Mnevans From United States of America, joined Feb 2007, 167 posts, RR: 0 Posted (5 years 11 months 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 2412 times:
I have to book a business trip to FRA for a month in November. It will be my first trip over-seas and since the client is paying for it, I am allowed to book Business or First class. I think I'll stick with Business so I don't ruin it for others. My question is, what airline (flying from CLE, so there will be a stop) offers the best Business service for the money. I was looking at Continental since they are somewhat hometown and their Business First product seems pretty nice for the price.
HT From Germany, joined May 2005, 6471 posts, RR: 27 Reply 2, posted (5 years 11 months 1 day 13 hours ago) and read 2374 times:
Quoting Mnevans (Thread starter): I have to book a business trip to FRA for a month in November.
Does your customer have a preference of a carrier ? Maybe he has a discount-agreement with one or more carrier(s) ...
Seeing that you are expected to stay for one month, can you tell how likely it is that you will have to change your return flight ?
These two might be a factor in your flight selection. Nothing worse than having to change flights at short notice and then find out that no seats are available.
While NW out of CLE via DTW would be an obvious choice, I have to say that they left the least best impression on me out of LH, KL and NW (having crossed the Atlantic back and forth twice within 2 weeks in April/May on these carriers).
Looking for only a single transfer, I probably would use UA from CLE to IAD and then transfer to a LH-flight (no UA metal !) to FRA early afternoon.
From of the summer (!) timetable:
UA 7163 1426-1546h connecting to LH 419 1750-0635h+1
On the positive side: IAD is a rather easy airport to connect at (with sufficient time).
One of the best products might indeed be the SQ 025 flight JFK to FRA (no personal experience), but I could not find a nonstop feeder on StarAlliance from CLE - and with a change of your return a rather real possibility, I would refrain from flying on 2 seperate tickets (one longhaul, the other one for the feeder flight).
Alternative would be to fly CLE-IAD-JFK-FRA ...
P.S. The return out of FRA departs rather early in the morning (too early for my taste) ...
Furthermore, I liked DL's product in BusinessElite and you could build itineraries via JFK or ATL out of CLE (but do not connect again at CDG !).
Out of the choices stated, and in case of comparable costs, I would go for LH as they will give you the greatest flexibility with the most flights out of FRA.
CO via EWR I have no experience on.
-HT
Carpe diem ! Life is too short to waste your time ! Keep in mind, that today is the first day of the rest of your life !
Mnevans From United States of America, joined Feb 2007, 167 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (5 years 11 months 1 day 8 hours ago) and read 2349 times:
Quoting HT (Reply 2): Does your customer have a preference of a carrier ? Maybe he has a discount-agreement with one or more carrier(s) ...
Seeing that you are expected to stay for one month, can you tell how likely it is that you will have to change your return flight ?
They have no preference nor do they have any discount-agreement with carriers. I would give a 10% chance of my date leaving FRA being later, but I highly doubt it will happen. According to Orbitz, CO is one of the cheapest, LH doesn't have a good connection. I definitely would not want to fly US. I have some miles built up on CO already, so I think I'll go with them unless anyone can tell me different.
Alaskaqantas From New Zealand, joined Dec 2005, 900 posts, RR: 5 Reply 6, posted (5 years 11 months 5 hours ago) and read 2307 times:
Quoting Davescj (Reply 1): I would also suggest AA if you'll be on a plane w/the new biz seats
I would say to try and stick with non US based carriers for the best flight... CO is a good airline, but when you are given the choice of J or F, I think that means they dont mind paying just a wee bit more for a nicer J class.
If you are wanting to get miles with CO, go with AF. Take a CO/DL flight CLE-NYC then NYC-FRA on AF, they have a nice J class... I have never flown personally but I do know people that have and have heard from them that it was a good flight in AF Business class!
here is a cheap business class itinerary straight off of AF's website for a CLE-FRA flight (I choose random days in November):
Total, including taxes: $2,496.15-$2,744.15 (depends on dates)
Departure flight Wednesday, November 7, 2007
AF9127 1:10 PM Cleveland, Hopkins Intl (CLE) OH - Usa 2:57 PM New York, John F Kennedy (JFK) NY - Usa non stop,
CANADAIR Economy
Flight operated by Delta Airlines
AF023 4:55 PM New York, John F Kennedy (JFK) NY - Usa 5:55 AM
+1 Day Paris, Charles de Gaulle (CDG) - France non stop,
B 777 Business
AF1318 7:00 AM
+1 Day Paris, Charles de Gaulle (CDG) - France 8:25 AM
+1 Day Frankfurt (FRA) - Germany non stop,
A 318 Business
13h15mn
Return flight Wednesday, November 28, 2007
AF1519 10:40 AM Frankfurt (FRA) - Germany 12:00 PM Paris, Charles de Gaulle (CDG) - France non stop,
A 319 Business
AF018 1:15 PM Paris, Charles de Gaulle (CDG) - France 3:40 PM New York, Newark Liberty Intl (EWR) NY - Usa non stop,
A 330 Business
AF9496 5:55 PM New York, Newark Liberty Intl (EWR) NY - Usa 8:04 PM Cleveland, Hopkins Intl (CLE) OH - Usa non stop,
B 737 Business
Flight operated by Continental Airlines
15h24mn
For the outbound CLE-NYC you could also take a CO flight in business class (same price) but you would have a longer NYC connection... which could mean taking more time to relax in the lounge or in the city...
As long as you dont mind that extra stop this is a great fare... plus you get CO miles as you wanted. Finding a business class ticket under $3,000 for a good European carrier on a route that isn't a straight shot over the pond is a great deal!!!! Also you would a total of 1,307 miles away from becoming a Silver Elite Onepass member on CO with this routing... so if you already flew that many miles this year or are planning to you could become a Elite member!
