NY to London airlines

[styme123]

I'm booked on a BI cruise this Aug and was wondering if anyone had recommendations about airlines they liked/disliked flying out of NY (probably JFK to HLR but close to LGA also). I'm on a bit of a budget so it will probably need to be economy or premium economy I'm guessing. Is it better to fly on domestic plans like AA, Delta etc. or BA, KLM, Virgin? I've only flown twice in my life so not much experience. I've also been finding that you now have to pay to pick your seat? The price of that can almost add $300 to the tickets! Seems like they nickle and dime you. My DH and I will be flying with just carry-on so no checked bags needed. I'd rather pack lite than have my bags lost 😉 Any advice would be appreciated.  

[Zach1213]

In economy, they’re all the same more-or-less. Pick the time and fare that works best for you. Do consider a daytime flight (leaving NYC in the morning and arriving London the same evening) as those can often make jet lag easier. 
 

KLM will require a transfer in Amsterdam, so avoid that. 
 

Yes, sometimes airlines nickel and dime...that’s in exchange for offering, relatively, cheaper flights than any other time in the history of commercial aviation. 

[Tapi]

New York to London is one of the busiest and most competitive routes in the world, which translates into affordable fares.

 

I’d recommend that you look at flight times and fares and pick the one that best suits your needs. I wouldn’t have any problems flying on any of the airlines that fly this route (Delta, American, Virgin, or British). The only airline that I would avoid is Norwegian (which flies into Gatwick). They are currently facing financial struggles, so even if they offer a lower fare, don’t take the bait.

 

Traditionally, Transatlantic flights operate during the night, leaving the US in the evening and arriving in Europe the next morning, but out of New York there are some flight that leave in the morning arriving that same evening, making it easier on your body and minimizing jet lag. I would take one of those flights if I were you. 

Edited October 29, 2019 by Tapi

[Zach1213]

3 minutes ago, Tapi said:

New York to London is one of the busiest and most competitive routes in the world, which translates into affordable fares.

 

I’d recommend that you look at flight times and fares and pick the one that best suits your needs. I wouldn’t have any problems flying on any of the airlines that fly this route (Delta, American, Virgin, or British). The only airline that I would avoid is Norwegian (which flies into Gatwick). They are currently facing financial struggles, so even if they offer a lower fare, don’t take the bait.

 

Traditionally, Transatlantic flights operate during the night, leaving the US in the evening and arriving in Europe the next morning, but out of New York there are some flight that leave in the morning arriving that same evening, making it easier on your body and minimizing jet lag. I would take one of those flights if I were you. 

United also runs the route, out of Newark 

 

BA flies JFK to Gatwick too, I believe. 

Edited October 29, 2019 by Zach1213

[Tapi]

Just now, Zach1213 said:
United also runs the route, out of Newark 

I’d fly on United as well. I didn’t mention it since the OP asked about JFK.

[Zach1213]

7 minutes ago, Tapi said:

I’d fly on United as well. I didn’t mention it since the OP asked about JFK.

Yes yes, of course. My apologies, I’m three glasses of James E Pepper 1776 Rye Whiskey deep. Long week. 

[styme123]

9 minutes ago, Tapi said:

New York to London is one of the busiest and most competitive routes in the world, which translates into affordable fares.

 

I’d recommend that you look at flight times and fares and pick the one that best suits your needs. I wouldn’t have any problems flying on any of the airlines that fly this route (Delta, American, Virgin, or British). The only airline that I would avoid is Norwegian (which flies into Gatwick). They are currently facing financial struggles, so even if they offer a lower fare, don’t take the bait.

 

Traditionally, Transatlantic flights operate during the night, leaving the US in the evening and arriving in Europe the next morning, but out of New York there are some flight that leave in the morning arriving that same evening, making it easier on your body and minimizing jet lag. I would take one of those flights if I were you. 

We were thinking of flying out late at night after 8:00 getting to London in early morning. My husband has to work that day. I was going to fly in on late Thurs night and sight see a little on Fri. Our ship leaves on Saturday. I have heard about the jet lag though. Don't know if I'm expected too much to do after getting off a flight. Trying to pack in as much as can to see in London. We will also have 2 days post cruise.

[Zach1213]

5 minutes ago, styme123 said:

We were thinking of flying out late at night after 8:00 getting to London in early morning. My husband has to work that day. I was going to fly in on late Thurs night and sight see a little on Fri. Our ship leaves on Saturday. I have heard about the jet lag though. Don't know if I'm expected too much to do after getting off a flight. Trying to pack in as much as can to see in London. We will also have 2 days post cruise.

