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Here's a list of US domestic airlines and their respective hubs, focus cities, and regional feeder airlines. It has the airline's two character IATA code and I name each hub city the first time it appears in a list since some airports aren't immediately recognizable by their IATA codes. If there is desire, I can make one for the major international carriers because I am a tremendous nerd who likes airplanes too much. US Domestic Airline Hubs: AirTran Airways (FL): Hubs: ATL (Atlanta), BWI (Baltimore), MCO (Orlando) Alaska Airlines/Horizon Airlines (AS): Hubs: SEA (Seattle), ANC (Anchorage) Focus Cities: PDX (Portland, OR), LAX (Los Angeles), SFO (San Francisco) Aloha Airlines (AQ): Hubs: OGG (Kahului, HI), SNA (Orange County, CA) American Airlines (AA): Hubs: DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth), ORD (Chicago O'Hare), MIA (Miami), STL (St. Louis), JFK (New York City), LGA (New York City) Focus Cities: BOS (Boston), LAX, RDU (Raleigh) Subsidary Feeders: American Connection (serviced by Chautauqua Airlines and Trans State Airlines), American Eagle ATA Airlines (TZ): Hubs: MDW (Chicago Midway), HNL (Honolulu), OAK (Oakland) Continental Airlines (CO): Hubs: EWR (Newark, NJ), IAH (Houston Intercontinetal), CLE (Cleveland), GUM (Guam) Subsidary Feeders: Continental Connection (serviced by Colgan Air), Continental Express (serviced by Chautauqua Airlines and ExpressJet Airlines) Delta Airlines (DL): Hubs: ATL, SLC (Salt Lake City), CVG (Cincinatti), JFK, LAX Focus Cities: LGA, MCO, BOS Subsidary Feeders: Comair, Delta Shuttle ExpressJet Airlines (XE): Hubs: ONT (Ontario, CA), SAT (San Antonio) Focus Cities: AUS (Austin), SAN (San Diego) Frontier Airlines (F9): Hubs: DEN (Denver) Focus Cities: CUN (Cancun, Mexico) Hawaiian Airlines (HA): Hubs: HNL Focus Cities OGG JetBlue Airways (B6): Hubs: JFK, BOS, FLL (Fort Lauderdale), LGB (Long Beach), OAK, IAD (Washington D.C. Dulles) Midwest Airlines (YX): Hubs: MKE (Milwaukee), MCI (Kansas City) Subsidary Feeders: Midwest Connect Northwest Airlines (NW): Hubs: DTW (Detroit), MSP (Minneapolis), MEM (Memphis), NRT (Tokyo Narita), AMS (Amsterdam Schiphol) Focus Cities: IND (Indianapolis), HNL, SEA Subsidary Feeders: Northwest Airlink (serviced by Compass Airlines, Pinnacle Airlines, and Mesaba Airlines) Southwest Airlines (WN): Hubs: BWI, MDW, DAL (Dallas Love Field), LAX, LAS (Las Vegas), OAK, MCO, PHX (Phoenix), SAN, HOU (Houston Hobby) Spirit Airlines (NK): Hubs: FLL, DTW Sun Country Airlines (SY): Hubs: MSP Focus Cities DFW United Airlines (UA): Hubs: ORD, DEN, IAD, SFO, LAX Focus Cities NRT Subsidary Feeders: United Express (serviced by Chautauqua Airlines, Colgan Air, GoJet Airlines, Mesa Airlines, Shuttle America, SkyWest Airlines, and Trans State Airlines) US Airways (US): Hubs: CLT (Charlotte), PHL (Philidelphia), PHX, LAS Focus Cities DCA (Washington D.C. Reagan), LGA, BOS, PIT (Pittsburgh) Virgin America (VX): Hubs: SFO
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Feb 18, 2008 01:47
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I got a couple of requests for the international version of the US Domestic hub list above. I figured what the hell, it gives me a chance to listen to Yakko Warner sing the countries of the world. This list is done by continent/region of the world and then by country, as applicable. This is not an exhaustive list of international airlines because half of those are state-run airlines in Asia and Africa and only fools fly on state-run airlines.  