Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Best Airline from US to London?

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- - Best Airline from US to London? (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/best-airline-from-us-to-london-244023/)

As indicated by the various responses, there is no resounding majority in favor of any specific airline. When you ask for the "best airline" you will get opinions based on what is important to other people. Even a parameter like "comfort" could mean knee room, toilet cleanliness, pillows and blankets, individual video screens, new movies, and a host of other things. And if having a great movie is your idea of a "best" airline, then you need to check out the video and movie provisions. As for meals, well, unless you are in the business or first class seats, you probably wouldn't see a whole lot of difference among all the airlines. Some people say a certain airline has good meals, but how many times have they flown and how many other airlines have they flown? And is their standard of food quality the same as yours? All I'm getting at is that unless you have very specific and strong feelings about certain aspects of a flight (for instance, knee room) you probably wouldn't go wrong with any major airline or with the preferred smaller ones such as Virgin. And although some will say that courtesy and helpfulness vary from one airline to the next, I will maintain that they vary from one crew to the next on every airline, and to some extent from one aircraft type to the next on any specific airline. Sorry to be long-winded, but I just don't think there is any "best" airline in the entire world unless you fly in the upper classes. Once you get to first class, there are some unique distinguishing features among different airlines, and you might want to consider those. And if cost is really a consideration, which it apparently is, then just go for the lowest cost combined with the best connecting times, and you won't go wrong with any airline that has been named. Personally, I look at the flight to Europe as a few hours of agony to be endured in order to enjoy a couple of weeks of pure pleasure. As one poster already noted, if you get there and back safely, it was a good flight and it was a good airline, by definition.

But remember Carrie, Continental as of now is the only one charging $4 per drink in coach supposedly to improve the meals!

If you fly from Orlando...skip Virgin...unless you really love tired ,whiny kids, loaded down with Plutos!They have the best group tour fares ..but BA is a lot quieter!

Virgin absolutely. I did not find it cramped at all! Great food, excellent wine, wondeful service, individual tv's with movies, news, cartoons, individual Play Stations or Nintendo for the kids. And all in coach! Plus they give you a neat kit when you board with an eye mask, socks, toothbrush/paste, lotion, etc. They are a great airline!

My only complaint about Virgin but enough to send me to BA They don't serve coke or diet coke. They serve a very vile tasting virgin cola conveniently packaged in red and grey cans to make you think you're getting coke or diet coke. I found the taste of the diet virgin cola to be disgusting. That sent me back to BA.

Ha, thats hilarious - you're changing airlines coz you didn't like their cola? Ummm, why not just bring your own?

has anyone ever noticed, when they are trying to point out that they think the person is stupid (on email/chat) they always start out their point with, "um"? interesting...

If you are flying from CVG, you can take Delta non-stop to Gatwick. Best tip..get a credit card that accrues miles and start using it for EVERYTHING!

A good web site for airline reviews is Skytrax (www.airlinequality.com) - tehy only have 2 airlines on 5 stars at the moment, cathay pacific & singapore which are probably not an option for US to UK (unless you want to go a really long route! :-) ). But within each airline they grade it on specific topics such as economy class seats, food, enterttainment etc which may help you decide.

Jill I travel with two young teens and before I book overseas travel, I check to see if they have individual tv screens in each seat. I always check the type of aircraft to figure out seating arrangement whether it be 2x5x2 or 3 seats together, etc. Also some screens allow for video games to be played. It sure keeps my kids less antsy. BTW, we're taking Swiss in Novemeber.

While there may be a lot of variability among crews, I think there is a company culture among the staff and this tends to show. For example, you will rarely be treated disrespectfully on some of the more service oriented foreign airlines such as Singapore. BA tends to have disinterested, peevish staff . Some of the American airlines, particularly Delta have some arrogant and overtly callous employees on their transatlantic routes. I am sure that this behavior is not unknown to the management but it is tolerated, nevertheless.

Sounds like Jane and I were on the same Delta flight from hell. I prefer AA, but Delta is the only airline I will never fly with again.

Anne, I think you mentioned that you are departing from Ohio. Depending on what the airfares are when you book, you might consider comparing the fare that you are interested in to what Hotwire has to offer, and then making a bid on Priceline. I only mention this because I am going to London in November, and there haven't been any bargain airfares advertised for low season yet. I think that March flights are considered shoulder season. Anyway, although I would normally fly direct from Boston, the best fare I could find was $500. Ended up bidding on Priceline, and got a ticket for $279, but I am flying on Air Canada and I have to fly through Toronto. Not that this would necessarily be your scenario, but I am leaving 2 hours earlier than I normally would have had I flown direct from Boston, but I arrive at Heathrow at the same time. So, you might want to check into this as an alternative. Granted, I didn't know what airline I was flying until my bid was accepted, but Air Canada has a good reputation, and there is no harm in exploring other avenues. Regarding my favorite airline, well, if I can't get upgraded to business class, then my favorite airline is the one that I actually have little or no memory of the flight. It's really only the bad service that I remember.

Hey Dallas, I must have been on that flight with you and Jane! Delta brought new meaning to the phrase "the flight from hell"! I'm not sure even a great rate could entice me to use them again.

Hi Anne - I've flown to Europe half a dozen times in premium, business and economy classes. Just returned from Europe via Virgin Atlantic in Upper Class. Have flown Virgin a few times and have always found their services/amenities to be as good as it gets on a transatlantic flight. I've flown American a few times as well and the little bit of extra space in coach is noticeable. Found American's seats in First Class to be the most comfortable of all. Heathrow is closer to London than Gatwick, but Gatwick is a little easier to handle. There are express trains from both airports into the city (though you can take the Tube from Heathrow if you wish). The Heathrow Express takes 15-20 minutes and arrives at Paddington Station. Gatwick Express takes 30 minutes and arrives at Victoria Station. There's not really an advantage of choosing one over the other unless the proximity of the airport to the city is important to you (cheaper cab fare with Heathrow than Gatwick). Since you are traveling with your family I'd recommend Virgin. The amenities and services make the time pass quickly which makes the journey more enjoyable and comfortable. Have fun!