~Cheers-
~~Kyle H.
to some people the sky is the limit, to aviation enthusiasts, its home!
Dimoko From United States of America, joined Mar 2006, 307 posts, RR: 1 Reply 8, posted (5 years 10 months 4 weeks 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 2286 times:
i dont know about business class, as i have never flown it, but i would think that taking the CO flight through EWR would be the best, as they operate a 733 on the first leg and a 777 on the second. no sitting on a regional jet for your first connection.
Mnevans From United States of America, joined Feb 2007, 167 posts, RR: 0 Reply 9, posted (5 years 10 months 4 weeks 1 day 15 hours ago) and read 2272 times:
Thanks for the additional info! Does anyone know if it is common on most carriers/alliances that if I travel in J internationally that I get lounge access? That AF flight looks great, I may be booking it next week!
UPPERDECKFAN From Spain, joined Jun 2007, 992 posts, RR: 1 Reply 10, posted (5 years 10 months 4 weeks 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 2264 times:
On OneWorld you get lounge access when flying J international.
BTW, I'd try BA out of JFK on a 744 flight with the new J product, I've done the old BA J a lot of times and is far better than most of the airlines that have been mentioned here (CO/UA/LH/AF/NW/KL/etc) with the exception of SQ (I've not done the new AC J so no opinion here).
You can get to JFK on AA then BA on JFK-LHR-FRA and you'll have access to BA lounge at JFK that is european style (free soft and hard drinks, free salad bar, preflight dinner, etc).
Don't forget about the trip report when you come back,
Mnevans From United States of America, joined Feb 2007, 167 posts, RR: 0 Reply 11, posted (5 years 10 months 4 weeks 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 2259 times:
Quoting UPPERDECKFAN (Reply 10): You can get to JFK on AA then BA on JFK-LHR-FRA and you'll have access to BA lounge at JFK that is european style (free soft and hard drinks, free salad bar, preflight dinner, etc).
I like the sounds of that!
Quoting UPPERDECKFAN (Reply 10): Don't forget about the trip report when you come back,
Unfortunately I think I won't have enough time to really even enjoy where I'm at let alone remember everything, but I'll sure try! I'm going to try to book the return flight a week later so I can have a week in Germany for myself, not sure it that is going to happen though.
Allow ample connection time at both airports !
The 65-minute connection at CDG might be legal, but still I would avoid it due to the real risk of not making the connection (or losing the luggage). At LHR allow even more time to make the connection.
That's one reason why in my reply #2 I specifically looked into flights only that avoided additonal transfers in Europe apart from the unavoidable transfer in the U.S., but the choice is yours ...
-HT
Carpe diem ! Life is too short to waste your time ! Keep in mind, that today is the first day of the rest of your life !
Zrs70 From United States of America, joined Dec 2000, 2872 posts, RR: 10 Reply 13, posted (5 years 10 months 4 weeks 1 day 9 hours ago) and read 2244 times:
Burnsie28 From United States of America, joined Aug 2004, 7411 posts, RR: 9 Reply 14, posted (5 years 10 months 4 weeks 1 day 9 hours ago) and read 2243 times:
Zrs70 From United States of America, joined Dec 2000, 2872 posts, RR: 10 Reply 15, posted (5 years 10 months 4 weeks 1 day 9 hours ago) and read 2241 times:
Quoting Burnsie28 (Reply 14): And then SQ continues to Cleveland???? That would be more of a pain to fly SQ
SQ is worth it. As it will be a full business fare, the CLE add on should be almost fully absorbed. It's doesn't need to stay within *A.
Mnevans From United States of America, joined Feb 2007, 167 posts, RR: 0 Reply 16, posted (5 years 10 months 4 weeks 1 day 7 hours ago) and read 2235 times:
When I go to the SQ website and select CLE as the departure city for dates leaving 11/16 returning 12/16 it says it can't find fares, anything I'm doing wrong?
HT From Germany, joined May 2005, 6471 posts, RR: 27 Reply 17, posted (5 years 10 months 4 weeks 1 day 3 hours ago) and read 2229 times:
Quoting Mnevans (Reply 16): When I go to the SQ website and select CLE as the departure city for dates leaving 11/16 returning 12/16 it says it can't find fares, anything I'm doing wrong?
SQ does not have an interline agreement with anybody serving CLE - JFK nonstop.
Like I said in reply #2, you have the options to either fly on a seperate ticket CLE - JFK (with new check-in's for pax and luggage at JFK both ways) or try to route CLE - IAH - JFK - FRA on UA / SQ (use option "multi-city" or similar on a independent website for this).
Will you be staying in or around Frankfurt thus it will be no problem for you to arrive in time for the 0820h departure of SQ 26 to JFK ?
When travelling longhaul on business, I prefer to use a reliable connection thus making it less likely that I will miss my connection, subsequently putting a) anger into myself and b) anger into the one whom I should work for but arrive later than expected.
From what I understand you are getting paid (the ticket) in order to arrive at your customer in time and be able to start working as intended. IMO, you should not take a too high risk of arriving late (= later than stipulated by your intinerary), as this might give your (labor-)relationship a not so good start.
-HT
Carpe diem ! Life is too short to waste your time ! Keep in mind, that today is the first day of the rest of your life !
UPPERDECKFAN From Spain, joined Jun 2007, 992 posts, RR: 1 Reply 18, posted (5 years 10 months 4 weeks 15 hours ago) and read 2216 times:
Quoting Mnevans (Reply 11): Unfortunately I think I won't have enough time to really even enjoy where I'm at let alone remember everything, but I'll sure try
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