AA 777 Business Class
 

Planning to fly BOS-LHR next week (day flight). Y is quite full and all exit-row seats are already gone by the time I made my reservation. I can only get an aisle seat in the back in the middle (5 across) section.

Checked ExpertFlyer and surpised to see there's C7 on that flight. So I'm tempted to upgrade.

Is there any way to tell if that flight has NGBC? Don't want to spend the $ and miles if it's still old seats.

I was corrected by others that apparently there is still one or two 777s not converted. I was under the impression they were all done. The chances of you hitting the last unconverted plane(s) are very small.

In reverse, when they started converting the 777s, it took me about 15 flights over months to finally hit one that was converted.

Can't guarantee you anything but I would bet my money on you getting NGBC.

Besides the BOS-LHR is a short flight(relatively speaking), so I wouldn't be too concerned about which seats you'll get.


btw, while the old seats were technologically years behind, I really never had a big problem with the seats. The only problem I had was the foot rest, but I used my carry on to support it.

I agree BOS-LHR is a very short flight, and taking the day flight isn't bad at all. I can't decide if I want to spend the $ + miles or not on such a "short" flight.

If economy wasn't this crowded, or if I could get an exit row seat, I would be happy enough to sit in the back.

Last time I flew LHR-BOS in the back, there was this HUGE family (parents, grand parents, and at least 7 kids) in Y. It was pure torture for folks who were sitting nearby. Fortunately, I had the whole row (3 across on 767) to myself in the back.

I will think about it over the next few days. I doubt the C7 will all disppear. And if it does, then I'll save $300+25K miles!

As of two weeks ago there were 9 unconverted 77s still flying. They're rolling out one or two a week, so agreed the chances of getting the old seats are diminishing rapidly.

We really like the morning BOS-LHR flight as it really whacks jetlag.

Did I read somewhere that if you fly J/F, one can get a "pass" for LHR immigration short cut? (Can't recall what the actual term is.)

I suppose the immigration line shouldn't be too bad given this is a day flight, but the "pass" would be a nice bonus.

The FAs in F/J should pass out Fastrack cards. Sometimes they may be out. In that case have your F or J BP ready to show to the Fastrack queue dragon. It should work.

As you enter the immigration hall take a quick look. Sometimes the "cattleclass" queue is shorter as it has many more agents. The Fastrack queue has only 1 or 2 agents. Many passengers with the pass just proceed to the Fastrack and on occasion, it may take longer.

I try to save my Fastrack cards as much as I can. I give the cards to my family/friends. Many don't have the luxury of flying in the front cabin. My niece and nephew were very grateful when they had the cards. Their flight came in after about 4-5 widebodies came in from Middle East and Africa. The regular queue extended beyond the entrance door to the immigration hall and snakes around about 10 or more times. A busy weekeend in Disney had shorter queues to the popular rides. That's when Fastrack card is invaluable.

Thanks. If the FAs don't pass them out, can I ask for it (assuming they're not out)?

I need to catch a bus from Heathrow to Windsor, and the last one runs at around 10ish pm. Don't want to miss it in case the plane is delayed + long immigration lines.

I've never had a problem at immigration coming off the BOS-LHR AA daytime flight. I don't think the fast track lane is open then, but ask for a pass on the plane or show your boarding pass to the guardian if it is. I'll echo AAFF however in that the last couple of times I've used fast track at LHR it seemed slower than the slow track.

If you don't get one it usually means that they don't have any, but always feel free to ask. All F/J passengers should get one, but in case you don't the F/J BP will do the trick so make sure you don't leave it behind or throw it away.

I was told that a status holder sitting in Y can get one, if they have extras on that particular flight and the request is friendly, not demanding. It helps to talk to the purser sometime during a flight, explaining that you need to catch a certain train/bus, etc. The request should be made in a galley, so the other passengers don't hear it.

The passes cost the airlines, so it's not like they can just hand them out to anybody that asks.

Turns out the last bus leaving for Windsor departs 22:11, from T5!

What's the likelihood of me making that bus assuming the flight arrives on time? I won't have checked luggage.

AA flies into T3, and I have to transfer T3-T5 landside.

With no luggage it might be okay. Down to the HEX platform (Heathrow Central) and HEX to T5. Don't know how often they run at night.

<i>T1, 2, 3 departure to T5 26 - 41 - 56 - 11 until 23:41</i>

If you can catch HEX at 21:26 or :41 then you should make it. The 21:56 may be too late.

It looks like there are 2 buses that run btw T3/T5. The advantage of the buses is they stop right at the T5 bus station. But they take longer and probably less reliable than HEX.

Any idea how far the HEX T5 station is from the T5 bus station?

&lt;&lt; If you can catch HEX at 21:26 or :41 then you should make it. The 21:56 may be too late. &gt;&gt;

This sounds right. I guess I'll play it by ear.

Have no idea. I did not have a chance to visit T5 just yet. The only thing I can tell you from my experiences at the other LHR terminals and LGW is that the busses actually get preference and they get to use the closest lane to the terminal. So AFAIK, the bus stop should be right outside at the arrival level, but again I have not been to T5 so don't take my word for it.

