Flying Senior

[Flying Senior]

Hi - we are wanting to take our disabled grandaughter to a conference in Pittsburg PA. She also wants to go to London.
We prefer to fly out of Brisbane and because she can only tolerate flights of a maximum 7 and a half hours and has difficulty sitting in the airline seats we will have to travel Premium Economy so she can lie down.
We have tried dummy runs on various combinations but nothing seems to be working out. We understand we will have to use one internal airline in the U.S
Can anyone advise which route we should take for maximum comfort and which airlines would be best.
Hoping not to have to pay outrageous prices!
Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated

 

[Danger]

I don't think I can offer much help but here goes.

Obviously, 7.5 hours isn't going to get you anywhere near the US, with the exception of maybe Honolulu (but that's still about 10 hours). Perhaps you could consider flying from Sydney to Honolulu with Qantas to break up the journey. That said, they don't offer premium economy on that route. Maybe Hawaiin Airlines might offer something.

My only experience in the US is with AA so I can only comment on them. Once in the US, I would consider a YUPP/KUPP fare on AA. This is essentially a fare that books into P class and, therefore, gives you a first class seat. (Almost all of AA's domestic routes feature only economy and first.) It's nothing like a first class seat on an international airline and in most cases the seat is more akin to Qantas domestic business, but it is a bigger seat with much better recline. If you do consider these fares, consult both the AA Australian website and the AA US website to compare prices.

Finally, have you considered sleeping tablets for your granddaughter? I'm not more a moment suggesting them because she's disabled as I use them at times also but it may help you stretch out her 7.5 hours.

Hopefully others will have some better suggestions.

 

[Flying Senior]

I don't think I can offer much help but here goes.

Obviously, 7.5 hours isn't going to get you anywhere near the US, with the exception of maybe Honolulu (but that's still about 10 hours). Perhaps you could consider flying from Sydney to Honolulu with Qantas to break up the journey. That said, they don't offer premium economy on that route. Maybe Hawaiin Airlines might offer something.

My only experience in the US is with AA so I can only comment on them. Once in the US, I would consider a YUPP/KUPP fare on AA. This is essentially a fare that books into P class and, therefore, gives you a first class seat. (Almost all of AA's domestic routes feature only economy and first.) It's nothing like a first class seat on an international airline and in most cases the seat is more akin to Qantas domestic business, but it is a bigger seat with much better recline. If you do consider these fares, consult both the AA Australian website and the AA US website to compare prices.

Finally, have you considered sleeping tablets for your granddaughter? I'm not more a moment suggesting them because she's disabled as I use them at times also but it may help you stretch out her 7.5 hours.

Hopefully others will have some better suggestions.

Thanks for the advice - we would like to go to London first so maybe we can break the trip back from Pittsburg at Honolulu

 

[GT351]

Bris - Singapore - Dubai - London - New york - Pittsburgh - LA - Honolulu - Fiji - Bris


Not sure if this is 100% possible esp in Premuim economy but a possible solution

 

[trooper]

Certainly worth looking at Premium economy... but one hopes that was hyperbole when you said "so she can lie down"...

On NZ you could fly BNE-AKL-HKG-LHR-LAX-AKL-BNE... with Premium Economy on all flights if carefully planned (BNE-AKL has flights so equipped - but not sold as PE..)

Two problems there.. LONG flights... and you still have to get to PIT...

I think you have an uphill battle on your hands to find the "perfect" itinerary... Sorry to say...

 

[Danger]

Thanks for the advice - we would like to go to London first so maybe we can break the trip back from Pittsburg at Honolulu

Oooh. If you're going that way, what about Perth to Johannesburg? No premium economy but it's not a particularly long flight. Maybe also Perth to Mauritius.

 

[Flying Senior]

Bris - Singapore - Dubai - London - New york - Pittsburgh - LA - Honolulu - Fiji - Bris


Not sure if this is 100% possible esp in Premuim economy but a possible solution

Thanks - that route is certainly worth looking at.

 

[Flying Senior]

Oooh. If you're going that way, what about Perth to Johannesburg? No premium economy but it's not a particularly long flight. Maybe also Perth to Mauritius.

Thanks for your help. Guess we may have to look at Businesss class as well.

 

[Flying Senior]

Certainly worth looking at Premium economy... but one hopes that was hyperbole when you said "so she can lie down"...

On NZ you could fly BNE-AKL-HKG-LHR-LAX-AKL-BNE... with Premium Economy on all flights if carefully planned (BNE-AKL has flights so equipped - but not sold as PE..)

Two problems there.. LONG flights... and you still have to get to PIT...

I think you have an uphill battle on your hands to find the "perfect" itinerary... Sorry to say...

Thanks for the advice & help. We may have to look at Business Class as well.

 

[cove]

I thought about your post and I would start out going J on the 96000 QF points to get fom BNE to LAX.
Getting to Pittsburg out of LAX I would use the Australian Expedia for pricing and choices.
Coming home you could do stops in the Pacific starting with Honolulu which should be reasonable price wise in Economy and meet your price target. That was the method of getting home in the 1970s.
I hope this helps on the critical part of the long haul.

 

[Flying Senior]

I thought about your post and I would start out going J on the 96000 QF points to get fom BNE to LAX.
Getting to Pittsburg out of LAX I would use the Australian Expedia for pricing and choices.
Coming home you could do stops in the Pacific starting with Honolulu which should be reasonable price wise in Economy and meet your price target. That was the method of getting home in the 1970s.
I hope this helps on the critical part of the long haul.

Thanks for the advice -appreciate it very much.