Lufthansa vs. Air Berlin

Hi, hoping to get as much info as possible. I will be flying to WAW on June 26. The route will be PHX - CLT (or PHL) - FRA then either Lufthansa or Air Berlin to WAW. Can anyone comment on which airline is better for non-revs?

The one that has more seats at the lower price :)

I know that sounds like a smartass response, but it really is the truth. I flew AB SVQ-PMI on an eticketed ZED, and PMI-FRA now that I think about it. Both flights went just fine (little tight PMI-FRA, but I still made it). I haven't personally been on LH before, but I know that's a very frequently traveled airline for both revenue and nonrev. Can't be that bad.

Take a look at the schedules as well. Come up with plan A, B, and C. Give yourself time to move terminals, if needed. Keep in mind that if you go through another city, you have to look at (and worry about, and pay for) two flights, so if you can get a nonstop that'd be a better choice. I also see that today (as an example) there are 11 flights on that route on LH alone. Plus another 9 on LOT Polish, which I'd bet you have a similar agreement with. Just show up early, and show up often. I'd bet you'll get out on one of those 20 flights, and you could probably see if you can find a free CSA to give you some more information. Or, like I said, start calling their res offices. It's reasonable to ask about maybe 3 flights per call, you don't want to take too much of their time.

We don't have an agreement with LOT, quite unfortunately. I am just a bit excited/nervous about the whole situation!

Aww, that's too bad. Even still, I think all those LH flights should be sufficient. Seems like the more you worry and plan, the more likely you get on anyway :-P

send me a pm closer to your travel dates and I'll check loads for you

As a post script I'm not sure Air Berlin serves FRA-WAW direct. I assume you're arriving on US Air, whose flights arrive in Terminal 1 (at least for now, guess they'll move over to T2 once the Merger with AA is complete), same terminal LH uses at FRA. LH's four flights are all wide open but still a bit early in the game to be accurate

Thank you frapos. I will message. I am just going to with with LH. Time to start making some decisions! Also, when do I purchase the ticket?

Electronic or paper? Honestly, it doesn't matter that much. Etickets can be purchased probably a few hours in advance. Paper tickets may need 24 hours to get ready, then they take 5 minutes to buy at an airport ticket counter. Just remember that when buying a paper ticket internationally, not every airlines' counter is open all day. You'll probably have to buy it at a US Airways counter, and at the international stations they're generally open only during check in time, roughly (generally in the morning).

One more question, or not! :) What if I choose a specific flight on LH and I am later than I anticipated getting there from CLT? Can I change the flight?

My rule of thumb for things like this is to list for a slightly later flight, and if you show up for an earlier one, it's probably easier to move it up than it is to no-show and move it back. At worst, it would be the same.

One time my wife was flying on a confirmed ticket OGG-HNL (this was before we were married, so she wasn't eligible for ZEDs). I think on Mesa. A later flight was cheaper, and you could stand by for an earlier one for free. Told her that was probably the best way to go, since if something weird did happen on the wide-open LAX-OGG flight we were about to board (like a mechanical) she wouldn't no-show, and they were still selling tickets for other flights so she'd probably get on without much difficulty. We had to split up so I could claim and re-check a bag, plus I was flying HA, but all went well for both of us and she only got there about 45 minutes before I did.

That is a good idea, thanks so much spongebue! Yes, the OGG-HNL would be Go! Airlines, owned by Mesa.

Is it a good to check bags in this situations? I am going with my daughter for almost two weeks, so I know we will want take alot of clothes and shoes :)

If you can get by without checking bags, do that. Maybe this is the fact that I'm male, but shoes are going to take a LOT of luggage space. Stick with a comfortable pair of walking shoes and maaaaaybe a pair of dress shoes IF you are absolutely positively 100% sure that you will NEED them (that is, you have plans already in place that would REQUIRE it, not just "nice to have"). Rick Steves (Europe master. If you haven't heard of him, go to your library and get a few of his DVDs, especially in the region you're traveling) has a really good guide on how to mentally prepare yourself: Pack Smart and Travel Light by Rick Steves - you can always find a laundry facility in Europe, just avoid whatever your hotel may have (they're probably going to cost a lot of money)

If you absolutely must check a bag flying home (such as for some stuff you buy abroad) that's not so bad. If something happens where your bag gets delayed, you've probably got some clothes at home anyway. You can survive much better than if you have absolutely nothing else in a different country. Just remember that you'll have to wait for the bag to come around the baggage carousel at customs, which can be a pain. Especially when you have to wait behind everyone who *didn't* check a bag, and those who got their bag before you did. It's also good to know that even if you have a carry-on size bag, they're a lot more picky about the bag's weight outside of the US. So they may just say that it's too heavy, you have to check it. I've been caught in that a couple times now.

A GOOD carry-on bag is worth its weight in gold. I spent $150 on the bag I've got, and it's still in excellent shape. Lots of pockets, expandable, and you can even fit a suit in the flap! It's meant for flight attendants (who obviously will use it a LOT) but I can try to help you find one if you'd like (too bad you aren't in Denver, the company store below my office sells them). Let me know if you're interested. When I worked the ramp, this is the bag that I always envied, and I was thrilled to treat myself to one.