France

[shamrock]

I'm going to be heading over to France in August and I'm trying to figure out the best way to get over. I'd been planning on just buying a ticket, but if I could non-rev the dent in my bank account would be much less severe.

I can most likely get to wherever I need to catch a flight, so if I did buy a ticket I'd be looking for the cheapest fare I can get from anywhere in the US. Other than doing searches by every airline and/or hub, does anyone have any better ideas on how to find the cheapest fare? Guess I could always call up all the airlines and ask for their lowest fare regardless of where it leaves from, but I don't know how well that would work. Getting a flight to somewhere else in Europe then finding my way to where I need to be in France (EasyJet) is also a possibility.

Like I said, non-revving would help my financial situation tremendously, but my plans make me reluctant to chance it.

Any ideas?

 

[mtnflyer]

take this for what its worth,but i've jumpseated to europe maybe 15-20 times in the last five yrs.if your benefits are anything like ours,an id90/75 will be just as good as j/s .almost never have any competitors for an international j/s,so really depends on the loads.have missed flights maybe 2-3 times due to this,even on holidays 'cos somebody surely doesn't show.you can take usair from philli,i think,and certainly delta from atl,and possible jfk(?),ua prob from ord/iad.try a search on travelocity or orbitz as well to get a coach ticket.i've never really had the money so i j/s!having and id90 from an airline you cannot jump on can be invaluable when it gets bad-air france for example.you can always get your money back if not used,and good for 90 days.good luck!

 

[mar]

Short story

Last January I needed to get to Finland. STAT!

I don't know why, but on the day I chose to travel, United, Northwest and Delta had a meltdown.

I checked the loads for ORD, JFK, EWR, MIA, MSP, you name it.

Delta outta Cincinatti (or however you spell that city) saved my bacon with a jumpseat to Paris.

They have several flights a day to various places in Europe and it's not the zoo that the other airports are.

Happy travels.

[Edit: I realize France is not in Finland. But it's close enough.)

 

[Flyingdutchman]

Yeah, and North Dakota is realy close to Virginia
Just kidding mar.

 

[shamrock]

Delta outta Cincinatti (or however you spell that city) saved my bacon with a jumpseat to Paris.

They have several flights a day to various places in Europe and it's not the zoo that the other airports are.

Working for ASA, I have benefits on Delta but I don't know the status of int'l jumpseating (as opposed to non-revving). I'll have to check on it. All I'm really worried about is somewhere in western Europe. I figure I can find my to France from there since I'll have a little wiggle room in my plans.

 

[CWGrizwald]

Travel Warning for France

Travel Guidelines for American Tourists
The following advisory for American travelers heading for France was

