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-   -   Connecting on Award ATH-YUL-BOS (short) (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/united-airlines-mileageplus/1621554-connecting-award-ath-yul-bos-short.html)

hughw Oct 18, 2014 11:32 am

Connecting on Award ATH-YUL-BOS (short)
 
I'm considering booking UA mileage award flights for daughter, husband, and kids for an AC TATL flight (ATH-YUL) arriving Montreal at 3:00pm connecting to an AC YUL-BOS flight at 4:25. Is that doable? There's another flight about 2 hours later but not available as award. If they miss the 4:25pm flight, will AC book them on the later flight assuming there are any open seats? Otherwise, I can book them on connecting flights though EWR which will get them to BOS about 11pm....not fun after a TATL flight.

rankourabu Oct 18, 2014 11:46 am

First, stop now and save yourself.

ATH-YUL is Air Canada Rouge, which is THE WORST rated airline in the world, worse than Spirit and Ryanair.
http://www.airlinequality.com/Forum/air_canrge.htm


If you do decide to torture your family with Rouge, 60 minutes seems to be the minimum connect time, and 75 minutes is doable at YUL.
And yes, AC would rebook them.

hughw Oct 18, 2014 12:05 pm


Originally Posted by rankourabu (Post 23697251)
First, stop now and save yourself.

ATH-YUL is Air Canada Rouge, which is THE WORST rated airline in the world, worse than Spirit and Ryanair.
http://www.airlinequality.com/Forum/air_canrge.htm


If you do decide to torture your family with Rouge, 60 minutes seems to be the minimum connect time, and 75 minutes is doable at YUL.
And yes, AC would rebook them.

Thanks....very good advice....I'm not familiar with AC Rouge but I did fly AC's cattle car, vintage 767 ATH-YUL several years ago and vowed never to have anything to do with AC again.

But, the AC Rouge flight is the only available flight that I've found that day with one possible exception. They could take Aegean ATH-FRA connecting to LH FRA-BOS, but involves leaving a couple hours earlier and a 7 hour layover in FRA, then arriving BOS about 2 hours later than AC. So is adding about five hours to their trip length worth it to avoid AC?

rankourabu Oct 18, 2014 12:10 pm


Originally Posted by hughw (Post 23697336)
Thanks....very good advice....I'm not familiar with AC Rouge but I did fly AC's cattle car, vintage 767 ATH-YUL several years ago and vowed never to have anything to do with AC again.

But, the AC Rouge flight is the only available flight that I've found that day with one possible exception. They could take Aegean ATH-FRA connecting to LH FRA-BOS, but involves leaving a couple hours earlier and a 7 hour layover in FRA, then arriving BOS about 2 hours later than AC. So is adding about five hours to their trip length worth it to avoid AC?

This is not AC that you know and flew, as bad as mainline AC is, this is worse than you can imagine. Read the reviews. Its 30" of pitch for 10 hours. Yes I would do ATH-FRA-BOS, I would never let my family fly Rouge.

7 hour layover in FRA is not that bad - you can easily go for a trip to the city.
Is there anything that even with an extra connection in Europe would shorten the FRA layover? Do a separate search for ATH-FRA and see whats available.

DWFI Oct 18, 2014 12:22 pm


Originally Posted by rankourabu (Post 23697359)
This is not AC that you know and flew, as bad as mainline AC is, this is worse than you can imagine. Read the reviews. Its 30" of pitch for 10 hours. Yes I would do ATH-FRA-BOS, I would never let my family fly Rouge.

+1
Enough said, I think.

hughw Oct 18, 2014 2:01 pm


Originally Posted by rankourabu (Post 23697359)
This is not AC that you know and flew, as bad as mainline AC is, this is worse than you can imagine. Read the reviews. Its 30" of pitch for 10 hours. Yes I would do ATH-FRA-BOS, I would never let my family fly Rouge.

7 hour layover in FRA is not that bad - you can easily go for a trip to the city.
Is there anything that even with an extra connection in Europe would shorten the FRA layover? Do a separate search for ATH-FRA and see whats available.

There's also some other AC flights from Europe from other cities, other than Athens, that I believe are mainline rather than rouge. Are they somewhat acceptable, or do you still advise staying away from AC?

rankourabu Oct 18, 2014 2:03 pm


Originally Posted by hughw (Post 23697750)
There's also some other AC flights from Europe from other cities, other than Athens, that I believe are mainline rather than rouge. Are they somewhat acceptable, or do you still advise staying away from AC?

Mainline in Y will be acceptable. No different than if they flew LH. Y is Y.

exwannabe Oct 18, 2014 5:18 pm

Back to the original plan. 1:25 to transfer and clear US customs in YUL is really dicey (and this assume Rouge interlines the bags, if not you might need to pass both customs).

If it was me, I would schedule something that has less anxiety. And with kids?

Transpacificflyer Oct 18, 2014 5:45 pm

It all depends upon your travel circumstances;
Scenario 1- Doable, subject to the flight actually arriving on time. AC and satisfactory on time performance are rarely mentioned in the same sentence.

Scenario 2- Not likely.

Scenario 1: If your airline offers the option of automatically transferring your luggage and you have a boarding pass for your connecting flight, you will be asked to proceed via a connecting flights corridor, avoiding Canadian customs. You will, however, have to go through U.S. customs. Your checked luggage will be transferred automatically by the luggage-handling system. Note, however, that U.S. customs officers are authorized to recall your luggage, if necessary, for manual inspection. If the customs officers do not yet have the information on your luggage at hand, you will be asked to proceed to the waiting area.

Scenario 2- If your airline does not offer the option of automatically transferring your luggage, you must pick it up yourself from the carousel, then follow the normal procedures for international arrivals, then for U.S. departures.

hughw Oct 18, 2014 7:32 pm


Originally Posted by Transpacificflyer (Post 23698432)
It all depends upon your travel circumstances;
Scenario 1- Doable, subject to the flight actually arriving on time. AC and satisfactory on time performance are rarely mentioned in the same sentence.

Scenario 2- Not likely.

Scenario 1: If your airline offers the option of automatically transferring your luggage and you have a boarding pass for your connecting flight, you will be asked to proceed via a connecting flights corridor, avoiding Canadian customs. You will, however, have to go through U.S. customs. Your checked luggage will be transferred automatically by the luggage-handling system. Note, however, that U.S. customs officers are authorized to recall your luggage, if necessary, for manual inspection. If the customs officers do not yet have the information on your luggage at hand, you will be asked to proceed to the waiting area.

Scenario 2- If your airline does not offer the option of automatically transferring your luggage, you must pick it up yourself from the carousel, then follow the normal procedures for international arrivals, then for U.S. departures.

With hand carried luggage, you can go straight to us customs, right? And if flying AC and connecting to AC or UA, is there automatic luggage transfer!

aacharya Oct 18, 2014 7:40 pm


Originally Posted by hughw (Post 23698725)
With hand carried luggage, you can go straight to us customs, right? And if flying AC and connecting to AC or UA, is there automatic luggage transfer!

Yes to both.


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