last summer i had a 2+ month stay in barcelona from lax. the only reason my ticket was expensive was cuz i waited too long to buy. i flew with swiss.com (often, but not always the cheapest.) one of the benefits of flying a foreign carrier is that you get FREE BOOZE on trans-continental flights, not to mention a few meals & snacks.

i also happen to prefer switching planes OUTSIDE the u.s. (the first u.s. city you land in is where you go thru customs--even if it's not your destination.)