It should cover most of the majors with an emphasis on those that serve North America on some level. Speaking of which, I thought about listing out the North American city the airline serves but that would take a lot of time, so suffice it to say that if any of the airlines in this list fly to North America it will very likely be at one of the following airports: LAX, SFO, JFK, EWR, ATL, IAH, ORD, SEA, BOS, IAD, or MIA.International Airline Hubs: Africa EgyptAir (MS): Hubs: CAI (Cairo) Focus Cities: ALY (Alexandria), HRG (Hurghada), SSH (Sharm el-Sheikh), LXR (Luxor) Code Share/Alliance: Star Alliance South African Airways (SA): Hubs: JNB (Johannesburg), CPT (Cape Town) Code Share/Alliance: Star Alliance There are a veritable crapload of local airlines in Africa, most of them state-run because private industry isn't so huge there (lol diamonds). This Wikipedia article has a nice list. Asia/Indian Subcontinent/Middle East China Southern Airlines (CZ): Hubs: CAN (Guangzhou), PEK (Beijing Capital) Code Share/Alliance: SkyTeam China Eastern (MU): Hubs: SHA (Shanghai Hongqiao, Domestic China), PVG (Shanghai Pudong, International) Air China (TZ): Hubs: SHA, PVG, PEK Code Share/Alliance: Star Alliance Eva Air (BR): Hubs: TPE (Taipei) Code Share/Alliance: AA, CO, AC, NH, NZ, QF, US Cathay Pacific (CX): Hubs: HKG (Hong Kong) Code Share/Alliance: OneWorld KingFisher Airlines (IT): Hubs: BLR (Bangalore), BOM (Mumbai/Bombay), DEL (Delhi) Note: Currently no service to North America; waiting on their A340/350/380 aircraft orders. Air India (AI): Hubs: BOM, DEL Code Share/Alliance: Star Alliance (planned for 2009 entry) El Al (LY): Hubs: TLV (Tel Aviv) Code Share/Alliance: AA, SA, several other European and Asian airlines All Nippon Airways (NH): Hubs: NRT (Tokyo Narita), HND (Tokyo Haneda), KIX (Osaka), ITM (Osaka Itami, also serving Kyoto) Code Share/Alliance: Star Alliance Japan Airlines (JL): Hubs: NRT, HND, KIX, ITM Code Share/Alliance: OneWorld Asiana Airlines (OZ): Hubs: ICN (Seoul Incheon), GMP (Seoul Gimpo) Code Share/Alliance: Star Alliance Korean Air (KE): Hubs: ICN, GMP Code Share/Alliance: SkyTeam Malaysia Airlines (MH): Hubs: KUL (Kuala Lumpur) Code Share/Alliance: Craploads; airlines from SkyTeam, Star Alliance, OneWorld, and a bunch of others. Philippine Airlines (PR): Hubs: MNL (Manila), CEB (Cebu City) Code Share/Alliance: CX, EK, MH, QR Qatar Airways (QR): Hubs: DOH (Doha) Code Share/Alliance: A bunch from all over the world, see here. Saudi Arabian Airlines (SV): Hubs: JED (Jeddah), RUH (Riyadh), DMM (Dammam) Code Share/Alliance: Only airlines from Muslim countries, and Air France (the pansies). Singapore Airlines (SQ): Hubs: SIN (Singapore) Code Share/Alliance: Star Alliance Thai Airways International (TG): Hubs: BKK (Bangkok Suvarnabhumi), DMK (Bangkok Don Mueang) Code Share/Alliance: Star Alliance Emirates Airline (EK): Hubs: DXB (Dubai) Code Share/Alliance: A bunch, including CO and UA (see full list here). Central America/Caribbean Cayman Airways (KX): Hubs: GCM (George Town), CYB (Cayman Brac), LYB (Little Cayman) Groupo Taca (TA): Hubs: SAL (San Salvadore, El Salvadore), LIM (Lima, Peru), SJO (San Jose, Costa Rica), GUA (Guatemala City, Guatemala) Air Jamaica (JM): Hubs: MBJ (Montego Bay), KIN (Kingston), UVF (Vieux Fort, St. Lucia) Code Share/Alliance: AC, VS Copa Airlines (CM): Hubs: PTY (Panama City) Code Share/Alliance: SkyTeam Caribbean Airlines (BW): Hubs: POS (Trinidad/Tobago) Europe Brussels Airlines (SN): Hubs: BRU (Brussels) Note: No North American service; only Europe, Africa, and Asia. Czech Airlines (OK): Hubs: PRG (Prague) Code Share/Alliance: SkyTeam Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) (SK): Hubs: CPH (Copenhagen), ARN (Stockholm), OSL (Oslo) Code Share/Alliance: Star Alliance Estonian Air (OV): Hubs: TLL (Tallinn) Code Share/Alliance: SK Finnair (AY): Hubs: HEL (Helsinki-Vantaa) Code Share/Alliance: OneWorld Air France (AF): Hubs: CDG (Paris