british airways
 

we're flying to heathrow from jfk on british airways. i've never flown BA before. i've heard nothing but positive comments. what has been your experiences?

love 'em. i use them Seattle to London on their overnight whenever i go to Europe. they make it as comfortable as possible. good entertainment, decent food, reasonably attentive service, etc.

smallest seats in the sky & ugliest uniforms are the only negatives
;-)

I like them too...
on the flight I took with them, I found the attendants to be very upbeat and friendly. The plane had the seats with those nifty little wings that pull fwd. for inclining your head to sleep, and they gave us a little care pkg. that contained a sleepmask, a little toothbrush/paste thingy, and a fresh pair of socks :)

They are expanding their use of backwards facing seats. Currently the two middle seats in Business Class face backwards. Supposedly, this is to give you more room. What it actually does is allow them to put one extra seat per row in. I wasn't that fond of facing someone's feet.

I read recently that they are expanding the middle seat backwards concept to Economy class. Totally weird.

I fly BA to Europe three or four times a year and have always considered them to be an excellent airline. Their reward travel program is also great. I don't know how many of you out there take advantage of it but a couple of times a year they will honor many other reward programs and give you 50% more miles for points.

Good to hear. :)
I'm flying with them this Saturday. ((y))

jelane..EXPLAIN!

Had a good experience. Food was better than many. Flight attendants more personalble. Seats very small in economy.

In first class they had these nifty seats that looked like bathtubs for sleeping.

BA has nice planes, good food, etc. BUT be careful, because if you get a special fare or anything special with your fare, their website will make sure you Don't get it. It's a very buggy site, and the people who work for BA in the US (for customer service) are Not Helpful. In the UK, they are MUCH better.

For many years I have been using a Diners Club international for all my travel needs. British Airways partners with Diners Club and a couple of times a year I transfer my diners club points to my British Airway points and they give me two for one. I personally perfer diners club over my american express. Hope this explains.

BA is nice. Also you get you own bottle of wine (or 2) and don't forget to ask for Baileys for your after dinner coffee.

I used them for flights to and from LHR last September and had no complaints.

As to those rear-facing seats. there seems to be some evidence that rear-facing seats may provide more safety in emergency and even crash situations.

>>>>>
As to those rear-facing seats. there seems to be some evidence that rear-facing seats may provide more safety in emergency and even crash situations.
>>>>>

several years ago i read that using rear facing seats is the safety improvement that would decrease injuries and deaths the most. out of all possible improvements, it is also one of the cheapest. at the time, this was seen as commercially undesirable due to the perceived preferences of passengers.

You can check-in on-line from 24hrs before the flight, with an option of choosing the seat. They share the same terminal as UA at JFK (Terminal 7).
You'll land at Terminal 4 at Heathrow.

BA transatlantic is ok if coach, very good if business. You're most likely to circle over London before landing due to chronic congestion at LHR slots, you might have a looooong walk from the gate to passport control, possibly wait some time for the luggage to come out. These are the only gripes but mostly for BAA (which operates LHR) not BA. Remember you get only ONE piece of carry-on for the flight OUT of LHR (1+1 for flights INTO LHR).

When the U.S. airlines started charging $5 for alcohol in economy on flights to Europe, I joined the BA Executive Club. I've been very happy with them. Last year, I used 50,000 miles to fly to Berlin and this year, I used 30,000 miles to upgrade an Economy Plus ticket to Business Class, which has a flat bed.

In economy, expect small seats but a great selection of movies, good food and an after take-off drink from the bar and wine with meals. You should get a nice piece of pie, too. You can leave those $5 bills at home. One hour before arrival in London, expect a cold breakfast in a box that is actually quite good.

Sorry, that was 60,000 for Berlin, 50,000 to London.

No, I was right the right time. 50,000 to Berlin, but 60,000 to Spain, and Italy.

I fly BA to Greece each September with a stop-over in London on the way back. I have to say that compared with all of the other airlines I've flown, they are one of the best for customer service in the air.

A couple of years ago they left our luggage at LHR when we made our connection to Athens. Customer service was wonderful. They forwarded the bags on to the island where we were staying and even paid for our supplies needed (after we returned to the US) until our bags arrived.

One thing I would suggest though ... if you are flying out of LHR after a stay in the UK I would definitely be there at least 3-4 hours early for the flight. All international flights usually have to snake through the same line. On my last trip it took 2 1/2 hours to get to the ticket desk to check our bags. It then took almost an hour to get through security. By the time we got through we had only about 15-20 minutes before our flight. We literally ran to the gate and were one of the last to board.

