Which airline for SFO to London

[iancal]

It is a crap shoot. Went over on UA in Sept. and back on BA two weeks ago.

 

UA was a disaster. Very mediocre service, terrible food. We usually try go Lufthansa or Air Canada and we very much noticed the difference.

 

BA back was very good. Food reasonable. No problem whatsoever getting that second serving of wine.

 

Flights were full both ways.

[grandma*knows*best]

I'll chalk this up to cultural differences. I grew up in the UK and with the exception of the odd weekend mini break I'd never heard of parents taking a holiday away from their kids until I got more ingrained into American society.

 

Seems crackers if you ask me.

 

What are you talking about? :confused:

 

Sitting in a different section on a plane from your kids is hardly taking a separate holiday.

 

As to being from the UK and never hearing of parents taking trips separate from your kids, how could you not be familiar with this? I'm pretty sure you've at least heard of the royal family? :rolleyes:

[fbgd]

What are you talking about? :confused:

 

Sitting in a different section on a plane from your kids is hardly taking a separate holiday.

 

As to being from the UK and never hearing of parents taking trips separate from your kids, how could you not be familiar with this? I'm pretty sure you've at least heard of the royal family? :rolleyes:

 

Getting terribly off topic here so this is the last I'll say of it.

 

Replies to what I'd said earlier indicated that when it comes to holidays and travel children aren't automatically included, at least on the same level as adults. It seems commonplace for parents in the US to leave their young children (up to 18 or so) at home whilst they swan off on holiday somewhere. Putting them in some other class of service is just another variation of that. To my family, and we did travel almost exclusively in premium cabins, this would be unthinkable and I think many others that I grew up with, and know, would see it the same way. With the exception of say, a parent's birthday or wedding anniversary we always travelled together as a family.

 

When I use the term kids I'm thinking up to the age of say 18 or maybe 21 here.

 

What does the royal family have to do with this? :confused:

[rocklinmom]

I totally agree fgbd. Funny how my original post asking for opinions on the three airlines has taken such weird turns. To each his own I guess.

 

 

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[rocklinmom]

Oops I mean fbgd!

 

 

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[fbgd]

I totally agree fgbd. Funny how my original post asking for opinions on the three airlines has taken such weird turns. To each his own I guess.

 

That's my fault....welcome to the internet ;)

[chrispb]

For the US:

 

http://www.transtats.bts.gov/OT_Delay/OT_DelayCause1.asp

 

Perhaps try these:

 

flightstats.com

 

and this one tracks the flights:

 

flightview.com

 

Both very useful:)

[brazilgirl]

I have flown internationally on LH and United with my family of five.

 

In coach , the product is quite similar . I always opt to purchase Economy Plus on United ... The extra legroom makes a huge difference in terms of comfort on long haul flights.

 

I actually found the economy cabin on LH to be on of the most cramped I have ever experienced.

 

As for the family flying issue ( although it is not on topic) , we do the following:

- as a family , we travel together in the same class. I have found some amazing deals in Business Class which has allowed us to travel together with comfort. When no deals or tickets with FF miles are to be found , I try to buy Economy Plus or similar.

 

If not possible , we all fly coach.

 

A couple of times my husband has flown separately in Business - why? He has a much more complicated schedule than the rest of us and his job is incredibly taxing ( he is an oncohematologist).

We have used our FF to let him have a more relaxing flight while we look for a good price for the four of us.

He nevers asks for or demands this... But I think he deserves a lie flat seat.[emoji2]

 

When we travel as a couple ( 3 less tickets) , we splurge and fly Business .

[grandma*knows*best]

Getting terribly off topic here so this is the last I'll say of it.

 

Replies to what I'd said earlier indicated that when it comes to holidays and travel children aren't automatically included, at least on the same level as adults. It seems commonplace for parents in the US to leave their young children (up to 18 or so) at home whilst they swan off on holiday somewhere. Putting them in some other class of service is just another variation of that. To my family, and we did travel almost exclusively in premium cabins, this would be unthinkable and I think many others that I grew up with, and know, would see it the same way. With the exception of say, a parent's birthday or wedding anniversary we always travelled together as a family.

 

When I use the term kids I'm thinking up to the age of say 18 or maybe 21 here.

 

What does the royal family have to do with this? :confused:

 

You are wrong. It is the norm for families in the US to vacation together. Sitting in different classes on a plane on the way to a family vacation is not vacationing separately.

 

You said you hadn't heard of parents in the UK traveling separately from their children. Surely you are familiar with your own royal family, who travel without their children all the time! In a country where upper class and upper middle class families think nothing of sending their children away to boarding school at age 8, maybe it is is important not to seat Nanny and the children in a different cabin on a family holiday, ;)

[6rugrats]

You are wrong. It is the norm for families in the US to vacation together. Sitting in different classes on a plane on the way to a family vacation is not vacationing separately.

 

I will only add, I had my two children who still live at home, read this thread. My DS said, "Why would I care where you sit? You are taking me on vacation and you deserve to sit up front". My DD just gave me a strange look and said, "I don't care where I am on the plane, but I like an aisle seat. We're going on a vacation together and I think I can live without being next to you for a few hours."

 

Every family should do what works best for them.

 

I actually found the economy cabin on LH to be on of the most cramped I have ever experienced.

I couldn't agree more, though I'm not very found of a TATL on a UA 757 either.

Edited November 11, 2014 by 6rugrats

[TruckerDave]

Out of curiosity, as someone who doesn't fly united and has no status with them - at what point do you go from flying enough that the E+ membership is worthwhile to reaching the status to get free E+?

 

It doesn't take long to pay for itself. The domestic only option is $499 so at $75-$80 each way it doesn't take many trips to pay for itself. If you add the global option for another $200 that can more than pay for itself it just one trip. I am pricing out my flights to Copenhagen for my May cruise and if I go UA (and a combo platter with either LH or SAS) it would be over $300 just for the E+ seating on the UA legs of the trip...to AMS,FRA or LHR and the other airlines for the hop into CPH. I have silver status (for what that is worth. I also have the top UA credit card which has just as many benefits so no real gain with status except for the chance of a domestic upgrade. :roll eyes: ) But I like the option of getting my exit row seat at booking and not having to wait till 24hrs out. (one of the reasons I dislike WN no assigned seating).

 

So after my long winded reply is...if you do a couple longer flights each year it can pay for itself pretty quick. I usually just price out the routes I plan on flying that year and add up the E+ costs then decide if the sub will be of value. (Plus the added little bonus that the E+ sub counts toward the PQD requirement and with UA raising the silver level to $3000 next year it helps to lower the amount of PQD's one needs to spend)

[b_cruise]

 

 

I couldn't agree more, though I'm not very found of a TATL on a UA 757 either.

 

Omg...I just booked Lufhansia because I thought the economy was a bit better...:confused:

 

I'm flying vancouver munich. Munich barcelona... With a 6 foot hubby who I had to beg to go.

[TruckerDave]

Omg...I just booked Lufhansia because I thought the economy was a bit better...:confused:

 

I'm flying vancouver munich. Munich barcelona... With a 6 foot hubby who I had to beg to go.

 

On the freq flier boards the 757's are affectionately known as "ghetto birds" if that tells you anything. :eek: