Given the increasing number of route exchanges, there is now a great number of airlines.  Take for example the example we used to establish an itinerary, Chicago-Nice flights are now available from American companies such as Delta, American Airlines, United Airlines, Northwest, and also from Air France, British Airways, Iberia, Lufhtansa, SAS, Swissair and even Air India! How do you choose, and which one will best suit you?

Whatever the points of departure and arrival, there are some criteria that will help you choose one company over another:

CRITERIA

COMMENTS

CHICAGO NICE EXAMPLE

Direct flight or with stopovers.

With direct flights you avoid fatigue, waiting in airports, and several other inconveniences.

No, there is not a direct Chicago-Nice flight

Length of route

For this route, all companies list about the same time (within 10 minutes): about 11 hours and 50 minutes

The itinerary suggested

Are there a number of take-offs and landings?

All the companies do it in 2 stages, going through Paris, London, Frankfurt or Madrid

Departure and arrival times

Do we fly very early in the morning or very late? Will we arrive at night?

American Airlines, Delta, United Airlines, Iberia, Air France leave at the end of the afternoon (4:35 PM or 5:35 PM) and arrive at 10:40 AM or 11:40 AM the next morning. Air France, Air India, Iberia, British Airways leave about 8:30 PM and arrive about 2:20 PM the following day.

Connections

Will there be any long waits at the airports?

Connection times are about the same, meaning about 1 hr 15 min

Prices

Prices may vary a great deal. Why pay higher prices? 

There are some differences here, especially due to competition between online suppliers.  With only a single "surf" we'll find: (in $US): Northwest:  $700;  Lufhtansa: $700;  SAS: $730;  Swissair: $742;  United: $796.  But there is also Northwest at: $742;  Northwest: $760 and United: $856.  The conclusion to be drawn: you absolutely need to do lots of surfing!!

In-flight service

Is wine or alcohol served?  Will a movie be shown?  Is the service good?  Will a complete meal or a snack pack be served?  Etc. 

Each company takes care of its image, putting the emphasis on gastronomy, amicability of hosts/hostesses or gadgets available in the cabin.  The choice is yours!

In-flight language

Do they speak my language or will I have to make a big effort to understand what's being said? 

All the companies use English. But which one speaks it best?.

Benefits (flyer points)

You may prefer a company that gives away flyer points to another less expensive one with no special advantages. 

All of these companies have developed consumer loyalty programs and give away points or miles.

Subjective criteria

National companies or those with good reputations, or those perceived as being more reliable than others. 

Americans will most likely prefer an American company; the French Air France, the English British Airways,

Trains can be an excellent method of travel method.  Still, it's best not to generalize, and carefully study regional characteristics.

		In America, where the automobile dominates, renting a car may be more appealing, yet taking the train and crossing Canada from East to West or the United States from North to South can be an interesting experiment!
		In Europe, the railway networks are very well developed.  There are lots of trains and generally they're clean and on time.  But, depending on the season, one method may be more appealing than another.  For holiday departures (school or other holidays) trains are very much in demand, so be careful to reserve in advance.  Would it be worthwhile buying a train pass?  Yes, if you're planning long hauls; but not for short trips, since they're really not very expensive.
		Generally in Asia, trains are really not that advisable, yet in Japan trains are a very good means of transport.  We'd really advise you to get a "Japan Rail Pass," which can be used on all Japanese trains, without reservations during X days, and save 50% on the regular price.
		In China, trains are very slow, about 50 km per hour on average, meaning it takes 17 hours to get from Xi'an to Beijing (1 hr 15 min by plane).

Train travel

Having a car may seem essential, but be careful, it could be a drawback more than anything else.  When staying in Florence, for example, it's best to leave the car in a parking lot, since circulation of private vehicles is actually prohibited in the historical centre.  Also, just finding a place to park it can be quite an adventure, just as in Paris or other large European cities.  Cars can therefore be justified in some places, but not in others. Moreover, it's easy to drive in some countries (North America, Europe), but it might be better to rent a chauffeur-driven car in other countries (Malaysia or Indonesia for example!).

Renting a car thus depends on many factors, so consider them seriously.  Transport, Cars rentals.