US - NCL (Newcastle UK) alternate strategies

Periodically need to make this trip (IAH is home base) for personal, not
business reasons.

Trouble is every time I've made the trip lately I've sworn a blood oath
never to do it again it's been so awful, mainly the bit changing in Heathrow
(never again, no matter what!) Gatwick or even CDG.

A cousin recently made the trip from Manchester to Chicago so this is a new
idea. Requiring a 3 hour drive at the UK end but not the end of the world.
IAH-ORD-Manchester maybe?

About the only flight that has been anything like bearable has been KLM
(MEM-AMS-NCL).

After a calamitously awful Air France flight (where I nearly literally
followed in the noosesteps of the passenger listening to Ted Striker in
Airplane) last Christmas I am sworn off them for life also.

Let's say ideally 2-leg but possibly 3 any ideas on ways to avoid JFK LHR
LGW CDG and maybe have something of a fairly decent transatlantic to boot.
Crazy talk right!?

I know, I have First Class tastes on a back-of-coach budget, but still . . .
Is Schipol the best bet. I've not had a bad experience there . . . YET. The
frequent KLM shuttles AMS-NCL usually mean plenty of seats there too.

I suppose the generally bigger question is "is it just me" or is long-haul
travel really so bad today as to make you not end up taking so many trips
as you once would? In my case the answer is a definite yes and as I get
older the Catch-22 of needing less hassles and more comfort, and yet
encountering more hassles and less comfort, simply seems to make "staying at
home" an excellent strategy. For an ex "TWA Gold card" [I never made
platinum] man I have been laid low by 21st Century commerial aviation.

"Hilary" wrote in message
reen.net...
About the only flight that has been anything like bearable has been KLM
(MEM-AMS-NCL).


Have you tried Continental? IAH-EWR-MAN or IAH-LGW then either LGW-NCL or
a train for the last part?

I very much prefer LGW to LHR (and my "home" Airport is NCL) but,
unfortunately BA are just about to discontinue flights between LGW and NCL.
A cheapo airline is taking over the route but it will be point to point
only. And train LGW to NCL is a bit of a nightmare and expensive too.

From IAH, I endorse Hilary's suggestion of IAH-EWR-MAN. And there is a
regular, direct train service to Newcastle from the Railway Station at
Manchester Airport.

JohnT

Let's say ideally 2-leg but possibly 3 any ideas on ways to avoid JFK LHR
LGW CDG and maybe have something of a fairly decent transatlantic to boot.
Crazy talk right!?

If you're willing to consider Manchester, I see that Virgin flies
there from Orlando. Since VS codeshares with CO, you can probably get
a through ticket IAH-MCO-MAN.

Sounds like the MAN option has to be tried.
I was not aware of the Continental 2-legger via Newark either, so thanks.
Some while ago AA advertized the start of a new service NCL-direct-JFK but I
believe that never happened: fell through owing to Jet-A prices.
Besides returning thru JFK with all the XAtlantics together in the afternoon
means you almost definitely miss anything but the most lengthy connex which
greatly adds to the overall trip. Last time I did this on Delta NCE (Nice FR
not NCL) - JFK - IAH and missed the connection at 3pm and had to wait
about 7 hours for a red eye home. Argh.
Thanks for the responses so far.


"SBC Global AT&T" wrote in message
...
Periodically need to make this trip (IAH is home base) for personal, not
business reasons.

Trouble is every time I've made the trip lately I've sworn a blood oath
never to do it again it's been so awful, mainly the bit changing in
Heathrow (never again, no matter what!) Gatwick or even CDG.

A cousin recently made the trip from Manchester to Chicago so this is a
new idea. Requiring a 3 hour drive at the UK end but not the end of the
world. IAH-ORD-Manchester maybe?

About the only flight that has been anything like bearable has been KLM
(MEM-AMS-NCL).

After a calamitously awful Air France flight (where I nearly literally
followed in the noosesteps of the passenger listening to Ted Striker in
Airplane) last Christmas I am sworn off them for life also.

Let's say ideally 2-leg but possibly 3 any ideas on ways to avoid JFK LHR
LGW CDG and maybe have something of a fairly decent transatlantic to boot.
Crazy talk right!?

I know, I have First Class tastes on a back-of-coach budget, but still . .
. Is Schipol the best bet. I've not had a bad experience there . . . YET.
The frequent KLM shuttles AMS-NCL usually mean plenty of seats there too.

I suppose the generally bigger question is "is it just me" or is long-haul
travel really so bad today as to make you not end up taking so many trips
as you once would? In my case the answer is a definite yes and as I get
older the Catch-22 of needing less hassles and more comfort, and yet
encountering more hassles and less comfort, simply seems to make "staying
at home" an excellent strategy. For an ex "TWA Gold card" [I never made
platinum] man I have been laid low by 21st Century commerial aviation.

"JohnT" wrote:

From IAH, I endorse Hilary's suggestion of IAH-EWR-MAN. And there is a
regular, direct train service to Newcastle from the Railway Station at
Manchester Airport. JohnT

You could also consider IAH-EWR-EDI on CO.
Edinburgh is nearer than Manchester but the railway
station is in the city centre.

"SBC Global AT&T" wrote in message
...
Periodically need to make this trip (IAH is home base) for personal, not
business reasons.

Trouble is every time I've made the trip lately I've sworn a blood oath
never to do it again it's been so awful, mainly the bit changing in
Heathrow (never again, no matter what!) Gatwick or even CDG.

A cousin recently made the trip from Manchester to Chicago so this is a
new idea. Requiring a 3 hour drive at the UK end but not the end of the
world. IAH-ORD-Manchester maybe?

About the only flight that has been anything like bearable has been KLM
(MEM-AMS-NCL).

After a calamitously awful Air France flight (where I nearly literally
followed in the noosesteps of the passenger listening to Ted Striker in
Airplane) last Christmas I am sworn off them for life also.

Let's say ideally 2-leg but possibly 3 any ideas on ways to avoid JFK LHR
LGW CDG and maybe have something of a fairly decent transatlantic to boot.
Crazy talk right!?

I know, I have First Class tastes on a back-of-coach budget, but still . .
. Is Schipol the best bet. I've not had a bad experience there . . . YET.
The frequent KLM shuttles AMS-NCL usually mean plenty of seats there too.

I suppose the generally bigger question is "is it just me" or is long-haul
travel really so bad today as to make you not end up taking so many trips
as you once would? In my case the answer is a definite yes and as I get
older the Catch-22 of needing less hassles and more comfort, and yet
encountering more hassles and less comfort, simply seems to make "staying
at home" an excellent strategy. For an ex "TWA Gold card" [I never made
platinum] man I have been laid low by 21st Century commerial aviation.



You present the argument for Premium Economy - extra room and not that much
more than straight economy. Available on some transatlantic airlines - from
Houston, BA, or you can go via IAD which is not a bad connection (IAH-IAD on
CO) to Virgin Atlantic which also offers the premium economy service and is
litearally a gate away from your incoming CO flight. CO is tight in coach
but they still have some amenities (pillows, blankets, FOOD), and it is only
3 hours; the Virgin service is excellent in Premium Economy.

Jeff