Pe@rson From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2001, 18883 posts, RR: 54 Posted (5 years 4 months 1 week 5 days 12 hours ago) and read 2706 times:
I have so far flown across the Atlantic with DL, BA, CO and VS. (I'll be flying NW next Friday, and I'm looking forward to that.) Of those, my favourite overall experience was with VS. But with which airline have you had the best experience while flying across the Atlantic?
"Everyone writing for the Telegraph knows that the way to grab eyeballs is with Ryanair and/or sex."
B747forever From United States of America, joined May 2007, 16591 posts, RR: 11 Reply 1, posted (5 years 4 months 1 week 5 days 12 hours ago) and read 2704 times:
I have flown with LH and BA ( to LAX) and the better one has to be BA!!!
BCAL From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2004, 3384 posts, RR: 18 Reply 2, posted (5 years 4 months 1 week 5 days 12 hours ago) and read 2700 times:
No doubt about it - Wardair Canada. Every flight with them was consistently good, service impeccable, food better than a high class restaurant (Chateaubriand or Salmon en Croute served on Wedgwood China with real linen, with starter, dessert, coffee and liqueurs and fine wines all gratis), cabin crew who only disappeared when they were on galley duties or official rest breaks (otherwise they always remained in the cabin seeing to passengers' needs). Even the pre-landing snack was a feast .... And, yes, this was Y! It surpassed First on PanAm and Ambassador Class on TWA.
Back to the present. BA wins hands down. VS -- The Chavs' Airline.
MOL on SRB's latest attack at BA: "It's like a little Chihuahua barking at a dying Labrador. Nobody cares."
PlymSpotter From Spain, joined Jun 2004, 11246 posts, RR: 63 Reply 3, posted (5 years 4 months 1 week 5 days 12 hours ago) and read 2696 times:
So far I've flown VS, KLM, DL and NW, although I can't really comment on KL as I was asleep before we left AMS and didn't wake up until wheels were down for landing at JFK.
My favourite is NW without a doubt - great IFE, comfortable seat, great food and wine even in Y and friendly cabin crews, I was very impressed! Virgin was quite a disappointment, the IFE kept breaking down, the food was only average, and the legroom and seat quality was nothing special - especially with the bloody great black box for the IFE system down by your feet, not at all impressed with that as it made for a very uncomfortable flight. DL were good too, very friendly and happy crew and good (healthy) food. The seat though wasn't the best and the IFE, well, not really worth mentioning!
Pe@rson From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2001, 18883 posts, RR: 54 Reply 4, posted (5 years 4 months 1 week 5 days 11 hours ago) and read 2690 times:
Quoting BCAL (Reply 2): BA wins hands down. VS -- The Chavs' Airline.
Never! I've flown BA long-haul a few times now, and VS is, in my experience, superior. I guess I ought to polish my rings, get a new pair of tracksuit bottoms... or just try BA again.
Dan - what was your routing with NW? I'll be flying them LGW-DTW, MSP-LGW.
"Everyone writing for the Telegraph knows that the way to grab eyeballs is with Ryanair and/or sex."
PlymSpotter From Spain, joined Jun 2004, 11246 posts, RR: 63 Reply 5, posted (5 years 4 months 1 week 5 days 11 hours ago) and read 2687 times:
I did BHX-AMS-MSP-DTW-AMS-BHX (It's me so it couldn't have been direct ) which meant I got the somewhat archaic DC10 on the last flight out there, and the modern A333 on the way back - I think both of your flights are A333 operated too?
Pe@rson From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2001, 18883 posts, RR: 54 Reply 6, posted (5 years 4 months 1 week 5 days 11 hours ago) and read 2686 times:
Cool, thanks Dan. Yeah, both will be on the 333.
Talking about indirect routings, when I wanted to go from LON to SIN I decided to fly LHR-MLE-CMB-KUL-SIN. Was a good deal. It also included hotel, food and transfers in CMB.
"Everyone writing for the Telegraph knows that the way to grab eyeballs is with Ryanair and/or sex."
PlymSpotter From Spain, joined Jun 2004, 11246 posts, RR: 63 Reply 7, posted (5 years 4 months 1 week 5 days 11 hours ago) and read 2684 times:
Quoting Pe@rson (Reply 6): Talking about indirect routings, when I wanted to go from LON to SIN I decided to fly LHR-MLE-CMB-KUL-SIN. Was a good deal. It also included hotel, food and transfers in CMB.
Now that sounds like a deal indeed! On the NW flight see if they'll give you the overwing exit seats, well worth it for the flight.
TrijetsRMissed From United States of America, joined Oct 2006, 2102 posts, RR: 6 Reply 9, posted (5 years 4 months 1 week 5 days 1 hour ago) and read 2650 times:
Quoting Pe@rson (Thread starter): I'll be flying NW next Friday, and I'm looking forward to that
At the very least, you will probably find it better than DL. I flew NW last May, AMS-MEM in an A333. The aircraft was immaculate, as it was brand new. I spoke with a couple of the flight attendants who were truly excited to be working on the state-of-the-art aircraft. As much as I love the DC-10's,(and I certainly miss them), the arrival of the A330's transformed the NW TATL product.
