Which airline is better?

[rrali33tt]

hello !

I am looking into airfare for my ABD , I have seen decent prices on United, Icelandair and Lufhansa ...which is the best? Pro's and cons of each?

TIA

 

[carpenta]

We have flown on United and Luftansa and no comparison. Luftansa blew United out of the water. Service with a smile and how can you go wrong when they give you a chocolate bar when you board. Meals are good with free beer and wine. The Airbus we flew (twice) has more room in economy than United and was comfortable IMO. United is always late and we have never had a pleasant crew. United is constantly voted the worst service. Continental was better and now they are swallowed up by United. HATE, HATE, HATE UNITED....I can't tell you how many times we were bumped (on a connection) and the flight was cancelled for no reason...... P.S. I would avoid flying through London / Heathrow.....they have a history of losing bags.....

 

[rrali33tt]

We have flown on United and Luftansa and no comparison. Luftansa blew United out of the water. Service with a smile and how can you go wrong when they give you a chocolate bar when you board. Meals are good with free beer and wine. The Airbus we flew (twice) has more room in economy than United and was comfortable IMO. United is always late and we have never had a pleasant crew. United is constantly voted the worst service. Continental was better and now they are swallowed up by United. HATE, HATE, HATE UNITED....I can't tell you how many times we were bumped (on a connection) and the flight was cancelled for no reason...... P.S. I would avoid flying through London / Heathrow.....they have a history of losing bags.....

I had this feeling United was not a good choice. Did United lose your bags or Lufhansa? I def do not want my flight cancelled for my honeymoon! I am pretty sure they both go through Heathrow. Plus, we are leaving from London on our way home because we are going to Paris and London after our ABD Germany trip.

I think I will pack a few outfits in my carry on just in case for lost luggage!

 

[DisneyDiana]

When I was a travel agent I booked many people on Lufthansa. I rarely got any complaints which is pretty rare for an airline.

 

[RSM]

For me, a large part of it depends on what plane you end up flying on. I have flown on United alot and Lufthansa quite a bit. On United, I typically go with an economy plus seat. Seats are a little wider with more legroom. Unfortunately, every Lufthansa flight I have been on going overseas (typically Boston to somewhere in Europe), doesn't have an equivalent economy plus option, and the seats are tight with cramped legroom, moreso than the United flights I've been on (generally, Boston to somewhere in China/SE Asia). The ironic part is within Europe, the Lufthansa flights are great. Seats are leather, seem wider with more legroom. So, on the 8 hour leg from Boston to say Frankfurt, you feel packed in. The 1-2 hour leg within Europe seems much more comfortable. I am a pretty average height/weight.

I fly alot, so comfort tends to be the biggest factor for me. I tend to not place as much value on friendliness of the flight attendants and the overall experience. In this regard, there is no doubt that Lufthansa is better than United.

 

[carpenta]

I had this feeling United was not a good choice. Did United lose your bags or Lufhansa? I def do not want my flight cancelled for my honeymoon! I am pretty sure they both go through Heathrow. Plus, we are leaving from London on our way home because we are going to Paris and London after our ABD Germany trip.

I think I will pack a few outfits in my carry on just in case for lost luggage!

No Luftansa did not lose our bags BUT others who joined us on our European tour who went through London had their bags lost that flew on other airlines. Luftansa leaves from Newark and lands in Germany direct flight I believe. U.S.Air flies out of Philly direct also (depending where you live in N.J. I guess). Congrats early on your up coming wedding.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

We have flown on United and Luftansa and no comparison. Luftansa blew United out of the water. Service with a smile and how can you go wrong when they give you a chocolate bar when you board. Meals are good with free beer and wine. The Airbus we flew (twice) has more room in economy than United and was comfortable IMO. United is always late and we have never had a pleasant crew. United is constantly voted the worst service. Continental was better and now they are swallowed up by United. HATE, HATE, HATE UNITED....I can't tell you how many times we were bumped (on a connection) and the flight was cancelled for no reason...... P.S. I would avoid flying through London / Heathrow.....they have a history of losing bags.....

