Dealing with flights to Europe

I read with interest the reader’s comments in the letter titled “Flights Spoiled a Good Cruise” (Jan. ’05, pg. 26), regarding the flights assigned by Grand Circle Travel (Boston, MA). We are also Grand Circle “Inner Circle” members.

On the five trips we have taken with Grand Circle and one with Insight Vacations (Long Island City, NY), we have been booked on Lufthansa flights from Los Angeles (LAX) to Frankfurt (FRA). The 10-across seating (3-4-3) can be a bit of a problem with the seat pitch used by Lufthansa. We have learned to deal with the seating arrangement in order to have a nonstop flight to Europe.

As there are two of us, we work with the Grand Circle “air desk” and Lufthansa directly to be placed in an aisle seat and an inner seat in the 4-across center seating. We avoid the outside (3-across) seating, as the person by the window must bother two people to leave his/her seat.

Our most recent trip with Grand Circle was to Venice, Slovenia and Croatia. Departing LAX on Nov. 16, ‘04, we flew to FRA on Lufthansa flight 0457 and had seats 36 G and F. About 10 hours after takeoff we were in Frankfurt. All in all, it was a pleasant flight.

Upon our return from Dubrovnik on Dec. 3, our early flight arrived in FRA about the time Lufthansa’s only nonstop to LAX was leaving, so for the trip from Frankfurt to Los Angeles we were booked on United’s flight 941. The aircraft was a newer Boeing 777 with 2–5–2 seating. Working with Grand Circle and United, we had an aisle and a window seat.

The food, seating and flight were wonderful, except for the fact the plane went to Chicago and not Los Angeles. In Chicago we had to hike to Customs, catch the airport train to another terminal and take the continuation of flight 941 (Boeing 767, with 2–3–2 seating) to LAX.

We would have preferred the slightly cramped conditions on Lufthansa’s 747 if a nonstop (11-plus hours) were available. The time saved and the chance to avoid Chicago in the winter would have been worth the slight discomfort.

PHIL RUTKOWSKI
Huntington Beach, CA