Charles de Gaulle) Code Share/Alliance: SkyTeam Lufthansa (LH): Hubs: FRA (Frankfurt), MUC (Munich) Code Share/Alliance: Star Alliance Olympic Airlines (OA): Hubs: ATH (Athens) Icelandair (FI): Hubs: KEF (Reykjavík) Aer Lingus (EI): Hubs: DUB (Dublin), ORK (Cork), BFS (Belfast) Ryanair (VX): Hubs: DUB, STN (London Stansted), BGY (Milan), CIA (Rome), SNN (Shannon, Ireland), PSA (Pisa), CRL (Brussels), HHN (Frankfurt Hahn), ORK, LPL (Liverpool), PIK (Glasgow), LTN (London Luton), GRO (Girona/Costa Brava/Barcelona), NYO (Stockholm), EMA (East Midlands, UK), MAD (Madrid), MRS (Marseille), BRE (Bremen), NRN (Weeze), BRS (Bristol), VLC (Valencia), ALC (Alicante), BHD (Belfast), BOH (Bournemouth), BHX (Birmingham), REU (Reus) SUPER HUGE OMG NOTE: Almost every single one of the airports Ryanair serves is not near the actual city the airline serves. They do this to greatly reduce the costs associated with flying into busy airports. A prime example is HHN; this airport is actually about 90 miles from the actual city of Frankfurt. Be very aware of what airport you're departing from and arriving into. Alitalia (AZ): Hubs: FCO (Rome) Code Share/Alliance: SkyTeam KLM (KL): Hubs: AMS (Amsterdam Schiphol) Code Share/Alliance: SkyTeam TAP Portugal (TP): Hubs: LIS (Lisbon) Code Share/Alliance: Star Alliance Aeroflot (SU): Hubs: SVO (Moscow) Code Share/Alliance: SkyTeam Iberia (IB): Hubs: MAD (Madrid) Code Share/Alliance: OneWorld Swiss International Air Lines (LX): Hubs: ZRH (Zurich) Code Share/Alliance: Star Alliance Turkish Airlines (TK): Hubs: IST (Istanbul) Code Share/Alliance: Star Alliance (April 1, 2008) BMI (BD): Hubs: LHR (London Heathrow), MAN (Manchester) Code Share/Alliance: Star Alliance British Airways (BA): Hubs: LHR, LGW (London Gatwick) Code Share/Alliance: OneWorld EasyJet (U2): Hubs: LTN, LGW, SXF (Berlin), GVA (Geneva), EDI (Edinburgh), GLA, STN, LPL (Liverpool), NCL (Newcastle), BFS, DTM (Dortmund), EMA, BSL/MLH/EAP (Basel, Switzerland/Mulhouse, France/Freiburg, Germany), ORY (Paris Orly), MXP (Milan), BRS, MAD, CDG Silverjet (Y7): Hubs: LUT Zoom Airlines (ZX): Hubs: LGW North America, not including the United States Air Canada (AC): Hubs: YYZ (Toronto Pearson), YUL (Montreal), YVR (Vancouver), YYC (Calgary) Code Share/Alliance: Star Alliance Porter Airlines (PD): Hubs: YTZ (Toronto City Centre) WestJet (WS): Hubs: YYC, YYZ Aeromexico (AM): Hubs: MEX (Mexico City), MTY (Monterrey) Code Share/Alliance: SkyTeam Mexicana (MX): Hubs: MEX, GDL (Guadalajara) Viva Aerobus (VB): Hubs: MTY Oceania (Australia, New Zealand, and other sunny Pacific locales) Qantas (QF): Hubs: SYD (Sydney), MEL (Melbourne) Code Share/Alliance: OneWorld Virgin Blue (DJ): Hubs: BNE (Brisbane), MEL, SYD Continental Micronesia (CS): Hubs: GUM (Guam) Code Share/Alliance: SkyTeam Air New Zealand (NZ): Hubs: AKL (Auckland) Code Share/Alliance: Star Alliance Beef Of Ages fucked around with this message at 19:30 on Feb 24, 2008 |
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Feb 23, 2008 07:02
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politicorific posted:Is there a better site than seatguru that keeps track of which airlines/flights/planes have wifi available on board? Especially transoceanic flights? Generally, no. The issue is that no airline has rolled out in-flight WiFi on its entire fleet, usually picking a subfleet or particular aircraft type to do what is essentially a public beta on the service. Moreover, most of the systems in question are ground-based or satellites with domestic US footprints, so service is not available on international segments. That will change and get better as time progresses but it just isn't that widely available when compared to the number of flights available on a given day.
