I'm just booking my flights.

This is the schedule:
NYC: 19th - 24th of June
Washington 24th of June- 2nd of July (arrival 3 pm)
Chicago: 2nd - 6th of July

Questions:


- Are there any airports in either of these cities I should avoid or favour?

- I was thinking of flying from Washigton to Chicago with Air Tran. Is there any good reason why I shouldn't?

- Also, has anyone here ever flown LOT Polish Airlines?

For D.C. airports:
I asked Mr. Cho and he said:

- (Reagan but no one calls it that)National is small but on the Metro (which is useful)

- Dulles (International) is large and has more flights but large concourse (longer time running about the place)

- BWI (Baltimore Washington International): Closer to Baltimore, perhaps less congested/busy than Dulles

I will ask globe-trotting friends about this as well...

Chicago. Only a 22 hour drive from Missoula. >.>

quote:

Originally posted by Emerald:
For D.C. airports:
I asked Mr. Cho and he said:

- (Reagan but no one calls it that)National is small but on the Metro (which is useful)

- Dulles (International) is large and has more flights but large concourse (longer time running about the place)

- BWI (Baltimore Washington International): Closer to Baltimore, perhaps less congested/busy than Dulles

I will ask globe-trotting friends about this as well...

National is definitely closer to central DC than Dulles, which is out in Loudon county or some such. Dulles is nicer, for what that's worth.

As far as the Polish airlines, I have no real clue, just make sure they're not flying old Russian planes like Aeroflot does on some of their flights.

quote:

Originally posted by St.CountZero:

As far as the Polish airlines, I have no real clue, just make sure they're not flying old Russian planes like Aeroflot does on some of their flights.

As long as it's not a Ukrainian plane I'll rest easy.

My best friend has had very very good luck with Airtran... never had a problem and actually prefers them at this point.

I second Washington National (I refuse to call it Ronald Reagan airport) - it's ridiculously easy because it's right on the Metro. Also, if you decide to take a taxi into DC instead of the Metro, it's relatively cheap. So, if a flight into Dulles is not significantly cheaper or faster, I say go with National!

when I flew in to DC to meet the Hooligan a while back, I flew in to BWI and took the Metro to DC, wasn't that long or unpleasant of a trip.

It's not terrible, National is just a bit closer, as far as I know, and if you can fly into National you might as well. Not as many flights go to National so sometimes the other airports are better in that respect...

I'd choose to fly into National if there's a flight you want that gets you there. Otherwise I'd say BWI (if it's quite a bit cheaper) and then metro in. Rae does either annually depending on flight availability and cost, and she likes both (though the convenience of National is worth, say, $40-$80 in cost difference to BWI).

The airports you want to use are the central ones. However, the secondary airports usually have better fares, although they are located outside the city and will require commuting in on trains or buses. Commuter links exist between all these airports and the cities central districts.

If you're arriving international into NYC, you'll come in through Kennedy International (JFK) or Newark International Airport (EWR). Kennedy is inside NYC. Newark is outside the city and less expensive.

If would be easiest for you to leave NYC by air through LaGuardia airport (LGA). LaGuardia is the domestic travel airport inside the city. However, there are commuter connections to Newark International Airport (EWR). EWR would be less expensive.

Reagan (DCA) is the central airport for Washington DC. Its inside the city. (It would be easiest for you to arrive there.) Using Baltimore Washington Interational (BWI) outside the city and commuting in would be less expensive. Dulles (IAD) is also an option. However, I don't recommend it.

O'Hare (ORD) is the central airport for Chicago. It would be easiest for you to arrive there. Using Midway (MDW) outside the city would be less expensive.

Without knowing your exact plans, the most expensive and lowest travel time connections would be:

Arrive US: JFK

Leave NYC: LGA
Arrive Washington DC: DCA

Leave Washington DC: DCA
Arrive Chicago: ORD

Leave Chicago: ORD

The least expensive, but highest travel time connections would be.

