Scotland to Indiana

[commander208]

Myself + family of 3 (all adults) are looking to revisit friends in Indiana towards the end of May into middle of June this year. We did the trip last year using GLA-LHR-ORD with BA/AA followed by a 5 hour drive (after a suitable rest period in Chicago of course!). A look at current offers shows the same BA/AA route or GLA/EDI-EWR-ORD with Continental at roughly equal prices. (Have previously flown with CO and found their service to be acceptable).

There are however other routes showing up with some considerable savings (almost £500 for the total party) and I wondered which, if any, you knowledgeable people would recommend. The possibilities are:-

GLA/EDI-AMS-ORD with KLM;
GLA-PHl with USAirways (with 10 hour drive to Indiana thereafter);

Dilemmas appear to be:-

- direct flight from Scotland to US with USAirways but what is the quality of service like?

- slightly cheaper flight with KLM but I've heard some horrendous stories about your luggage not making the flight with you!

- would the quality be better with BA/AA or CO but you have to negotiate the demands of LHR or EWR?

- current BA industrial relations don't engender absolute confidence;

Your preferred options will be most welcome!!

Thanks.

[Avman]

There would be no hesitation on my part: the CO option. Most convenient and best service. You have to balance the £500 saved with the extra hassle, round-the-houses routings, and the longer 10 hour drive.

[raffele]

Avoid US Airways - see this thread for details http://www.pprune.org/passengers-slf-self-loading-freight/404146-us-airways.html

And I'd avoid Amsterdam as luggage has a tendency not to make the connection.

From speaking to other people, Continental are very good at what they do, and Newark is one of the better US airports to transit through. Apparently they hire friendly human beings at security and border control!

On the BA front - yes, there is a level of uncertainty with regard to the unions and cabin crew, however the time you're going is roughly half term time, and given the outrage caused by the threatened strike over Christmas (and since the union saying they won't strike over Easter) I think you'd be ok. Plus Heathrow is a much nicer place to transit now

[Johnny F@rt Pants]

Isn't there anywhere closer that you could connect to than Chicago which leaves you a 5 hour drive:confused:?? eg Indianapolis or Cincinnati.

Of the choices you have I'd take KLM, you've got just as much chance of seeing you luggage at the other end as you have with transiting Heathrow. I've flown KLM through AMS dozens and dozens of times and haven't lost a bag yet, but obviously I know people that have. I've also connected through Heathrow and have parted company with my bag on numerous occasions. The bag's always shown up later:D, but I regularly came home, or arrived at my destination without it:ugh:.

I'd definitely look into shortening that drive though, surely there must be a closer airport than Chicago?

[commander208]

Thanks for the suggestions so far folks.

Johnny F P - you are of course right to point out that Indianapolis airport is much closer to our ultimate destination and easily achievable with CO from Newark. Unfortunately, that would deny my better half and our daughter the opportunity to bankrupt me on the Magnificent Mile shopping experience!!

[mrmrsmith]

don't forget Delta out of EDI to JFK, went with then to Salt Lake City last april via JFK, the sevice was much better than I was expecting, even a free bottle of wine with my meal, very unusual fro a US carrier.

[ConstantFlyer]

If you have a stopover in Chicago, you could swap the drive for a 50 minute flight to Indianapolis from Chicago-Midway on Southwest. They do it for about USD85 each way, including two free checked-in bags.

[Donkey497]

Don't think that Delta will be back this year unfortunately, as I used to love their EDI/Atlanta flight. They have a horrible habit of doing absolutely zero advertising for new flights which then struggle to achieve near 100% load factors.:ugh::ugh::ugh:

My call would be the EDI/EWR route on Conti. It might be cheaper to fly via Schipol on KLM, but you have the hassle of being at the airport at least four hours before you actually fly over it going in the right direction. Plus there's the potential luggage transfer problems at AMS as well.:eek:

If you fly direct to EWR in the US, I can confirm the immigration & customs folks there are were really quite chatty & personable. At least they were about 18 months ago when I was last there.:ok::ok:

I used to do a weekly EDI/EWR/IAH/EWR/EDI stint back & forth to our headquarters for various projects about once a month, up to a year past September & always found them quite friendly & helpful. Since then, the furthest I've been is a day trip to Aberdeen. I doubt the boss must think that I kick her dog on a regular basis or something, as the rest of my workmates have kept up their travel & some have even expanded to Rio...:sad:

The good thing about going through EWR as well is that in clearing customs you have to re-check your baggage, so you can confirm that it's made it as far as the US. Secondly, the actual re-checking process is dead easy.:confused: Unusual - I know.

From the gate, along to the end of the corridor, down the escalator into the immigration hall. Queue up & hand over your docs. Get fingerprinted, & photographed, passport stamped then down another escalator into the baggage hall, pick up bags from appropriate belt along to the left hand end, through customs, down the ramp hand over your bags & back up the escalator for security & transfer between terminals. It's never taken me more than 20 minutes from landing to be through all of that & be back airside ready for my connecting flight.:cool:

[Ace Rimmer]

Of all the East Coast interchanges EWR is top of my list for the reasons outlined above plus there's the Garden State Diner which is just great for cal and cholesterol packing while you wait for your connection!!!

[bmi goldenboy]

No other way to go but

GLA/EDI - EWR - IND

Cheap and quick!

The drive to Indy is long but very easy from ORD, you could make ORD a stopover though, great city. You could also do this with New York though.