HT From Germany, joined May 2005, 4542 posts, RR: 20 Reply 1, posted (1 year 3 months 1 day 2 hours ago) and read 760 times:
With 2 people travelling in Eco, the A330/A340 would be my first choice; nothing better than a window and an aisle seat.
More questions:
Do you look into "single transfer" only or would a routing via CPH and SEA be an option ?
Does it have to be LAX for the arrival-airport in the L.A.-area or would airports around (BUR, ONT, SNA - or even further away, but maybe close to "home") be an alternative ?
Apparently you have no preference for a specific Alliance ?
HT From Germany, joined May 2005, 4542 posts, RR: 20 Reply 3, posted (1 year 3 months 1 day ago) and read 755 times:
Quoting B747forever (Reply 2): We should bought our tickets months ago. But we decided to go to LAX 3days ago. So what to do???
Prices might vary quite a bit by now, so something we recommend might turn out too be too expensive ...
Apart form availability, I would focus on a) costs and b) ease of travel (timings) ...
Personally I would avoid to connect too far to the south of Europe (viewed from Scandinavia this is ...) as this would unnecessarily increase travel time.
LH via FRA or MUC appear to have fares in mid-ranges but suitable connections
LX via ZRH does not have good connections, especially on the return flight.
The story might be different if you combine LH and LX flights, but ZRH - ARN is a 2.5h flight ...
Connections via LHR:
- BA (you are aware of it)
- VS
- NZ
KL via AMS; suitable timings in both directions. about 1.5 hours for the transfers; not too much of a detour compared to the Great Circle (in contrast to FRA, MUC, ZRH, CDG).
You will arrive at LAX-T2 but not TBIT (still construction work in progress at immigration with 6 lanes closed two weeks ago, I had to wait 50 minutes as hordes of Asians had arrived prior to our flight from MUC).
If the price would justify it, I would even consider to fly AB/LT via DUS, but only if it is much cheaper.
I would avoid
- AI via FRA
- UA flying a B777 FRA-LAX as US904/905
- AF via CDG as it would mean a too big detour (unless the price is right)
-HT
Carpe diem ! Life is too short to waste your time ...
B747forever From Sweden, joined May 2007, 11763 posts, RR: 6 Reply 4, posted (1 year 3 months 1 day ago) and read 755 times:
Quoting HT (Reply 3): would focus on a) costs and b) ease of travel (timings) ...
That is the two biggest issues I look on.
Your list help me very much, thank you.
But the problem with LH is that they dont have any personal TV. And I really hate that. Love LH but have to choose other carriers (as BA) over LH because the dont have PTVs on every seat.
Do you know which aircrafts are going to have PTVs???? Will my a/c have it, what is the chances???
If I choose to connect through LHR I think that I will go with BA. Most smoothly.
KL doesn't sound so bad actually, maybe I should give them a try.
Quoting HT (Reply 3): If the price would justify it, I would even consider to fly AB/LT via DUS, but only if it is much cheaper.
What do you mean with that?? Does any carrier fly from DUS to LAX???
Next flights: 2nd January BA771 ARN-LHR and BA279 LHR-LAX
You almost can't get it any better. 40mins at ZRH is more than enough, and the LAX flight is almost always at least 15mins early, I can't remember ever having seen it come in late.
It's expensive as hell though, unless you wanna spend a night in ZRH it drops to about SEK10'000.
SandroZRH From Switzerland, joined Feb 2007, 2636 posts, RR: 23 Reply 7, posted (1 year 3 months 1 day ago) and read 755 times:
I just had a look around expedia and the cheapest option seems to be AF/DL via CDG (all on AF metal on A32S and 772)
Although the connections suck as you would have to spend a night in Paris on the outbound flight. costs €980 pp.
More convenient would be the same option for €1030, but you'd have a 45mins connection in CDG and that's next to impossible to make. Then there's AF all the way for €1140 with a seven hours connection in Paris, so not too convenient either but better than the othe rtwo options (you could go spotting at CDG or even head in town).
that would be AF 1263 depart ARN 6:50 arrive CDG 9:30 (A320) - AF64 depart CDG 16:30 arrive LAX 18:35 (773ER)
the next cheap/convenient option would be LX via ZRH as explained above on the outbound and UA/SK via LHR and CPH on the return, although that would mean two transits which might complicate things. (cost €1200)
UA/SK via FRA starts at €1240 with convenient transit times.
You almost can't get it any better. 40mins at ZRH is more than enough,
Going for vindication:
I disregarded this connection as being too short.
Arrive at Dock Midfield (I still prefer that term), being seated somewhere in the back of the a/c.
Fight to get off the plane, onto the train.
Rush to A-gates, find that the waiting queue at security is long for the afternoon bank of departures (including all the transferring pax who have to go security again) with minimum 15 minutes waiting time.
Once through security, rush to your gate with "Final boarding" and "Paging Mr. Soandso for flight xxx to yyy".
Some people might want go for such connections, I don't.
I have connected last Friday inbound from LAX on LX41 (Flying in Business Class) to a continuation to HAJ. Waiting at security checkpoint for Business & First Class-pax was timed 10 minutes. Lines at Eco were considerably longer.
A few months ago I took a 50 minute connection around noon at ZRH; the inbound flight from HAJ arrived late (of course an AVRO thus requiring bus transfer). About 5 minutes for security check and off onto the next bus for TP-flight to LIS (again on a remote stand). The transfer was accomplished in about 20 minutes from one a/c to the next, but my luggage although tagged PRIORITY did not make the connection which was a major hassle for a Business Trip.
I am not saying that connecting at ZRH is a bad thing in general (I have another oncoming flight via ZRH in November), but 40 minutes is too short for my taste; 60 minutes is the minimum for me.
Quoting B747forever (Reply 4): Do you know which aircrafts are going to have PTVs???? Will my a/c have it, what is the chances???
Being introduced gradually, but the chances to end up twice on a plane with PTV by X-mas resp. early January are just outside.
Quoting B747forever (Reply 4): What do you mean with that?? Does any carrier fly from DUS to LAX???
Sure. LT does ( www.ltu.com ; in the process of being taken over by AB); saw one of their A332's at LAX's TBIT when I arrived on LH end of September.
SandroZRH From Switzerland, joined Feb 2007, 2636 posts, RR: 23 Reply 9, posted (1 year 3 months 20 hours ago) and read 740 times:
Quoting HT (Reply 8): Oh-oh! Don't get caught by police spotting at CDG without a proper "license" ... !
If you don't take pics you should be fine, i've never had problems there, however once a friend of mine took a few pics and we were told to leave. But surely, seven hours in paris offers plenty of stuff to do. the aviation museum at LGB is anothe roption, and quite clos eto CDG aswell.
Quoting HT (Reply 8): Being introduced gradually, but the chances to end up twice on a plane with PTV by X-mas resp. early January are just outside.
I see. That is really not good. That is maybe the reason why I will not choose LH.
Quoting HT (Reply 8): Sure. LT does ( www.ltu.com ; in the process of being taken over by AB); saw one of their A332's at LAX's TBIT when I arrived on LH end of September.
Didn't know that LTU serve LAX, interesting.
Thank you so far guys.
Next flights: 2nd January BA771 ARN-LHR and BA279 LHR-LAX
Well, frankly, you really dont have much of a choice anymore.It's quite late, and christmas time is amongst the busiest, if not the busiest, travel period.
So, either you'll go after price and accept less convenience, or you go after convenience but pay more. You'll have to sacrifice one for the other.
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