In my experience, as someone who flies from North America to Europe monthly, if you can’t do a daytime flight, the best thing to do after you land in the morning is just keep going...go go go, get fresh air and sunlight, eat good meals and drink plenty of water, and then crash early. Get a good nights sleep, and by the next morning I’m pretty much on schedule. 

[Tapi]

 

25 minutes ago, styme123 said:

I have heard about the jet lag though. Don't know if I'm expected too much to do after getting off a flight.

I concur with the comment above. When you land in London, don’t go to sleep! Stay awake, go out for lunch, go sightseeing, and then head back to the hotel in time to go to sleep at a normal time.

 

One thing that we do a few days prior to flying to Europe is that we start progressively conditioning our bodies to the time change by waking up one hour earlier and earlier, and going to bed earlier as well. For example, if we’re flying out in 3 days, we’ll wake up at 6am today, 5am tomorrow, and 4am the next day before flying out. This seems to minimize jet lag and help us adjust to the time change quickly. 

Edited October 29, 2019 by Tapi

[Zach1213]

10 minutes ago, Tapi said:

 

I concur with the comment above. When you land in London, don’t go to sleep! Stay awake, go out for lunch, go sightseeing, and then head back to the hotel in time to go to sleep at a normal time.

 

One thing that we do a few days prior to flying to Europe is that we start progressively conditioning our bodies to the time change by waking up one hour earlier and earlier, and going to bed earlier as well. For example, if we’re flying out in 3 days, we’ll wake up at 6am today, 5am tomorrow, and 4am the next day before flying out. This seems to minimize jet lag and help us adjust to the time change quickly. 

I have heard this method but never tried it. What I usually do is stay up later than usual the night before, wake up in the morning, get a good workout, and do as much as possible (work or leisure) that morning/afternoon. Once I’m onboard, between being extra tired and a couple beverages, I’m basically passed out to sleep as well as I can on the plane. 

[terry&mike]

10 hours ago, Zach1213 said:

In my experience, as someone who flies from North America to Europe monthly, if you can’t do a daytime flight, the best thing to do after you land in the morning is just keep going...go go go, get fresh air and sunlight, eat good meals and drink plenty of water, and then crash early. Get a good nights sleep, and by the next morning I’m pretty much on schedule. 

I also practice this method and find it works very well for us. We travel internationally about 6 times per year. 

[fbgd]

For anyone who was on the ball BA had, for a few hours earlier today, return fares in First for around $2000 between the US and London/Europe. Sadly my family were too slow to respond and the fare was yanked 😞...about 1/3 of what I've paid in the past...

 

 

[waterbug123]

On 10/28/2019 at 9:47 PM, styme123 said:

I'm booked on a BI cruise this Aug and was wondering if anyone had recommendations about airlines they liked/disliked flying out of NY (probably JFK to HLR but close to LGA also). I'm on a bit of a budget so it will probably need to be economy or premium economy I'm guessing. Is it better to fly on domestic plans like AA, Delta etc. or BA, KLM, Virgin? I've only flown twice in my life so not much experience. I've also been finding that you now have to pay to pick your seat? The price of that can almost add $300 to the tickets! Seems like they nickle and dime you. My DH and I will be flying with just carry-on so no checked bags needed. I'd rather pack lite than have my bags lost 😉 Any advice would be appreciated.  

 

If you're flying in coach, airlines are more alike that different, so get the best price and flight time and don't worry too much about what airline it is.  As for flying domestic airlines vs. European ones, neither group is "better" than the other.  Any of the ones you listed will get you there and back just fine.  As for paying to pick your seat, it depends entirely on the airline and the fare class of the ticket you book.  Sometimes you have to pay and sometimes you don't.  Also, if you are flying nonstop, I wouldn't worry to much about not checking your bags; there's no connection where they can get held up so more than likely they would make it onto your flight.  And if by some remote chance they don't, you are arriving more than a day early so they would catch up to you.  No problem carrying on, just letting you know that on a nonstop flight the odds are pretty small that a checked bag wouldn't make it.

 

 

On 10/28/2019 at 9:54 PM, Zach1213 said:

KLM will require a transfer in Amsterdam, so avoid that. 

 

Why?  I mean, other than the general fact that a transfer involves an extra step.  It's quite possible that the OP could find a deal if they are willing to make a connection; if so, the cost savings might be worth it.  And AMS-London would be a short hop. 

