which airline is best

Less important than the airline is where you change planes and I abhor Frankfurt for that reason. It is fine for arrival with a stay in Frankfurt or for departure, but we had a terrible experience there with 3 buses, endless walking and schlepping, and security checks. We were not in danger of missing the flight, but it took a solid 90 minutes from gate to gate. Heathrow can be tough, too, and I will never gain a accept a one hour connect time there.

You should be able to choose your flights so you have a longer layover. Did they refuse you or were there no later flights?

We are now scheduling ourselves to stay where we land for the first night and avoid that stress but we take long trips so aren’t trying to move fast.

I have to admit, I do not like the Frankfurt airport. And if we cannot avoid it, we make sure we have at least a 2-hour connection. Bad memories...

My experience in travelling through Frankfurt has been mostly good, including one occasion where I had a one hour window to connect with a flight to Rome. The guy at security knew that I had very limited time, so he was extremely efficient. There was no time to spare but I did make the connection. It's a huge airport so walking is often necessary, but it seems to be efficiently organized. It's possible that because my flights are with Star Alliance partner airlines, the terminals are close together (I usually fly with Air Canada).

Out of Philadelphia, I think I'd lean more toward British Airways. A quick Google Flights check shows they do seem to route the Lufthansa flight with awfully short (or extremely long) connection times. BA is giving more reasonable connections.

American is another option but it seems like every time I've had a transatlantic AA flight, I have been very unimpressed with the amenities. Maybe two years ago I even had a flight with no individual seatback entertainment, which seems borderline unthinkable. On the other hand, I've had much nicer AA planes flying to Latin America.

Your issue sounds like inadequate connecting time more than the choice of airline. Next time, select an itinerary with ample time to make the connection (it doesn't matter which airline, 1 hour is simply not enough). I found Frankfurt Airport to be incredibly efficient given how much traffic goes through there. But perhaps, you would like going through Amsterdam or Munich or even Keflavik (Iceland) instead. Give yourself at least 2 hours to connect. If you don't like Frankfurt, you'll hate Charles DuGaulle (CDG) and Heathrow.

Short connection times are a self-inflicted wound, not an airlines issue usually. As long as the airline stays within connection time guidelines, it is up to you to choose to go with it or not. Often, it comes down to money. Short connection times often come at a discount (as do extremely long connection times); if you choose one, then you accept risk. Luckily, the risk is only time, as they will get you to the destination as soon as possible. If that delay will cost you money (Hotel. Train Tickets, Plane Tickets, etc...) then you need to rethink what risk you can accept.

Recently had to go through Frankfurt coming from Madrid (Lufthansa/United) and we barely had enough time with 1:40 between flights. We prefer 2-3 hours for connections between flights to allow for delays and not having to run through terminals. I’m certain there are options to avoid Frankfurt, possibly go through Munich; you just need to check and be flexible.

Edited: as ken suggested. I too have friends who have gotten good connections through Toronto.

Amy, every time I’ve flown AA to S. America it has been an old planes on the verge of being retired. Only one had the seat-back inflight entertainment. The others had the one TV that hung from the ceiling and you watched what the airlines selected. I’ve been totally disappointed in those flights, but if you want go to south, AA seems to offer the most options.

I too am not impressed by the Frankfurt airport. We flew in from Seattle, and had prearranged wheelchair assistance, particularly as we had a train connection to make. Worked fine at SEA, but the chair was a no show at Frankfurt. I can attest that it is a loooooong and slow walk from the arrivals to the train station, that includes many stairs. Missed the connection, but I had luckily paid more for changeable tickets, though we had to accept the fact that the only other available connections required an additional change in Cologne.

No big deal, save for us having to keep contacting the people meeting us at our final destination multiple times to let them know about the delays.

jk,

One other thought.....

You might find some good flight options from Toronto to Nice, as a number of airlines operate on that route. These all seem to have one layover, but the time is long enough that you shouldn't be rushed. Some of the airlines operating that route are Air Canada / Lufthansa, WestJet / easyJet and TAP. Of course the flight options may differ depending on when this trip is taking place.

One other option.... Air Transat operates seasonal flights direct from Toronto to Nice. It looks like those begin again on 12 May. Transat typically only has flights to and from some destinations once a week, so your schedule would have to be flexible.

Schipol. Amsterdam. NL
Very efficient in general. Very good wheelchair assistance for my friend.

thanks for all your ideas and comments. I looked at JFK, but that is another 3 1/2 hour schlep from Dover Delaware for us. Likewise the Toronto connection makes for a very long day. However, i did find a lufthansa connection through Frankfurt with a 5 hour connection going and a 4 hour connection returning. We will just be prepared with our best walking shoes and asking for a wheelchair for my friend. We love Nice. The trip is worth it!