Flight advice

This winter, I'll be flying for the first time. I'll be traveling from Nashville(BNA) to Tokyo(NRT) and I'd like to get some advice from veteran travelers. I'll be leaving on either December 26 or 27th, so I expect that it'll be busy. How far in advance should I buy my ticket to get the best price? I have the option of making a layover in either Chicago, Houston, Dallas/Fort-Worth, Detroit, and I think I saw DC and NYC in a couple of my searches. How long should I allow for layovers? Which airline would you recommend? Any information you can give me would be greatly appreciated.

I would allow in the region of an hour for a layover. Much less and you can find yourself running around like a headless chicken. Much more and you'll get bored out of your skull. Most search engines won't suggest connections unless you can make them.

In general, unless you're looking at a significant saving, I'd recommend against a layover. Changing planes is such a pain in the butt, it's seldom worth the saving. I find it winds up making jet lag so much worse, too.

As far as I can tell, though, you can't avoid making one.


As for choosing an airline, try having a look at: http://www.worldairlineawards.com/

As for booking times, I would keep looking until about the end of October. Once you hit November they'll rise steadily. Get yourself on the special offers email lists for the airlines you like and keep your eyes open. Once you have an idea for the typical price range, grab something that looks like good value. I've learned from bitter experience that ignoring good offers because you're hoping for a great one can end in tears.

As for the flight itself, I tend to bring the following on long hauls:

• good light reading,
• toiletries,
• light, comfortable (but not slobby) clothes,
• a change of clothes,
• bottled water.

It's better to be early and bored than late and frantic.

Since it's your first flight, you'll probably find it difficult to sleep. You can either get some good sleeping pills or rough it. Sleeping definitely helps with jetlag, but drugging yourself up isn't great, either.

Unless you want to look out of the window, get an aisle seat. Having other people walk past you is a pain, but not nearly as much of a pain as being trapped in there yourself.

If you are going in the winter, change planes in a southern city like Dallas or Atlanta. Avoid Chicago and Denver like the plague in wintertime.

I really have no idea when or if at this point, but there is a chance that eventually I may have to take a flight to California (from Maine)...and I am on 02 therapy...just how much of a pain in the ass is that going to be in trying to find a flight and how does one deal with it?

Does anyone happen to know? Marso maybe?

Try calling the airline on which you would be flying. There are regs about portable oxygen bottles and such but I only know what they are for the regs I fly under, not the airline regs, which are a different section. They can probably accomodate you, but there may be some special requirements/costs that go along with it. They may even have their own O2 bottles that you have to use aboard their plane, but don't quote me on that.

Best bet is to call and ask. Make sure you talk to the airline you'd be using- you'd hate to get the answer from United and then find out Delta does things totally differently.

I usually find that booking about 4 months in advance gets the best prices. But then I've only taken about 5 or 6 internal flights in the US so most of my experience is in internation travel.

I'd recommend booking now, if possible. The earlier you book, the better chance you have for good seats.

If you're flying coach, try for seats in the front row, or an exit row. Do not fly in the back, because that's where you get the worst turbulence.

Depending on the time of day, I'd say go ahead and get a two-hour layover if you can. On a flight as long as one to Tokyo will take, you'll appreciate the respite. Use Delta, and then you'll most likely layover in Atlanta, which is an absolutely wonderful airport. If you can't do Atlanta, though, definitely do Detroit. Surprisingly, it has a very nice airport. I liked it a lot. Take the time to browse, do some shopping, and have a nice lunch.

Definitely travel light. If you have an iPod, grab a few portable battery packs for it in the airport gift shops, and load the iPod up with TV shows or movies. take a few nice books as well.

Dunno what else to tell you. It'll be a long, dull flight. Just take along plenty of things to entertain yourself with, and maybe a sleeping pill for the long leg of the flight to Tokyo.

I have five dollars that says Frijo will NOT make it to Tokyo on schedule.

My advice? Avoid a US airline as much as possible. For the hop to Tokyo, try to fly out of LA or San Francisco - they are rarely, if ever, delayed by weather and you don't want to do the Jet Blue Sit On The Tarmac For Fifty Hours Death Sitting.

Wifey and I are thinking of flying to Germany later this year or next year...when we go, it's going to be on Lufthansa or British Airways, straight from San Francisco to Frankfurt. Avoiding any US airline like the plague.

The closest (economical) option I have of avoiding a US airline involves taking 2 AA flights that have a codeshare with Japan Airlines. Taking All Nippon Airways will cost me an extra $500 at least.

