Long Haul Flights - Different classes of cabin

probably fly economy like i always have done before.

Manchester used to be exclusively 747 based but thats changing next year. PE wont be nearly so nice when you've only got a curtain separating you from the hussle and bussle of economy behind you, and they all file past you on the way into economy.
 
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Premium Economy is a great idea and is the most profitable cabin for at least BA offhand, as unlike first/business, where lots of seats are taken by miles redemptions, 2 for 1 vouchers etc, the vast majority of the passengers have paid list price to be there.

Virgin's PE gets you peace and quiet, more space, and a great seat. BA's WT+ is just a waste of money though; I don't rate it at all.

I've just been on holiday to Thailand and shelled out about £2.4k to fly BA's club world there and back and it was fantastic. It's £900 in economy anyway and I can't sleep sitting up, and had to work both ends of the flights.

I've also got another club world flight to Boston booked next month which I got for £606 + 25k airmiles. Bargaintastic :D

Next flight will hopefully be me and girlfriend off to New York, again using airmiles to upgrade to club :cool: (or, the BA credit card 2for1 voucher - the best value in the sky)

Very, very few people pay full list price to fly first class. Something like 20%.

Flyertalk.com is a fantastic resource for all sorts of info to fly in premium cabins for not a lot of dosh :)
 
Beansprout said:
Premium Economy is a great idea and is the most profitable cabin for at least BA offhand, as unlike first/business, where lots of seats are taken by miles redemptions, 2 for 1 vouchers etc, the vast majority of the passengers have paid list price to be there.
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Guilty as charged....


Ill echo your comments RE fliertalk....

Have you taken out a gold/platinum card for the miles? ive given in and got both....
 
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MrLOL said:
probably fly economy like i always have done before.

Manchester used to be exclusively 747 based but thats changing next year. PE wont be nearly so nice when you've only got a curtain separating you from the hussle and bussle of economy behind you, and they all file past you on the way into economy.
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Did you know that only some of Virgins 747-400 fleet has Premium Economy on the top deck? Only the older versions do, the current version has Upper only on the top deck. Premium Economy is on the same floor as everyone else.

And you wont know which seating layout your 747-400 has until you've paid for your ticket and login to select seats.

So really you are making a HUGE gamble if your reason for flying Premium with Virgin is so you can sit upstairs, not for the extra legroom.

As I said, you are wasting your money, especially if the upstairs thing is your primary reason.
 
PE is not worth the upgrade in my view. Flights are expensive enough right now without trying to squeeze some more pennies out of you.
I just flew on a 777 AA flight (Chicago - Heathrow) and my knees were no way near the seat in front (I'm 6'3) - so I was pleasantly surprised.
These days with laptops, ipods, e-readers and all that, flights are a breeze.
 
Sp00n said:
Still, my entire last holiday didn't even cost £1500.
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To be fair anywhere half decent for a few weeks and isn't Spain is at least that per person. All the more reason not to waste more than you have too on flights. The saving could upgrade your hotels or rental car for example.
 
I still like singapore airlines desipte them not having PE. I've just booked my flights to Australia again and I also flew with them to Australia in 2009.

For an extra £30 per leg I can reserve an exit seat on an A380. This is leaps above what i'd see in Premium Economy. Seat width is just great, nothing in front of me for about 9 foot and a the doors on the A380 don't intrude into you space. I can get up, walk around and not have people bother me to get out.

On top of all this you can get on the very quiet top deck of the A380 and also the economy section of the top deck is only about 50 people, so naturally quiet anyway. All for an extra £30 per leg.

£700 to Australia on an A380 with the best exits seats is a bargain!
 
[TW]Fox;17023860 said:
Did you know that only some of Virgins 747-400 fleet has Premium Economy on the top deck? Only the older versions do, the current version has Upper only on the top deck. Premium Economy is on the same floor as everyone else.
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the newer 747s only operate out of London Heathrow

Gatwick and Manchester currently use the old layout :) Unless one of them has to be re-directed for a problem of course. But thats only 1 % of flights.

http://v-flyer.com/the-toolbox/which-aircraft

if you go here

http://v-flyer.com/the-toolbox/seat-maps

You can see that 747-Config 1/2 are used exclusively for LGW/MAN except when there are problems and craft have to be re-routed. If you look at the stats as to which planes fly which routes (top link) you can see that its very, very rare for you to get a LHR 747 or A340.
 
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I agree with Fox. Save the cash to actually spend on something worthwhile like a better hotel, rental car... or hell just fancier restaurants!

It's only a few hours on the plane, most of which you will be half asleep anyway or marvelling at the exceptionally poor picture quality on the provided TV screen. Treat it like a long bus journey and then forget it ever happened!
 
k3v said:
Guilty as charged....


Ill echo your comments RE fliertalk....

Have you taken out a gold/platinum card for the miles? ive given in and got both....
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You bet :D

And the Tesco card, the BA card AND the Starwood card...(parents are starwood gold members anyhow so got them one)

And quidco on all which have a cost...

So far at least 100k miles for nearly nothing, and £lots saved!
 
[TW]Fox;17023664 said:
I love the way you keep going on about being 'in the pod' as if its some sort of First Class experience irrespective of seating type. Yes Singapore charge 5 figures to sit 'in the pod' but they've also fitted 'the pod' out with a First Class cabin with first class service and first class seating!
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nope but it is better than the PE seating in the main cabin
 
I fly trans atlantic every few weeks and realise how much the little extra comforts can make the trip so much more better. However, I'd never actually buy a business class or even a premium economy fare. Paying hundreds extra, maybe even thousands for an extra couple of inches for what, 7 or 8 hours, is completely ridiculous. Fine if you have money to burn or if your company is paying but financial suicide if it's coming out of your own pocket.

A lot of people do it for the perceived prestige. I can spot them a mile off. They strut through the lounges and around the business cabin trying to catch everyone's attention. Saying "Look at me" without opening their mouths. They're usually the ones who pollute the lounge with their ridiculously loud and unnecessary mobile phone calls.
"Hi it's me. I'm in the BUSINESS LOUNGE. Yeah we're really being pampered here." and then the conversation will tail off onto something about a flash car or house, something that they don't have but like to make everyone else think they have.

I'm quite lucky that I get a free upgrade if they have any room. For free it's great! For £xxx, it's silly expensive.
 
[TW]Fox;17023860 said:
And you wont know which seating layout your 747-400 has until you've paid for your ticket and login to select seats.

.
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you almost certainly can work it out, Heathrow has UC upstairs, Manchester and Gatwick have PE upstairs

this very rarely changes
 
Oh and PE also have double the baggage allowance which is absolutley essential for a trip to the States with my missus :p
 
Scuzi said:
A lot of people do it for the perceived prestige. I can spot them a mile off. They strut through the lounges and around the business cabin trying to catch everyone's attention. Saying "Look at me" without opening their mouths. They're usually the ones who pollute the lounge with their ridiculously loud and unnecessary mobile phone calls.
"Hi it's me. I'm in the BUSINESS LOUNGE. Yeah we're really being pampered here." and then the conversation will tail off onto something about a flash car or house, something that they don't have but like to make everyone else think they have.
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My thoughts exactly - it's always the guys in their cheap suits pretending to do something important on their laptops. Its v funny watching their faces as you walk on in scruffy jeans and a t-shirt - not that the stewardesses actually care.

Echo your view on paying for it though - only ever fly WT+ or CW when work are footing the bill ( we have to fly with BA :( )
 
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