BA, Virgin or United to Washington

I got a free upgrade from cattle with BA two weeks ago going to Newjersey it was better than geting a kick but next to the door is the same
 
[TW]Fox;17462334 said:
Generally connecting flights are cheaper than direct ones.
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This depends on airport taxes, amongst other things. Flying through Germany = €€€

I'm flying to DC next month from Brussels via Zurich on the way out and Munich return on a free ticket and I have to pay €170 taxes.
 
mjt said:
Fair enough. The OP might think it's worth flying via somewhere for a better flight though. Although the cost will certainly increase..

I'm pretty sure priority check-in with SA Silver is standard though.
Gold joins the First Class queue, Silver the Business Class.
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Not IME. When I had star silver it was pretty useless with everyone apart from United and the airline who the account was with.
Getting a connecting flight which takes considerably longer, involves going through security again and waiting at another airport to get an extra inch of legroom on a relatively short atlantic hop is ridiculous too. :p
 
I presume you've already sorted it but if you're flying from Heathrow with Virgin you should be on one of the newer planes with the decent entertainment system. Just pay the £40 or so each way for extra leg room and you're laughing.
 
Not sure why anyone has rated Virgin's entertainment system.

The current best V-Port is very dated and the screens are terrible, the video quality is really grainy.

Last two Virgin flights I've been on, the only function I have used is the moving map.

If you fly Virgin pack your own entertainment.
 
POB said:
Not sure why anyone has rated Virgin's entertainment system.

The current best V-Port is very dated and the screens are terrible, the video quality is really grainy.

Last two Virgin flights I've been on, the only function I have used is the moving map.

If you fly Virgin pack your own entertainment.
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I did pack my own entertainment but didnt feel the need to use it. Decent selection of very new films. It's no 50" HD TV but its fine for inflight entertainment.
 
rypt said:
Companies still fly 772s for a major prestige route such as transatlantic??
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Why wouldnt they, they are hardly old planes :confused:

They are still in production, why would companies not fly them on long haul routes given the 777-200ER is an Extended Range aircraft :confused:
 
[TW]Fox;17502931 said:
I did pack my own entertainment but didnt feel the need to use it. Decent selection of very new films. It's no 50" HD TV but its fine for inflight entertainment.
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Kinda, the viewing angles are terrible though, if someone reclines a bit, its very hard to view.

The control system is annoying also.

I've been spoiled by better systems that is the problem:(

Virgin have me in a trap, as their flying club is generous and decent miles + money flights are possible I keep going back to them, even though I don't like them.
 
you can book the exit seats on BA for £50 extra from around 10 days prior to flying. We did it from Heathrow to SF and from Vegas to Heathrow and was the best £50 I've ever spent.

Enough legroom to swing a cat!
 
Will Gill said:
how tall are you?
if you are over 6ft you have to go premium economy, anything else doesnt bear thinking about.
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I'm 6'1, and I really don't have a problem in economy. Yes, it's not *that* comfortable but it's perfectly adequate. Just get tucked into the free drinks and everything is fine. I can't sleep when travelling (no matter what it is) but I have no issues flying economy.
Though, when I can I do try and get the bulkheads/emergency exits.

Free booze makes anything bearable.
 
[TW]Fox;17502989 said:
Why wouldnt they, they are hardly old planes :confused:

They are still in production, why would companies not fly them on long haul routes given the 777-200ER is an Extended Range aircraft :confused:
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Because generally transatlantic routes used to get the latest aircraft, due to the prestige factor, I'd expect them to all use 300ERs, with plans to move to A350s (when they are out), 787s (or even A380s on the routes with more business people) over the next years.

The 200er had it's first flight in '97, so is more than 14 years old as a design now
 
Whereas the 300ER is so radically different to a 200ER that all the passengers can tell the difference right :confused:

I would imagine that the airlines themselves know better than you, rypt.

14 years is nothing in aircraft design terms. It's still a very modern aircraft?
 
I didn't say it wasn't modern, I simply said usually transatlantic routes got the latest and greatest.
 
rypt said:
I didn't say it wasn't modern, I simply said usually transatlantic routes got the latest and greatest.
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I don't think you've any idea what usually happens, frankly, as United Airlines dont even have any 777-300's.

But such is the rypt way :)
 
I flew LHR-IAD on United a few times. It was nothing special, but acceptable. That was before the US airline crisis hit though so they hadn't learned how much they could get away with ratcheting down the seat pitch vice.

As for Virgin's IFE, the selection was OK, the reliability, not so much. Mine broke to the point which I was offered, claimed, but never received, some free miles. No idea if/how I could claim them now.
 
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