Connection times - Amsterdam

I always avoided connecting through Europe but managed to get decent prices to LAX via Newark thus avoiding LHR.

Extra luggage allowance, she said inquiringly?

2 x 23kg allowance   The only problem is getting it back to Scotland then, you will likely have to pay for that extra bag. What we have done in the past is just packed a box in the US and brought it back through, so only paying for the one way.

Have a look at going through Stockholm Arlanda as its an extremely managable airport, but it will add on some time/cost/hassle. There are two hotels in the terminal, with excellent prices for weekends (otherwise pricey during the week).  We roll in, check in, head up to bed and roll right out into flight check in the next morning. Given how the flight is timed it makes sense, but you wouldnt necessarily need to do the same on the way back as LA lands early enough.

This works pretty well from the London area, but Scotland you will have to go to Edinburgh first and then there is one non-stop a day. Some people don't mind the extra hassle/cost and some people do - just comes down to personal preferences. Looking at some of the other options, Aer Lingus is probably the best bet to transfer in Dublin, otherwise its LHR all the way. Sure its a big airport but it has efficient flow and plenty of space in T5 , I dont get the hate for it? Any other major connection in Europe is going to be just as bad, if not worse (AMS, CDG, FRA, MAD) and I avoid the NYC area. Besides, if you transfer in Europe then you are protected by EU law in terms of delay and could receive compensation, in the US you are at the mercy of the airlines.

2 x 23kg allowance   The only problem is getting it back to Scotland then, you will likely have to pay for that extra bag. What we have done in the past is just packed a box in the US and brought it back through, so only paying for the one way.

Have a look at going through Stockholm Arlanda as its an extremely managable airport, but it will add on some time/cost/hassle. There are two hotels in the terminal, with excellent prices for weekends (otherwise pricey during the week).  We roll in, check in, head up to bed and roll right out into flight check in the next morning. Given how the flight is timed it makes sense, but you wouldnt necessarily need to do the same on the way back as LA lands early enough.

This works pretty well from the London area, but Scotland you will have to go to Edinburgh first and then there is one non-stop a day. Some people don't mind the extra hassle/cost and some people do - just comes down to personal preferences. Looking at some of the other options, Aer Lingus is probably the best bet to transfer in Dublin, otherwise its LHR all the way. Sure its a big airport but it has efficient flow and plenty of space in T5 , I dont get the hate for it? Any other major connection in Europe is going to be just as bad, if not worse (AMS, CDG, FRA, MAD) and I avoid the NYC area. Besides, if you transfer in Europe then you are protected by EU law in terms of delay and could receive compensation, in the US you are at the mercy of the airlines.

Yeah, we've been through LHR many times (and Gatwick once) and there has almost always been a problem for us there. A couple of times it was a royal nightmare. (They left the Daughter waiting for an hour for a wheelchair, sitting outside the aircraft door, during a connection the last time she flew alone.) So we don't go through LHR.

I like the EU law thing, and would prefer to have a direct flight once we are out of Scotland, from wherever in the EU we have to reboard. I remember one return trip (and I don't remember which airline it was) landing in Detroit and having to get our bags and go through customs and then put our bags back on the conveyor to be re-loaded onto an ongoing flight with the same airline. So I either want flights that are direct or ones where we do not deplane if we do have to land in the States at somewhere other than our final destination. Want the bags checked through to LAX.

We are planning to put carry-ons in our checked bags going over and carry a change of clothes in our "purses", as we have things we need to bring back from the States. I was not aware that you can have a box count as luggage - that would solve many problems.    I'll check with the airline, when we choose one, as to what they require. We didn't want to have to purchase another suitcase over there - we have too many as it is. The Daughter left several items of clothing behind when we moved that she wanted to bring back. (They are stashed in a friend's garage.) A big box should do it, when added to the space in her carry-on and suitcase.

