Does anyone fly to the USA regularly?

[flakeypaul]

Basically I have a friend who lives in California. She's in the US Army and will be spending a year in Iraq starting next January. She gets two weeks leave and is hoping to spend the first week here and the second week back home. I live in East Yorkshire so most UK airports are within a reasonable driving distance but I'm not sure what routes are available for her to get back home. Does anyone have any experiences of travel to California and if so was it a direct flight or was it a hop to JFK and then another flight?

[ianash]

You didn't specify which California airport she wishes to fly to. In San Francisco United is the main carrier from LHR. But BA, and Virgin also offer direct flights. Try Expedia for options.

[louiebaby]

San Francisco or Los Angeles?

Manchester is bound to have something direct now and again, both are pretty popular destinations.

[andrew311]

BA to my knowledge have stopped flying direct from Manchester, got to go to Heathrow for direct. I've been to CA 3 times in the last 2 years I've always went indirect as it's been the most cost effective option and one trip was a sort of tour so wanted the stops. Delta were the cheapest when I went last, one of their main hubs is Atlanta, while American and Continental seem to go via JFK/Newark, US seems to be Philadelphia. Virgin have always been miles off the rest whenever I've flew to the US.

It's a long flight so I quite like the 2 or 3 hours for transfers but if you're going all that way why not take in a short city break too i.e. NYC?

[Ynox]

Use Expedia / Skyscanner etc?

From LHR you can get direct flights to San Francisco (big United hub) and LA. Probably work out cheaper to fly from Heathrow too than Manc.

[davepoth]

Continental fly out of Manchester into EWR (Newark, NJ) IIRC, you can get a connecting flight from there or JFK. It'll be much nicer than driving down to LHR.

[youngsyr]

Virgin certainly used to fly direct from LHR to San Diego, which could also be an option, depending upon where in California your friend needs to get to.

[poo at Paul's]

Are you sure it is a good idea? I mean you dont want to scare her, coming from somewhere nice like Iraq, to East Yorks?

Some good routes and cheap flights via Chicago and Mineapolis I think! !

[tvrolet]

Regularly, as in 4 returns this year and counting - LA, Seattle, San Fransisco, Atlanta...and I also end up working in what I guess is East Yorkshire (Grimsby, Hull, Shorpe etc) and I think you're screwed for any decent routings.

I live in Edinburgh and if I could fly to East Yorkshire I would - best I end up doing is Manchester then a rental car so I guess your 'local' airport is Manchester. So you're going to have to change somewhere - you can go direct to the US east coast (Continental or Delta will get you to New York - EWR or JFK) then on to California. Or take a first short hop to London, Schipol or Frankfurt and then go direct long hauil from there.

Done most permuations over the years - just back from Atlanta via Frankfurt, and although Lufthansa have nice planes and are generous with the drinks it was a real pain. SF was long-haul via LHR.

If I lived near London with direct long hauls to the US then it would be a no-brainer to go direct, but from a regional where you will have to do at least 1 transfer I prefer to go direct to the east coast US [from Edinburgh] as it's 'only' a 6-7 hour flight. Stretch legs/more drinkies for a couple of hours, then back for another 5-6 hour jaunt. Better than a 1 hour flight that doesn't even go in the right direction, then the trauma of 11 hours in an aluminium tube.

Just try Expedia - they will give you a decent choice of routings with total journey times.

[flakeypaul]

Thanks guys - a big help. Yes, I have warned her to bring some body armour from Iraq for when she gets here .

Her nearest 'local' airport is Sacramento (in the same way that mine is Manchester).

[tvrolet]

flakeypaul said:

Thanks guys - a big help. Yes, I have warned her to bring some body armour from Iraq for when she gets here .

Her nearest 'local' airport is Sacramento (in the same way that mine is Manchester).

Yes, but from MAN you can at leat get across the pond. We drive through Sacramento every year on the way up to Tahoe and if we could get decent connections for a flight there from the East coast we'd take it as it's 2 hours nearer the snow...but there isn't one. We always end up flying to SFO then driving; it is just a 2 hour drive.

[Matt Harper]

What about MAN - ATL - Salt Lake City on Delta -Sacramento on SWA?

[sneijder]

When she flys back from Iraq, she'll be landing in Ireland to refuel.

Is she permitted to jump off there ? They have all their weapons and kit with them on board, so it might not be likely, it'd be a shame to land so close and then fly off again if her first week is with you though.

[flakeypaul]

The rmy pay for her to have one flight from Iraq and one flight back (to and from anywhere as long as she's staying at an address!) so the only bit we're reall interested in is getting her back home for a week once she's been here.

It's complicated!

[tuffer]

Used to Fly LHR to SFO twice a month.....don't miss that much. BA fly twice a day direct on that route and I believe the same to LA.

[bennyboydurham]

Friend huh?