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Was I just not paying attention? LAX - Europe

Was I just not paying attention? LAX - Europe

Old Sep 2, 2017, 3:09 pm
  #16  
 
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I hate returning thru IAH, since there's no PreCheck. I have to roll the dice and walk outside to get thru the TSA checkpoint faster (hopefully).

BTW, I think this may be another one:

AMS-WAW-LAX on LO

Having never flown this route, can't say if it's any good.
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Old Sep 2, 2017, 3:16 pm
  #17  
 
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Originally Posted by wh6cto
I hate returning thru IAH, since there's no PreCheck. I have to roll the dice and walk outside to get thru the TSA checkpoint faster (hopefully).

BTW, I think this may be another one:

AMS-WAW-LAX on LO

Having never flown this route, can't say if it's any good.
Can't opine on LO, but you are flying the wrong direction quite a bit on that route...
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Old Sep 2, 2017, 4:41 pm
  #18  
 
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Originally Posted by PsiFighter37
Can't opine on LO, but you are flying the wrong direction quite a bit on that route...
This is Flyertalk, most on here would see that as an added benefit.
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Old Sep 2, 2017, 5:04 pm
  #19  
 
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Originally Posted by avi8tir
I now live in Europe (AMS), head office is in Houston and family in Los Angeles/Orange County...
Groetjes! Now that you are broadening your horizon by living in Amsterdam, please take off your colored glasses and stop flying a crappy airline like United. Many better options out there...seek and ye shall find.
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Old Sep 2, 2017, 5:28 pm
  #20  
 
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Why in tarnation would you not just use KLM?!
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Old Sep 2, 2017, 5:59 pm
  #21  
 
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Originally Posted by DA201
I have family who live in Orange County, and SNA is so much more convenient compared to LAX, especially with LA traffic. I see AMS-IAH-SNA and SNA-ORD-IAH most days with reasonable connection times on UA.

UA has a "larger European presence" because of the JV. LH and LX have service from LAX to MUC, FRA, and ZRH.
AMS-IAH-SNA is an excellent routing and has worked well for me over the years.
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Old Sep 3, 2017, 12:47 pm
  #22  
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It's time for the original poster to rethink airline loyalty. Consider flying KLM non-stop AMS-LAX. I used to be a slave to airline loyalty but not anymore. Now I only have slight loyalty.

If the original poster wants to fly to SNA and not fly a US domestic flight, see if the schedule is ok for KLM AMS-YVR (Vancouver) and Westjet YVR-SNA. US Customs at YVR is very quick and easy. Westjet and KLM can earn Delta SkyPesos.

The above poster's AMS-IAH-SNA routing may be good because the US portion is not too long so it's not too demoralizing.
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Old Sep 3, 2017, 6:46 pm
  #23  
 
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Originally Posted by Rikki3072
Looks like United bought the London route from Pan Am in 1990. http://articles.latimes.com/1990-10-...nited-airlines

Don't remember United ever flying from LAX to other European cities; SFO is their "real" West Coast hub and currently has service to LHR, CDG and FRA.
UA tried upping LAX-LHR to 2x daily earlier this year but it didn't work out.
Link to blog source
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Old Sep 3, 2017, 11:35 pm
  #24  
 
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Originally Posted by sexykitten7
UA tried upping LAX-LHR to 2x daily earlier this year but it didn't work out.
Link to blog source
I tried flying the morning flight earlier this year and got moved to the afternoon flight (LHR-LAX).
Want the morning flight out of LHR so will no longer fly LHR-LAX. Morning flight ensures quicker revovery from jetlag (I personally have found no difference flying the 787 vs any other aircraft in the fleet).

Will fly LAX-LHR as it is the red eye and enough time to sleep to help with the jetlag.

Stupid move by UA to move the flight to the afternoon as not late enough to have a full work day in London before leaving (which is why I may have considered catching an evening flight LHR-LAX.) UA flight leaves at 2pm. NZ flight leaves at 4pm so if I want a flight LHR-LAX I catch the NZ flight as I get two extra hours of work in.

UA have a self fulfilling prophesy that there are not enough people to have two LHR-LAX flights.
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Old Sep 3, 2017, 11:52 pm
  #25  
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Originally Posted by sexykitten7
UA tried upping LAX-LHR to 2x daily earlier this year but it didn't work out.
Link to blog source
Hey, I actually booked the 2nd flight when it was scheduled and UACO cancelled it even before it ever flew.

