Enough time for connection? (USA)

PeacefulWaters

jackieblack wrote: »

Ok, thanks to you all for the various hints/tips/suggestions/advice


Lots of options looked at, all with different advantages/disadvantages. My dates (primarily my return date) are more or less inflexible and I have a pretty strict budget, so finding something suitable hasn't been easy but how does this sound?


Tues 16th Aug - fly to Dublin form Stansted, Ryanair, £20 + whatever a suitcase costs (have never flown Ryanair before) stay overnight at Premier Inn


Wed 17th Aug, 11.20 American Airlines flight 723 to Philadelphia, assuming that I would do immigration etc at Dublin, 1hr 50 min layover at PHL (is this long enough? I think it requires a change of terminal), then AA flight 3888 to Bangor, ME, arriving at 17.19


Return Sun 28th Aug, 15.28 AA 3891, BGR to PHL, 4 hr 52 min layover then BA68 to LHR, arriving 10.05 Mon 29th


Booked with AA (I've never booked or flown with them before), marketed as AA 723, AA 3888, AA 3891, AA 6131, all in economy, £773

I would hire a car at BGR (approx. £235 for 11 days, a compact with Alamo via CarHire3000) and spend 10 days exploring Maine, mainly the coast, possibly with a few days driving across NH to VT (if I'm feeling brave )


What does anyone think?

Youll be fine at Philly assuming your cases are checked through. Maybe a walk, but it's easy to navigate and you see the Lego Liberty Bell.

Ryanair have a flex fare that includes hold luggage, fast track, leg room and the ability to change flight on the day of travel fee free (subject to availability). It usually costs about £5 more than seat and case separately. So provides value if each passenger has hold luggage.

I've also booked a £9.99 Ryanair flight first thing the following morning. No intention of using it but if anything has gone wrong the day before I can pay the hold luggage surcharge and get where I want to without having to pay silly money or discover there's no availability.

I've only ever flown AA once. They fixed a mess BA made with the booking. There was no smile. But they fixed it. Just check the boarding pass for the subsequent flight very carefully!

jackieblack

Murphy_The_Cat wrote: »

all looks good to me - I really fancy Maine.

Did a day trip by coach out of Boston last year, only as far north as Kennebunkport but was enough to make me want to go back

Murphy_The_Cat wrote: »

The Philly connection is fine (you'll arrive as an internal flight and won't need to recheck your bags).

Ok, great, thanks

Murphy_The_Cat wrote: »

Register with AAAdvantage so that you start accrueing your AAmiles (it was/is) a generous FF scheme.

Will do

Murphy_The_Cat wrote: »

Don't forget Guinness for breakfast in Dublin :- its the law :beer:

Sorry, but not in a million years! :eek:




Murphy, you've flown with AA quite a bit, haven't you?
Any problems or things to watch out for?

jackieblack

PeacefulWaters wrote: »

Youll be fine at Philly assuming your cases are checked through. Maybe a walk, but it's easy to navigate and you see the Lego Liberty Bell.

Thanks, are the cases not automatically checked through to BGR? I just assumed they would be....

PeacefulWaters wrote: »

Ryanair have a flex fare that includes hold luggage, fast track, leg room and the ability to change flight on the day of travel fee free (subject to availability). It usually costs about £5 more than seat and case separately. So provides value if each passenger has hold luggage.

Only me travelling, but I'll check that out, thanks

PeacefulWaters wrote: »

I've also booked a £9.99 Ryanair flight first thing the following morning. No intention of using it but if anything has gone wrong the day before I can pay the hold luggage surcharge and get where I want to without having to pay silly money or discover there's no availability.

I'll look into that too, there seem to be quite a few flights from STN to DUB each day and I have all day free

PeacefulWaters wrote: »

I've only ever flown AA once. They fixed a mess BA made with the booking. There was no smile. But they fixed it. Just check the boarding pass for the subsequent flight very carefully!

