Which indirect is best?

[ChipnDaleRule]

Its getting close to to our flight dates being available
In an ideal world we want to fly VA,as the kids love it and its the only airline(for our dates)which is actually flying direct out of MAN,.Our budget is £850pp which i know for indirect should be pretty achievable,but for direct I'm not over confident for August,but their seem to be quite a few options for indirect,so which is the best in regards to route,service,onboard entertainment etc,also whats a sensible stopover time for immigration?.I seem to have the choice of Delta,AA,US Airlines and KLM.
TIA

 

[foxxxy83]

Personally would NEVER fly with KLM again! Service was TERRIBLE! The seats were so crammed together, you were practically flying with someone else in your lap! I flew Manchester to Amsterdam then on to LA to make flight cost £300 cheaper. They double booked the aeroplane on way back and couldn't board it til 12 people agreed to stay and get a later flight. Nobody wanted to so it took an hr to sort that out. I then got a DVT which moved to my lung and I was in hospital for a wk when I got back which the hospital actually wrote on my notes was from flying in such cramped conditions. We usually fly Delta if we can or BA.

 

[chmurf]

but their seem to be quite a few options for indirect,so which is the best in regards to route,service,onboard entertainment etc,also whats a sensible stopover time for immigration?.I seem to have the choice of Delta,AA,US Airlines and KLM.
TIA

try to check if you get Aer Lingus from Dublin. It flies direct, with Immigration preclearance (you land in Orlando as a domestic passenger, all is taken care of in DUB) if you can get a nice continuous itinerary (MAN-DUB-MCO)

Best route, IMO is with US Airways. Usually low price, and easy connection if you go through CLT (Charlotte) or allow more time through PHL (phliladelphia)
The MAN-PHL-MCO route is quite frequently flown by DISers.
The service is not as good as other airlines (read : the food portions are a wee bit smaller) but it's good and efficient

with other airlines, allow enough time for connection, especially if you fly trough JFK, ATL, ORD or other large airports

all in all, airlines are almost all the same.
I must admit, though, that I was suprised and pleased by Air France on our last transtlantic.

there is no rule of thumb. Look at prices, connection times, and it will get much clearer once the fares and flights are released.

Personally would NEVER fly with KLM again! Service was TERRIBLE! The seats were so crammed together, you were practically flying with someone else in your lap! I flew Manchester to Amsterdam then on to LA to make flight cost £300 cheaper. They double booked the aeroplane on way back and couldn't board it til 12 people agreed to stay and get a later flight. Nobody wanted to so it took an hr to sort that out. I then got a DVT which moved to my lung and I was in hospital for a wk when I got back which the hospital actually wrote on my notes was from flying in such cramped conditions. We usually fly Delta if we can or BA.

excuse me, but are you talking about that flight, long, long ago, where you went to Disneyland California and were asked for money by Cast Members to take pictures with the Disney characters ?

Times have changed. The airlines no longer overbook their planes, as they have to pay hefty compensation to those who get bumped (those who accept to take a later flight). That's a thing from a past that's long gone ( prior to 9/11 at least)

And as for the planes. KLM planes on transatlantic/transcontinental routes are the same as those operated by other airline, with the same seat configuration (roughly 31" pitch and 17.5" width in Economy)

Actually, the KLM routes to the USA are very frequently flown by ... Delta planes, as they now belong to the same airline alliance and share flight codes on a very regular basis.

 

[foxxxy83]

No... my brother lives in LA! We've flown with various different people and found KLM and Continental to be exceptionally poor service. That however is personal experience and all anyone can go off.... we had a great time with Ryanair flights when going to Europe but they have been named one of the world's worst companies. When people post up on forums, they can only ever expect to receive opinions based on personal experience. Two people on the same flight can have COMPLETELY different experiences! My dad flies to NY via Dublin but my mum refuses point blank to fly indirect. It's all personal preference and opinion. For someone to put a post on here about how times have changed is ludicrous! When I made the comment about Disneyland in California, that was based on my own personal experience and I stated at the time that these things happen, cast members come and go etc. At the time, I was on my guard about WDW because of a previous bad experience that anyone who's had their hol spoiled by something like that would be!

 

[foxxxy83]

As for KLM flying Delta planes, they may do but this particular plane had KLM all down the side and that was the experience we had. I can only state off personal experience.

 

[ChipnDaleRule]

try to check if you get Aer Lingus from Dublin. It flies direct, with Immigration preclearance (you land in Orlando as a domestic passenger, all is taken care of in DUB) if you can get a nice continuous itinerary (MAN-DUB-MCO)

I checked Are Lingus as DH flew with them to Boston via Shannon and said it was great doing immigration first,but we need to fly out on a Friday and leave Orlando on the Monday, and they don't do both those days.

