grandma*knows*best

I'm surprised you were able to use a debit card as they don't work in Europe except at the ATM. I use my credit card to guarantee a reservation and have never been charged in advance.

:confused:

This is untrue. Debit cards work fine in Europe.

Your card is a signature card, not a chip and pin.

If this poster's card was from USAA, (if usas was a typo), then yes, it is a true chip and pin card. I have one from USAA and have used it many times in Europe.

...... Better than the E ticket at Disneyland.

.....

That brings back memories! :)

Were you actually planning in flying in these areas? If not, why even mention this?

I was wondering that myself!

I agree that you never know at ORD. I once scheduled a flight for my DIL from CDG with the first US stop at ORD, (2 hour layover) and it wasn't enough time. She missed her connecting flight.

If you fly Icelandair, be sure and check out their Saga shop before your flight. You can order items to be delivered to you on the plane. They have some very cool playing cards featuring Norse gods (unfortunately the photo doesn't show them):

http://www.sagashop.net/kids/detail/?id=57430-0007

Here's a better image:

http://playingcardcollector.net/2013/04/16/icelandair-playing-cards-by-thorbjorn-ingason/

I think they'd make great stocking stuffers.

..... Just remember if you are from the US and you have what you think is a chip and pin card, it isn't!.. It is a chip and signature and it does not work like the cards in Europe.

This is not necessarily true. I have a chip and pin MasterCard issued in the US from USAA and it is an actual chip and pin card, not a chip and signature card.

Here is the sign - shoulders, stomach and knees need to be covered. I have read that men (all regardless of age) need to be in long pants- long shorts won't suffice.

That is not true. I was there two weeks ago and saw many men admitted wearing shorts.

I went through ORD from MUC last week. I have Global Entry and it took me about 10 minutes from the time I got off the plane to exiting customs/immigration. OP should be okay even without GE, unless the flight is late or she gets unlucky and her flight arrives at ORD at the same time as a lot of other international flights.

From a cruise? I've never seen a separate GE line for disembarking passengers. Tell us more, please - what ports?

Sorry, I was answering a question about airports, not cruises.

I will be flying Frontier for the first time. They are quite particular about the size of your "personal item" (purse, laptop, etc). They also charge for all beverages while on the plane. My question is for anyone who has actually flown Frontier, do they allow you to bring your own beverage (coffee, soda, etc) onboard or would they go so far as to consider this a personal item?

 

Sent from my KFTHWI using Forums mobile app

I'm hoping you're joking! Of course a beverage is not considered a personal item on any airline.

Their size limits for a personal item and carry on bag are actually more lenient than some other US airlines and you don't have to pay for beverages for some FF tiers or certain fare classes.

You do know you are flying in the opposite direction, and fly back over Amsterdam, don't you?

Amsterdam-Zurich = 1,5 hours, minimum connecting time in Zurich about one hour, Zurich-London=1,5 hours.

Flying time Amsterdam-London= 40 minutes.

Yes, I am familiar with European geography, but this is so far from the craziest routings I have seen that I wouldn't give this a second glance.

GE does not give anybody jump-to-the-head-of-the-line priviledges.

 

All the Kiosks are in airports, not cruiseports.

No, but it directs you to a separate line only for GE which rarely has more than a few people waiting. Since I got GE, it's never taken more than a few minutes to get through customs and immigration.

When I worked at AMS airport I once saw a strange alternative flight for an overbooked one. Even after raising the amount offered, they could not find any volunteers : Amsterdam-London via Zurich :D

:confused:

That's not so bad.

My daughter recently flew from New York to Toulouse in southern France, via Istanbul.

 

No idea why.

Why would she accept such a crazy routing, unless she was doing a mileage run?

Well,success at the American counter at our local airport. The new suitcase did fit in the sizer. My husband even turned the suitcase upside down to be sure the wheels and all fit. I still don't know why if the length from the floor to the top of the case is 24" why it fit if the current size states 22" on the American luggage info. .....

The sizers have a built in "fudge factor." They are larger than the stated allowed suitcase size.

Your bag may have fit the sizer, but if you are traveling internationally, you are going to have a problem. It's too large and when packed, will probably be too heavy. Some foreign airlines (Lufthansa in particular) rigorously enforce their rules about carry on weight.

I'm not getting into the ridiculous "tit for tat" arguing that goes on here. I have been on both cruiselines in FP, most posters here have not. And, if you haven't your words really hold no validity.

 

And really, why waste time fighting about what line you like better? Who cares?

Because some people have nothing better to do!

Apparently so:

 

Customers who have purchased an additional seat to accommodate a special seating need due to size or disability may request a refund of the additional seat purchase by sending us an e-mail request at southwest.com/feedback or by calling Southwest at 1-800-I-FLY-SWA (1-800-435-9792). Even if the flight experiences an oversale (having more confirmed Customers waiting to board than seats on the aircraft) we will refund the cost of the extra seat(s).

 

Which seems sort of crazy and I'm not sure how you could prevent abuse of this policy.

 

http://www.southwest.com/html/customer-service/faqs.html?topic=extra_seat_policy

Apparently Southwest gate agents evaluate the necessity for the extra seat.

In addition to OP's post, this also affects international flights to the USA. Fortunately this has received a lot of "airtime" here in the US. The focus is flights out of Europe, Africa and the Middle East, but the new TSA-imposed security measures potentially apply worldwide.

 

If you are subject to the search you must power up your electronic devices for security. Devices that won't power up due to discharged or removed batteries will not be allowed past security.

Two days ago I went through security at FCO and MUC during a flight back to the US and was not required to turn on my iPhone or iPad.

It's only a 40 minute change, so I don't believe you'll be able to change without change fees plus having to pay additional increased fare costs. Usually, for these fees to be waived, the change has to be 90 minutes or more.

 

In my opinion, I'd keep the 11:10 departure. LGB is only a 15 minute cab ride from the port, PLUS, it's a very small airport and easy to get thru quickly

I don't agree. It's very likely the airline will change the flight with no additional fees.

A friend of mine who is a frequent UA flier indicates that cargo is taking priority over pax on many flights. For example, pax are being removed from flights due to "overweight" (not them, but total fly weight) but it is cargo in the hold that is actually the issue. Of course, UA is not revealing that it's the cargo at fault, but that is the consensus among frequent UA fliers.

 

Any substantiation to this??

No.

My husband and I are both UA 1Ks and have never seen PAX removed from flights to make room for luggage or cargo.

Take the usual precautions. Hang on tight to your camera bag. Barcelona is known for pickpockets and scams. If you do some research on Barcelona, you will get good advice on steps to minimize your chance of being a victim. Go and enjoy.

:confused:

OP asked about Paris.

Paris is perfectly safe. Yes, there are gypsies and scammers, but just be aware of the common scams. The gold ring one has already been mentioned. Do not allow anyone to place something in your hand, such as a flower. They will then demand payment (common scam around the touristy areas, such as the Eiffel tower). Don't accept offers of someone to take your picture and hand them your camera. Don't look like a victim and you won't be one.

We walked right in this past May, but this was about 1 1/2 hours before closing. No need to pre-purchase tickets.

That is quite an agenda for only one day! There is no way you will also have time to see the Folk Museum if you want to have time to actually see anything. That can be a half day or more visit.

You can also see one of the versions of "The Scream" at the Munch Museum.