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Dec 20, 2009 01:01
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Vernacular posted:Couldn't really find a better thread to ask this question. Is $1200 (after fees and trip insurance) about standard for a roundtrip ticket from the US to Europe (Barcelona, specfically) during the Summer? Should I be holding out for better deals? That's pretty par, but depends greatly on where in the US you're departing from and when, specifically, you're going. If you can provide those parameters I'll take a look at what's around and see what I can find.
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Feb 25, 2010 04:47
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Vernacular posted:The plan is to depart from LAX on June 17th (this date is firm), preferably at night (this date is flexible if the price is right), and return 5-6 weeks later, ideally in the July 25-29 range. Thanks for the help! Yeah, you're traveling at the absolute peak of European travel season so there are no cheaper fares. Were you to go in, say, November, it would be a whole other story.
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Feb 25, 2010 19:01
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Ziir posted:There was a website I found last year where you put in your departure city and then you can choose general arrival locations like "Europe" or "France" or "Worldwide" and so forth, tell it the time span you could go, and it would search through and list flights in cheapest order to many cities/locations. It was a simple looking website with a white background. I'm thinking ITA Software?
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Mar 8, 2010 17:30
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John Adams posted:I just started using TravelPod, which is kind of hokey and there are ads (unless you buy an upgraded account), but it does have the "Indiana Jones maps". I tried it out for my trip taking a train from Portland>Seattle>Chicago this summer. That one seems ok for generic travel, but for airline travel specifically, I prefer Flightmemory as well: 
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Aug 7, 2010 18:40
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dunkman posted:EDIT: They finally just said "she's flying in to Delta's main hub at 10am, trying to get to Hawaii, she'll be fine if she misses the connection, the backup is to LAX then HNL, or she can just do standby in Rochester for the 630 flight without paying anything." Yeah, while missing a flight sucks, there are many, many options to get her to HNL that day because she is arriving at ATL early enough. She can do connections to EWR, JFK, IAH, ORD, DEN, LAX, SFO, and SEA on a variety of airlines to make all that work. The extra connection sucks, but it should get handled ok.
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Oct 19, 2010 00:29
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TheLizard posted:How bad would ROC-ATL-EWR-HNL suck? Fly to Atlanta just to fly back north again. Almost as bad as SAN - ATL - IAH. On the redeye. 
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Oct 20, 2010 03:51
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Sharks Eat Bear posted:So, is there anything to be said to waiting until the last minute for a deal or is that just a fool's errand? Generally, but with occasional exceptions, there is no point to wait. MHT will almost always be cheaper than BOS. It looks like Delta is running $272 out of BOS, so Southwest is likely matching that fare (or vice versa).
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Dec 3, 2010 04:10
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iloverice posted:Whats the best way to search for multi-part trips? I want to go to Korea this Oct to visit family and figured since I'll be flying over the Pacific anyway I might as well stop in Japan for a bit too. Is there any way to get that on one itinerary? The only way I've figured out how to do so is by searching for separate tickets (SEA - SEL - HND - SEA). Any of the regular search engines (I like Kayak myself) will allow you to search for multi-city itineraries. This should be an option next to the round trip or one way buttons. Do keep in mind, though, that the availability of multi-city itineraries is dependent upon the routing rules of the fare you're booking. Many segment rules require booking into a very high fare in order to make something like that work. Given that, your best bet is to stick with a single carrier metal and see if you can find a fare that gives you the option to do a stopover in a second city, or an open jaw. Also keep in mind that SEL and HND are going to have a lot less choice than ICN and NRT as far as international flights are concerned. Opening up your airport choices will help you find something that works.