Originally Posted by Aussienarelle
I tried flying the morning flight earlier this year and got moved to the afternoon flight (LHR-LAX).
Want the morning flight out of LHR so will no longer fly LHR-LAX. Morning flight ensures quicker recovery from jetlag (I personally have found no difference flying the 787 vs any other aircraft in the fleet).

Will fly LAX-LHR as it is the red eye and enough time to sleep to help with the jetlag.

Stupid move by UA to move the flight to the afternoon as not late enough to have a full work day in London before leaving (which is why I may have considered catching an evening flight LHR-LAX.) UA flight leaves at 2pm. NZ flight leaves at 4pm so if I want a flight LHR-LAX I catch the NZ flight as I get two extra hours of work in.

UA have a self fulfilling prophesy that there are not enough people to have two LHR-LAX flights.
Part of me wonders if the schedule planners are trying to save the LHR slots for flights to/from of EWR and ORD given their frequencies and sorta hoping that we'll connect instead of flying nonstop. Really smart move either way. Not.

David
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Old Sep 4, 2017, 2:03 am
  #26  
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Originally Posted by Aussienarelle
I tried flying the morning flight earlier this year and got moved to the afternoon flight (LHR-LAX).
Want the morning flight out of LHR so will no longer fly LHR-LAX. Morning flight ensures quicker revovery from jetlag (I personally have found no difference flying the 787 vs any other aircraft in the fleet).

Will fly LAX-LHR as it is the red eye and enough time to sleep to help with the jetlag.

Stupid move by UA to move the flight to the afternoon as not late enough to have a full work day in London before leaving (which is why I may have considered catching an evening flight LHR-LAX.) UA flight leaves at 2pm. NZ flight leaves at 4pm so if I want a flight LHR-LAX I catch the NZ flight as I get two extra hours of work in.

UA have a self fulfilling prophesy that there are not enough people to have two LHR-LAX flights.
Yes. They messed around with the schedules. The current LHR-LAX timing used to belong to the second SFO flight. Now the two SFO flights leave within two hours of each other. It would be far more sensible if they were separated (as they are eastbound) and the LAX flight were in the middle.
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Old Sep 4, 2017, 11:36 am
  #27  
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Originally Posted by sexykitten7
UA tried upping LAX-LHR to 2x daily earlier this year but it didn't work out.
Link to blog source
For many years, UA have operated a 2nd flight seasonally — i.e. summer only, not winter. They even had a 3rd flight at one point, but that got pulled when the DEN-LHR routing was tried for the first time. So this year's seasonal increase to two flights a day was nothing new.

I agree with other posters that the timing of the UA flights can be annoying. Historically LAX-LHR departure has varied between 2pm (ugh!) and after 5pm (much better). The same sort of annoyance happens coming the other way, too.... I'd take NZ every time if I could!

If OP is desperate to fly on *A from AMS to LHR, he can do it on LH via FRA or MUC, on LX via ZRH, or on OS via VIE. Takes 3.5-5+hrs depending on routing, but think of the extra miles!
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Old Sep 4, 2017, 12:15 pm
  #28  
 
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Originally Posted by Toshbaf
It's time for the original poster to rethink airline loyalty. Consider flying KLM non-stop AMS-LAX. I used to be a slave to airline loyalty but not anymore. Now I only have slight loyalty.

If the original poster wants to fly to SNA and not fly a US domestic flight, see if the schedule is ok for KLM AMS-YVR (Vancouver) and Westjet YVR-SNA. US Customs at YVR is very quick and easy. Westjet and KLM can earn Delta SkyPesos.

The above poster's AMS-IAH-SNA routing may be good because the US portion is not too long so it's not too demoralizing.
Or, DL through SLC or PDX, decent connections, 2-ish hour domestic legs, and airports very unlike EWR and ORD for clearing customs.
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Old Sep 4, 2017, 12:25 pm
  #29  
 
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Another option is AMS-YYZ-LAX on AC. Connecting in YYZ has dedicated transfer area for in-transit passengers and usually is 20-30 mins gate-to-gate.
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Old Sep 4, 2017, 12:40 pm
  #30  
 
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I think the problem for the OP is that he needs UA metal to achieve GS (to get back to the original post).

So he is going to need to catch *A from AMS to the location that will then get him the maximum PQM and more importantly the maximum PQD he needs on UA metal.

Not that I have ever been GS, but am guessing losing that would be a huge difference in level of service.
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