We need to go on-the-cheap, pretty much, so I think Stockholm is going to be out. I did find a flight GLA-LAX  that went through Amsterdam with a two+ hour layover, and then direct to LAX in our price range. (Coming back the  layover is longer, but we won't really care at that point.) Going to EDI doesn't add much cost - the bus over is free for me and the Daughter's fare isn't too high, if we have to leave from EDI.

Next question - UK credit cards. I just checked my UK Mastercard (rewards from RBS) and it has foreign transaction fees on it. I can switch to their other card, which does not offer rewards and does not have foreign transaction fees, but thought I might like to see about a second UK card. Just for when we travel. Can anyone recommend one?  I have done a little checking, and the PO and Halifax have some basic travel cards. I wonder if I should check for an airline card (if they have those here)?

Look into a revolut card.  Just downloaded the app, then request a card which will come in the mail.  You load it with £ and then effortlessly switch however much you want between dollars and euros with no fees.  It's like a normal debit card you can use in shops or at ATM with no fees.

If Gatwick is an option, I can confirm in the last 6 months they've been making major efforts with training staff and improving the experience for disabled passengers. I haven't flown through them yet but would be way more comfortable than I have in the past, and they said to call the assistance group directly if there are any concerns (so you aren't relying on the airline alone). I had the same issue at Heathrow traveling alone waiting for a wheelchair. They forgot all of us!

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

Look into a revolut card.  Just downloaded the app, then request a card which will come in the mail.  You load it with £ and then effortlessly switch however much you want between dollars and euros with no fees.  It's like a normal debit card you can use in shops or at ATM with no fees.

Thanks for the info. I can't rent a car in the USA with a debit card, though. (?) That is kind of my situation right now - I have two USA cards with no foreign transaction fees, but they are still in my old name. To rent a car, the card has to match the ID. My UK credit card charges foreign transaction fees, but is in my current name (which matches my ID).  So I just need a UK credit card to charge the car on. 

If Gatwick is an option, I can confirm in the last 6 months they've been making major efforts with training staff and improving the experience for disabled passengers. I haven't flown through them yet but would be way more comfortable than I have in the past, and they said to call the assistance group directly if there are any concerns (so you aren't relying on the airline alone). I had the same issue at Heathrow traveling alone waiting for a wheelchair. They forgot all of us!

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

Hmmmmm. That might open up more options for us. Heathrow - they popped the Daughter when she landed for setting off the sniffers a couple of years ago. It was the wool she was knitting with. But they delayed her so long searching everything she had with her that she just barely made her connector back to GLA, and that was only made because the nice Sikh guy pushing her wheelchair literally ran pushing her through the terminal. Most of the time they were either late getting a chair to the gate (never less than 15 minutes, and an hour that last time) and then the craziness of going through...

Will investigate. Thanks for the info.

I’ve been through AMS many times with KLM and never had a problem but the transfer time from Durham Tees Valley at 6:05am is 1hr 45mins and I can’t remember how long it actually takes, just that it has always been leisurely.

In February we are flying out of Gatwick with Norwegian airlines as they fly direct to LA. On the dates we are flying the prices are £369 coach class and £960 premium (see website below). We asked the travel agent about premium and she made a call and told us that it was their business class, much bigger seats, including access to business lounges,  with 2 checked bags included. It is a Boeing “Dreamliner”. We are booked up and plan to get the train down to Gatwick the day before and stay overnight at a hotel, walking distance to the airport. It will be our first time with Norwegian so can’t comment first hand on service yet. We are actually flying direct to Fort Lauderdale, taking a cruise ship from there to LA, staying with our daughter for a week or so then flying back direct to Gatwick.

https://www.norwegian.com/uk/booking/flight-tickets/farecalendar/?D_City=LGW&A_City=LAX&D_Month=201901&ds_rl=1246446&ds_rl=1246548&ds_rl=1246551&gclid=CjwKCAiAjNjgBRAgEiwAGLlf2hFzo-UflC8C-MkiSRibEMkwnjTp8zTT87fXMYjangiSUO7MjYIeYhoCFoUQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

I’ve been through AMS many times with KLM and never had a problem but the transfer time from Durham Tees Valley at 6:05am is 1hr 45mins and I can’t remember how long it actually takes, just that it has always been leisurely.