I have flown on Lufthansa many, many times and on United many more times (I'm a UA 1K). UA beats Lufthansa, hands down (I never got any free chocolate bar on Lufthansa by the way and I have flown all classes). Believe me, they have their share of surly flight attendants.

Lufthansa is the only airline which has weighed my carry on bag (and they made me check it, saying it was too heavy). They are notorious for doing this, by the way. Their planes do not have more room in economy, UA usually has 1" wider regular economy seats with a greater pitch. Plus in UA you can pay for economy + seats (or select for free depending on your frequent flyer status), and get even more room. By the way, E+ seats are not wider than regular economy seats, they just have more leg room. On Lufthansa, I always feel as if the seat in front of me is in my lap.

UA is not always late! You can see this yourself if you check arrival/departure statistics. Plus no airline cancels flights for no reason.

 

[carpenta]

O.K. you're right....all those cancellations United called while I flew them did not happen.....Hawaii- cancelled for they had a plane, crew, and one pilot....Sat. cancelled and said they would fly us home Thurs.....got to go to work....Detroit flying through for connection, seats given away.....Minnesota....no plane, sunny day NO weather problems in the U.S......etc. etc. etc.....Employees are like the walking dead....just don't care. UNITED STINKS!!!! Greyhound of the skies...oh no Greyhound has a better arrival record.....

 

[tiggersam00]

Icelandair is my vote Direct to Reykjavik from Boston (4.5 hr flight), plus they allow you to stop and stay up to 7 nights in Reykjavik without paying extra flight fees. Great way to adjust to the time difference and see an AMAZING country. We are doing the Germany ADB in August and stopping a few nights in Iceland. The seats do not feel as cramped as other airlines, you do pay for food and drinks, but on a 4.5 hr flight, how much food do you really need (Drinks yes, foor not so much lol)? Friendly staff, well equipped cabins and seats, very underrated airline, but awesome experience

Oh and the airport in Iceland you connect through is easy to navigate, signs in English and small enough to manage with luggage without issues

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

O.K. you're right....all those cancellations United called while I flew them did not happen.....Hawaii- cancelled for they had a plane, crew, and one pilot....Sat. cancelled and said they would fly us home Thurs.....got to go to work....Detroit flying through for connection, seats given away.....Minnesota....no plane, sunny day NO weather problems in the U.S......etc. etc. etc.....Employees are like the walking dead....just don't care. UNITED STINKS!!!! Greyhound of the skies...oh no Greyhound has a better arrival record.....

I never said you didn't experience cancellations/delays. I can assure you they happened for a reason, not because the airline decided they wanted to inconvenience you! Planes have mechanical problems, crews time out, there are weather problems, etc. The weather may be great at your airport, but a weather problem at an airport on the other side of the country can affect your flight. This happens on every airline. If you don't want to fly UA, that's fine, but just because you had a bad experience doesn't mean it's a bad airline.

I have never flown Icelandair. I can tell you they fly 757-200s and 757-300s. Their economy comfort seats are 19" wide, 33" pitch; economy seats are 17.2" wide, 32" pitch. As someone noted, you can have a free stopover in Iceland when you are ticketed to certain final destinations, a plus if you want to see Iceland.

 

[sayhello]

I haven't flown Luftansa or Icelandair, so I can't comment on them, but I agree that United has an edge with me because of Economy Plus. For a not-huge amount, you can pay extra for what used to be normal legroom, but is now considered a premium amount of extra legroom. It makes a HUGE difference on a 7.5 hour flight!

Sayhello

 

[SingingMom]

Flew Lufthansa home from Munich. Booked through United, but they gave us a Lufthansa flight back and did not allow us to choose seats until we got to airport. Previous flight was cancelled so all of those people were on our flight and we couldn't get three seats together. . But, I will say, the flight attendants were much more pleasant!

"SingingMom" ....Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[hilarys]

"Lufthansa is the only airline which has weighed my carry on bag (and they made me check it, saying it was too heavy). They are notorious for doing this, by the way. "

Oh boy, did you bring back memories with this quote. We adopted our kids from Russia in 2004 and 2006 and made four round trip flights from San Francisco to Moscow over that time all on either United or Lufthansa, plus two flights into Siberia via Seoul Korea and a 9 hour flight across Russia on a Russian airline, but those are stories for another time)!. On one of our trips, Lufthansa in Frankfurt made me weigh my carry on along with a bunch of other passengers. It was a small roll aboard which was fine by US standards but probably pushing it by European standards and then top that off with the fact that our adoption agency asked me to hand carry tons of legal paperwork for our adoption and a few other families, it was heavy! I am a very mild mannered person, but I like to tell the kids I was almost thrown in airport jail that day for arguing over my carry-on (pre-adoption emotions plus the fact that i did not want all that precious paperwork sent to the baggage hold)!

For our upcoming ABD to Central Europe I would be happy to fly either UAL or Lufthansa. I find that the United flight crews are friendlier on the long haul flights to Europe than on the domestic flights. We have had Lufthansa leave behind bags - once sitting on the runway in Frankfurt in the rain. When the bags arrived in Moscow a day and a half later they were soaked. Another time at the airport in Moscow when we were flying home to SFO.

Hilary

 

[Lewisc]

Most people look at the fare and schedule more then carrier name painted on the jet. Many people who have a preference gravitate to whatever airline (or Alliance) they use the most. Maximize their frequent (elite) flyer perks.

Many airlines (most) offer economy plus. Posters have said the European airlines tend to have lower limits on carry on bags then US carriers. They're more likely to enforce those rules. You might get lucky on your outbound flight but have an issue on your return flight. Posters have said the European airlines tend to have better service.

 

[sayhello]

Many airlines (most) offer economy plus.

That hasn't been my experience. Most airlines either have a MUCH more expensive "Plus" class that generally costs close to twice that of normal economy, or they charge extra for "Premium Seats" that are nothing more than normal seats that they have identified as being more desirable.

United's Economy Plus costs generally $100 - $150 per long leg, and you actually get 3-5 extra inches of legroom, and nicer seats on some planes.

Sayhello

 

[CrazyZeus1]

Just some background--we travel monthly with American Airlines and always have the Extra Legroom seats.

We traveled to Italy last summer with Lufthansa for the first time and were SO pleased. We were just in regular old coach and I was worried, but the seats were comfortable for all three of us. The in-seat entertainment meant that each of us could watch/play whatever we wanted to keep us occupied. The food was actually tasty (my husband special ordered kids meals for my son and they were also well prepared and tasty). There was never a lack of drinks or snacks.

The flight attendants were all very efficient and kind, working hard constantly through the long flight.

The flights were all on time (from Texas to Germany to Italy and the same coming back).

We are trying American this summer going to Italy because we get better reward miles with American since my husband is a Platinum member, but Lufthansa is definitely high on our list of options!

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

That hasn't been my experience. Most airlines either have a MUCH more expensive "Plus" class that generally costs close to twice that of normal economy, or they charge extra for "Premium Seats" that are nothing more than normal seats that they have identified as being more desirable.

United's Economy Plus costs generally $100 - $150 per long leg, and you actually get 3-5 extra inches of legroom, and nicer seats on some planes.

Sayhello

You are correct. I agree that UA's Economy Plus has no equal on other US airlines. Plus, as a 1K, I get it for free, which is one of the best Mileage Plus perks. It makes a big difference on those long flights.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

.......

We are trying American this summer going to Italy because we get better reward miles with American since my husband is a Platinum member, but Lufthansa is definitely high on our list of options!

