FCO thru LHR then to DFW???

[TSUmom]

My only experience travelling to Italy we had direct flights from to and from DFW/FCO.  Our options now have a stop at LHR.  We would only have two hours.  When arriving from Rome to LHR will we need to pass through security?  Would 2 hours be enough time?  I keep hoping AA will offer a direct flight but if not I need to be prepared.  Thank you in advance for any help or thoughts you may have.

[CruiserBruce]

Two hours should be fine.

 

You will have standard security going to the gate at FCO. You will have an additional passport check and security check at LHR for any flight going direct to the US.

 

You didn't tell us when you are flying, but it sounds like the schedules are out. Airlines don't just add flights, unless there is a serious reason, like a special event. There needs to be planes available, gates available, crews available, for regularly scheduled service.

 

Again, you didn't give specifics, but I see an AA non-stop FCO-DFW in summer, departing at 9:15am. AA239.

[TSUmom]

25 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

Two hours should be fine.

 

You will have standard security going to the gate at FCO. You will have an additional passport check and security check at LHR for any flight going direct to the US.

 

You didn't tell us when you are flying, but it sounds like the schedules are out. Airlines don't just add flights, unless there is a serious reason, like a special event. There needs to be planes available, gates available, crews available, for regularly scheduled service.

 

Again, you didn't give specifics, but I see an AA non-stop FCO-DFW in summer, departing at 9:15am. AA239.

Tomorrow will be the release date of our return flight Nov 8th, 2019.  Thank you for your help and I am hoping they add a few more returning flights tomorrow..I also cant believe the prices, cheaper to fly business class then Premium economy?  

[CruiserBruce]

Don't buy tomorrow unless your research shows fares that you can live with. Chances are fares will drop within a few weeks of availability. The Premium Economy is a fairly new product that I don't have a lot of knowledge with. But if Business is cheaper,  I would be booking Business.

 

November is going off season. If they don't have nonstop service on November 1, seriously doubt they will several days later.

[TSUmom]

6 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

Don't buy tomorrow unless your research shows fares that you can live with. Chances are fares will drop within a few weeks of availability. The Premium Economy is a fairly new product that I don't have a lot of knowledge with. But if Business is cheaper,  I would be booking Business.

 

November is going off season. If they don't have nonstop service on November 1, seriously doubt they will several days later.

Once again thank You!!!  I will take your advice and wait.

[Zach1213]

Depending on which airline the LHR-DFW flight is (both BA and AA fly that route), you may need to change terminals at LHR. BA uses Terminal 5 for both FCO and DFW flights; AA uses Terminal 3 for everything. So if you are flying BA the whole way, you will stay within Terminal 5; if you fly BA from FCO-LHR and then AA from LHR-DFW, you will need to change from Terminal 5 to Terminal 3. Not a huge deal, but it does add a bit of time. Two hours would be slightly tight for the T5 to T3 change, but still doable.

 

Pricing can be odd sometimes. I have seen Business class cheaper than Economy before. Nine times out of 10, you'll see the prices go (cheapest to most expensive) Econ, Premium Econ, Bus, First...but that one time out of each 10 can see something very different and sometimes quite odd.

[TSUmom]

54 minutes ago, Zach1213 said:

Depending on which airline the LHR-DFW flight is (both BA and AA fly that route), you may need to change terminals at LHR. BA uses Terminal 5 for both FCO and DFW flights; AA uses Terminal 3 for everything. So if you are flying BA the whole way, you will stay within Terminal 5; if you fly BA from FCO-LHR and then AA from LHR-DFW, you will need to change from Terminal 5 to Terminal 3. Not a huge deal, but it does add a bit of time. Two hours would be slightly tight for the T5 to T3 change, but still doable.

 

Pricing can be odd sometimes. I have seen Business class cheaper than Economy before. Nine times out of 10, you'll see the prices go (cheapest to most expensive) Econ, Premium Econ, Bus, First...but that one time out of each 10 can see something very different and sometimes quite odd.

Thank you!

[waterbug123]

21 hours ago, TSUmom said:

Tomorrow will be the release date of our return flight Nov 8th, 2019.  Thank you for your help and I am hoping they add a few more returning flights tomorrow..I also cant believe the prices, cheaper to fly business class then Premium economy?  

 

If your flight date isn't available yet, how do you know what the prices will be?

[CruiserBruce]

31 minutes ago, waterbug123 said:

 

If your flight date isn't available yet, how do you know what the prices will be?

 

The OP has been doing their research, as we so often recommend, looking at fares in the days prior to their actual travel dates???