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May 22, 2011 20:25
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JetSet posted:Is there any reason I should be wary of booking with cheapoair.com or onetravel.com? I'm looking to book a trip to Vegas in August, and their fares are more than $100 cheaper than anything else I'm finding. Are you doing opaque travel where you can't see the airline you're booking? If not, post the airlines/segments and I'd be willing to bet I can find that fare on the airline website.
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Jun 23, 2011 16:02
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JetSet posted:It doesn't show me the airline, but it gives me flight numbers, so I know it's Frontier. Indianapolis to Las Vegas, leave 8/3, return 8/9. On Cheapoair, it's $553 for 2 people. On Kayak/Priceline, the exact same itinerary is $797. The cheapest fare on Priceline is still $764 Yeah, that's an opaque booking, and good on ya for recognizing the flight numbers and figuring out the carrier. If you know you're going, I'd say go ahead and book it through cheepoair.com. Nothing necessarily to be afraid of there, just be aware of any booking fees.
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Jun 25, 2011 08:18
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sheri posted:Has anyone used priceline for flights? What was your experience like? I generally avoid priceline for airfare as I like to know exactly what I'm getting before I buy it. Mostly because I don't fit in standard coach seats and need to secure a seat where I fit and don't bother anyone else. That said, most of the time, you can get comparable prices when you do the research yourself. Airfare is not often like hotels or car rentals where the prices are up for, "negotiation." On occasion you'll find a cheaper opaque fare; if so and you don't care what airline you fly on, go for it. The real power of priceline, in my view, is in car rentals. You never know what you're going to get until you get there anyway, and they only use the big five companies. I've saved 70% and more on a car rental by bidding on it. Hotels work similarly, but I rarely use it since I'm trying to maintain status with Starwood.
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Nov 3, 2011 14:52
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A GIANT PARSNIP posted:My girlfriend and I are looking to travel more. We need to give 2 months notice before taking off work, but besides that we're wide open on when and where to go and are interested in finding cheap airfare and hotels in places we've never been before. Kayak's explore tool is decent, but remember that it only shows you fares to a city that were found by someone else's search. There is no telling how long a stay has to be or when it is specifically. Those are important factors in finding the price of a particular flight. It's often easier to pick a place you want to go and then find an agreeable fare, but not always. Hotel best rate guarantees are not usually applicable to bundled packages, but by no means is that a hard and fast rule. It never hurts to try. 
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Jan 6, 2012 00:36
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Helmacron posted:In about a month, I'm going to hop on a plane to Indonesia, then travel overland from Indo north to Russia, then back down to Cape Town via Europe, and whatever Arabic states. Yep, they want to make sure that you're not trying to immigrate illegally and then suck up their precious government resources, or worse, lead a life of ill repute. To work around this, showing proof of a plane ticket exiting the country within the time of the visa will generally suffice. If you want to be able to change this departure date at will, you'll need to buy what is likely to be a very expensive changeable/refundable fare. If you wish to push your luck, you could have such a fare on the books and simply refund it once you're in the country. But if you get into trouble and have to deal with the authorities, don't expect them to be pleased. Travel at your own risk.
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Jan 18, 2012 03:18
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Spaceguns posted:Didn't want to make a thread just for this and this one seems to be the best to potentially get an answer. Generally speaking, travel agents do not have access to any customer data that the airlines have. Airlines that manage a CRM system (all the majors do) guard that data very closely because it helps them figure out all sorts of things (pricing, marketing, customer service, customer experience, etc). Travel agents have access to one or more of the GDS' (Global Distribution Systems) where airlines publish their inventory and pricing to be sold on the market. The travel agent can see this inventory, reserve it, purchase it, and ticket it. So, no, travel agents have no ability to track someone's flight history past the history of the flights that person has booked through that particular travel agency.
