Originally Posted by
OliverB
If leaving the previous day (arriving 1 day early) I could also select Business Saver for 57.5k miles + $58.20 but it adds an extra stop and several hours to the flight duration.
Presuming the extra stop is a short domestic connection, and you can sleep on planes, the extra time may be well worth it. Only you can decide, though.
Originally Posted by
OliverB
Edit: the Business Saver flight is actually operated by Swiss, not Lufthansa.
I'm guessing all of these Star Alliance airlines will offer the same mileage redemption as UA?
Not in business: flying UA metal is 57.5k one way US-Europe, but flying a partner is 70k. Are you sure the 57.k option you saw wasn't UA to Europe followed by Lufthansa/Swiss to VCE? That would probably be "Eurobiz" anyway i.e. economy seats with the middle seat empty.
If you are considering business, don't need the stopover/open-jaw allowed by a RT redemption, and your dates are relatively fixed, I'd book it as one-ways and secure your outbound now. Yes, there are double fees if you need to make changes later, but getting 2x business seats can be a challenge.
Originally Posted by
OliverB
We've chosen to travel between seasons, so we'll hopefully miss the cruise ship crowds. While it's true that certain parts of the city can be very touristy, the fun is finding the local flavor. I'm prepared for the costs. The hotel is 100% free as is the flight. So bring on the food and wine!
I'm slowly compiling a list of restaurants; mostly charming neighborhood bàcaros, old rustic osterias & small family-run trattorias, historic caffès and pasticcerias, etc. Ten days will ensure we stray far from the tourist route!
Expect crowds, even in October. In my experience last month, Rialto and St. Mark's Square were still quite crowded, though I'm sure nothing like peak season.
Venice is physically very small, so you can't stray too far from the tourist route, especially since you will want to see the major sights on that route. There are less crowded areas which feel slightly less touristy, and you will surely discover them if you spend 10 days there.
Still, I'll add my voice to the chorus suggesting you reduce your time in Venice and visit somewhere else while you've already traveled so far. Florence is about 3 hours by high speed train (and cheap if you buy in advance, like 15 EUR per person cheap). It's full of amazing sights, and there are many nice apartments you can rent in the historic center at very reasonable prices (I had my best ever airbnb experience there). Those additional "free" nights in Venice are still costing you in the form of more expensive food/drink/transport and lost opportunity to see more of an amazing country.