From any of the Southern Calif. airports, including San Diego or LAX: do you have recommendation which airline would have best service with non stop? Which airline would give most ff miles if we pay? Which airline lowest number of ffmiles, if we use ffmiles?

When are you planning to travel?
You can take advantage of UA's saver award sale by flying to Europe from the US for 35,000 miles (instead of the usual 50,000).
Offer valid until 3/31/02. Check ual.com for details.

AndrewM

[This message has been edited by AndrewM (edited 01-17-2002).]

[This message has been edited by AndrewM (edited 01-17-2002).]

To my knowledge, there is no non-stop from SAN to Europe -- you stop in LAX, SFO or Phoenix depending on airline -- or you could choose IAD, DEN, ORD, etc.

Could also *A via ORD/IAD to Munich if looking for lowest number of stops. Possibly DL via ATL also.

Munich would be preferable city if you were renting a car once there (much cheaper than renting in Austria or Italy). Innsbruck is two hours by car (less than that if you aren't afraid of driving fast!!)

Avoid flying into Italy as it is usually more expensive and less reliable. Italian airport workers are famous for staging wildcat strikes.

BA has a 4 pm 777 departure for London (Gatwick). It's an interesting flight to watch, since SAN doesn't have enough clearance for a 777 to taxi from the terminal to the departure point along either side of the runway. However, at any given point, there's enough clearance on one side or the other. They have to shut down the runway for take-offs and landings twice so the 777 can cross to the other side. Good thing there's just one 777 departure a day! (An arriving aircraft usually ends up at the other end of the runway, so it doesn't have the same problem.)

Of course, you'd still have to change at LGW.

Interesting facts regarding 777 and SAN.
I would always go MUC. More reliable; just now Italian airports are on strike ...
Rental cars are much cheaper, however, to go to Innsbruck, you have to buy a "sticker" on the boarder to Austria.

You could go LAX-DUS-MUC with LTU.
They are running an auction:

Non-stop to Germany at YOUR price.

Our auctions run hourly until January 31,
with instant confirmation.
Check it out, click on the QUIK-AUCTIONS logo.
http://www.ltu-airways.com/

PAY WITH CREDIT CARD. LTU has nice new planes - but is in financial trouble (SwissAir is/was shareholder!!)

Be careful with discount award flights.

I used AA's award on their metal which, aside from having status, thus an exit row at the front of coach, for even more leg room, sucked - there was no overnight kit, no limitless snacks in the galley and the soap in the washroom has, like, acid in it causing me a days of major hand soreness and peeling, and almost a month's worth, by now, of eye redness.

Anyway, I used their 35,000 mi award, instead of the regular coach 40,000 award and suddenly I wasn't allowed the same stopovers (domestic and international) a mere 5,000 more miles would have got me. Make sure you check all the comparable restrictions before you think you are getting such a great deal.

Also, coming back through ORD sucks. The distance from the international arrivals area and your domestic connection is very long involving a bus ride, the longest walk I've ever encountered and having to go through security again!

There is a special on Lufthansa for double miles through March I think. LAX-FRA-MUC (or MXP)

www.lufthansa.com

We here are my thoughts ---

If you fly from San Diego....Southwest has the most flights per day, the best prices, and the best frequent flier program. Yes, they have no FC; but they are safe, dependendable, and if you don't realize are worth more (market cap) than AA, UA, DL, NW, CO, US, AK , HP combined...$14Billion!)

BA has eliminated the NS to London.

Also, if you wanna go somewhere cool, go where Conde Naste consistently ranks the best place in the world.....Florence and Venice Italy...also Southern Italy is great...You can fly there this was way:

AA from SAN to LAX
DL/AX from LAX to MXP.

Take care!

Take UA to SFO, then LH nonstop to MUC.

I'm thinking that the *A would probably be the best way to go. Coverage in Germany and Austria is comprehensive and the UA/LH schedules are usually well coordinated.

(No, I don't fly *A but my boyfriend is a LH Senator, so I can speak through his experience.)

That's too bad. Several FTers had a chance to watch its maneuvering from the second-floor balcony bar across the airport from the terminal at a gathering last July. I checked the BA site before I posted because there have been so many cancellations in the past few months and wanted to make sure my info was accurate. Perhaps they should update it?