[TSUmom]

19 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

 

The OP has been doing their research, as we so often recommend, looking at fares in the days prior to their actual travel dates???

Correct - I have been watching for weeks. Today I can book and I am considering Business from DFW to FCO and Premium back home.  The only flights showing this morning are FCO to LHR with nearly a 3 hour layover and then on to DFW.  That is why I asked in my opening post about LHR.  I was hoping for a direct flight to DFW or at least CLT as I have seen those flights offered in my "stalking" airfares these past few weeks.

[Zach1213]

1 hour ago, TSUmom said:

Correct - I have been watching for weeks. Today I can book and I am considering Business from DFW to FCO and Premium back home.  The only flights showing this morning are FCO to LHR with nearly a 3 hour layover and then on to DFW.  That is why I asked in my opening post about LHR.  I was hoping for a direct flight to DFW or at least CLT as I have seen those flights offered in my "stalking" airfares these past few weeks.

 

I believe AA only flies to Philadelphia year-round; all other routes (incl CLT and DFW) are seasonal, which with Europe means summer. How close to your travel dates were you seeing a nonstop to CLT?

[Gardyloo]

AA stops flying nonstop from DFW to FCO on October 26, and stops flying FCO to DFW the next day.  This is not unusual on these secondary routes; AA increases 777 service to South America during the (northern) winter, and uses the planes where they'll make more money.

 

In my opinion you're buying tickets way too early.   

[TSUmom]

1 hour ago, Zach1213 said:

 

I believe AA only flies to Philadelphia year-round; all other routes (incl CLT and DFW) are seasonal, which with Europe means summer. How close to your travel dates were you seeing a nonstop to CLT?

The only CLT connection I saw today was on a flight with multiple stops and layovers.  I booked the FCO-LHR-DFW with nearly 3 hours in LHR, I hope that is enough time.....

[Flymia]

3-hours is plenty of time. If your flight on LHR-DFW is with American and not British you will need to change terminals, but it is not a big deal with 3-hours. You'll go through security again. 

 

2-hours is plenty too. I did a 90-min connection on CPH-LHR-MIA on BA where BA flights to MIA leave from terminal 3, like AA flights. 90-mins felt rushed, but we still had time to sit at the gate, grab a snack etc.. 2-3 hours is plenty. 

 

On the other side MIA-LHR-CPH I had around 3-hours and had tons of time to transfer terminals, go through security and then enjoy terminal 5 at London which is fantastic. 

 

I agree, unless you found some great price buying this early might had been too early. 

[slidergirl]

Two hours will be tight, but OK, IF your FCO flight leaves on time.  I was with a group of 15 women on a flight NBO-LHR, then dispersing to AA flights.  Many did the "run to the gate" to catch their JFK and DFW flights.  I had 5 hours, down to 3 hours due to the NBO delay, for my LAX flight.  I had time to do a little snack and some shopping.   LHR has a route in the terminals for transiting passengers - be sure you are following that one and not the "we're leaving here" route.  Coming from NBO, we all had to  stand in the queue for security.  Since you'd be coming from a Schengen country into a non-Schengen country, you may have to do security (anyone have that answer?).  

 

Another thing: if BREXIT happens, this may complicate transit issues.  Just keep that in mind.  

[Zach1213]

1 hour ago, slidergirl said:

Two hours will be tight, but OK, IF your FCO flight leaves on time.  I was with a group of 15 women on a flight NBO-LHR, then dispersing to AA flights.  Many did the "run to the gate" to catch their JFK and DFW flights.  I had 5 hours, down to 3 hours due to the NBO delay, for my LAX flight.  I had time to do a little snack and some shopping.   LHR has a route in the terminals for transiting passengers - be sure you are following that one and not the "we're leaving here" route.  Coming from NBO, we all had to  stand in the queue for security.  Since you'd be coming from a Schengen country into a non-Schengen country, you may have to do security (anyone have that answer?).  

 

Another thing: if BREXIT happens, this may complicate transit issues.  Just keep that in mind.  

 

Yes, I always have to re-do security in LHR whether I am coming from Hamburg, Moscow, Johannesburg, or Chicago. I think the only exceptions are domestic UK and, perhaps, Republic of Ireland.

 

It's unlikely Brexit would change anything for a transit passenger not planning to enter the UK.

[Flymia]

Given that the UK was never part of the Schengen zone, don't think Brexit should have any issues on transit. 

[Globaliser]

15 hours ago, slidergirl said:

LHR has a route in the terminals for transiting passengers - be sure you are following that one and not the "we're leaving here" route.

 

The Flight Connections routes are signposted in purple - so for most people that will be a good way of quickly identifying the signs you particularly need to pay attention to in order to stay within the connections routes.