Then stick with AA and oneworld alliance to maximize your miles and FF benefits. Lufthansa is part of the Star Alliance.

 

[Calfan]

We tend to fly United/Luthansa a lot because Star Alliance are the miles we accrue. I am going to knock on wood, but we have never had an issue with a serious delay, let alone a cancellation, with United. Maybe we have just been really lucky, becuase I know there are some strong anti-United opinions out there, but we have generally had postitive experiences with United. For our Scotland ABD last summer, we flew United from SFO to Newark to Edinburgh, and the same route back. All flights were on time, and all luggage arrived safely. We have never had a lost bag on United. In contrast, I flew Southwest for the first time in a few years last Oct. for a Disneyland trip, and my bag was missing in the Oakland airport for quite some time before it was located. All that being said, I would give the nod to Lufthansa. It is DS's favorite airline by far because of the personal TV screens at each seat. We flew Lufthansa for our Med cruise (SFO to Frankfurt to Barcelona going and Paris to Munich to SFO on the return) and were really pleased with the service, timeliness, etc. Again, no luggage issues. My hushand and I also flew Lufthansa to Italy for our honeymoon and also had very a positive experience (although that was business class, and we now almost always fly coach so we can maximize the use of miles for the four of us). For our Central Europe ABD this summer, we are on Lufthansa flights (SFO to Frankfurt to Prague going and Vienna to Frankfurt to SFO on the return), using United miles. So I think the OP would be fine with either choice for your upcoming ABD, but I would probably opt for Luthansa it if were me. For flights to Europe, as a general rule, I prefer flights where the first leg gets me from SFO to Europe with a shorter connection within Europe. That way, if something goes wrong with the second flight, I am already in Europe (where trains, etc. can be used to get to your final destination), instead of stuck in Newark, JFK, etc. All of that being said, If I had the extra days though, I would definitely consider Icelandair with a stopover in Iceland.

 

[rrali33tt]

We tend to fly United/Luthansa a lot because Star Alliance are the miles we accrue. I am going to knock on wood, but we have never had an issue with a serious delay, let alone a cancellation, with United. Maybe we have just been really lucky, becuase I know there are some strong anti-United opinions out there, but we have generally had postitive experiences with United. For our Scotland ABD last summer, we flew United from SFO to Newark to Edinburgh, and the same route back. All flights were on time, and all luggage arrived safely. We have never had a lost bag on United. In contrast, I flew Southwest for the first time in a few years last Oct. for a Disneyland trip, and my bag was missing in the Oakland airport for quite some time before it was located. All that being said, I would give the nod to Lufthansa. It is DS's favorite airline by far because of the personal TV screens at each seat. We flew Lufthansa for our Med cruise (SFO to Frankfurt to Barcelona going and Paris to Munich to SFO on the return) and were really pleased with the service, timeliness, etc. Again, no luggage issues. My hushand and I also flew Lufthansa to Italy for our honeymoon and also had very a positive experience (although that was business class, and we now almost always fly coach so we can maximize the use of miles for the four of us). For our Central Europe ABD this summer, we are on Lufthansa flights (SFO to Frankfurt to Prague going and Vienna to Frankfurt to SFO on the return), using United miles. So I think the OP would be fine with either choice for your upcoming ABD, but I would probably opt for Luthansa it if were me. For flights to Europe, as a general rule, I prefer flights where the first leg gets me from SFO to Europe with a shorter connection within Europe. That way, if something goes wrong with the second flight, I am already in Europe (where trains, etc. can be used to get to your final destination), instead of stuck in Newark, JFK, etc. All of that being said, If I had the extra days though, I would definitely consider Icelandair with a stopover in Iceland.

All you had to say was Lufhansa has TV screens and that would be the deciding factor with me LOL

I did not know about the stopover in Iceland deal with Icelandair until this post! Unfortunately we are already taking too many days off from work due to our wedding in Disney and the honeymoon so I will keep this in mind for next time.