The one complaint I have with BA is that if you purchase an economy ticket you DO NOT receive an frequent flyer miles.

We flew from Montreal to London, London to Paris, and back to Montreal on BA last summer. The planes were very comfortable, good entertainment, food was edible, and everything was on time.

BUT, on the way home BA decided not to load half the luggage from London to Montreal. Too much cargo. The luggage wasn't lost - BA knew exactly where everyone's bags were. There was a line of about 70 upset and hostile passengers waiting to file lost luggage reports. It took BA FOUR days to return our suitcase. Many of the passengers were just commencing their vacation, backpackers etc.... If I use BA again overseas, I will definitely try and do a carry on only vacation.

We've flown BA between Montreal and London for all our trips to Europe in the past two years. Great service, good food even! Love the little packet (those socks are so warm!). They have seat-back screens and a good choice of entertainment. We've been very satisfied with them and will continue to use them if the price is right.

I've not encountered a single significant problem with BA in the past year - though people who've hit them on the several days they've had weather, terrorism or strike problems are practically speechless with incandescent fury about them.

It's essential to check in online, since their queues at JFK and T4 otherwise can be horrid. By checking in online, the experience at the terminals has, in my possibly unusual experience, INVARIABLY been smooth, painless and exceptionally quick over the past year.

Whatever my plans, I ensure that as a matter of principle I'm at a working computer with a printer available 23 hours and 59 minutes before take off if I'm going long haul on BA. In dire emergency, just at a computer, since you can print the boarding pass off later.

If flying coach I recommend the morning flight from JFK to LHR. You arrive in time to make it to a hotel, and you don't have to fool around with the concept of "sleeping" in BA economy seats for a short overnight flight (even shorter after the meal service.) Also the JFK and LHR security/baggage through-put tends to be faster.

I guess I'm the only one who had a bad experience with BA, I'll be brave and share my story:

I made the mistake of flying BA once because of a cheaper fare in their World Traveler Plus cabin. It was the worst mistake I ever made in regards to flying. The cabin crew came across as cold and stand-offish. I have to admit the flight to the UK was OK, I was not impressed by their World Traveler Plus cabin, it was supposed to have more room but it did not. Virgin's Premium Economy cabin is much better IMO.

The disaster was on our flight home to the US. When I originally booked our flights, six months in advance, I was able to book the seats I wanted. I choose 2 seats by the window. When we checked in at Heathrow, I was told we could not have the seats I booked six months ago as they were going to give them to a "Gold Club" member who may, or may not show up for the flight, but I was more than welcome to check again at the gate to see if the seats were available. Whaa?!? You know how this ends right?

Because our seats were "changed", we were given what seats were still available, which meant my husband's seat was directly behind my seat. Yes, that's right, technically we were still sitting together, just not side-by-side... I still can't believe that happened, no apology, nothing. So I have never flown with BA again, and most likely never will. I like to do business with a company that has a sense of what customer service is.

In all the years I have flown I have *never* had this happen. The seats I choose when I book are the seats I sit in.

As with most things it's always nice to have a choices, and in the Airline Industry there a quite a few. Hope you have a great trip!

walkinaround.

If rear facing seats are safer, then why only put in half of them? Most Business class seats are either 2-2-2 or 2-3-2. BA is 2-4-2, hence the 'extra' seat

If the space stays the same and the number of seats per row increase, is the experience better or worse?

you people are "scaring me". just how small are these seats? would you recommend getting aisle seats across from one another? that seems like it might give us a bit more room to be comfortable in a "tiny" seat.

The seat pitch on BA is 31", a bit less than AA. Yes, go for aisle seats if you can get them. Actually the last 2 times we flew BA, when we checked in they offered us upgrades to Premium for $200.00 or business for $400...we took them up on the offer

I'll make it simple - BA stands for "bloody awfull" and they do a great job of living up to their reputation in my opinion. I am an AA frequent flyer. BA will not give me AA miles for flying US to UK & v.v( no other alliance will do that); cannot use AA miles to fly on BA to London: once on a flight from Cape Town to London they awarded me 1/3 of miles flown, because "it was a discounted" ticket ( purchased through cruise line); cannot book seats online most of the time til 24 hours before departure ( I'd like not to get the "worst seat" on the plane)- who needs more reasons not to fly them?( unless you live in UK).