The T5 HEX station is amidships in the building. Come off the lift at the arrivals level and you turn one direction to the arrivals area, the other way and through the doors, across a covered walkway and you're at the bus stops - Hoppa, local... etc. You'll need to see which bus platform your bus will use, but the HEX &gt; bus stop distance is a matter of yards. I'd think the HEX would be way faster than the bus around the perimeter road.

I think I'll probably not try to risk it. There are a lot of IFs here... IF the flight arrives on time. IF I get thru immigration w/i 1 hour. IF the HEX runs smoothly to get me to T3.

It'll be too much for me to worry about for the next week.

I won't bother w/heading to Windsor that night. I'll either book a hotel in London or at LHR.

Thanks!

I think I'm getting myself confused regarding the upgrade.

I checked EF again today, and my flight still has C7.

That means all prior upgrade requests have been granted and there are still at least 7 upgradable Business seats available, right?

So it's not likely any of the Y exit row seats will open up (due to elites getting their upgrade requests cleared)?

The only ways for the C7 to disappear over the next few days are:

1) New Y pax requesting the upgrade
2) AA takes them away

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I'm still trying to decide if I want to upgrade. I'm less willing to do so if exit row seats open up and I can grab one - but seems unlikely based on my thinking above?

Just because one is elite it doesn't mean they want to upgrade. Don't forget, only EXPs and some 2M milers have e-VIPs at their disposal. Then it's a no brainer because it's a free upgrade, but if you do the mileage upgrade then it's 25k miles plus $300 each way. Many are very content on sitting in the exit row seats for this short flight.

Perhaps some are counting on Y oversell and hope for a free op-up.

C7 means that the J cabin is practicaly empty at the moment. Perhaps some were already upgraded but I would not assume that. Perhaps nobody asked for an upgrade just yet.

Right. I don't think I made my confusion clear (is that an oxymoron)?

Do the e-vip upgrades also come out of the C inventory?

If it says C7 right now, am I correct to assume *right now* nobody is waitlisted for an upgrade?

If any of the elites sitting in exit row had requested an upgrade, he/she would have been upgraded already, right?

Y is not completely full either, so it's unlikely there will be op-up.

<i>Do the e-vip upgrades also come out of the C inventory?</i>

yes

<i>If it says C7 right now, am I correct to assume *right now* nobody is waitlisted for an upgrade?</i>

most likely,

but sometimes the system is little slow in clearing the waitlist. If you see the same C7 the following day then it's safe to assume there is no waitlist.

<i>If any of the elites sitting in exit row had requested an upgrade, he/she would have been upgraded already, right?</i>

read above

<i>Y is not completely full either, so it's unlikely there will be op-up.</i>

if true, then most likely your assumption is correct...:-)

Okay, hopefully my last question on this issue:

When will &quot;we&quot; find out which is the actual aircraft I will be flying out on (ie the tail #)? This is the 9am flight out of BOS. Will the A/C be assigned the night before, or not until the morning of?

Apart from the seats btw OGBC/NGBC, is everything else the same? What about the IFE?

I would not worry about getting the old seats.

I assume that the ac will be parked overnight at BOS. That said, there is no guarantee. BOS probably has few 777s parked overnight and equipment changes do happen at the last minute. No guarantee. Besides, how would you know the tail# of the craft that's sitting at the airport and the tail# of the craft assigned to your flight?

Easier way to find out is the seat map. I forget and somebody else may be able to fill in, but it had something to do with the closet/toilet in the front of the J section. I just don't remember which is which. One is a closet only the other one is 1/2 closet, 1/2 toilet. I really don't remember, but again, it's still not a guarantee, as equipment changes do happen at the last minute.

Nothing is guaranteed until you actually board the plane and even then there is a possibility of a mechanical and equipment substitution.

I doubt very much AA upgraded the IFE before they changed the seats, so it will be different if you really are unlucky to get the old seats.

Food will be the same. Nothing to do with the seats.

Service - depends on the crew. Average to very good in my experiences. Nothing to do with the seats.

I would not worry so much. Like I said before, I'm willing to bet money you will get the new seats.

I forgot. The new 777 will have an extra row of 2 seats. Row 8 seats H and J.

yk...Hmm I dont think you said if you are travelling Thursday or Friday of this week...at any rate, the a/c has the new seats....Both have a row 8 with seats 8H 8J....see AAFF's response....At the moment there are 18 C seats Thursday and 11 Friday....Say Hi to the Queen......

BeachBoi- Thanks. it's this Thursday.

FWIW, in the end I decided NOT to go for the upgrade. Of course, I didn't even realize apart from the $300 + miles, I would also need to pay an additional $100 for the &quot;expedited upgrade fee&quot; as it would have been requested less than 7 days prior to travel.

On both outbound and inbound, the 777 had NGBC. I did not find economy that bad except for the inedible food. The IFE is not bad w/personal screens and plenty of movie choices, esp so when compared to TATL 763 in Y!

IMO, it's not worthwhile for the upgrade given such a short flight.