[Zach1213]

1 hour ago, waterbug123 said:

Why?  I mean, other than the general fact that a transfer involves an extra step.  It's quite possible that the OP could find a deal if they are willing to make a connection; if so, the cost savings might be worth it.  And AMS-London would be a short hop. 

 

I usually don't mind a connection at all, especially in an easy airport like AMS. But, for me, it would need to be quite a savings considering all of the nonstop JFK-LHR/LGW options. But of course that's just me. So yeah, good point, if the savings are there...sure. But for me personally, it would take quite a bit.

 

One perk of flying via AMS (on KLM) is that you can connect into London City airport...which definitely could be worth the extra connection in some cases. 

[slidergirl]

If the OP doesn't mind a transfer and wants cheap, also look at TAP and Icelandair... TAP has to connect in Lisbon and Icelandair connects in Reykjavik.  WestJet has one with a connection in Toronto.  And, Air Lingus with connection in Dublin,  But, the price could be worth it...  Just a little out of the box thinking.

 

Or to be really esoteric (I'd do this because I'm weird) - Royal Air Maroc via Casablanca... 😉

 

A quick look up on Matrix found these - I just picked a random date in April to get routing.

 

[scottbee]

So many things to consider here

1) Are you really tied to LHR/London Heathrow, there are also low cost alternatives into LGW/London Gatwick (such as Norwegian). 

2) Note your BI cruise will not leave from London, but instead Dover, Southampton or Harwich, all of which are 70+ miles from London, meaning London isn't necessarily your best bet if you're staying there briefly, as you'll need to factor that in as well

 

Without a little more detail, your price range/price tolerance, etc, it's hard to answer any of this with much certainty.

 

The only thing I will say is that LGA airport is off the table, as there are no transatlantic flights from LGA.

 

 

Personally?  I'd likely fly into Gatwick, take the train to Southampton, drop luggage and explore the area (such as Portsmouth Harbour, or Stonehenge -- which are close to Southampton), get a good night's sleep and join the ship the next day. 

 

If you land at say 9:00a, by the time you've got your luggage, through immigration/customs and into the city, it will be noon, you'll be tired and cranky, and I doubt you'll get a huge amount of exploring done.

 

 

 

 

[wowzz]

Personally I wouldn't book with Norwegian until they get through this winter.  Their financials are improving, but they are not out of the woods yet.

If you can afford it, PE is a good compromise between economy and club. My preference is Virgin over BA, as you get free seat selection with VS, and, imho better service.

I wouldn't stress unduly about taking hold luggage - on direct,  non-stop flights, the chances of luggage going astray are small. If you decide  to down the  hand baggage only route, BA allow a massive 23kg, albeit within the proscribed luggage dimensions.

One of the advantages of flying with BA or VS, is that you are covered by  EU261 regulations in the event of certain delays.

[styme123]

11 hours ago, wowzz said:

Personally I wouldn't book with Norwegian until they get through this winter.  Their financials are improving, but they are not out of the woods yet.

If you can afford it, PE is a good compromise between economy and club. My preference is Virgin over BA, as you get free seat selection with VS, and, imho better service.

I wouldn't stress unduly about taking hold luggage - on direct,  non-stop flights, the chances of luggage going astray are small. If you decide  to down the  hand baggage only route, BA allow a massive 23kg, albeit within the proscribed luggage dimensions.

One of the advantages of flying with BA or VS, is that you are covered by  EU261 regulations in the event of certain delays.

That's a good point about the luggage not getting lost on a non-stop flight. I guess I was thinking that if they messed up and didn't even put it on the plane. I think it might be more automated now than years to avoid that but I could be wrong. After looking at a few airlines I think I've narrowed it down to 4, Delta, Virgin Atl, American, and BA. I've priced out Economy and Premium. Premium doubles my ticket and cost about $1,200 to 1,500pp, out of my budget. For me the most important aspect on the flight is the seat space and being able to pick my seat to sit next to my DH. Most of the airlines won't like you pick a seat at all in basic Econ, so I'll have to bump up to the next level any way. I'm trying to see if it's work going from that level to the next where you get 3 inches of more space. I'm not sure if that's a noticeable difference to make it worth a few hundred dollars more. 

We did want to try and fly into Heathrow to do some sightseeing when we got off the plane in the morning. Drop the bags at the hotel kind of thing and go. I'm not sure if that's a realistic idea or not. We would be flying overnight Thur into Fri morning, cruise leaves Sat morning. We do have 2/3 days post cruise as well.      