When I started flying to Europe from Chicago 11 years ago, I flew BA. The 1st meal that I got was great. I had heard about how bad airline food was. I could not believe it. After I got done eating I got a survey form about the food. I never got good food on BA after that. One thing that I hated about BA is that when we got to Heathrow we would stop far from the terminal. They would move in the old metal stairway and it did not matter how bad your legs bothered you you had to manage to walk down the stairs. They would then load you on a bus and bus you to the terminal where you had to climb another 2 flights of stairs. If you were a single person forget about seat assignments. I usually ended up in the last row by the toilet. One time coming back to Chicago I got my seat reassigned 3 times. I got seat assignment when I bought ticket. I got reassigned when I checked in at Heathrow and when I got to the gate I got my seat reassigned again. The economy seating was the tightest that I have ever seen. My fold down table was broken one time. I had to hold my knees under the table to eat. One time there was a lady that touched a male flight attendant to try to get his attention and he turned around to her and said "Don't you ever touch me again." Two years was all that I could take flying BA. I got the feeling that they did not want my business. I switched to another airline. I hope that they have improved.

Denis - I couldn't agree with you more - there are too many alternatives in the airline business. It's best to avoid London airports in any case, for any number of reasons. If you have to fly to London, fly Virgin.

Flanneruk, 23 hours and 59 min., check.
thereyet

...<i>once on a flight from Cape Town to London they awarded me 1/3 of miles flown, because &quot;it was a discounted&quot; ticket...</i>

Actually, if you do the math it's 25%.

Gardyloo - I am not sure I follow - &quot; 25%&quot; of what?
Flanneruk - do you have to be at the computer at 23:59 hours before the flight with every other airline? I bet not so. Only with BA.
Angelica00 - you are not alone. I am done with BA for good.

25% of the miles flown, not 1/3.

Gardyloo - do you work for BA? How do you know how many miles they gave me? 25% or 33%. Even I don't remember exactly, other than I was given only a fraction of miles flown ( or a fraction of what I earned and deserved) - unheard of with any other airline, regardless how much you paid for your tickets. I was just making a point.

Paulchili:

Well, with American Airlines it really doesn't matter whether you're at your computer a year, ten years or fifteen seconds before takeoff, since they don't do online checkin. Oh, except for domestic flights, but this board is about the world.

So watching an endless, immobile, queue of AA first class customers at Miami the other day, and comparing their lot with the 35 seconds it tok me in BA cattle class to deposit my bags, I concluded I'd never fly AA except under duress. The fact that AA had refused me a second glass of water on the incoming flight and had managed to send a plane to the US without US landing cards - made it clear that here's an airline that simply doesn't understand the basics of operating outrside its native, cosseted, turf.

OK, I am British and I go for BA everytime. All airlines have some &quot;hick ups&quot;and BA is no exception. However overall they are 5* whereas AA and the rest of the US airlines are, in my opinion 3*

Funny, in all the years I've flown First Class through Miami (horrible airport, BTW) I've never seen endless lines at the First Class check-in with American.

I've always picked my seats months in advance when I book &amp; have never been given a different one on AA.

So BA might be wonderful, but I'll stick with AA.

<i>Gardyloo - do you work for BA? How do you know how many miles they gave me? 25% or 33%. Even I don't remember exactly, other than I was given only a fraction of miles flown ( or a fraction of what I earned and deserved) - unheard of with any other airline, regardless how much you paid for your tickets. I was just making a point.</i>

No I don't work for them. BA's stingy FF plan is well known around the frequent flyer community.

For AAdvantage members, BA gives 25% in discount economy, Iberia gives 33%, and many fare buckets on Cathay Pacific give 0%. Flying BA between London and the US also gives AA members 0%.

The airlines pay each other something less than a penny a mile for FF miles they allocate (actual number is a secret.) On a 4000 mile trip, that makes BA's mileage cost $10 as opposed to $40 on a comparable AA flight. The $30 difference helps make Wally's wine &quot;free.&quot;

Flanneruk - I guess we've all had our &quot;airline experiences&quot; and conduct ourselves accordingly. I have no problem with BA business class (other than I can afford it only when flying on miles outside of US), but whenever I have flown economy I could NEVER get a seat assigned online ( or on the phone) ahead of time. I had to wait til 24 hours before the flight to do so - and that is not always possible or convenient. I would rather know where I am sitting and stand in line for check (i.e. AA) in than the other way around (BA). My seating assignment on a 12 hour flight is very important to me - more than standing in line for 20 or 30 minutes for check in.

&quot;<i>How do you know how many miles they gave me? 25% or 33%.</i>&quot; I've flown BA only a handful of times and even I know how many miles thay gave you.

It isn't a secret how BA computes their mileage . . . . .