Arrive US: EWR

Leave NYC: EWR
Arrive Washington DC: BWI

Leave Washington DC: BWI
Arrive Chicago: MDW

Leave Chicago: ORD

I hope this helps. (I used to travel for living.)

ADDENDUM:

Its possible to take the train from NYC Penn Station to Washington DC Union station in about 3-hours. The fare is about US$120 for a coach-class seat.

Many experienced business travelers do this, because the downtown to downtown travel time and fare cost is the same as flying. I believe there is a foreign tourist discount for tickets purchased from outside the country.

Amtrak Website.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Black Jacque,

That addendum's a good idea, too.

Still planning on being in Chicago. I just have to get a few very unexpected details ironed out first.

I should be there. I'll probably buy my plane ticket this week.

I will be too. One way or another.

Will not know until *much* closer to the time if I can be in Chicago, but I am planning, and hoping, on being there. Might drive, might fly, don't know . . . life is so strange and topsy turvy right now, but hubby says "sure, go, if you aren't in class" (and he might even come too!).

Happy just thinking about it.

If you end up taking the train to Union Station you'll be quite close to me!

Takoma being only a few stops away....

*wants to go to chicago to meet all the boardies there*

Well, my ticket came through.

So yeah. See you in July.

Let me repeat a bit of what was said here:

Order of airports in DC is definitely DCA>BWI>IAD. Regan National is by far the easiest to get to, but it is also by far the most expensive. That said, they do a good bit of business in the commuter travel between DC, NY, and Boston, so you may be able to find a fairly inexpensive flight. Next best option is BWI, which is much cheaper. If you go to BWI, DO NOT take a taxi into DC. Take the bus to the Amtrak station and take the MARC train into DC Union Station. It should only be about $10, and it will be MUCH faster than taxi. Dulles should be avoided at all costs, unless the plans change and you are flying directly to the US via Dulles (in all my trips from DC for work, the only times I flew out of Dulles were for trips to Europe).

As for DC to Chicago, check to see if Southwest has any flights (from BWI). They will be fairly inexpensive, and I've always had good luck with flights out of there.

Finally, you may want to consider taking the train from NY to DC. I've made the trip for about $150 day return, and it was a very stress free way to travel - much easier than making my way through the airport. Also, it will drop you right off in Union Station, and from there it is easy to get anywhere in DC via Metro.

Now, I need to go read the rest of the thread to see if I can add anything else...

**ETA - the other benefit of flying into Regan National is the possibility to see the city from the air. Depending on which way you take-off/land (which depends on the winds each day), you may flight directly down the river, right over downtown DC. If you do fly into Regan, try to get a seat on the left side of the plane (left side you will see DC, right side the Pentagon). Reverse these for departure...

I think BtB isn’t paying attention to my advice, because she’s afraid I’m seeking revenge for what she did sending poor remote home from Vienna.

She got him an ‘economical’ fare, from an airport ‘servicing’ Vienna.

Anyway, after the second day, the last leg of which was by donkey cart, the blindfolded remote reached the airfield. It was a dirt strip somewhere in the Carpathians. He flew out in a clapped-out Ilyushin running on three of four engines (a chicken was sucked in to one during take-off) with what looked like a brush applied paint job. He said the passenger windows were painted over.

He made some interesting friends.The Russian flight crew was drunk, and very friendly. His fellow passengers included: a gaggle of scared, very young, eastern European women, and three hard men in cheap suits and bad haircuts who spoke no English and were each shackled to their very own, very large all metal briefcase. They shared the interior of the plane with several heavy packing crates marked ‘Agricultural Implements’ that smelled of gun oil, and many shrink-wrapped pallets of cigarettes.

There was one advantage to the flight. It was a smoking flight, everyone got to smoke as much as they wanted, for free.

Anyway, if I had to make a suggestion,

I’d fly Lufthansa into JFK. Take the train from NYC to DC (Amtrak). Take United from Regan (DCA) to O’Hare (ORD). (United code shares with Lufthansa.) Then take Lufthansa from ORD to that dirt strip in the Carpathians via Frankfurt (FRA).

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Black Jacque,