In February we are flying out of Gatwick with Norwegian airlines as they fly direct to LA. On the dates we are flying the prices are £369 coach class and £960 premium (see website below). We asked the travel agent about premium and she made a call and told us that it was their business class, much bigger seats, including access to business lounges,  with 2 checked bags included. It is a Boeing “Dreamliner”. We are booked up and plan to get the train down to Gatwick the day before and stay overnight at a hotel, walking distance to the airport. It will be our first time with Norwegian so can’t comment first hand on service yet. We are actually flying direct to Fort Lauderdale, taking a cruise ship from there to LA, staying with our daughter for a week or so then flying back direct to Gatwick.

https://www.norwegian.com/uk/booking/flight-tickets/farecalendar/?D_City=LGW&A_City=LAX&D_Month=201901&ds_rl=1246446&ds_rl=1246548&ds_rl=1246551&gclid=CjwKCAiAjNjgBRAgEiwAGLlf2hFzo-UflC8C-MkiSRibEMkwnjTp8zTT87fXMYjangiSUO7MjYIeYhoCFoUQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

I’ve always had a good experience at the Premier Inn attached to the North Terminal.  The lifts are a pain but clean, quiet rooms.

Interesting. I had seen them. (They had a lot of bad reviews in the places I looked, but the prices are great!)  Right now I am waiting to buy the tickets until we know about the Daughter's work schedule. She was hired as a Holiday employee, and if they let her go after the rush is over we will have a lot more flexibility as to our traveling. If they keep her on, our travel has to be basically from a Tuesday through the Wednesday of the following week. (So she only misses one weekend of work.) That is putting a crink in my planning.

If they are going to furlough her for a few weeks I'll see if I can't book us up to Oslo, where we could spend a day to go see the Viking ships, and then take Iceland Air over to LA.  We've both flown Iceland before and they were great.  But it's all on hold until they let her know at work how things are going to shake out. She thinks they'll know just after the first of the year.

Good to know about the Premier Inn. Maybe we can get a cheap train down, spend the night, and toodle out from there.

Anyway, have fun on your cruise!  That's a heck of a trip! Don't forget your sunscreen!

I am fairly certain that you can actually pay for the rental car with any method, including a debit card, as long as they have an actual credit card for the deposit. I can't remember if I actually did this in practice though.

I am fairly certain that you can actually pay for the rental car with any method, including a debit card, as long as they have an actual credit card for the deposit. I can't remember if I actually did this in practice though.

You're right. I've done this, although it was in the UK. I booked the rental using my US credit card for the insurance cover and paid with my UK debit card to avoid foreign transaction fees.

You're right. I've done this, although it was in the UK. I booked the rental using my US credit card for the insurance cover and paid with my UK debit card to avoid foreign transaction fees.

Huh. I thought in order to have the insurance cover you had to pay for it with a credit card (that had that cover). Or is it that you pay AFTER you return the rental car, so you can then use the debit if there's no damage to the car and the credit card if there is? (It's been some time since I rented a car, and I've kinda forgotten how it works.)

I just realized I have a US credit card still, in my new name.  So as long as I can use it when I get there, all is well. The Europcar quote had CDW and the liability insurance in it as part of the price, and that price is still lower (when converted to dollars) than the price I'd get with a USA booking, so I'll probably go that route. I just need to check about the "no damage at all to any part of the car for any reason" insurance.

My US cards give me competitive exchange rates and only take <1%... it's about the same as moving money via Transferwise.  I thought they all did this now.

Apparently not. I'd get the good exchange rate, and then the "foreign transaction fee" if I use the wrong card on the wrong side o'dapond.