renault4

I am planning a trip to CPH in the Fall, using up a cert from a cancelled flight last year. It should be Delta One/European Business class all the way. Its a business trip and my first international trip in a very long time! Before COVID, I was contemplating going through LAX to catch an AF A380 to CDG, just for the A380; now that's gone. Most of the routings I can see are on Delta's A330, which is fine, but I'm wondering if I have any other options using AF or KL metal I should consider?. I'll be coming out of BOI, so I can do SEA, LAX, SLC, ATL or MSP

SFO777

AF 77W is a far better experience than the old A380, and better than any DL offering.

Mountain Explorer

Nobody knows how covid will play out. Plane assignments and schedules for the *Summer* are not settled yet, and you're talking about the Fall. It almost doesn't matter what you book now, there's a good likelihood that it won't match the schedule or equipment that that you actually end up flying.

If things return to semi-normal, you should get an option for a DL A339 on SEA-AMS which is a really nice D1 experience. You could also potentially see a DL A350 out of LAX. But nobody really knows

ATOBTTR

Going eastbound, I would recommend going through West Coast hubs (SEA or LAX) as West Coast to Europe means more time on the TATL leg to Europe and thus more time to sleep and enjoy the premium product.

gitismatty

I think VS also flies their 350 out of LAX and this has the newer and nicer upper class product. kind of leaves you stranded in LHR though as no sky team onward connection

SEA-Flyer

Be thankful that you aren’t taking the AF A380 - the business class seat on that was horrible. Of the DL/AF business class seat options I’ve had a chance to try, I’d recommend them in this order:

AF 777 (I actually think this is the best business class product across the Atlantic)
AF 350 (haven’t flown this but it is the same as the UA Polaris seat which I have flown from what I’ve heard)
DL 330
DL 767
AF 380

(Haven’t flown Skyteam internationally in almost 2 years, so no experience with the newer suite options - all of my international has moved over to *A)

+1 on maximizing the distance - take your Trans-Atlantic flight from West Coast instead of the East, and get a departure as late in the day as possible. That will make it much easier to sleep.

Pocatello

I flew on KLM 15 months ago from Las Vegas non-stop to AMS. I like KLM. It is worth your consideration.

SEA-Flyer

Regarding connecting in AMS vs CDG: It is easier to connect in AMS, but the lounges are much better in CDG (assuming things return to pre-Corona service levels). If the KL business class lounges in AMS were any worse, they’d have to hang a BA sign in front of them.

Mountain Explorer

I take it you haven't actually been there in a while. The KLM international lounge at AMS is impressive

https://travelupdate.com/klm-crown-l...terdam-review/

SEA-Flyer

Looks like they actually improved it with the remodel, which I wasn’t expecting. They did some remodeling in the Schengen lounge a couple years back and it went from terrible to very bad.

Mountain Explorer

ND76

AMS is the easiest hub airport in Europe to traverse. You clear EU immigration there on the way into the concourse where the intra-EU flights board. There is also the KLM Crown Lounge 25 in that area. At CDG, you have to change buildings to connect onto an intrra-EU flight.

MSPeconomist

I agree. I like airports where you can walk or run rather than being at the mercy of some little train, etc.

However, most of CDG T2 is one building. Some flights use the outbuildings, but most/all AF/SkyTeam Schengen flights use F, which is very much a part of the main terminal. L and M, which many DL TATL flights use, are separate buildings (accessed by a tram), but check in occurs in E, which again is part of the main T2 terminal.