 

[chmurf]

As for KLM flying Delta planes, they may do but this particular plane had KLM all down the side and that was the experience we had. I can only state off personal experience.

I'm not questionning your experience, and I'm not trying to pick on you

it's just that it doesn't matter what's written on the side of the planes.
KLM flies A330-200/300, B777-200/300, and B747-400
all have a 31" pitch and 17.5" width configuration

Delta flies 747-400 with 31" pitch and 17.2" width configuration (narrower seats than KLM, by .3" )
they also fly A330-200/300 with a 31" pitch and 18" width configuration (half an inch wider that KLM planes, but that doesn't make this much of a difference.

BA flies B747-400 with the 31" / 17.5" configuration, same config as the B777 they also fly


I understand that you had a terrible flight, and I'm deeply sorry that you had to go to the hospital because you were so cramped up inside that plane. But allow me to be puzzled when all of those planes you might have flown in have ALL the SAME exact seat configuration, and only one was too cramped up

that was just a question on my part, sorry if I have intruded on your personnal space. I didn't mean to. I only meant to point to one fact : those planes are ALL the same when it comes to leg room and seat width, unless you go for Premium Econ or Economy Comfort.

I had to clear this up, because it's relevant to OP's question, and I want to say that, your statement about KLM is true from your standpoint, but from a technical specs standpoint it's false
KLM planes seats are not crammed together, or rather, they are as crammed together as any other airline's airplanes doing those routes.

 

[foxxxy83]

If you look at the new Dreamliner aeroplanes, they have FAB legroom... if the person of you reclines their seat, there's a chance you may have to call the air steward/stewardess over or ask the person to put their seat up so you can get out (going off the reviews on Tripadvisor). If you think of it like that, it may just have depended on where I sat on the plane. Again, can only go off experience

 

[2Tiggies]

No... my brother lives in LA! We've flown with various different people and found KLM and Continental to be exceptionally poor service. That however is personal experience and all anyone can go off.... we had a great time with Ryanair flights when going to Europe but they have been named one of the world's worst companies. When people post up on forums, they can only ever expect to receive opinions based on personal experience. Two people on the same flight can have COMPLETELY different experiences! My dad flies to NY via Dublin but my mum refuses point blank to fly indirect. It's all personal preference and opinion. For someone to put a post on here about how times have changed is ludicrous! When I made the comment about Disneyland in California, that was based on my own personal experience and I stated at the time that these things happen, cast members come and go etc. At the time, I was on my guard about WDW because of a previous bad experience that anyone who's had their hol spoiled by something like that would be!

How strange. I used to fly KLM long haul flights for years. They were my preferred airline and I was actually a member of their Silver Flying Club. The second best airline we've flown with is COntinental. The service was unbeatable both on the ground and in the air and again, very comfortable planes

Goes to show we can't apply one experience as an overall review for everyone. I take some of the Trip Advisor reviews with a pinch of salt too lol

 

[chmurf]

If you look at the new Dreamliner aeroplanes, they have FAB legroom...

yes they do, but not in economy, which has obviously been your case with your terrible experience(s) since other classes have more legroom and width and certainly don't feel crammed for most pax.

Dreamliners with BA have the standard 31" / 17.5" seat configuration, like the planes mentionned before. Same legroom, same width, when you fly in Y, even on the Dreamliner. So the issue of seats being crammed together just stays the same.
http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/British_Airways/British_Airways_Boeing_787-8.php

I'll just stop at that because it's going nowhere and doesn't help with the topic or OP's question

 

[foxxxy83]

We flying Premium Economy on Thomson Dreamliner to Sanford in 9 days so will post up then! Lol!

 

[2Tiggies]

We flying Premium Economy on Thomson Dreamliner to Sanford in 9 days so will post up then! Lol!

To be fair, you can't compare PE with Economy and call economy cramped

I've heard the Dreamliners are very nice though. Hope you have a good experience

 

[foxxxy83]

I upgraded coz I was worried Economy might be cramped. Premium Economy been getting bad reviews as well though so meant I would only truly be able to judge if there's any difference once I've experienced something other than Economy

 

[ChipnDaleRule]

Not really bothered about the leg room,that side of things is black and white and i can find that out on seatguru.Im more interested in service experiences,how people cope with changing planes,whats a good airport for changing plane/immigration,for example ive heard Chicago you would need a longer stopover!do some of these routes have IFE?

 

[chmurf]

Im more interested in service experiences,how people cope with changing planes,whats a good airport for changing plane/immigration,for example ive heard Chicago you would need a longer stopover!