[Tapi]

12 hours ago, wowzz said:

I wouldn't stress unduly about taking hold luggage - on direct,  non-stop flights, the chances of luggage going astray are small.

They are indeed small, but it does happen, even on Nonstop flights. When we went to Alaska a few years ago, we flew nonstop to Seattle from Atlanta. Sure enough, our big suitcase didn’t make it. And to make things worse, the airline NEVER found it. It was declared “permanently lost”. How that happened when flying Nonstop is something that still baffles me, but it did happen. Thankfully we had enough time in Seattle to make a mad dash Target run on the morning of the cruise to purchase a new wardrobe. 
 

After that experience, we try to pack everything in carry ons. That was pretty challenging with a family of 4 when we did the Mediterranean for 10 nights last November, but we made it happen! 

 

To the OP: Even with my experience. I do agree with wowzz. Don’t overstress about lost luggage. It happened to us that one time, but it’s definitely not a normal, frequent occurrence. If you do decide to check your luggage though, it’s always smart to bring a carry on with enough clothing for everyone in the group and all important things to last you a few days in case your checked luggage does get delayed or lost.  

 

Edited October 31, 2019 by Tapi

[waterbug123]

25 minutes ago, styme123 said:

 I think I've narrowed it down to 4, Delta, Virgin Atl, American, and BA. I've priced out Economy and Premium. Premium doubles my ticket and cost about $1,200 to 1,500pp, out of my budget. For me the most important aspect on the flight is the seat space and being able to pick my seat to sit next to my DH. Most of the airlines won't like you pick a seat at all in basic Econ, so I'll have to bump up to the next level any way. I'm trying to see if it's work going from that level to the next where you get 3 inches of more space. I'm not sure if that's a noticeable difference to make it worth a few hundred dollars more. 

 

 

Be careful tossing around the phrase "basic economy."  The way you've worded your post here, it's hard to tell if you are saying basic economy and really mean economy that isn't premium economy, or if you are talking about the actual booking class offered by some airlines that they all "basic economy." 

I can't speak to the details of Virgin, AA or BA, but as a Delta frequent flyer let me clarify their offerings:

Basic Economy:  this gets you a seat in the economy cabin but you are the very last to board and you can't pick your seat til check in

Main Cabin:  this gets you a seat in the economy cabin.  I have status so can always choose my seat ahead of time.  I'm not sure about non-status passengers but I *think* Delta still lets you choose ahead of time, at least for international flights, but the seats they offer may be limited to back of the plane, non exit-rows, etc.

Comfort Plus:  this also gets you a seat in the economy cabin, but it will be one of the first few rows of economy, which have been placed a littler further apart to allow a few inches of extra legroom.  You will board before Main Cabin, and should also be able to choose your seats in advance.  Note:  This is NOT "premium economy."  The cost likely isn't too much more than MC.

Premium Select:  This IS premium economy, but is not offered on all international routes.  The cost will generally be significantly more than Main Cabin.  In addition to more legroom, the actual seat is different than the seats in the economy cabin, and offer significantly more recline, a footrest, a better meal service, and a dedicated flight attendant for the PS cabin.

Delta One:  Delta's business class cabin which I won't detail since you are not considering this.

 

From everything you've said, I would suggest looking at Comfort Plus if you go with Delta.

[sumiandkage]

A high mishandled luggage rate for an airline is 3 per 1000 passengers and the vast majority of mishandled bags are located and returned within a couple hours of scheduled passenger arrival. Delta mainline currently has the lowest mishandled bag rate at about 1.5 per 1000 passengers. 

 

I will also say good things about Delta's willingness in general to work hard to get me and my bags to a final destination when things go wrong (and Stuff Happens on even the best run airline- it's a hugely complex system with countless variables that may impact operations in a negative way) even in the days when I had no elite status and was flying in the cheapest possible fare class. They give their employees fairly broad power to fix things for passengers and a lot of those employees do use their powers for good. 

 

As for Comfort+ and other extra leg room seats the decision matrix has a couple of big questions- do you have tall people in your travel party? Are you picky about which meal you get on long haul flights? (But not so picky that you need to do a special meal request) At an international destination, does immigration tend to bottleneck and would being ahead of 100+ others in that line be a big advantage? 

 

I'm married to a 6'2" fella so tend to go to the C+ option right quick when the flight segments in question are more than 2 hours. 

[styme123]

11 hours ago, waterbug123 said:

 

Be careful tossing around the phrase "basic economy."  The way you've worded your post here, it's hard to tell if you are saying basic economy and really mean economy that isn't premium economy, or if you are talking about the actual booking class offered by some airlines that they all "basic economy." 

