Traveling to Europe, Recommended airlines?
04-06-2016, 08:56 PM
#1
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Traveling to Europe, Recommended airlines?
My wife and I are trying to take a trip to Europe this summer. We are going to be flying into Paris and out of Amsterdam. I am looking for any suggestions as to which carriers you may have taken and any to potentially avoid. Unfortunately I can't take Delta, United, or American right now since we don't have any agreements with them. We have been told they are working on one currently and I hope it happens before the trip, but as of now here is who I have to work with. We are leaving from Chicago. Thanks for any help.
Virgin Atlantic to London Hethrow
Air Berlin through Berlin
Austrian airlines ORD to Vienna
British Airways to London Hethrow
Emirates
Eithad airways
Finnair To Helsinki
Iberia to Madrid
KLM to Amsterdam
LOT to Warsaw
Lufthansa to Frankfurt and Munich
SAS to Stockholm or Copenhagen
Swiss to zrh
XL airways France. JFK to Paris
Virgin Atlantic to London Hethrow
Air Berlin through Berlin
Austrian airlines ORD to Vienna
British Airways to London Hethrow
Emirates
Eithad airways
Finnair To Helsinki
Iberia to Madrid
KLM to Amsterdam
LOT to Warsaw
Lufthansa to Frankfurt and Munich
SAS to Stockholm or Copenhagen
Swiss to zrh
XL airways France. JFK to Paris
04-06-2016, 09:07 PM
#2
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Does your carrier have agreements though MYIdtravel.com? Check with your travel department.
If not then search the Internet for the cheapest fares around.
If not then search the Internet for the cheapest fares around.
04-06-2016, 10:54 PM
#3
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Joined APC: Apr 2009
Position: 777-300ER Right
Posts: 72
You haven't really said who you have agreements with, but not being able to fly on DL/UA/AA will come as a blessing - as it means you'll have to use a European carrier, which will be far more pleasant.
If you have agreements with them, just use the flag carrier of the country you're flying to/from on your trans-Atlantic. That'll just about be your only option anyway, except for the UK where you have Virgin as well as BA.
If you have agreements with them, just use the flag carrier of the country you're flying to/from on your trans-Atlantic. That'll just about be your only option anyway, except for the UK where you have Virgin as well as BA.
04-06-2016, 11:22 PM
#4
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Posts: 1,067
Just a word of warning, it can be very difficult flying across the pond in the summer, VERY difficult.
Just a piece of advice from my wife, who worked in ticketing for SAS for almost 20 years - the ORD flights have the highest no-show rates in the SAS system. Plus the ARN flight leaves well before CPH so you can try ARN first and use CPH as a backup. The downside to this is all the SAS employees know about ORD so many of them use it. The other upside is SAS has recently launched service to LAX, MIA and BOS, so there are more places for SAS employees to fly to/from when visiting the States.
Just a piece of advice from my wife, who worked in ticketing for SAS for almost 20 years - the ORD flights have the highest no-show rates in the SAS system. Plus the ARN flight leaves well before CPH so you can try ARN first and use CPH as a backup. The downside to this is all the SAS employees know about ORD so many of them use it. The other upside is SAS has recently launched service to LAX, MIA and BOS, so there are more places for SAS employees to fly to/from when visiting the States.
04-07-2016, 04:38 AM
#5
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Posts: 430
Originally Posted by NEDude
Just a word of warning, it can be very difficult flying across the pond in the summer, VERY difficult.
Just a piece of advice from my wife, who worked in ticketing for SAS for almost 20 years - the ORD flights have the highest no-show rates in the SAS system. Plus the ARN flight leaves well before CPH so you can try ARN first and use CPH as a backup. The downside to this is all the SAS employees know about ORD so many of them use it. The other upside is SAS has recently launched service to LAX, MIA and BOS, so there are more places for SAS employees to fly to/from when visiting the States.
