Originally Posted by
LoungeLass
Oh sorry, I thought I said in my OP - separate tickets.
If the separate AF ticket is non-refundable, I would plan to arrive IAD the day before. If you book a same-day UA flight to IAD and it is cancelled or substantially delayed -- causing you to miss your AF flight -- how much (financial) pain would you be in, and can you live with it?
How many daily flights does UA have from your home airport to IAD? If your UA flight were cancelled, would you be within a reasonable driving distance of IAD?