:eek:

Murphy_The_Cat

jackieblack wrote: »

Murphy, you've flown with AA quite a bit, haven't you?
Any problems or things to watch out for?

the stewards/stewardesses won't win any awards for happy, smily service, but thats not the end of the world.

AA are one of the biggies, so if things go wrong, you've got all sorts of optons to get you to your final destination.

Maybe have a look at MCE (main cabin extra) for your return flight. It'll maybe cost you about £75 PHL -LHR but it could make the difference between a restful(ish) nights sleep and not. It depends on your dimensions and your idea of cost vs value.

torbrex

I would hire a car at BGR (approx. £235 for 11 days, a compact with Alamo via CarHire3000) and spend 10 days exploring Maine, mainly the coast, possibly with a few days driving across NH to VT (if I'm feeling brave )

You will love the scenery up that way and the roads are fine as well.
Roadside Motels are 10 a penny and the seafood at the coast is delish :T
There are whale watching excursion from most of the ports along the coast and plenty of white water rafting if you fancy a bit of adventure
In Vermont there are ski lifts that operate in the summer for the tourists, some are scary but all are safe, at least safe enough to take my weight
New Hampshire has an area called 'White Mountain National Forest' there are lots of things to see and do in that area, I ran out of time on my trip so it is on my list to return to

jackieblack

Murphy_The_Cat wrote: »

the stewards/stewardesses won't win any awards for happy, smily service, but thats not the end of the world.

AA are one of the biggies, so if things go wrong, you've got all sorts of optons to get you to your final destination.

Thanks

Murphy_The_Cat wrote: »

Maybe have a look at MCE (main cabin extra) for your return flight. It'll maybe cost you about £75 PHL -LHR but it could make the difference between a restful(ish) nights sleep and not. It depends on your dimensions and your idea of cost vs value.

Return flight from PHL is operated by BA, so I'd guess MCE wouldn't be available

jackieblack

torbrex wrote: »

You will love the scenery up that way and the roads are fine as well.
Roadside Motels are 10 a penny and the seafood at the coast is delish :T
There are whale watching excursion from most of the ports along the coast and plenty of white water rafting if you fancy a bit of adventure
In Vermont there are ski lifts that operate in the summer for the tourists, some are scary but all are safe, at least safe enough to take my weight
New Hampshire has an area called 'White Mountain National Forest' there are lots of things to see and do in that area, I ran out of time on my trip so it is on my list to return to

That all sounds great but I'm afraid that I'm allergic to seafood and terrified of heights
As usual, I expect there'll be enough things to see and do to fill the time three times over, at least! There never seems to be enough time on any trip to fit everything in

PeacefulWaters

jackieblack wrote: »

Thanks, are the cases not automatically checked through to BGR? I just assumed they would be....

If it's on one booking I share your assumption.

Only me travelling, but I'll check that out, thanks

If it was me I'd be doing it. Avoid seats 1A, 1B, 1C as you're a bit exposed as the rest of the flight walks past you.

I'll look into that too, there seem to be quite a few flights from STN to DUB each day and I have all day free

Perhaps travelling earlier on a flex ticket would be enough then.

:eek:

Long story. BA eticket said we were on a 6pm flight. The boarding card said 3.30pm. Never looked at the boarding card and rested in the lounge. We got told "wrong flight" at the gate! Cost us our business class seats from PHI to LAS but at least they got us on the plane. Our bags got the earlier flight without us.

jackieblack

Ok, so I've just found the same DUB-PHL flights, but starting at LHR with a 06.45 LHR-DUB flight tagged on the start, and the same return flights, for £662
Means an overnight at LHR instead of DUB, and an earlier flight (how early would I need to be there?)
I'd have 3hr 15 min at DUB - would I still do immigration etc there? if so, is that enough time?
(Why didn't I see these before? )

Crispy_Ambulance

We flew with AA to Dallas last year and they were great. No extra charge to book seats, nice crew and the food was really good. IFE was on a loop rather than on demand but that was hardly a problem. I'd happily fly with them again.