I can't speak to the details of Virgin, AA or BA, but as a Delta frequent flyer let me clarify their offerings:

Basic Economy:  this gets you a seat in the economy cabin but you are the very last to board and you can't pick your seat til check in

Main Cabin:  this gets you a seat in the economy cabin.  I have status so can always choose my seat ahead of time.  I'm not sure about non-status passengers but I *think* Delta still lets you choose ahead of time, at least for international flights, but the seats they offer may be limited to back of the plane, non exit-rows, etc.

Comfort Plus:  this also gets you a seat in the economy cabin, but it will be one of the first few rows of economy, which have been placed a littler further apart to allow a few inches of extra legroom.  You will board before Main Cabin, and should also be able to choose your seats in advance.  Note:  This is NOT "premium economy."  The cost likely isn't too much more than MC.

Premium Select:  This IS premium economy, but is not offered on all international routes.  The cost will generally be significantly more than Main Cabin.  In addition to more legroom, the actual seat is different than the seats in the economy cabin, and offer significantly more recline, a footrest, a better meal service, and a dedicated flight attendant for the PS cabin.

Delta One:  Delta's business class cabin which I won't detail since you are not considering this.

 

From everything you've said, I would suggest looking at Comfort Plus if you go with Delta.

Yeah I was referring to the entry level basic economy that gets you basically on the plane and in a seat. No picking the seat out, no other perks. 

[styme123]

4 hours ago, sumiandkage said:

A high mishandled luggage rate for an airline is 3 per 1000 passengers and the vast majority of mishandled bags are located and returned within a couple hours of scheduled passenger arrival. Delta mainline currently has the lowest mishandled bag rate at about 1.5 per 1000 passengers. 

 

I will also say good things about Delta's willingness in general to work hard to get me and my bags to a final destination when things go wrong (and Stuff Happens on even the best run airline- it's a hugely complex system with countless variables that may impact operations in a negative way) even in the days when I had no elite status and was flying in the cheapest possible fare class. They give their employees fairly broad power to fix things for passengers and a lot of those employees do use their powers for good. 

 

As for Comfort+ and other extra leg room seats the decision matrix has a couple of big questions- do you have tall people in your travel party? Are you picky about which meal you get on long haul flights? (But not so picky that you need to do a special meal request) At an international destination, does immigration tend to bottleneck and would being ahead of 100+ others in that line be a big advantage? 

 

I'm married to a 6'2" fella so tend to go to the C+ option right quick when the flight segments in question are more than 2 hours. 

My husband and I are both 5'8" so the height factor is good. It more of the leg room and not being claustrophobic. I don't care about the food or drinks really. I could just wait till we land if the food was that bad. It's only a 7 hr flight. I've never dealt with immigration before so not sure what that entails or how airline perks play into it. 

[waterbug123]

11 hours ago, styme123 said:

I've never dealt with immigration before so not sure what that entails or how airline perks play into it. 

 

It's not so much "airline perks" that play into it, but rather the cabin in which you're seated.  If you are seated toward the front of the plane, such as in economy comfort/comfort+, or business/first, you will be off the plane before the majority of the pax in economy so as long as you walk purposefully and delay any bathroom stops, you'll reach the immigration checkpoint earlier and won't wait in line as long.  If you choose "basic economy" you'll more than likely end up in the very back rows of the plane and thus be one of the very last ones off, behind the rest of the economy pax.   It's hard to say whether this will matter much or not.  A lot depends on how many other international arrivals show up at the gate just before or after your plane does, whether or not you have a connection to make afterward, and how many CBP agents are working and/or many immigration kiosks the airport has.

[styme123]

On 10/30/2019 at 4:41 PM, scottbee said:

Personally?  I'd likely fly into Gatwick, take the train to Southampton, drop luggage and explore the area (such as Portsmouth Harbour, or Stonehenge -- which are close to Southampton), get a good night's sleep and join the ship the next day. 

 

If you land at say 9:00a, by the time you've got your luggage, through immigration/customs and into the city, it will be noon, you'll be tired and cranky, and I doubt you'll get a huge amount of exploring done.

 

I like that idea and was looking into the tours that go to Stonehenge and a few other spots. That might be a more laid-back option to trying to see London sights on the same day we fly in. The cruise ends on a Thursday and we fly out Saturday night so maybe that would be a better time to see the sights in the city and fly out of Heathrow.