The friend that I'm going to visit did his connection in Atlanta once and warned me never to make my connection there. He said he did have a good experience in Detroit but being up north, I'd think it'd be more susceptible to weather delays during late December. A coworker said that she recommends going through Houston and taking Continental.

I can't imagine why anyone would advise avoiding Atlanta. I've been in lots of airports around the world and I still think it's one of the nicest

As for avoiding US airlines, I dunno why POTN suggests that. So far my worst experiences flying have been with foreign flights: Air France, Iberia, and a couple of Chinese services. Although, Virgin was very nice...all in all though, Delta is, in my experience, affordable and has good service.

I've never had a good experience with a US airline. The only one worse was Air India.

Although the in-flight curry was very good.

How is curry? Good?

I love a good curry. Sadly good Indian food in the US is like good Mexican food in the UK--very rare.

Delta left me stranded in Atlanta for two days.
And tried to strand me another day in Phoenix.

Never again.

The best food I've ever had in economy was on Singapore Airlines. Which probably isn't that pertinent to the query, but is worth mentioning...

Singapore Airlines is a fantastic company to fly with all round.

I have this mental image of hundreds of Indians riding the outside of the airplane like they ride on the outside of trains after they've filled all the seats.

And their budget arm, tiger is also pretty good, and cheap as chips too!

I've flown with them several times. They are a good airline to fly with. However, the friendliness of the female flight attendant goes right out the window, when you're asleep, she wakes you up for meal service, and you think it's your girlfriend waking you up. And you take her hand and arm, pull her toward you and give her a peck on the corner of her jaw below her ear. I got a good smack, and what I'm pretty sure was not a "Good Morning" in either Malay or Mandarin.

Did nobody tell you that DELTA stands for "Doesn't Even Leave The Airport"? What did you expect?

Flow's cousin retired as a Singapore Airlines pilot. He's a good man, that's all I've got.

Why does everyone hate Atlanta? It's so freaking easy. DFW on the otherhand... *shiver*

Although I only thought DFW was the worst airport in the world. As usual the French had to oneup us -- Paris CDG.


On the topic at hand, sorry never flown to Asia. Personally I go with cost. Only time I will pay more to skip having to make a connection is if it less than a 100 savings. I have no problem going to a bar and sitting with a bit talking to people from all over the world. Kinda fun in it's own way.

Use sites like Expedia ONLY for information. When it's time to book, ALWAYS book directly through the airline. If not, if there is a problem, the airline won't give a shit. Also - sometimes you can't get your seat ahead of time with sites like Expedia.

Another thing, avoid code share flights.

I was on a Northwest Airline flight for every trip that I took to East Asia (thrice to NRT and twice to PVG in the last 5 years) with the exception of the last one in which I was on an American Airline flight. The AA flight was nice in that it was nonstop from Chicago to Shanghai but the service was a bit shoddy. I booked the tickets about 3 weeks before the departure date and I got two for only $1600. For the NW flights I remember booking them about 7 or 8 weeks early.

I ended up going with Continental. I'm leaving on the 27th, and returning on the 11th.

Here's my plan for the day of travel:
Sleep until like 1 in the afternoon on the 26th
Stay up all night, arrive at Nashville International at 4am,
Depart for Houston at 6am,
Arrive a little after 8am, approx 2.5 hour layover,
Depart for Tokyo at 10:45 am,
having been up all night, I think I should be able to sleep on the plane. I Think I'll take a sedative in case I need it.
Arrive in Tokyo approx 2am US Central Time,
I expect it'll be about an hour to clear customs,
After that, I hop on the bus to the YCAT which will take about 2 hours,
I meet Levi there, then it's about a 15 minute subway ride to his place.

So, any last minute trips for the day of travel?

Never, ever, ever buy a non-refundable ticket. Murphy's Law will pick you up and body-slam you.

Other than that, Nashville to Tokyo has a few links in the chain and weather situations. You just may be routed to Alaska (happens a lot) or Korea and each of these could involve delays. Be flexible!

According to Nashville International's website, the continental ticket counter opens at 5am. I assume this means I won't be able to check my bags until then. So there's no point in arriving at the airport at 4am, right?

Ticket counter isn't the same as check-in counter. Double check.

Get there at 0400. If they let you in, great, you're ahead of the game. If they do not, sit down, take a load off, and people watch for an hour while you're first in line for when they do open.