skw1

How are you dealing w/ schedule changes when wanting to fly a specific product? We are re-positioning to ATL (home is Boston) in order to try out the Delta One suite on an A350. We had booked ATL-MUC w/ the ATL-AMS leg on the A350. Last week, there was a schedule change to a later flight on a 777-200 which I was ok with besides cutting it close on the connection in AMS. Now, that flight has been also cancelled and now we're on an earlier flight, but an A330 now. I'm not seeing any A350 or 777-200 going out that day now. We are semi-flexible, both w/ the date and going out of DTW instead, and the entire trip is pending on being able to travel to Germany anyway.

MSPeconomist

When? There could be lots more schedule changes before USA citizens/residents are permitted to enter Europe/Germany, especially without mandatory quarantine.

GeminisTwin

Not responding for the OP, but this morning Spain announced the mandatory quarantine for foreign visitors is lifted as of July 1.

skw1

As of now we're scheduled to fly out 7/5. We're able to push it to the end of July. A Mandatory quarantine would be a deal breaker.

p100a

Italy also does not require a quarantine and is open to international tourists June 3. Greece mid June.

skw1

Plan was I need to be in Munich for 4 days, then promised the wife she could pick somewhere for 6 days. Of course her preference is shopping or a beach. Return flight booked the upperdeck on LH 747. So both flights are bucket list items.

standbyalldtime

I'm in a similar boat. The only TATL flight on suites I could find was AMS-MSP

jdrtravel

While I personally think that planning non-essential overseas travel in July is foolishly and unnecessarily putting oneself and others at risk (and likely not going to happen anyways), it's baffling to me that someone would be this particular about hard product at a time like this.

MSPeconomist

I don't know whether it's still true, but DL had been charging higher D1 fares (IIRC $500 more in each TATL/TPAC direction) for aircraft equipped with suites versus flat bed seats. It could be a matter of wanting to receive what one has paid for.

rylan

Currently Germany is restricting and not allowing non-EU citizens to the country until June 15. That date is subject to extension however depending on how the EU and Germany is progressing and views the outbreaks in other countries.

Oh and yes also being near BOS, the options for travel are limited so I wouldn't even call it repositioning. Your only options to Europe right now are to go through ATL or DTW.

MSPeconomist

This would be DL/SkyTeam options or all carriers from BOS?

rylan

Seems to be most carriers, but DL is no-go until July when some Skyteam options come back (or haven't been canceled yet) with KL showing BOS-AMS and AF showing BOS-CDG. There are some options from JFK to AMS/LHR in July also, if the BOS-JFK feeder flight holds up.

Otherwise its very slim pickings for BOS-EU without repositioning.

skw1

We are each entitled to our own opinions. As for when to start traveling, I wouldn't have planned such a trip for this Memorial Day w/e, but there's others who have. I feel that by July, we will not be totally out of the woods as far as Covid-19 is concerned, but enough time will have passed to start getting things back to normal. It's obvious that you feel otherwise. I'm one of those that have been working non-stop ever since this started so I'm ready for a break. Also, the opportunity that I am visiting Munich for permanently goes away as of September and was already cancelled from April. The desire for a particular hard product comes from being a family of 4, we average 8-9 trips/yr on points/miles in economy and on school vacation weeks. It is rare to go somewhere just the wife and I and in business class.

skw1

Yeah, decent direct flights from here has only been to CDG or LHR.

United857

Also keep in mind that it may be difficult to find a routing including D1 Suites TATL for the foreseeable future. Since Delta has decided to retire its entire fleet of 18 777's as part of COVID-19 fleet cuts, the only other fleets with D1 suites, the A350's and A330neos, that used to fly certain TATL flights will now almost certainly be repurposed to TPAC (and ultra long-haul TATL flights like ATL-JNB) to cover the 777s simply because their range is needed for those flights. As a result, you should realistically expect A332/A333s or 767's as the replacement on TATL routes, which unfortunately none of which have D1 suites (the 764 retrofits involve a refreshed D1 seat, but without doors because the 767 fuselage is too narrow).