Help me pick best transit airport in Europe IAD-IST (lounge, etc.)
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 3,904
Help me pick best transit airport in Europe IAD-IST (lounge, etc.)
Hello - We are going to IST in June.
I am flying from IAD and will take UA (either true UA or codeshare) and then connect in the European gateway onward to IST.
I am Star Gold and will be in business.
On the day I can go, single connection options are available in the following cities.
MUC (3h 25m) - only LH G Schengen open so not possible for me.
VIE (1h 55m) - only Schengen lounge open so not possible for me.
ZRH (2h 50m) - only Swiss Schengen A lounge opened so no use to me?
BRU (2h 55m) - all lounges closed
FRA (4h 5m) - Star Alliance lounge finder says only LH Schengen A lounge open but LH website says non-Schengen B and Z open?
LHR (4h) - only LH business lounge open?
All the products over the Atlantic are lie flat and most connect to Turkish in Europe which I prefer over the "faux" business class of SN/LX/LH/OS.
What I'm most interested in ease of non-Schengen to non-Schengen with respect to Covid and access to lounges.
I realize many of the non-Schengen lounges remain closed.
Thanks.
I am flying from IAD and will take UA (either true UA or codeshare) and then connect in the European gateway onward to IST.
I am Star Gold and will be in business.
On the day I can go, single connection options are available in the following cities.
MUC (3h 25m) - only LH G Schengen open so not possible for me.
VIE (1h 55m) - only Schengen lounge open so not possible for me.
ZRH (2h 50m) - only Swiss Schengen A lounge opened so no use to me?
BRU (2h 55m) - all lounges closed
FRA (4h 5m) - Star Alliance lounge finder says only LH Schengen A lounge open but LH website says non-Schengen B and Z open?
LHR (4h) - only LH business lounge open?
All the products over the Atlantic are lie flat and most connect to Turkish in Europe which I prefer over the "faux" business class of SN/LX/LH/OS.
What I'm most interested in ease of non-Schengen to non-Schengen with respect to Covid and access to lounges.
I realize many of the non-Schengen lounges remain closed.
Thanks.
#2
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The best transit option is always none. Why not take the non-stop on TK? It seems like your self-imposed requirement to fly UA is really hurting you here.
#3
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Sounds like the form of payment or party ultimately footing the bill may require spending the travel funds on UA/UA codeshares.
Does TK even codeshare with UA when it comes to a ticketed booking with only IAD-IST/IST-IAD on it?
Does TK even codeshare with UA when it comes to a ticketed booking with only IAD-IST/IST-IAD on it?
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#6
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Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 3,904
I would prefer to buy a 016 ticket to help towards my 1K requirements.. Also, the lowest P fare requires UA or OS/LH/AC/SN/LX and I'm just as happy in the Polaris seat connecting with a real business class on Turkish for the last leg.
What I'm most interested in is does one hub make non-Schengen to non-Schengen transfers easier. I also want to cofirm it doesn't look like I'll have lounge access anywhere.
Thanks!
What I'm most interested in is does one hub make non-Schengen to non-Schengen transfers easier. I also want to cofirm it doesn't look like I'll have lounge access anywhere.
Thanks!
#7
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I would prefer to buy a 016 ticket to help towards my 1K requirements.. Also, the lowest P fare requires UA or OS/LH/AC/SN/LX and I'm just as happy in the Polaris seat connecting with a real business class on Turkish for the last leg.
What I'm most interested in is does one hub make non-Schengen to non-Schengen transfers easier. I also want to cofirm it doesn't look like I'll have lounge access anywhere.
Thanks!
What I'm most interested in is does one hub make non-Schengen to non-Schengen transfers easier. I also want to cofirm it doesn't look like I'll have lounge access anywhere.
Thanks!
I would probably pick ZRH nowadays if I had to do this kind of trip, but I haven't checked out the flight schedules nowadays.
