We did the air program, but not the hotel, choosing to find our own hotel instead. We are flying in one day early, and our flight from NYC goes through Paris on Delta to Rome, and arrives at a good time. We were able to choose our seats on this flight, and I arranged a special, gluten-free meal. Our return flight is through Lisbon on TAP. After spending an hour on hold, I discovered we’d have to pay for assigned seats and to request a special meal. One saving grace on this flight is the times are good. We may end up paying for these amenities, but we’re still hoping we can get them free somehow.
Overall, our experience has been fine. If you’re flying out of Missouri, I doubt you were planning on a nonstop flight, so you won’t be disappointed there. If you’re not picky about times and airlines, then I think it’s a fine way to go.