Need advice on airline to fly overseas.

[Thirtieschild]

In May we need fly to England (Manchester) to visit our daughter and get to know our grandsons. We will fly out of Atlanta and need suggestions for how to get the best price, what airline would be best.

I'm a terrified passenger and will only get on a plane if I've taken either Valium or the generic. I actually ate a Valium when I didn't get to the airport in time to drink water with it. Discovered that eating it is more effective - it seemed both stronger and quicker. I don't know how I'm going to manage flying over the Atlantic.

[DS1]

1. I hear Virgin is stellar for trans-atlantic

Don't know about British Airways anymore.

[northzax]

39. I would avoid BA

unless you are flying club class or higher, they don't give any seat assignments until you get to the airport. Not good for a nervous traveller

[GOPisEvil]

2. I think you can fly non-stop on Delta.

I would definitely fly non-stop. Fewer troubles. And, since you're not changing planes, there's less chance of lost luggage.

My parents fly a lot overseas and they swear by Continental and United, for what it's worth.

[Thirtieschild]

26. Good advice. Thanks.

[CreekDog]

41. When flying overseas, always choose a nonstop flight

the better airlines tend to have them.

[Ano Genitus]

3. If you fly BA you'll get those soothing British accents to help waft you over.

I'm half-serious - it does help, and it is a good airline. Can't speak for their relative prices, however.

[Thirtieschild]

31. Love those accents. Our son-in-law has one.

And our grandsons, four and six, are developing Yorkshire accents, which our daughter tries, without much success, to correct. I have trouble understanding them when I talk to them on the phone.

Edited for grammar.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. My dear Disorganized...

I'm not sure about prices, but my husband and I found Air France has excellent food!

You'll be fine!

You know how rare airplane accidents are? VERY.

That's the reason they make headlines when they do happen...they are rare, and unfortunately, spectacular...

The more you fly, the easier it gets...

:hug:

[Thirtieschild]

25. Logic goes out the window when I get on a plane.

My mind may realize that flying is safe, but my body goes into panic mode. I've even made total strangers hold my hand when we landed. Of course, it's easier to fly in and out of a small airport like El Paso than to fly in and out of Atlanta. It seems like we can circle forever there, and most of my flying has been on Delta in and out of Atlanta. I fly because I have to but I'm not happy about it.

[huskerlaw]

5. If Swiss Air is an option,

I highly recommend it. :)

[TheMightyFavog]

18. Swissair went out of buisness a few years ago.

They're Swiss International Airlines now, and I fully recommend them.

Here's my experience from my O'Hare-Zurich and Zurich-O'Hare legs of my flights to and from London over the summer:

Keep in mind I was in Economy Class.

We had an in-seat entertainment system with games, movies, flight info, TV shows and all sorts of music, free headphones, Two decent inflight meals, Swiss chocolate, real cutlery, Free drinks, (including mixed drinks, beer, and a choice of Red, white, or sparkling wine) and hot towels.

Keep in mind, Swiss International would have no nonstops to the UK. You'd change planes in Zurich, an airport that is very easy to get around. You'd have to be a complete moron to get lost in the Zurich Airport.

[huskerlaw]

20. They still refer to themselves as Swiss Air

perhaps not officially, but I flew LA to Zurich to Brussels and back last summer. Swiss-whatever-you-want-to- call them is great

[ZombieNixon]

43. Seconded.

I :loveya: Switzerland.

[Parche]

6. Delta Has The Only Nonstops

$739 roundtrip includes all taxes weekday travel

:hi:

[CatholicEdHead]

9. It could change with the coming merger

Or you fly Northwest, ATL to DTW (or MSP) to London.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

21. It won't change.

The merger, if it happens, will take years. Whatever DAL and NWA are flying right now will keep flying for a very long time. If the OP lives in Atlanta, Delta would be the best bet for a nonstop.

[Thirtieschild]

32. Delta is going to merge? I remember when they were so grand that the employees bought them a plane.

Times change. So often sadly.

[northzax]

40. that would be an awful routing from Atlanta

better off taking United or Continental out of Newark or Dulles than going back and up and over.

plus, then she's in London, not Manchester.