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Feb 10, 2012 16:14
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TwoDogs1Cup posted:Is it possible to book a hotel/flight combo with Expedia for 2 weeks, but only book the hotel for one week? Sorry if it's been asked or not the right thread. I'm going to America for 2 weeks, but only need to stay in a hotel for half of that Yes it is; on the flight+hotel search, click the check box for "I only need a hotel for part of my trip."  If you find a good deal on a flight, it can often be purchased separately and then simply book the hotel you need. If you care to venture down to the Saving Money On A Plane Ticket thread and provide the details, I'm more than happy to take a look for you. Beef Of Ages fucked around with this message at 03:45 on May 7, 2012 |
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May 7, 2012 03:39
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moflika posted:Not sure where to post this, but if I'm flexible on my fly out date and willing to sit around for a few days, would it be possible to get a last minute cheap seat on an international flight? Retarded? No. Plausible? Not really. International standby is almost unheard of these days and that is mostly due to a lack of discounted fares available that close to the flight time. Waiting until the last minute will find you in full fare territory quite often, not to mention the hassle of doing it because most countries will not let you in on a one-way ticket without a return ticket booked (unless you're on a particular visa). It's simply not a sound way to find savings on airfare. If you'd care to saunter down to the Saving Money On A Plane Ticket thread and post the details you're looking at, I'm more than happy to look around for you.
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Aug 1, 2012 04:14
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belt posted:I have a quick question that I really don't think deserves it's own thread and relates to travel resources so I'll throw it in here. Unsmooth for sure. Where are you located? Your best bet is to go to a local passport agency; a list of those is here: http://travel.state.gov/passport/npic/agencies/agencies_913.html You can use those services you linked to, but they're simply going to go through the same process and if you live in or near a location where Agency Center is located, I see no reason to let someone else be in control of all your personal information. Depending on where you're going in South America, you'll also need to be prepared to fork over some cash for entry visas.
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Dec 4, 2012 03:43
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belt posted:I'm in Nebraska, so it looks like the closest agency near me is Chicago, IL. It's a solid 9 hours away. Firstly, get the hell out of Nebraska.  Secondly, one of those rush passport places is really your only option, but you're going to be spending hundreds of dollars in overnight shipping. Get friendly with your local FedEx office.
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Dec 4, 2012 16:08
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Helmacron posted:I walked into the American embassy in Perth, Australia, and showed them my American citizen of foreign birth form and my licence and was holding a brand new, plastic smelling, patriotic as gently caress U.S. passport within seven working days. US Embassys have the facilities to handle that abroad. In the US, only certain federal offices can do it, and most courthouses (even the federal ones) are not included in that. Moreover, it is expected that one who is traveling internationally would put some thought into it and not be in this predicament in the first place.
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Dec 5, 2012 06:06
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Shlank posted:Does anyone have advice on the best place to exchange for foreign currency? Am I better off doing it in the country or at a bank before I go? Or is there a good website for this? Are you trying to get currency once you arrive at a place or change it back to US dollars upon return?
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Jan 10, 2013 17:02
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Shlank posted:Travelling to the Dominican at the start of February and not sure if it's cheaper to get Peso's before we go or once we get there. In almost all cases, it's cheaper to do it via ATM from your bank account once you get there. There are fees, but they're usually less (and sometimes a lot less) than changing at the airport or whatever. Make sure you notify your bank that you're traveling and all should be well.
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Jan 10, 2013 18:07
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Ashcans posted:I am traveling internationally this fall, and now that I am an old person with a family and responsibilities, it seems to make sense to get some travel insurance. Is there a particular company that people would recommend for this? I've never bothered before. What sort of event or issue are your attempting to insure against? Medical, travel interruption, etc?
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Jun 24, 2013 01:27
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Ashcans posted:I think the biggest thing would be medical - if my kid gets sick and I have to rush him to a hospital in Istanbul or something I want to make sure we're covered for that (our health insurance technically covers that sort of emergency care, but I'd prefer not to count on it). It would also be nice if we could get some sort of coverage for stuff like missed connections or if we have to cut the trip short for some reason, too, but I think medical is the thing most likely to really screw us up - especially if we end up talking evacuations and the like. For medical, if you have a plan already, check with them on the levels of coverage. It likely falls into the Out of Network category so costs can be much, much higher. If you want a supplement plan, I know people who have used AMEX Travel Services and Seven Corners, both with good results. USAA also offers good stuff if you have access to it. The most important part to check into is on the specific coverage levels for the policy you buy and what restrictions are in place before the policy goes into effect. For example, some policies require you to pay all your out of network costs on your personal medical policy before the travel medical policy kicks in. Others do not; do your due diligence and then buy based on price.