#8
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I've heard they've closed the LH LHR lounge again. FRA NS lounge in B is open and accessible to people who must stay in the transit area.
The *A lounges you mentioned have been extremely limited in their offerings for some time. Currently, even the LX is without any F&B service. You can't even consume stuff bought outside. And the Swiss tend to be more liberal.. So lounges wouldn't factor into the equation for me at all.
The *A lounges you mentioned have been extremely limited in their offerings for some time. Currently, even the LX is without any F&B service. You can't even consume stuff bought outside. And the Swiss tend to be more liberal.. So lounges wouldn't factor into the equation for me at all.
#9
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Hello - We are going to IST in June.
I am flying from IAD and will take UA (either true UA or codeshare) and then connect in the European gateway onward to IST.
I am Star Gold and will be in business.
On the day I can go, single connection options are available in the following cities.
MUC (3h 25m) - only LH G Schengen open so not possible for me.
VIE (1h 55m) - only Schengen lounge open so not possible for me.
ZRH (2h 50m) - only Swiss Schengen A lounge opened so no use to me?
BRU (2h 55m) - all lounges closed
FRA (4h 5m) - Star Alliance lounge finder says only LH Schengen A lounge open but LH website says non-Schengen B and Z open?
LHR (4h) - only LH business lounge open?
All the products over the Atlantic are lie flat and most connect to Turkish in Europe which I prefer over the "faux" business class of SN/LX/LH/OS.
What I'm most interested in ease of non-Schengen to non-Schengen with respect to Covid and access to lounges.
I realize many of the non-Schengen lounges remain closed.
Thanks.
I am flying from IAD and will take UA (either true UA or codeshare) and then connect in the European gateway onward to IST.
I am Star Gold and will be in business.
On the day I can go, single connection options are available in the following cities.
MUC (3h 25m) - only LH G Schengen open so not possible for me.
VIE (1h 55m) - only Schengen lounge open so not possible for me.
ZRH (2h 50m) - only Swiss Schengen A lounge opened so no use to me?
BRU (2h 55m) - all lounges closed
FRA (4h 5m) - Star Alliance lounge finder says only LH Schengen A lounge open but LH website says non-Schengen B and Z open?
LHR (4h) - only LH business lounge open?
All the products over the Atlantic are lie flat and most connect to Turkish in Europe which I prefer over the "faux" business class of SN/LX/LH/OS.
What I'm most interested in ease of non-Schengen to non-Schengen with respect to Covid and access to lounges.
I realize many of the non-Schengen lounges remain closed.
Thanks.
Shortest layover, but long enough for decent buffer in case of any delays.
Comfortable lounger and workspace style seating in the gate/terminal area.
As mentioned before, all the other *G lounges are closed or barebones - basically only offering a seat. Otherwise it would be a toss-up - they're all sort of equally comfortable to me.
#10
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A lot of lounges across the Star Alliance hub airports in the Schengen area are shut down; and of the lounges that are open, some are now so bare-bones that it's not even worth considering when the lounge is more out of the way than if going directly from gate-to-gate to connect.
I would probably pick ZRH nowadays if I had to do this kind of trip, but I haven't checked out the flight schedules nowadays.
I would probably pick ZRH nowadays if I had to do this kind of trip, but I haven't checked out the flight schedules nowadays.
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I would prefer to buy a 016 ticket to help towards my 1K requirements.. Also, the lowest P fare requires UA or OS/LH/AC/SN/LX and I'm just as happy in the Polaris seat connecting with a real business class on Turkish for the last leg.
What I'm most interested in is does one hub make non-Schengen to non-Schengen transfers easier. I also want to cofirm it doesn't look like I'll have lounge access anywhere.
Thanks!
What I'm most interested in is does one hub make non-Schengen to non-Schengen transfers easier. I also want to cofirm it doesn't look like I'll have lounge access anywhere.
Thanks!
Wouldn't you have lounge access in the US?