 

14 hours ago, Zach1213 said:

15 hours ago, slidergirl said:

Coming from NBO, we all had to  stand in the queue for security.  Since you'd be coming from a Schengen country into a non-Schengen country, you may have to do security (anyone have that answer?).

Yes, I always have to re-do security in LHR whether I am coming from Hamburg, Moscow, Johannesburg, or Chicago. I think the only exceptions are domestic UK and, perhaps, Republic of Ireland.

 

An arrival from the RoI must clear security in the UK before the next flight, even though an arrival from the RoI who is exiting to landside (normally) need not clear immigration. The only security-free route (in theory) is those who have disembarked from a UK domestic flight - and even then, there are some connections at UK airports that do not have a security-free route simply because of the physical layout of the terminal buildings.

 

13 hours ago, Flymia said:

Given that the UK was never part of the Schengen zone, don't think Brexit should have any issues on transit. 

 

Schengen (and more specifically, the "Schengenland" border-free travel area) is not directly to the EU. Schengenland already includes both non-EU and non-EEA countries. The UK and the RoI have simply never been part of the Schengenland area.

[waterbug123]

On 12/12/2018 at 7:51 AM, TSUmom said:

 "stalking" airfares these past few weeks.

 

As long as you understand that when "stalking" fares while waiting for your actual travel dates to open up, the fares for your travel day may or may not be the same as what you are seeing for the days prior for any number of reasons.  They CAN give you a good idea of what rates will be, or they can turn out to be completely different.

[Zach1213]

3 hours ago, Globaliser said:

 An arrival from the RoI must clear security in the UK before the next flight, even though an arrival from the RoI who is exiting to landside (normally) need not clear immigration. The only security-free route (in theory) is those who have disembarked from a UK domestic flight - and even then, there are some connections at UK airports that do not have a security-free route simply because of the physical layout of the terminal buildings.

 

Thanks for clarifying; I have never connected ROI-UK-XXX, only O&D between ROI and UK, so wasn't sure if it worked that way or not.

[TSUmom]

Thank you all for your help and advice.  I did book my flights yesterday and am not too unhappy with what I paid.  We are flying direct business class on AA from DFW to Rome and from Rome to LHR we are on BA.  We will have just under 3 hours to find our AA connection to DFW (from terminal 5 to terminal 3) and we decided PE for that flight as it will be a daytime flight and no need to try and sleep.  

[Zach1213]

8 minutes ago, TSUmom said:

Thank you all for your help and advice.  I did book my flights yesterday and am not too unhappy with what I paid.  We are flying direct business class on AA from DFW to Rome and from Rome to LHR we are on BA.  We will have just under 3 hours to find our AA connection to DFW (from terminal 5 to terminal 3) and we decided PE for that flight as it will be a daytime flight and no need to try and sleep.  

 

Sounds like a nice little trip to me. I think it's interesting how different people choose what class to fly. I personally would have swapped them because I like being awake to experience Business/First products to their fullest, but I also see the flip side of (hopefully) sleeping better. The only solution is to just fly Business/First all of the time 🙂

[Globaliser]

30 minutes ago, Zach1213 said:

The only solution is to just fly Business/First all of the time 🙂

 

I like the sound of that!

[TSUmom]

33 minutes ago, Zach1213 said:

 

Sounds like a nice little trip to me. I think it's interesting how different people choose what class to fly. I personally would have swapped them because I like being awake to experience Business/First products to their fullest, but I also see the flip side of (hopefully) sleeping better. The only solution is to just fly Business/First all of the time 🙂

I can sleep on a plane in coach LOL....my DH on the other hand will not sleep so he will fully enjoy the service.

[slidergirl]

7 hours ago, Globaliser said:

 

The Flight Connections routes are signposted in purple - so for most people that will be a good way of quickly identifying the signs you particularly need to pay attention to in order to stay within the connections routes.

 

 

An arrival from the RoI must clear security in the UK before the next flight, even though an arrival from the RoI who is exiting to landside (normally) need not clear immigration. The only security-free route (in theory) is those who have disembarked from a UK domestic flight - and even then, there are some connections at UK airports that do not have a security-free route simply because of the physical layout of the terminal buildings.

 

 

Schengen (and more specifically, the "Schengenland" border-free travel area) is not directly to the EU. Schengenland already includes both non-EU and non-EEA countries. The UK and the RoI have simply never been part of the Schengenland area.

 

I was just "spitballing" the BREXIT thing.  I know EU and Schengen are 2 different things.  I was just wondering if BREXIT is going to  mess with air travel.