FLYING TIPS WHEN ABROAD
THE OVERSEAS TRANSFER - When visiting Europe, I think it is important to note that since we were coming from the US, it was much more affordable to enter the country by way of flying into a larger hub. The best choices for us were to first go through London, Paris, or Amsterdam. Then stay one night in that city (or more) and set a connection to say Greece, for example, the next day or later. Our Greece trip worked out rather well to enter to Amsterdam, visit Holland and Ghent, Belgium for a couple days, then fly to Greece. On these trips that are longer, like 8-10 hours, there can be a marked difference in the seat size. For people with medical issues and the need to stretch out, or larger people, buying a business or comfort -class seat in this circumstance may be the way to go.
COSTS - Flying between countries in Europe is cheaper, but more akin to bus transfers in the US. The flights are cheaper than interstate US flights comparatively, however they make the costs up with frequency and fees. Be aware most flights within western European discount carriers will charge a-la-carte for the drinks they offer, and barrage you with offers to buy everything from perfume to lottery tickets once on board. (Bring headphones to tune it out.) If it makes a difference to you, be sure to ask before you order a drink what the cost is and be prepared with a cc as they don’t take cash.
PACK LIGHT - As you might expect, checked baggage will almost always cost extra, and the carry-on bag size is quite a bit smaller than on US carriers. Make sure to check the limitations on each airline carrier you fly ahead of time. Its our practice to buy a smaller roller bag in the US, and plan on packing light and re-wearing outfits, or doing a load of laundry on vacation. In this way we can always keep our bags with us. To our delight, we even found that using a laundromat in other countries, Rome, for instance, only charged us about $20 to wash and dry one load. The laundromat appeared just like a US coin-op, however the attendant took care of doing the laundry for us and even had it folded upon our return so we didn’t even loose any time! Then we can overstuff our bags with souvenirs and expand the bag, check it if needed, for the return trip.
UPGRADES - When to upgrade? Is it worth it? Our experiences have been that there is quite a bit of business travel between countries in Europe that are often smaller and closer than US states. Most travelers are polite and efficient. Because the luggage size requirements are stricter, it is harder to fit those bags in the overhead, and you are allowed only one. At times when we know we will be traveling with extra camera gear that we don’t want to check, we make sure that one person at least has bought the upgrade which typically includes a second cabin bag. If you aren’t concerned with checking a bag, the upgrades might not be for you. Rarely did I see a difference in the seat sizes between upgrades. If you pay more for an upgrade, you will probably be corralled into an area with similar folks, separated from the massed by a rope. You will board first assuring your bag’s spot on the plane, but everybody disembarks together.