CanadianMike

Maybe there should be an ultimate thread for people to ask for best routing suggestions etc... ?

Anyways. Flying MAN > YOW in January for an interview. Interview is on the 15th. Planning on Jan 13th Departure and Jan 15th PM Return (after interview). Dates aren't flexible as I have exams before and after.

Booking an AE Reward ticket since Flex is ~3500 or something stupid.

Would you fly:

MAN > EWR > YOW (United 757, most direct, shortest total travel time)

MAN > FRA > YUL > YOW (LH, 4hr layover in FRA, and then AC 333)

MAN > FRA > YYZ > YOW (1.25 hour connections)


Essentially, what do you think would be most reliable? Obviously adding multiple short connections adds uncertainty but I'm apprehensive about flying United through Newark. Have only flown through EWR once and it wasn't great. Being stuck in YUL or YYZ would be much better as I'd be on the right side of the border if anything went wrong weather wise etc.

Appreciate any recommendations, or people's experience flying United / through EWR ^

gesmith10

YOW, YUL or YYZ > LHR and take a train from central london

i59bravo

Nonstop NYC - YOW flights are among the first casualties of capacity controls in IRROPS. Last winter, my boyfriend's JFK-YOW nonstop was cancelled altogether two days in a row. EWR is nobody's favourite airport.

If you do go through EWR and run into weather, try to get rebooked EWR-YYZ-YOW.

Sean Peever

In January during the weather mess this year pax who were going EWR - YOW were getting rebooked for 6-8 days out as the soonest available.

Seat13F_AC_CRJ

Agree.

I would avoid the UA 757. A single-aisle a/c on a flight that long? No thank you.
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13F

eigenvector

Connect in FRA, YUL. At least if SHTF weather-wise in YUL you will be only 2 hours away by land. If your flight from FRA goes mechanical or something you still have multiple afternoon options to get out of FRA to YYZ or YUL.

AtlanticXpat

I'd avoid connecting via EWR and look at getting the train or a cheap flight to LHR and flying directly to YOW or via YYZ. Many more options to get from YYZ or even YUL to YOW than from EWR.

zorn

There is LHR-YOW nonstop award availability on January 13. That's the key flight right there reliability-wise.

There is YOW-YYZ-LHR award availability on January 15. YYZ-LHR is even available in J if you're a mister fancy pants. Nice and rested before your exam.

Get MAN-LHR-MAN separately since there are so many different options. BA goes to and fro 7 times a day is a good bet.

That's what I'd do.

CP@YOW

Some of the decision for me would be based on the comfort and convenience of having lounge access and Nexus/Global Entry, i.e. the extra time and extra connection wouldn't bother me.

Regardless, I wouldn't do EWR in this case when there are other options which you listed. There are currently 2 EWR-YOW flights, at 2:15 and at 9:59. I would definitely avoid the late flight (and not just because the time zone difference will be awful for you) as I've had a lot of bad luck with it. A number of times I've been delayed (never great at that hour when you're trying to get home to bed) and most recently (a couple weeks ago) had it cancelled at the last minute. I was in the United Club and just before I was about to leave for the gate, I went to double check the gate number and found the flight had been cancelled (and therefore had a forced overnight).

Then if that happens, the next EWR-YOW flight isn't until 2:15 the next day. At least in my last case, UA created and rebooked everyone on a special recovery flight at 8:30am the next morning and so I didn't have to lose the whole day.

If you book the the 2:15 and it is delayed or cancelled, particularly if there is any hint of bad weather, don't accept waiting for the 9:59 and instead try to find something through YYZ or YUL if possible.

One anecdotal point: The agents in the EWR United Club complained that their colleagues at AC are typically unhelpful in irrops. There was a EWR-YYZ flight leaving shortly but they were unable to make it work and they said that was normal. You also have to re-clear security to transfer from UA to AC at EWR.

CloudsBelow

I totally understand (and have much experience with) the mess that EWR can become.
That said, When you need to be somewhere, IMO you should get on the longest flight avail 1st. That, and the fact MAN-EWR-YOW is the only single-carrier option listed, would compel me to book UA to YOW.
I'd follow the same logic on the way back and get on AC's YOWLHR and avoid YOW-EWR-MAN at all costs.

CanadianMike

Yeah how many / which other flights go from FRA to YYZ and YUL?


Yeah I should have mentioned I am E50k, and do have Nexus.
Very helpful post, thanks!

jrlevine

For reasons discussed, stay away from Newark. If the weather is at all bad the schedules collapse. Also, even if you have NEXUS, if you haven't been fingerprinted by CBP you can't use the Global Entry kiosks, and you'll wait to claim your baggage no matter what.
I would suggest taking the train from Manchester to London Euston for £21, the underground to Heathrow, and the Air Canada nonstop LHR-YOW. Trains are reliable, and they run frequently if you miss the one you planned to take.

On the way back there's no YOW-LHR on the 15th, so I'd suggest connecting via YYZ or YUL. You can fly to either, or you can take the train two hours to Montreal. Most of the Via Rail trains to Montreal stop at Dorval, which is about a three minute taxi ride from YUL.

Seat13F_AC_CRJ

The other negative about the UA 757 is the not infrequent diversions in the winter to refuel on the westbound leg. Stops can take place in Goose Bay, Gander or Bangor and would likely add 1-2 hrs to total travel time.
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13F

CloudsBelow

It's a good point, but not relevant for the TATL segment in question. MANEWR is 2900nm. No sweat for 757 even with the Winter winds

RCyyz

Off the top of my head, on a daily basis AC has at least 2 flights from FRA to YYZ and at least one to YUL. LH has one to YYZ that I know of. If your flight goes MX, you'll have a few Plan B to choose from and that doesn't include things like asking to go out of (relatively) nearby places such as MUC, VIE etc.

I would also suggest you consider taking a train from MAN to LHR then flying out of there.

Personally I would avoid EWR for fear of IRROPS. At least if you're in YYZ or YUL, you'll have options (train, bus, drive) to get yourself to YOW for your interview.