Travel advice
Summary: I am flying to NJ for the holidays. I have had my ticket booked for almost two months. I booked with Continental before they had transitioned to StarAlliance from SkyTeam because I didn't want to risk prices going up in the meantime. But because they hadn't transitioned, I couldn't book any partnership flight with Lufthansa, so my first leg is an AirFrance flight from Lyon to Paris CDG on Tuesday. The issue is, I've now realized that outbound, I'll be subjected to AF's domestic flight baggage allowance, which is really low. I plan on taking two suitcases, each about 30-40lbs, meaning I could end up paying 100€ or so in baggage fees. So I'm considering changing my flight to a Lufthansa based one, but I'm not sure if the pros outweigh the cons.
First off, let me say that finding your baggage allowance on the AirFrance's website is so annoying and smug. "It's printed on your e-Ticket", they tell you. Except that if your ticket was issued by another airline, you don't see your e-Ticket. When you enter your reservation, it doesn't list this information. It's impossible to find out the rates and what the extra charges will be, even if you know your ticket class. Their customer service number is a toll call. I never had to deal with their crap before while Continental was in SkyTeam. I finally, finally found this explanatory chart, which of course says I can calculate the exact baggage allowance on airfrance.com. Thanks, shitheads.
So, I am apparently allowed 20kg total on my LYS->CDG flight checked for free. It's 5€ for each additional kilo. I'll be bringing some wine/gifts, winter clothes for a month, and lots of math materials since I have to give two talks in early 2010 on different subjects. I anticipate this could end up being an extra 20-25kg, so 100-125€. This would only be incurred on the outbound flight, since on the inbound I'll be subjected to my generous Gold status allowances on Continental. I do not know if I will have to recheck my baggage at CDG, which might be annoying.
Looking at Continental's website, I have found a similar fare (only $100 more, incl. taxes) codeshared with Lufthansa that leaves on the same day. Except it goes LYS - FRA - SFO - EWR on the outbound flight, with a 6 hour layover in SFO. Return flight is totally fine.
Advantages of switching:
* No baggage issues at all.
* I will get Platinum status by the end of the year, instead of missing it by ~6000 miles. (I am aware of the secretly lower qualification for Platinum this year, but I'd miss it if I didn't switch, but genuinely earn it if I do switch)
* If I end up asking the NSF to reimburse my SFO trip for the AMS conference, I can be confident that the entire trip, including my personally paid trip to the US, will be ticketed on American carriers (a requirement). Whereas right now I have that glaring AF-ticketed leg.
* Potentially seeing someone in SFO during my layover?
* Maybe getting upgraded to first class on the SFO - EWR flight?
Disadvantages:
* pissing off my parents that I'll be arriving one day later in NJ, but perhaps this can be made up for by staying an extra day or two at the end of the trip (if I leave Jan 24, I can fly through DUS instead of FRA).
* frustrating Christian that we won't get to speak until a full day after he gets back from Mexico.
* $100 difference in price + ~$160 change fee compared to ~$200 in baggage fees.
* Outbound travel time doubles from 12 hours to 26!!! I might be a stinky boy unless I shower at someone's place.
Advice???? I would need to make this decision today, otherwise the price will undoubtedly rise.
First off, let me say that finding your baggage allowance on the AirFrance's website is so annoying and smug. "It's printed on your e-Ticket", they tell you. Except that if your ticket was issued by another airline, you don't see your e-Ticket. When you enter your reservation, it doesn't list this information. It's impossible to find out the rates and what the extra charges will be, even if you know your ticket class. Their customer service number is a toll call. I never had to deal with their crap before while Continental was in SkyTeam. I finally, finally found this explanatory chart, which of course says I can calculate the exact baggage allowance on airfrance.com. Thanks, shitheads.
So, I am apparently allowed 20kg total on my LYS->CDG flight checked for free. It's 5€ for each additional kilo. I'll be bringing some wine/gifts, winter clothes for a month, and lots of math materials since I have to give two talks in early 2010 on different subjects. I anticipate this could end up being an extra 20-25kg, so 100-125€. This would only be incurred on the outbound flight, since on the inbound I'll be subjected to my generous Gold status allowances on Continental. I do not know if I will have to recheck my baggage at CDG, which might be annoying.
Looking at Continental's website, I have found a similar fare (only $100 more, incl. taxes) codeshared with Lufthansa that leaves on the same day. Except it goes LYS - FRA - SFO - EWR on the outbound flight, with a 6 hour layover in SFO. Return flight is totally fine.
Advantages of switching:
* No baggage issues at all.
* I will get Platinum status by the end of the year, instead of missing it by ~6000 miles. (I am aware of the secretly lower qualification for Platinum this year, but I'd miss it if I didn't switch, but genuinely earn it if I do switch)
* If I end up asking the NSF to reimburse my SFO trip for the AMS conference, I can be confident that the entire trip, including my personally paid trip to the US, will be ticketed on American carriers (a requirement). Whereas right now I have that glaring AF-ticketed leg.
* Potentially seeing someone in SFO during my layover?
* Maybe getting upgraded to first class on the SFO - EWR flight?
Disadvantages:
* pissing off my parents that I'll be arriving one day later in NJ, but perhaps this can be made up for by staying an extra day or two at the end of the trip (if I leave Jan 24, I can fly through DUS instead of FRA).
* frustrating Christian that we won't get to speak until a full day after he gets back from Mexico.
* $100 difference in price + ~$160 change fee compared to ~$200 in baggage fees.
* Outbound travel time doubles from 12 hours to 26!!! I might be a stinky boy unless I shower at someone's place.
Advice???? I would need to make this decision today, otherwise the price will undoubtedly rise.