Flying to Ireland

A good way to check flights schedules is to go on Expedia. (But book directly with the airline). A quick look at Expedia shows at best one stop flights-even on Aer Lingus which does have nonstops from some U.S. airports. (SFO to DUB is a ten hours flight eastbound). The number of European cities you can get to nonstop (especially economically) is not that many from the west coast. If you were flying out a Newark or Atlanta, the list would be a lot longer.

We always find ourselves on United because that's who seems to fly Europe routes from the west coast (or their partners like Lufthansa). Configurations differ. I like to get a window seat because it makes it easier to sleep (can lean my large head against the window).

One thing I have learned over 16 Europe vacations (half dozen more on business), it's generally best to take the long hop to Europe first with a shorter connecting flight, vs. changing on the east coast. With the great circle route, this approach seems to mean less time in the air. (Changing in Atlanta is especially bad for total flight time, as you head north from Atlanta is seems like five hours later you are still just off Nova Scotia!) Changing at JFK (it's been years since I have done this) it seems like fifty flights are all scheduled to head to Europe at 5 p.m. so you end up in a huge line of planes waiting to take off. Also if you miss your connection changing in Frankfurt or London, there will be lots more chances to get another flight to Ireland from there that day. If you miss a connection in Newark or JFK, you are likely going to lose a whole day. Also on the way back, best to go through U.S. passport control once you are already at your home airport. Try to leave at least two hours for connections. The airlines are cutting it a lot closer these days, and even though a tighter connection might be allowed, best to play it safe.

Depending on your specific travel plans, definitely consider flying open jaw into Shannon and out of Dublin, or the other way around. Have done this twice and it has worked great.

Thank you so much! I'm testing the waters on international travel because I'm not getting any younger.

Good advice from VS.
Would only add that to compare aircraft configuration look at www.seatguru.com. Can compare cabin layout, seat width & pitch, etc. for every airplane flown by every airline in one spot - very helpful for knowing what you're getting into before you book a long overwater flight.

Check out www.airtransat.com for flights from Vancouver which may work out cheaper than from Seattle.

I prefer direct if I can get it, but I'm coming from the upper Midwest so it is easier to do. Definitely window seat.

You can look at Alaska Airlines' site to see its airline partners which will award you points. The amount of points can vary according to the other airlines' policies.
Direct flights are shorter in time, and probably distance. Less worry about luggage going astray too. But some airlines charge a higher price because direct flights are popular. www.itasoftware.com surveys many but not all airlines so is useful to compare schedules (it doesn't sell tickets.) If you decide on an itinerary with connections between airlines that are not partners, you may need to go to an on-line agency to purchase. There are many of them (expedia, priceline, cheapoair, kayak, google etc.) Concerns will include whether your luggage can be checked through to destination and how to select seats in advance.
Or you can hire a travel agent to do it all for you.

The point made by VS in his/her third paragraph is very important. Coming from Seattle, you want, if at all possible, to fly to Europe first and then connect to a flight to Ireland, rather than flying to the east or midwestern US and then connecting to a flight to Ireland.

Before booking any flights, plot out a rough itinerary. For Ireland, it often works best to fly into Dublin and out of Shannon, or vice versa, rather than a round trip to Dublin. To find these flights, choose "multi city" or "multiple destinations" rather than "one way" or "round trip."

Looking at Alaska Airlines' website, I see several airlines that may be useful to you for going to Ireland: British Air, Air France, Icelandair, and KLM. American and Delta would also work,except that they will likely require changing in the US instead of Europe. Again, look at websites such as Kayak, Matrix ITA, and Google Flights to see all your options. However, if at all possible, it's best to book directly with the airline; that way, if there are any problems, the airline has to fix it, and can't redirect you back to the booking website (who can then say talk to the airline, leaving you without effective resolution).

We flew out of Vancouver last summer, nonstop on Air Canada to Dublin. Trip took ~9.5 hours. Upgraded to the economy plus section and was extremely comfortable and I am 6'4". Would certainly recommend looking into this option. And with the exchange rate, the flight was a little less that out of Seattle.