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Jun 24, 2013 18:57
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Jealous Cow posted:I've made some stupid mistakes on accruing miles this year. It's my first year traveling for work and just didn't think it through. I have the following qualifying balances: Are you WAS-based? The choice of program depends very much on what you want to get out of it. What is most important to you about a loyalty program? Upgrades? Award redemption? Better seats (irrespective of upgrades)? Lower fees? Lack of regional jets? I think there is some healthy skepticism to be had concerning the US/AA merger. Mergers are nearly wholly customer unfriendly moves and there is almost no chance of the loyalty program being better on the other side of it. We saw this with DL, and we see it today with UA. I still bank with UA because I like access to E+ seats because I'm 6'8", but the value proposition may be different for you. Beef Of Ages fucked around with this message at 16:39 on Oct 9, 2013 |
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Oct 9, 2013 16:36
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mintskoal posted:Not sure if this is the right thread but there's nothing else in this forum so here we go. Join us in the Cheap Airfare thread where we can discuss this ad nauseum. Star Alliance RTWs don't have mileage caps that I remember; it's more a function of a limit to total segments and the number of stopovers/open jaws you do. Some of the premium cabin selections will put you in full fare buckets (C/D/J) which can make the overall cost rather high. It depends greatly on what you want. Beef Of Ages fucked around with this message at 16:43 on Oct 9, 2013 |
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Oct 9, 2013 16:37
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Jealous Cow posted:I'm currently based out of RIC but frequently drive to IAD for departure, and I will probably be moving to CLE next year. My main concern is upgrades. I'm also tall (not as tall as you) and I cannot get any work done in economy. I frequently pay for first class upgrades just so I can bill another 3 or 4 hours of work. Based on the totals you provided above, if we consider IAD-MEL round trip to net you about 15,000 EQM, your total for the year is sitting between 65,000 and 70,000 EQM. This will only provide mid-tier status at most airlines (UA is Gold at 50K, AA is Platinum at 50K, DL is 50K for Gold, and US is 50K for Gold) and is simply not going to net you the upgrade benefits you're looking for unless you exclusively fly leisure routes at off-peak times. I have Gold status with UA and have a roughly 50% upgrade rate because I normally try to do exactly that: off-peak times on leisure routes. When I have to fly for work or at a peak time, my upgrade chances are very slim. Moreover, AA doesn't offer complementary upgrades unless you're Executive Platinum (100K EQM) and those that do prioritize based on status and then fare bucket. So if you're buying cheap fares, your chances are even more remote. To that end, chasing upgrades may not be the best plan for you. AA offers buy ups at the kiosk only, but there's no guarantee they'll be offered or that you'll want to pay what they're charging. Same deal for UA: they offer buy ups but it's not really buying an upgrade so much as it is buying up to the fare at which you would get upgraded automatically based on market. The exception to that is elite status wherein when you buy a Y or B fare (full fare unrestricted coach) you get upgraded automatically (and on M fares if you're a 1K (100K EQM)). US also has day of departure upgrades but I'm not as familiar with how they do them. Given that you said you wanted more legroom because you're tall and want to work on the plane, I might suggest throwing your loyaty to UA wherein Gold elites get access to Economy Plus at booking. The extra couple of inches of legroom make it a whole lot easier to work on your laptop if you need to during a flight. They're horribly behind the market in terms of WiFi but it is coming over the next six to nine months. Delta also has a version of this but it's more limited and not as much room. I think AA is doing it as well so that's something to look at. The other reason to choose UA is because of the Star Alliance and UA's incredibly flexible award routing rules. You can do some really cool stuff with UA miles that you can't do with other alliances or carriers. If you want to get a card, I would suggest the Chase Sapphire card wherein you earn points for purchases, 2x points for restaurants and travel purchases, and they can transfer on a 1:1 basis to UA or a couple other places. Amex points are great for some things but not if you want to do business with UA; they're all Chase all the time.
