jbar91

I have two routing options booked for an upcoming trip to Vienna, using MileagePlus and I am trying to figure out which one to take. Both are a single ticket of Saver Business and we won't have checked bags.

Option 1: IAD-DUB-VIE on Aer Lingus with a 1hr 5min connection in DUB and DUB-VIE is 2hr50min in what amounts to LCC Aer Lingus Y.
Option 2: DCA-EWR-FRA-VIE with a 1hr45min connection in EWR (had a long layover there yesterday so did the A gates to B gates connection for fun to prepare and it seems very simple and low risk will take no more than 25 min gate-to-gate) and then 4hrs in FRA. EWR-FRA-VIE is on LH but again all booked via UA and MileagePlus

Feels like a hard choice. Aer Lingus gets in 3 hours earlier, but also IAD-DUB routinely gets in 45 min late. Per Aer Lingus forum seems like if we miss the connection they will likely put us on their next flight which leaves the next day. This means we would get some EU compensation but have a night less in Vienna. At least we would get to spend a night in Dublin which could be fun since we have never been. Aer Lingus has a superior hard product product and to LH but I do have upper deck seats on a 747-8 which excites the AvGeek in me.

EWR being EWR there is a possibility of delays and cancellations from DCA that could cause us to miss our connection. In the event of IRROPS, either DCA-EWR getting canceled or we miss the LH flight due to delays what would UA do? Will UA find us a J routing leaving that night to Vienna? Or would we have to hope LH has seats out of EWR in J later that night?

Also, should DCA-EWR be canceled day of would UA rebook us in J IAD-somewhere-in-Europe-VIE?

What option would you choose? Which option do you think will lead to the best service in the event of IRROPS? FWIW I am a 1K so will be able to call them but even the 1K line has had hold times recently.....

Thanks!

RobOnLI

I would take the FRA option because there's more wiggle room.

DCA-EWR has flights every 30 or 60 minutes so if they cancel your flight you hop on an earlier or a later one without issue. Or just show up at DCA and get on whatever flight is leaving next; it's basically run like a shuttle these days with people moving around all the time on those flights. And if you can't get a flight out of DCA then UA could put you on the 10pm IAD-FRA if there are J seats open - or IAD to anywhere in Europe and then an OS connection straight to VIE or via FRA/MUC/ZRH/LIS.

At the end of the day it's down to preference. If you want to arrive earlier and have Irish service take Aer Lingus. If you want the upper deck of the 747 and decent service with a decent seat then take LH.

-RM

jbar91

Thanks! Would this be inventory dependent (I class) or simply if seats are available?

PTahCha

In case of IRROP, the carrier that caused the delay is responsible for getting you there however they can, in the cabin that was confirmed in (not dependent on award availability).

Kacee

If your flight is this summer, be aware that TATL space can be very tight, and that IRROPS might well mean next day in Y.

Personally I would avoid the itinerary with an extra connection, particularly since that extra connection is EWR.

sannmann

Unless you’re flexible, I’d advise against a DCA-EWR connection to a TATL if a flight out of IAD is available. DCA-EWR gets canceled at any sign of weather.

jbar91

Yep. I flew EWR-DCA yesterday and all DCA-EWR flights after noon were canceled preemptively for weather that didn’t develop. At least the CRJ 550s are a treat to fly on.

Seems like the consensus here is not to worry about the hour connection in Dublin.

Kacee

Well I'm not sure what good worrying will do. You have two risky itineraries booked. I'd consider the one with the EWR connection riskier, for a number of reasons: (1) extra connection; (2) DCA-EWR; and (3) the EWR connection places the J long-haul at risk vs. the much shorter intra-Europe segment placed at risk at DUB.

ezefllying

A couple thoughts:

A couple months ago, was supposed to fly DCA-EWR-GRU and then fly on a wholly separate ticket from GRU to EZE. DCA-EWR, the 5 PM flight with a 2-hour layover, began to get delayed about two hours before departure due to weather. When I got to National, my flight was now 50 minutes late, and a United Club agent offered to move me to the 4 PM, which was now delayed until 5. I accepted.

Around 6 PM, after pushing back at 5:15, the captain announced that EWR had just instituted a ground stop. We went back to the gate, and the captain asked us to hang around the boarding area for an "update" in an hour. (I blame United somewhat; they could and should have boarded faster and gotten us out of DCA, but, due to problems with gate allocation, didn't.)

Ultimately, the 5 PM took off at 7:30 or 8 PM and the 4 PM left at 9:30. And I was in an Uber to Dulles for the IAD-GRU nonstop, having purchased a last-minute, $350 ticket on a third airline for the final leg to Argentina, since my original connection was now lost.

Do not attempt a DCA-EWR-international connection if you need to get there timely.

Second, if you miss DUB-VIE, what about having them rebook you on a connecting flight? Say, DUB-MUC-VIE? United can put you through LH. It wouldn't be worse than the double connection you're considering as option 2, right?

jbar91

I guess that’s what I am wondering, if that will happen then the Dublin itinerary makes a lot of sense. I wasn’t sure if since Aer Lingus isn’t *A if UA would handle IRROPS differently.

I’m glad I asked in here this has all helped persuade me to go the IAD-DUB route — as an added bonus I can get my first narrow body lie flat.

Travel date is 6/21, I can post an update in here about how it all goes. Lost hope a better option will pop up closer in.

rjburns

IAD. - VIE non stop on Vienna, no?

mduell

More connections and a heavily cancelled route and the sEWeR? No no no.

Take the connection in DUB; maybe book a cheapie ticket on Ryanair if you really want to get to VIE that day and toss it if you don't need it.

ezefllying

I'm not sure who would handle the ticket in DUB. My sense is that Aer Lingus would have control of the ticket, since you're checked-in and en route, and could make changes accordingly. But you might be able to have United retake control of the ticket and rebook you on LH. They may have to call Aer Lingus to do that, though. That's my vague recollection of how these things work from years back. In any event, if they did, I'd ask for rebooking in LH J (I class), since it's fundamentally a J award ticket. (But, given United's dynamic award pricing, they'd probably claim that your ticket was priced as a mixed ticket, though it wasn't.)

I assume there was no Saver J availability on that flight. However, this emphasizes another point that strongly points toward the IAD-DUB-VIE routing: If IAD-DUB is delayed, you might get United to rebook you onto the IAD-VIE nonstop, or the 5:15 or 6:10 PM IAD-FRA flights, or any of the other 5-6 PM departures to Europe. At worst, there are the 10 PM flights to Germany and London on United and Lufthansa. You have vastly more options out of IAD to get to Vienna in a single stop.

cfischer

UA won't re-book on the IAD-VIE, unless there is mysteriously 'I' available the day of departure. IAD-FRA/MUC/ZRH with LH/LX connections to VIE is the most likely scenario.

ezefllying

Out of curiosity, why not? If an anticipated delay on IAD-DUB means a misconnect, wouldn't UA rebook onto the best available (Star) routing regardless of fare-class availability, so long as there is J space? Particularly since Austrian is part of the Lufthansa Group. Or does UA's JV with LH make United more likely to put passengers on LH metal than on other Lufthansa Group subsidiaries?