Air Berlin/Nikki connections to BUD from ZRH or FRA are not so hot and way more expensive than easyJet from Gatwick; in any of those scenarios buying the extra AS miles would be cheaper, and the BA nonstop to LHR, even with a terminal change to connect, would still shave hours off the time.
Apr 7th, 2005, 12:26 AM
#43
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Last year I did four going (from LA to Rome) and three coming home, but this was for a free ticket w/ ff miles booked last minute. I was lucky to get it and the worry of missing any of my connections actually got me over my lifelong fear of flying! What an adventure!
May 18th, 2005, 08:41 AM
#44
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On our upcoming trip we fly to chicago, then to London, get on Eurostar to Paris. Leave home airport at 12:15 pm one day, arrive at our hotel in Paris (if we're lucky) at 7:15pm the next day. We're using ff miles on AA and couldn't get a flight to/from Paris so thus Eurostar (found to be less expensive and probably less trouble than flying from London to Paris)....but I'm sure we will be totally exhausted. We'll be finding out!
May 18th, 2005, 09:22 AM
#45
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Sounds exhaustionizing, as you say! Remember - if you sleep on the train, your body clock will be completely screwed up. See if you can stay awake until Paris.
Know what I'll bet will be the hardest part? From the London airport to the Eurostar. I'd give serious consideration to a hired car straight to Waterloo, expense be damned. Anything else would be an ordeal you definitely wouldn't need after two flight legs.
Good luck!
Know what I'll bet will be the hardest part? From the London airport to the Eurostar. I'd give serious consideration to a hired car straight to Waterloo, expense be damned. Anything else would be an ordeal you definitely wouldn't need after two flight legs.
Good luck!
May 23rd, 2006, 09:55 AM
#46
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My husband and I just got back from London. If you're using FF miles, please check to see if British Airways is a partner. They have direct flights to London. They're the best airline I've flown yet. They have great service and even good food, free movies and other forms of entertainment.
As for London, I would not plan much of anything the first day you fly in. I thought I would be okay, but I could barely stay awake and I hardly remember anything we did the first day.
Also, plan on spending money, because London is expensive. For food and tickets for the sites, I would plan on a minimum of $300 for two people and that's just the basics.
If you plan on flying to Italy, do not use Alitalia airlines. They limit luggage to 40 lbs per person and it's expensive to pay for over the limit. 40 lbs is not much - trust me.
I would not change airports in one day either - especially at Heathrow. We did that and it took forever. We were lucky we had a long layover - otherwise, we would have missed our flight. If you do travel to more than one place, allow one day of just doing nothing.
The British Museum is an all day affair as it is enormous. There is so much to see and if you want to truly enjoy it, plan almost a whole day.
Also, I would do the Abbey, the Palace in the same day. They're right next door to each other.
As for London, I would not plan much of anything the first day you fly in. I thought I would be okay, but I could barely stay awake and I hardly remember anything we did the first day.
Also, plan on spending money, because London is expensive. For food and tickets for the sites, I would plan on a minimum of $300 for two people and that's just the basics.
If you plan on flying to Italy, do not use Alitalia airlines. They limit luggage to 40 lbs per person and it's expensive to pay for over the limit. 40 lbs is not much - trust me.
I would not change airports in one day either - especially at Heathrow. We did that and it took forever. We were lucky we had a long layover - otherwise, we would have missed our flight. If you do travel to more than one place, allow one day of just doing nothing.
The British Museum is an all day affair as it is enormous. There is so much to see and if you want to truly enjoy it, plan almost a whole day.
Also, I would do the Abbey, the Palace in the same day. They're right next door to each other.
May 23rd, 2006, 10:06 AM
#47
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I don't want any connections until I get to Europe. I fly non-stop from the west coast and will pay a little more if I have to to do that. Last trip went from SFO to Heathrow and then had to get a connection to Copenhagen. It's worth it to me not to have to go through the stress of late take offs, possible missed connections, long lay overs etc.
May 23rd, 2006, 10:33 AM
#48
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I fly from SFO and will only take a flight with a connection across the Atlantic. Otherwise it just takes too bloody long and is too bloody tiring. I pay what I have to to fly non-stop to Europe. If I have to change there, I can deal with that.
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