david55

Friends have decided to join us for a trip SEA-ATH next spring. My spouse and I already have our BA F award tickets.

They now need to purchase their tickets to mirror our dates.They will travel in coach.

Any suggestions as to which airline might offer the most comfortable Transatlantic options in coach. The most direct flights will be Delta.BA, and Air France offering just one stop and avoiding the East Coast.

will2288

I would base the decision on the following, in this order:

- one-way
- price
- timing
- seat layout (767 or A330/340 if two people)
- airline

All of the possible airlines have similar products in Y and none is worth paying a large premium for their service. Flying on your BA flight would be convenient for all. I think you can invite them to your seat for a drink and invite them to the CCR in LHR, but that might have changed.

mmff

The purser should not allow this.

lhrsfo

If they are entitled to E+ on UA, then that's the way to go, changing to Aegean in Europe. Otherwise, use an airline that's nonstop from SEA to Europe.

masgniw

I'd recommend a quick hop down to SFO or LAX and catching flight to Europe from there. There's countless affordable shuttles down the coast and a lot more options to get you across Atlantic (for less $$$).

txflyer77

Even buying E+ can be a reasonably good deal on flights that long.

1kBill

Check pricing out of YVR for all classes. We booked business YVR-Paris for flights in July for around US $1,900, with availability on several carriers (IIRC, mainly *A and Skyteam, One World did not play so nice.)

Also check Premium Economy pricing, as this can sometimes be had for a couple of hundred dollars more than regular economy.

PWMTrav

For that length, they should look at premium economy pricing. If they can swing that, Air France from SEA would be a nice ride. Or Alitalia out of LAX.

If it's going to be coach but they're willing to pay for the extended legroom variety on a US carrier, that'd be my next look. At that point just go for the fastest itinerary since it's not going to be much different on UA/AA/DL (DL maybe being the best by a hair). If those are all relatively even, my preference would be to go to whichever routings don't transit CDG or LHR. DL SEA-AMS-ATH would probably be the best.

Finally if it's pure coach all the way, AF is probably going to give you the most comfortable coach experience from SEA. But if you can get up to YVR, you have AF, KL and LH as good coach options. I'd choose KL of that bunch since AMS is up there with ZRH for me as the easiest airports to enter Europe and connect onward. You could also try Edelweiss YVR-ZRH and connect to Aegean ZRH-ATH, but I've flown neither of them.

Artpen100

I would say AF for long-haul economy, plus if they can spring for AF premium economy, that is truly halfway to affaires, and usually not that much more.

muji

Air France has not flown out of SEA for several years now. The options from SEA nonstop to Europe would be Icelandair, Delta, Lufthansa, British Airways.

PWMTrav

Bah. You're right. AF codeshares on the DL flight, I'd lost track. DL operates it.

pinniped

Do they hold any elite status on any carrier? If not, I'd probably go Icelandair...*if* they fly KEF-ATH.

Obviously if there's a willingness to buy a premium economy product, that answer changes.

televisor

I don't reccomend that: SEA-KEF is brutal, mainly because of the early arrival time into KEF. When I flew it, arrival time into KEF translated to 9 or 10pm pacific time (good luck trying to get your sleep done by then). A later arrival time into mainland Europe is much more pleasant for dealing with jetlag. The 757s also aren't particularly comfortable compared to 767s, A330/A340s, or even 3-3-3 777s.

Personally I'd avoid anything to do with LHR or CDG (maybe FRA too, I have no experience there). Edelweiss from YVR would probably be nice, but the AMS options also look good enough.

seaskybound

BA has a rather good Y, spring for the exit rows (better than Y+ middle seat). they can then join you in the lounges.

Fasano Havenshire

Lufthansa has a nice and affordable premium economy option. And transiting is much easier and more predictable than CDG and LHR