GeoffM

My preferred airline, due to points accrued and thus savings to be made, is Delta or its codeshare partners. Looking at LAX-LON in July (unfortunately) and I have a few options (in each direction);
LAX-BOS-LHR
LAX-JFK-LHR
LAX-MSP-LHR
LAX-DTW-LHR
LAX-ATL-LHR
LAX-CDG-LHR (Air France)

Any particular routings you wouldn't take? I think BOS is out of the question as the connection time is 36 minutes . I'm intrigued by the AF flight (A380, been one them before, but not on AF as an airline). Any flights which are often underbooked, if there is such a thing these days?

Bob

Logan airport is a cock and you definitely wouldn't make it if you only had 36 minutes.

Looked at a stop off in Toronto or Montreal?

Giantaxe

ATL is thunderstorm-prone on summer afternoons. Of the lot you suggest, I'd probably do CDG. I did this routing on Air France (well, from SFO not LAX) a few ago to Birmingham.

lansbury

If it were me I give AF and CDG a miss. Bad enough on their own together not worth thinking about. After that I would try and do the international flight on whichever one is the longest leg. International service is better than domestic (if only just) so I try and maximize it.

GeoffM

That's not a choice that Delta offers, it seems. Maybe they don't codeshare with anybody on the Canada-UK route?

Aha... also a rather busy airport IIRC so prone to delays just for existing.

Agreed, I'd rather a long and a short rather than two chunky flights. But all the US options vary by only 45 minutes anyway.

Thanks.

tonrob

Class of travel?

That aside, I'd be looking at aircraft type, time of day and history of on-time performance on Flightstats.

Maybe Gateguru to see what there is to eat/drink where you're connecting.

In the meantime, get thee down to Walmart to stock up on discount Delta miles.

GeoffM

Why, cattle of course! Though if an upgrade were within reach...

That's a new one on me - and that was at the back of my mind.

I obviously need to read that thread to see what I've missed there! [Edit] - The Bluebird post?

Cheers

GeoffM

From a nerdy point of view, yes. Personally I like the 767s as there are only 2 seats next to the window before the aisle, though I know many that don't like 767s. The AF A380 option does have a small (30 seat) seating area upstairs, likewise with 2+x+2 seating - I did wonder about that area: good as it's small; bad if the hostesses are shared with the posher bit in front, plus it's going to be the last to disembark.

Then across the US there are 757s or 763s I think. I'm not too bothered about that leg. As long as there is IFE.

My last trip on DL included a CRJ from ORD to SLC as I like the toy rockets. But I decided otherwise after 3 hours on one! Shorter journeys ok but not that long next time.

penguinsix

Minneapolis.

Flights from the UK to the US try to go "over" rather than due West. So if you arrive on the US East Coast (7/8 hours in the air from the UK) then you have to go due West to LAX (5/6 hours in the air).

However, if you were to fly to direct to the US West Coast, because of the routing over the snowy bits of Canada, it would be say 10.5 hours, not the 8+6 you get from LHX-JFK-LAX.

Thus, I'd try to fly as far West as possible in the 'big hop' from LHR, then due the last 'straight west' bit from there. Look and see if any direct flights from LHR to DENver, LAS Vegas, SFO San Francisco.

Delta and Virgin are also doing a codeshare that should take effect in June or July, last I read. Virgin goes direct to LAS from LHR.

http://skift.com/2013/01/22/delta-ai...siness-travel/

lansbury

If you are looking a Delta 767s be careful, only a handful have had the latest cabin refit. Those that haven't don't have AVOD but the old drop down screens from the ceiling.

Put the flight numbers and dates into seatguru.com and you should be able to tell if the aircraft are new or old. Those that have been refitted have lie flat seats in business class.

civilservant

Id too would avoid ATL, despite it being a hug airport in my experience they are somewhat unreliable on actually getting your bags from plan A to plane B.

If you are flying DL through ATL, ensure you get the early flight or the latest flight. They are both on much nicer 767-400ERs, full AVOD throughout and a little more legoom.

If you can afford it, or have the miles, I would advise an upgrade to the new Economy Comfort, if just for the extra 4" of legroom. Flew this recently and it was very pleasant for a red-eye.

tonrob

What I really had in mind were all the other goodies available at WM that you can't buy with a credit card...

lizzyq

I would avoid CDG like the plague. We have had more delayed luggage when transiting via CDG than any other airport.

Englishmum

I've been on the A380 about half a dozen times, but only on Singapore Airlines. A fantastic and *very* quiet plane; I've only been in cattle class but with the exception of one flight to Tokyo they were all on the upper deck of the A380 on long-haul routes and I sat only in the window or aisle seats, with a similar configuration by the sound of it as Air France.

On about 3 occasions I managed to get the emergency exit seats too....much better than business class on the US airlines for sure - huge individual TV sets too. I was once on a leg from LHR-SIN and didn't want to get off the plane as the IFE was excellent and I was enjoying myself so much lol! Also we could go to the galley at the back of the plane and help ourselves to snacks.....I would also go down the stairs and hang out and stretch in the back of the plane on the lower deck.

What was surprising too was that on the A380 you exit from the upper deck too even if you are seated upstairs in economy class....it is really quick to disembark from cattle class on the upper deck as there are fewer passengers upstairs....although I have to admit being green with envy seeing the Biz, First and Suites when walking through the other cabins on the way out.... Btw as it was an Asian airline the service was superlative, the cabin crew just as gracious in cattle on SQ as they are with their biz class passengers. I have no idea about Air France crew but they surely can't be worse than the crews on US carriers....

tonrob

Thanks for sharing! I'll be doing my first A380 in July, Thai Airways from Frankfurt to Bangkok in F!

Really looking forward to it...