Ive flown 747, 787 and 340 in the last 4 months with Virgin and the 787 was the best as it was the newest plane with better in flight entertainment systems and I like the bigger windows. I didn't fly economy but did have a stroll down back an it looked better than the 747/340 economy so if the 787 is an option I would take that. The 747's they used on the Heathrow/JFK route are very tired. I have flown upper from JFK with Virgin and even that feels tired with areas that frankly need a good clean. If you can get into Premium Economy I feel it's worth it as the extra leg room and comfier seat are worth having as is the check in and rapid boarding compared to economy especially on a busy flight. If you are in a 747 in economy and are able to book early then aim for the upstairs economy section as the 6 seats at the front (only about 6 rows in total) that have about 10 feet of leg room, though they are a little tight due to having tables in the arms.
Flying to New York - BA or Virgin?
- Thread starter chris.tarry85
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We flew BA from Heathrow to New York. Flight there as ok and relatively comfortable with lots of entertainment and food. However the flight back seemed more cramped the food wasn't as good. Kind of wished we had paid the extra for premium economy. When I flew to Houston we went premium economy and I was nice to have the little extra leg room and better food.
We flew with Jet Blue from JFK to Las Vegas and they were great. The price I paid for that flight verses BA made you wonder how much BA make a seat. We got food plus free wifi and really comfy seats with loads of leg room.
I think next time I will try Virgin but as always I base it on time vs the price.
We flew with Jet Blue from JFK to Las Vegas and they were great. The price I paid for that flight verses BA made you wonder how much BA make a seat. We got food plus free wifi and really comfy seats with loads of leg room.
I think next time I will try Virgin but as always I base it on time vs the price.
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Actually, with baggage, its almost £150pp more than BA or Virgin from Heathrow - plus Gatwick is a pain for us to get to.
One of my wife's issues is anxiety - so making us move seats in front of everyone because they cocked up really doesn't help. Also shouting across the plane "Need an extender here!" didn't go down to well either.
We booked specific seats on a certain side of the plane with a blocked out seat so my Mum with a dodgy knee could spread out a bit - not cheap to do that. They moved us to the other side of the plane.
So on and so on. BA outperforms VA a hundredfold in customer sercvice in my experience.
My wife has been using VA since their first flight to Orlando so mid 80s before about 8 years ago they were fantastic apparently. She flew with them a minimum of 2 round trips a year for 10 years+. Maybe I jinxed it
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BA give more booze which is great if you don't have kids 
Got off at JFK and could hardly walk. Unfortunately was over an hour through customs.
Got off at JFK and could hardly walk. Unfortunately was over an hour through customs.
Flown BA from JFK, wouldn't fly with them again. Old interiors which are in need of an upgrade. Seat back TVs are tiny and service felt sub standard. Maybe my view would change on a newer plane, BA fly the 787 into Newark but if given the option I'd look elsewhere before going with BA again.
I booked flights to NY recently and found a return for £275 with Norwegian on a dreamliner - dates were a couple of days either side of when I needed to go. Frustratingly, on the dates where I actually could go, it was far more expensive. I've ended up booking with Iberia for £300, which I suspect will be a less than enjoyable experience.
This really, but then I don't have kids which I suspect could play a fairly major part in your choice. Of those two I'd go BA. We flew BA to Vegas a couple of weeks ago and the plane was great. Fairly comfy, as far as comfort goes in cattle class, the staff were great and you could eat / drink as much as you want. We flew on a 777.
Another one worth considering, if they fly direct, is Etihad. By far the best airline I've flown on.
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The 330s are 2-4-2 as well which in economy would be my decider and I would pick virgin as a result.
This.
Was part of a group that went to test their new inflight systems for 747.
They looked in good condition. Leg room was okay, but I am 2 inches shorter than the average male!
The business class (upper class) is Virgin is one of my favourites seats out there.
I fly LHR to Seattle regularly, and have always been impressed by BA - new 777s on the route now (although some old 744s have returned it seems).
Last time I went I flew with Delta because it was the only airline available at the time, I had wifi the whole way but it was slower and a 767, it was nice to have wifi but I've chosen BA for my next trip.
At the end of the day you're in a metal tube for a few hours, IFE is unimportant these days because everyone has mobile devices and can load them up with their own content. 10 years ago IFE would play a big part in any flight choice I made, no longer.
There is barely anything between all the major brands (Flying Atlantic) these days. It usually depends on the crew, weather and delays etc. how they respond and deal with issues.
So far I've found US Airways to have best customer service (but I can probably bet someone else has had the worst).
I currently have over 100k in BA/AA points so will be travelling with them a few times in 2016, so we'll see.
So far I've found US Airways to have best customer service (but I can probably bet someone else has had the worst).
I currently have over 100k in BA/AA points so will be travelling with them a few times in 2016, so we'll see.