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Oct 9, 2013 21:40
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sellouts posted:A point of clarification here, LFBU (load factor based upgrades) are based on space available inclusive of the upgrade list. So if you're on the upgrade list it will clear before you can purchase a LFBU. For Platinum this begins at 72 hours in advance but can run all the way until the door closes. So elite status will always yield an upgrade before a LFBU. Indeed, that is a better overview of the AA upgrade options. Also worthy of note is that DL and UA have both implemented revenue requirements for the 2015 elite year, so that should factor in as well. Expect AA to go that route at some point after the merger as well.
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Oct 9, 2013 22:54
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May I suggest moving the airfare discussion to the airfare thread?
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Oct 10, 2013 01:55
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If you're transiting MDW that means flying Southwest. 45 minutes is likely plenty of time to make that connection. If you get delayed and miss it for some reason, MDW is a hub for Southwest so there are likely many other options to get you where you're going.
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Nov 9, 2013 23:42
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Aliquid posted:Quick question: I just renewed my passport and the woman at the post office swore up and down I'd get my old one back with all my cool stamps and visas. The new passport came in the mail just now and the old one isn't there. What's up? All the supporting documentation is returned separately. It will show up within a few days.
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Jun 22, 2014 03:19
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Medullah posted:I've got a cousin's wedding coming up on September 13th, in Massachusetts. I'm in Michigan. Looking through flights and such, looks like the flights are around $250+. They have a special rate at the Hilton for $118 a night, I'd want to stay Friday night and Saturday night. I'd also probably need a car. I completed a trip where I drove from Detroit to Cleveland and then up to Niagara. It's not a terrible drive, but it's not particularly awesome either. Unless you really enjoy road trips and the airfare is sky high, I'd fly. $250 round trip isn't bad. If you do decide to drive it, you can rent a car and unlimited miles means unlimited miles. You pay for the time you have it and that's it. One thing to consider with such a long trip is the LDW insurance, though; I have primary coverage through a credit card so I use that, but it's very much a YMMV situation.
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Jul 28, 2014 16:45
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Vegetable posted:I booked an American Airlines international flight on Expedia and would like more baggage allowance. AA's website indicates it's $60 per overweight bag and $150 per additional bag. Is there a way to do this without incurring such hefty charges? Take less stuff? It's actually $100 for tickets purchased after April 8, 2014, assuming you're going to Europe. The only way to get around it is to have elite status on AA.
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Jul 31, 2014 13:55
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Medullah posted:I ended up deciding to just fly to my cousin's wedding. Are there any good tips on car rental while I'm out there? I'm assuming renting directly from the airport will end up being more expensive. Airport rentals are usually more expensive due to the taxes. You can try to find a car rental location off-airport that you can get to via public transit but the law of diminishing returns can kick in very quickly. You can also try services like autoslash.com and see what they can find for you.
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Jul 31, 2014 13:56
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Oxygen Deficiency posted:Hey thread. Not sure if this is the right thread to ask this. My parents booked a trip for the three of us to Toronto. My sister tried to book us some accommodation in an apartment but the woman we talked to said she had given the apartment away so we're forced to find other accommodation. Have you looked at vrbo.com? I've not done it in Canada but I've done it several times in the US as well as a few times in Europe with great success.
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Apr 4, 2015 12:45
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Ur Getting Fatter posted:Can anyone recommend any articles or resources on car rental in the U.S.? I'm particularly concerned about insurance since we're not US residents and our credit cards don't offer international car insurance. No articles per se, but some creative searching can yield rate codes which include LDW. You do take the risk of them not honoring the LDW if you can't prove access to the rate, but yeah. Alternatively, you can buy the LDW, but it can be $25 or $30 per day.
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May 13, 2015 01:18
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Abel Wingnut posted:i don't know if this is the right thread, but here goes. i'm traveling to london next week and i'm not sure how to avoid crazy cell phone fees with verizon. i think i need to buy a micro SIM and slot it in when i get there. but which SIM? what provider? what settings do i change on the phone? Depends on which phone you have. Verizon uses CDMA which doesn't exist in the UK so your device may not have a SIM card slot. Verizon has an international desk you can call to figure out your options, vzw.com/international I believe.
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May 13, 2015 23:42
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Abel Wingnut posted:thanks. Depends on how you're getting there, when you're leaving, and where you're going. Two hours is generally safe; if you have pre-check you can do less, but bag drop cut off is an hour prior to departure if you plan to check.
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May 18, 2015 00:46
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