Very little difference in basic economy; however, I find BA's premium economy (World Traveler Plus??) much more comfortable than other economy options.

"Before I start reading the small print are there any additional pitfalls for UK citizens booking US carriers as opposed to UK carriers that I should be aware of."

One possible difference is the provisions of EU 261/2004 which comes into play in the event of a delay/cancellation. Booking with a UK carrier means both your outbound/inbound flights are covered by EU 261. Booking with a US carrier means only your outbound flight is covered.

It probably wont come into play but it would make a difference if you were stuck in the US because your return flight was delayed/cancelled - the chances of it happening are relatively low but the impact can be relatively high if you're left to sort out your own meals/hotels etc.

Excellent point Tom, I'd forgotten that.

joe

It's just something that's on my agenda at the moment and one of the factor's that I'll be taking into account when hopefully I get round to booking flights for my next trip to the US - it's a plus point in favour of using BA over AA/United etc.

I know it's not likely to be needed but it's nice to know it's there just in case.

Remember that it's the operating carrier's national registration that counts, not the carrier with from which you may have purchased the ticket. On "code sharing" flights this could mean you're covered when you think you might not be, or, conversely, you're not covered when you think your are! Be careful!

Thankyou for your help and information. I booked with BA in the end mainly because they had a really good booking system that enabled me to book 3 weeks car hire at least £200 cheaper than any other company or scheme. That saving tipped the balance.

Thanks again,

Andy

Hi again Andy.

That is interesting? When ever I've priced it, BA's combination via AVIS, has never matched what I can get through my favourite rental car brokers? DId you book the one-way trip in the end? Maybe that was it?

Yes, the car's booked one way from Atlanta GA to DC for a day short of 3 weeks.

I'd be interested to check whether I've made the most economic choice for future trips to the States, do you mind letting me know who you use for car rental?

Suprisingly BA was also cheaper re the hotels than any 3rd party site I checked with, or indedd the hotel's own sites.

Andy

I've just returned from the States and also booked car hire via BA site. It was cheaper than others, we add all the CDW's to waive all excesses and it was cheaper. We found a lot if sites still have excesses and once you add super CDW they become more expensive.