Just a piece of advice from my wife, who worked in ticketing for SAS for almost 20 years - the ORD flights have the highest no-show rates in the SAS system. Plus the ARN flight leaves well before CPH so you can try ARN first and use CPH as a backup. The downside to this is all the SAS employees know about ORD so many of them use it. The other upside is SAS has recently launched service to LAX, MIA and BOS, so there are more places for SAS employees to fly to/from when visiting the States.
Read the above! It's virtually impossible to travel offline in the summer to Europe. Even on your own metal it's difficult. Delta if the option opens up would be your best bet for AMS and CDG because of the number of flights they offer trying to return from those cities.
The real solution if the trip is important is buy tickets.
04-07-2016, 06:30 AM
#6
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Originally Posted by captjns
Does your carrier have agreements though MYIdtravel.com? Check with your travel department.
If not then search the Internet for the cheapest fares around.
If not then search the Internet for the cheapest fares around.
NEDude and WhatNow are you saying I should spring for the 1200 per person for tickets? Also have any of you traveled with an infant on international carriers. Would we need a seat for a 6 month old or can they ride lap like domestic. I appreciate the advice about SAS. I was on the employee buss and one of their employees was talking about just that, and it does look like my best option as of now.
04-07-2016, 06:37 AM
#7
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I non-revved with an infant once. And only once.
Buy your wife and yourself a ticket. We as pilots are used to the stress of non-rev travel. Wives traveling with infants are already under enough stress.
Starting a vacation under a miserable cloud of possibly not going on vacation is just not worth the savings. If that makes it too expensive to go then don't go.
At any rate best of luck to you regardless.
Buy your wife and yourself a ticket. We as pilots are used to the stress of non-rev travel. Wives traveling with infants are already under enough stress.
Starting a vacation under a miserable cloud of possibly not going on vacation is just not worth the savings. If that makes it too expensive to go then don't go.
At any rate best of luck to you regardless.
04-07-2016, 06:42 AM
#8
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Posts: 430
Originally Posted by PikeAV8R
I listed who I have agreements with? These are my options. I am trying to get to Paris using the carrier listed previously. I listed all the possible carriers we have agreements with to see what people's experiences with them were.
NEDude and WhatNow are you saying I should spring for the 1200 per person for tickets? Also have any of you traveled with an infant on international carriers. Would we need a seat for a 6 month old or can they ride lap like domestic. I appreciate the advice about SAS. I was on the employee buss and one of their employees was talking about just that, and it does look like my best option as of now.
NEDude and WhatNow are you saying I should spring for the 1200 per person for tickets? Also have any of you traveled with an infant on international carriers. Would we need a seat for a 6 month old or can they ride lap like domestic. I appreciate the advice about SAS. I was on the employee buss and one of their employees was talking about just that, and it does look like my best option as of now.
04-07-2016, 06:51 AM
#9
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I couldn't imagine traveling to Europe with an infant.
Virgin Atlantic was a great choice for my wife and I to LHR, but it was also in the month of Feb, very easy to get on and we had our tickets 24 hours in advance.
Good luck!
Virgin Atlantic was a great choice for my wife and I to LHR, but it was also in the month of Feb, very easy to get on and we had our tickets 24 hours in advance.
Good luck!
04-07-2016, 07:19 AM
#10
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Joined APC: Jun 2006
Position: MD-88 FO
Posts: 902
Non-rev Traveling with an infant: Ignore the naysayers and go for it!
If you wait for the "perfect time" to see the world with your family, well, you won't have much time left to actually see the world.
We have 3 kids that are younger than school age, and plan to non-rev internationally later this fall. Yes, certain parts of the trip will be (very) challenging, but that's how you learn and grow.
No, I haven't done it personally. Yet. Hope it works out for you!
If you wait for the "perfect time" to see the world with your family, well, you won't have much time left to actually see the world.
We have 3 kids that are younger than school age, and plan to non-rev internationally later this fall. Yes, certain parts of the trip will be (very) challenging, but that's how you learn and grow.
No, I haven't done it personally. Yet. Hope it works out for you!
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