[Parche]

42. Merger

I dont think they will merge, their equipment does not match, except for the 757
the only commonality they have in their fleets
Northwest has mostly Airbus, while Delta has Boeing
Big difference
:hi:

[Critters2]

15. Wow!! That's a good price!! nt

[Thirtieschild]

22. $739 was the price we found. I hoped for something cheaper.

When we lived in ATL we flew Delta exclusively. Heart still pounds when I think about getting on a plane. Sigh.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

45. Sad to say, that IS a cheap flight nowadays

I went to England in both 2006 and 2007, and I paid $200 more in 2007, no way around it.

[TreasonousBastard]

7. All of them are fine for international flights, and they...

tend to all have pretty much the same fares off season. May is just getting to the start of the season, so fares go up just a bit. All those sites that advertise cheap fares don't always catch the deals the airlines put up, so calling or checking the airlines sites is advisable.

I've flown Virgin and Continental to London, and they are both great. Figure 7 hours flight time, give or take, from NY and the flight leaves late so you sleep overnight and get there 7-8 AM their time. Delta may be the only one with a nonstop to England from Atlanta, but things are always changing (doesn't have to be to Manchester-- you can get there by train from London pretty fast)

Once in a while you can hit turbulence, but the planes can take it. Almost all the time the flights are quiet and boredom gets to you long before anything else.

[Thirtieschild]

23. We pretty much have to travel in May.

We will be in Atlanta for our granddaughter's high school graduation on May 10 and figured it would be cheaper to fly in and out of Atlanta since we have to be there anyway, than to fly in and out of El Paso.

[pitohui]

44. one quick suggestion

don't "figure" that it's cheaper to fly out of a hub, often it isn't

you should run programs like kayak or sidestep checking for the best price out of ALL airports that you think you can fly out of

i'm not familiar whether or not there is a "hub premium" for flying out of ATL as i rarely fly thru that airport but it's something to be aware of

living in new orleans i have found flights that are cheaper, starting in MSY and going thru DTW and onward to europe...than it would be if i was already in DTW and took that very same airplane across the pond!

i guess i'm saying, don't just check flights out of ATL, you need to check flights out of whatever airport you have near el paso also

[Thirtieschild]

33. Our first thought was to fly into London & continue by train

but our daughter says it's best to fly into Manchester. She lives in Halifax, works in Leeds. Horrible commute and has finally decided she needs to learn to drive on the wrong side of the road. She was initially scared by the roundabouts.

[Whoa_Nelly]

8. Found this site

http://www.airlineconsolidator.com/aboutus.html

From the site:
Consolidator Fares: Most of our airfares are consolidated tickets. These are one of the great travel bargains, and are usually the best international cheap flights you can find. They are regularly scheduled tickets on major airlines, bought by consolidators in bulk at wholesale prices, and then resold to you at large discounts.

These tickets are generally cheaper than the best published fares available from the airlines themselves.

Web Specials and Airline Sales: We also strive to track the best published airfares and airline sales to pass on to you.

[Thirtieschild]

34. Great advice. I'll check it out.

[distantearlywarning]

10. I flew Air France to Europe this summer.

The food was very good and the flight attendants were nice (and attractive with cute accents).

My sympathies on the flying phobia - I have the same problem. :-(

[AlCzervik]

11. i would go with Virgin, if i didn't have/United points i'd be taking Virgin.

[harmonicon]

12. I fly in and out of Manchester a lot

Never to or from Atlanta though. The only time to/from the US was last week, and I took NWA/KLM, but had to transfer in Amsterdam. It was fine - I think KLM does a really good job. An airline that's usually really cheap is Air India.... they're sorta funny and Indian about things, but the prices are low. I'm not sure if they go into Manchester or stop in Atlanta, but I would imagine that they do. Manchester is a good airport though, and easy to get around. There's a train station at the airport, if that matters.

I usually use sites like travelocity - they seem to have good deals, but sometimes I buy from airlines direct. Lufthansa flights are usually the same price from them as from the discounters, for instance.

[Thirtieschild]

35. Good to know the Manchester airport is easy. Can make a big difference.

I think the Atlanta airport is one of the worst.