compiled from information provided by the US State Department, the
Central Intelligence Agency, the US Chamber of Commerce, the Food and
Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control, and some very
expensive spy satellites that the French don't know about. It is
intended as a guide for American travelers only.
General Overview
France is a medium-sized foreign country situated in the continent of
Europe. It is an important member of the world community, though not
nearly as important as it thinks. It is bounded by Germany, Spain,
Switzerland and some smaller nations of no particular consequence and
with not very good shopping.
France is a very old country with many treasures, such as the Louvre
and EuroDisney. Among its contributions to western civilization are
champagne, Camembert cheese and the guillotine.
Although France likes to think of itself as a modern nation, air
conditioning is little used and it is next to impossible to get decent
Mexican food. One continuing exasperation for American visitors is
that the people willfully persist in speaking French, though many will
speak English if shouted at. As in any foreign country, watch your
change at all times.
The People
France has a population of 54 million people, most of whom drink and
smoke a great deal, drive like lunatics, are dangerously oversexed,
and have no concept of standing patiently in line. The French people
are in general gloomy, temperamental, proud, arrogant, aloof, and
undisciplined; and those are their good points.
Most French citizens are Roman Catholic, though you would hardly guess
it from their behavior. Many people are communists, and topless
sunbathing is common. Men sometimes have girls' names like Marie, and
they kiss each other when they hand out medals.
American travelers are advised to travel in groups and to wear
baseball caps and colorful trousers for easier mutual recognition.
Safety
In general, France is a safe destination, though travelers are advised
that, from time to time, it is invaded by Germany. By tradition, the
French surrender more or less at once and, apart from a temporary
shortage of Scotch whisky and increased difficulty in getting baseball
scores and stock market prices, life for the visitor generally goes on
much as before.
A tunnel connecting France to Britain beneath the English Channel has
been opened in recent years to make it easier for the Government to
flee to London.
History
France was discovered by Charlemagne in the Dark Ages. Other
important historical figures are Louis XIV, the Huguenots,
Joan of Arc, Jacques Cousteau and Charles de Gaulle,
who was President for many years and is now an airport.
Government
The French form of government is democratic but noisy. Elections are
held more or less continuously, and always result in a run-off. For
administrative purposes, the country is divided into regions,
departments, districts' municipalities, cantons, communes, villages,
cafes, booths, and floor tiles.
Parliament consists of two chambers, the Upper and Lower (though,
confusingly, they are both on the ground floor), whose members are
either Gaullists or communists, neither of whom is to be trusted,
frankly. Parliament's principal preoccupations are setting off atomic
bombs in the South Pacific, and acting indignant when anyone
complains.
According to the most current State Department intelligence, the
President now is someone named Jacques. Further information is not
available at this time.
Culture
The French pride themselves on their culture, though it is not easy to
see why. All their songs sound the same, and they have hardly ever
made a movie that you would want to watch for anything but the nude
scenes. And nothing, of course, is more boring than a French novel.
Cuisine
Let's face it, no matter how much garlic you put on it, a snail is
just a slug with a shell on its back. Croissants, on the other hand,
are excellent, though it is impossible for most Americans to pronounce
this word. In general, travelers are advised to stick to
cheeseburgers at leading hotels such as Sheraton and Holiday Inn.
Economy
France has a large and diversified economy, second only to Germany's
in Europe, which is surprising because people hardly work at all. If
they are not spending four hours dawdling over lunch, they are on
strike and blocking the roads with their trucks and tractors.
France's principal exports, in order of importance to the economy, are
wine, nuclear weapons, perfume, guided missiles, champagne,
high-caliber weaponry, grenade launchers, land mines, tanks, attack
aircraft, miscellaneous armaments and cheese.

 

[CWGrizwald]

Warning part II

Public Holidays
France has more holidays than any other nation in the world. Among its
361 national holidays are 197 saints' days, 37 National Liberation
Days, 16 Declaration of Republic Days, 54 Return of Charles de Gaulle
in Triumph as if he Won the War Single-Handed Days, 18 Napoleon Sent
into Exile Days, 17 Napoleon Called Back from Exile Days, and 112
France is Great and the Rest of the World is Rubbish Days. Other
important holidays are National Nuclear Bomb Day (January 12), the
Feast of Ste. Brigitte Bardot Day (March 1), and National Guillotine
Day (November 12).
Conclusion
France enjoys a rich history, a picturesque and varied landscape, and
a temperate climate. In short, it would be a very nice country if it
weren't inhabited by French people.
A Word of Warning
The consular services of the United States government are intended
solely for the promotion of the interests of American businesses such
as McDonald's, Pizza Hut and the Coca-Cola Corporation. In the event
that you are the victim of a crime or serious injury involving at
least the loss of a limb, report to the American Embassy between the
hours of 5.l5 am and 5.20 am on a Tuesday or Wednesday, and a consular
official who is supremely indifferent to your plight will give you a
list of qualified dentists or something similarly useless.
Remember, no one ordered you to go abroad. Personally, we always take
our holidays at Miami Beach, and you are advised to as well.
Thank you and good luck.

 

[Cathawk417]

ROFLMAO!!!! That was excellent!! So true...basically they(French) contribute very little to the world as a whole!

 

[mar]

The rest of the story

Yeah, and North Dakota is realy close to Virginia
Just kidding mar.

You know what the real kicker was?

I was jumpseating to save some bucks right? So I got to Paris for free and then slapped down the plastic for a 1,100 Euro walk-up fare to Tampere, Finland.

Brilliant.

Next time I'm just buying a ticket.

 

[TonyC]

Travel Guidelines for American Tourists
The following advisory for American travelers heading for France was
compiled from information provided by the US State Department, the
Central Intelligence Agency, the US Chamber of Commerce, the Food and
Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control, and some very
expensive spy satellites that the French don't know about.

Occasionally we come across a true gem of a post that makes it all worthwhile. Here it is.


Thanks, Griz!






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