Immigration will not only depend on the airport, but also on the time of day and the number of incoming flights around your arrival time.
As a rule of thumb, I allow a minimum of 2 hours for immigration, customs, and terminal change, and 2hrs and a half at busy airports (ATL, ORD or JFK - not a complete list)

Flying indirect is pretty straightforward once you get off the plane. Everybody goes in the same direction anyway.

remember that you'll need to go through security again at your connecting airport (only on the way to the US) and collect your luggage, then recheck (drop them at a conveyor belt) after customs.

Most airline will sell you tight connections (90 minutes), that's too short most of the time, that's even shorter if you have kids, and even shorter again if you're at a busy airport.

Some will tell you that as long as you're on the same ticket, the airline will put you on the next plane, well, I'd rather wait for one hour in a concourse than being rescheduled on the next flight because I misconnected.

there is no good or bad airport to connect. There are good and bad times, there are delays.
If you're looking for guarantees that THIS airport is going to be perfectly OK for your connection, you won't get none.
You only need to allow enough time for a connection. Airports are relatively easy to navigate, don't worry about that.

do some of these routes have IFE?

most of them have IFE (AVOD = on demand video with a large selection of movies, shows, music and games). I think that only American Airlines operates flights out of Europe without AVOD and personnal screens, and only have a shared monitor for the whole cabin

I stick with US Airways (out of MAN that would be my choice) and here is the AVOD line up for september/october 2013 so you get the idea. http://www.usairways.com/en-US/traveltools/intheair/entertainment/movies_list.html#

if you have specific question, such as the need to be walked through a connection, feel free to ask

 

[2Tiggies]

I don't think you can go wrong with any of those airlines. I thought that AA had IFE on some of their flights now, but I may be confusing them with another airline ....

I sorted my search results in the following order:

Price

Then I picked from those the arrival time at MCO - I like indirect flights but don't really care to land at MCO at 11.59 pm, although I don't mind an overnight connection if I get in at a decent time in the morning the following day. I could have saved about £12 per person if I'd taken a later flight but to me, fulfilling my preference of earlier arrival was well worth the small change

I then check the connection time options

IFE probably comes last on my list now, even though this wasn't the case a few years back. Most families have at least one gadget that allows some games or viewing of movies on to bring with if need be to pass the time, but again, I am not sure if I would go entertainment free long haul with very young children

 

[MrRomance]

On the topic of cramped conditions, you might want to avoid Air France sometimes a Delta code share that goes via Paris.

I think sometimes planes can seem more cramped than others based on the passengers around you and the width of the arm rests too. We flew the Paris route during the "Delta Glitch" and it was an Air France plane from Paris to MCO. I have flown hundreds of thousands of miles across the Atlantic because as some of you know my wife is from Michigan and I used to fly over to see her before we settled here in the UK about 8 times a year. I have NEVER felt so uncomfortable and cramped in my life as I did on that flight from Paris. The configuration and probably the seat pitch were the same as most other transatlantic routes but it felt like hell on a cloud!

 

[MrRomance]

On the topic of cramped conditions, you might want to avoid Air France sometimes a Delta code share that goes via Paris.

I think sometimes planes can seem more cramped than others based on the passengers around you and the width of the arm rests too. We flew the Paris route during the "Delta Glitch" and it was an Air France plane from Paris to MCO. I have flown hundreds of thousands of miles across the Atlantic because as some of you know my wife is from Michigan and I used to fly over to see her before we settled here in the UK about 8 times a year. I have NEVER felt so uncomfortable and cramped in my life as I did on that flight from Paris. The configuration and probably the seat pitch were the same as most other transatlantic routes but it felt like hell on a cloud!

 

[jen_uk]

We have flown with US via Charlotte and they were very good, the connection was extremely easy and I've heard that Charlotte is the best airport to connect through

 

[Rach78]

I wouldn't hesitate to fly indirect, and with 2 children, for the difference in cost. Again just personal, but I am terrified of flying, so figure I would be just as scared in business class as in economy, therefore couldn't really care less. We are going for the second time next year and have booked US airways MAN PHIL TAMPA as we thought it was a great price. I wouldn't pay loads more to fly direct, it just wouldn't be worth it to me as I would rather spend the extra money on the holiday rather than the flight. We flew BA last year EDI - GAT- TAMPA, paid about £800 more than we did last year and we were delayed 7 hours at Gatwick airport, therefore you can't really tell what will happen. Children cope very well, they just get on with it, it's us that does the stressing! For me, it's about the best price, then not too long a connection in between flights. As long as I get there I am happy!!