[fizzgig]

13. ba is a fantastic airline

best flying experience i've ever had. i was also pleasantly surprised by united's international flights

good luck and have a wonderful trip. i'm the same way as you when it comes to flying. when i went to germany a few years ago (i flew from denver to franfurt), i took one ativan right before i got on the plane and another about halfway through...accompanied by a glass of wine. i was fine.

[mwdem]

14. Delta, non-stop. We flew to Germany on Delta

from K.C. right before 9-11. We flew to Atl., then to Frankfurt. I don't do well on long flights, so Xanax was my friend. My dr. gave me 4 tabs, enough to get me there and back, and it was a breeze. Btw, it's true, the more you fly, the better it gets. Hope you have a great trip!

[democracyindanger]

16. Service-wise

Virgin and British Airways are fantastic. Can't speak to price.

[cordelia]

17. Delta has the only non-stop.

There are alternatives if you don't mind changing planes.

You could take Continental to Newark and change planes there. If the size of the aircraft is a concern, Continental may fly a narrow body from Newark to Manchester. Not sure of that.

There are also connections via Chicago or Washington Dulles on American and United respectively, I do believe.

The only options for an international carrier are British Airways to London Gatwick and a plane change or a train.

You could use Air France to Paris and change planes there.

Lufthansa to Frankfurt and change planes there.

Possibly Air Canada witha plane change in Toronto.

Do not worry! The technology on today's aircraft is amazing.

All in all, I think you may be more comfortable just boarding in Atlanta and deplaning at your destination. Quicker, and less stress.

Sorry to be so "informative", but I'm in the business (not with any of the above named airlines).

[IdaBriggs]

19. Two great websites for inexpensive international airfare --

www.asaptickets.com and www.bestfares.com

Best Fares asks you to become a "member" for the *really* cheap rates, but internationally, ASAP runs *great* deals very regularly. :)

Enjoy! Best, Ida

[Thirtieschild]

36. Thanks. I'll check both.

[crispini]

24. Take the non-stop.

That's always the best.

Get plenty of good drugs from your doctor.

Take an iPod filled with soothing music.

I definitely recommend noise cancellation headphones. They are so worth it, especially on those long flights. :hi:

[Hawkeye-X]

27. Air Burkina?

Oh. You mean England.... okiedoke

[GoneOffShore]

28. sorry to hear you're flying into and out of the UK

Better to fly into another European country and then take the Eurostar into Britain.

The security circus at Theifrow is purported to be worse than Newark.

Added on edit

And remember that flying is far safer per passenger mile than just about any other form of transportation.

You're more likely to die bicycling to work.

[Thirtieschild]

30. Our son gave us the same advice, that we could save money by flying into Germany. Thanks.

[elleng]

29. Hi again, Disorg!

I check cheapfares dot com; you can plug in various preferences.

And let us know when you'll be going, so we can 'hold your hand!'

[Thirtieschild]

37. I will. I'll need all the light and good vibes everyone can spare.

[petronius]

38. We got a great fare on Icelandair last summer, from Boston to Paris

And we got to spend a few days in Iceland on the way. Really good service as well as a cheap ticket...

[LostinVA]

46. Virgin Atlantic

[Lydia Leftcoast]

47. If you're going to do more than visit your daughter

(travel around and see the sights a bit), I'd recommend buying a BritRail Pass, because British train fares are crazy, with advance purchase dates and high walk-up prices, just like airlines.

Otherwise, stay in London for a couple of days (you'll find plenty to do :-) ) and buy your train ticket a day or two before going to Manchester.

Example: When I went to England last year, my plan was to arrive on a Wednesday, spend some time in London, buy a train ticket on Thursday, and go to Bath, to attend the opening reception of my conference on Friday night. If I had done that, my train ticket could have cost as little as £9.50, or about $19.

However, my renewed passport was late, so I had to fly out of the States on Thursday night, landing in London Friday morning, which meant that I had to buy my train ticket on the same day.

The price was--are you ready?--£46, or $92. :wow:

[CottonBear]

48. British Air to the UK and Delta to the continent. n/t

[SKKY]

49. Virgin Atlantic is tops...

...I'll pay several hundred more to fly them.

[montanto]

50. I buy tickets through cheaptickets.com

and if I were a nervous flyer I would spend more on the flight than the other stuff. Virgin is great for trips to England.