Bow Rider

And you wanted to fly *A to all regions of the world, where would you move?

Would it make any difference if you planned to do western RTW trips?

Please explain why, in general terms.

TIA

mahasamatman

Truthfully, I wouldn't include this consideration in determining where to live. You can already get from anywhere to anywhere else pretty easily.

Bow Rider

That is certainly a normal point of view. I should have explained the idea better.

I'll soon be able to work at home full time anywhere on US soil with broadband internet access. Right now, I am much more interested in traveling than I am in all the usual social and cultural activities of youth and growing families.

If renting an apartment near the airport in one city is demonstrably better than any other city, that's what I'd try for a couple years.

mre5765

If long haul travel was the only consideration, then Chicago is the best choice. But as others have said, *A is well connected in the USA. Pretty much any US/CO/UA hub with lots of international flights will do: PHL, ORD, SFO, IAD, IAH, EWR, and if you want to suffer one connection, any major city in the contiguous USA will do.

Living in COS, I can get to LAX, IAH, IAD, SFO, ORD in one flight, and only once have I had to deal with two domestic flights to get over a pond. And COS is hardly in a major city.

Bow Rider

Thanks, mre5765!!

Staying off regional jets is a big part of my thinking. And I like the windy city.

ScatterX

It's really too hard to answer this question. Assuming you have no interest in the city you live in, a major hub would be best. If I was living in the airport and oblivious to the town it was in, I'd pick ORD. You can get anywhere from there.

Given that you are renting and only want to travel, why not pick more than one place? Live for a while in NY and fly TATL. Then live near LAX/SFO and fly TPAC. If you are going to RTW, then it really doesn't matter. You leave anywhere, travel your brains out, and return anywhere. It really doesn't matter for cost or convenience.

If it we're me and traveling is far more important (but not the only consideration), I'd pick a city that I most wanted to live in, even if I lived in a cheap rental near the airport. As MRE suggested, COS is a pretty nice place. DEN would be great too. Either is easy to travel from.

~tc~

Cost of living in Houston is FAR lower than NYC or Chicago, and less weather delays/closures for the airport.

Pittsburgh is a great, underrated town.

That said, CO has been my favorite place to live.

Bow Rider

Thanks, ~tc~.

Cost of living is certainly a factor. I need to adjust to Continental being part of United (my bias/problem).

I assume CO as a favorite place to live means Colorado, not Continental, LOL.

~tc~

Yes, Colorado. Most recently lived in Longmont and loved it.

Don't forget USAirways too

AFJon

I'll plug COS, low cost of living (more $ for flying). Easy airport to fly out of, as long as you are good with a connection, or a direct RJ to the major gate way cities.

Bow Rider

ScatterX

There's not much question that a hub is the only answer, ORD seems like it, even with the WX.

I thought about a suite at the Dulles Marriott or the like, but I can't shed every last thing I own, so need some place to come back to.

I did a DEN-ABQ leg on UAX last year, Christ, I never walked so far in one airport than mainline UA to UAX at DEN. It was a rare day when my lower back was giving me trouble, and I wasn't sure I could even do it. No UAX for me, at least at DEN.

Unterwegs

What about SFO. First it is a pretty nice city. Public transportation to the airport (you can live anywhere, not necessarily close to the airport). Weather is usually nice, not many delays in winter.
When you start traveling internationally and on RTWs you have some good airlines flying from there to Asia, LX and LH to Europe (in addition to United).

Travel to South America would require connections, but you could do the occasional OW RTW and use LAN. Cathay and JAL to Asia, BA to Europe.

EnvoyBoy

I'd pass on CLT then if you don't like long mainline-->express gate walks, esp. when there's no club near the express gates.