The food was decent enough, as were the seats. The IFE is great, lots of options to choose from, although I was in an aisle seat so I can't comment on the box. And of course there is free alcohol, which is a plus. The A333 is quieter than most other widebodies, so that makes a near 10 hour flight more bearable as well.
WILCO737 From Greenland, joined Jun 2004, 8533 posts, RR: 78 Reply 10, posted (5 years 4 months 1 week 4 days 23 hours ago) and read 2641 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW HEAD MODERATOR
Quoting Pe@rson (Thread starter): I have so far flown across the Atlantic with DL, BA, CO and VS.
You havent tried LH yet? Well, I guess many people on A.net avoid it because of the lack of PTV! but this is due to change! The 330 fleet has it now and the 346 will get it. Not sure about 343 and 744 but I am positive that it will come too
FWA2500 From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 98 posts, RR: 0 Reply 11, posted (5 years 4 months 1 week 4 days 23 hours ago) and read 2630 times:
well, ive only flown DL, OK (in '99 PRG to EWR) and SR (in '97 ATL to ZRH) and the Swissair flight was by far my favorite, but alas, they no longer exist to this day that is the only time ive been on a 747
SK601 From Belgium, joined Jun 2005, 975 posts, RR: 4 Reply 12, posted (5 years 4 months 1 week 4 days 22 hours ago) and read 2621 times:
I've flown many airlines, but across the Atlantic ony 3: KLM, NW and SQ.
SQ was good, but I found their service very robotic. NW was not bad, you get your food, they show a movie or 2 (pre ptv) and everything was running on time. KLM is my favourite. No state of the art cabin, the B747 don't even have ptv's, just average meals, but the cabin crew is very nice.
Signol From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2007, 2953 posts, RR: 7 Reply 13, posted (5 years 4 months 1 week 4 days 22 hours ago) and read 2620 times:
My transatlantic flights:
British Airways (LHR - LAX and return, and LAR - GIG)
Virgin Atlantic (LHR - IAD and return)
KLM (LAX - AMS)
Northwest (AMS - LAX)
Air New Zealand (LHR - LAX and return)
Iberia (MAD - GIG)
Aerolineas Argentinas (GRU - MAD)
And I'd probably say it's a tie for "best" - BA and VS
Scooter01 From Norway, joined Nov 2006, 1163 posts, RR: 8 Reply 14, posted (5 years 4 months 1 week 4 days 7 hours ago) and read 2567 times:
Quoting BCAL (Reply 2): No doubt about it - Wardair Canada. Every flight with them was consistently good, service impeccable, food better than a high class restaurant (Chateaubriand or Salmon en Croute served on Wedgwood China with real linen, with starter, dessert, coffee and liqueurs and fine wines all gratis),
-Now they were a class act. Who will forget the Champagne/OJ served before take-off from YYZ to Southern destinations?
As for Trans-Atlantic, I have done SAS, Pan-Am, Air Canada, Sterling, Canadian Pacific and KLM.
These days I have to vote for KLM as the transit-time in AMS works out the best when I'm flying from Oslo to Toronto.
Scooter01
"We all have a girl and her name is nostalgia" - Hemingway
TrijetsRMissed From United States of America, joined Oct 2006, 2102 posts, RR: 6 Reply 15, posted (5 years 4 months 1 week 3 days 23 hours ago) and read 2550 times:
Quoting SK601 (Reply 12): KLM is my favourite. No state of the art cabin, the B747 don't even have ptv's, just average meals, but the cabin crew is very nice.
Indeed, the cabin crew was very professional and gave great service on my flight as well. I thought the meal was pretty good as well.
Goldorak From France, joined Sep 2006, 1677 posts, RR: 3 Reply 16, posted (5 years 4 months 1 week 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 2543 times:
I've flown in Y : AF, UA, DL, AA and AF beats all of them wthout hesitation : very good food, free wine & champagne, friendly F/A, etc. And if you have the chance to fly a B744, you can have a grat seat at the upper deck wich is like a Y+ cabin.
8herveg From United Kingdom, joined Aug 2006, 1118 posts, RR: 0 Reply 17, posted (5 years 4 months 1 week 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 2543 times:
Quoting BCAL (Reply 2): BA wins hands down. VS -- The Chavs' Airline.
Thank you! I'm glad there are people on here who agree. When I was younger, some of my friends used to rave about VS when they always used to fly with them to - guess where - Orlando (where all the chavy Brits go!). I had to fly with them for the first time last year and did not know what all the hype was about. IMO I thought the general look of the interior was pretty cheap with all the seats covered in different bright colours. I guess the IFE on the way out to EWR was good as it was AVOD on the 744, but on the way back from JFK, we were on the A343 and the IFE was terrible. Food was ok, but in contrast, on British Airways, the general look and feel for everything on board is so much classier and stylish. The FA's look much smarter in their pinstripe uniform (and also tend be much more attractive than VS's FA's). And although BA has only just got AVOD on some of its aircraft, it will be fitted on all of their long-haul fleet by next year, whereas VS has I think 4 different types of IFE across their fleet which doesn't very consistent for the customer.
Plus, BA always seem to be a little bit cheaper and BA's New Club World looks a lot nicer than VS's Upper Class!
Columba From Germany, joined Dec 2004, 6833 posts, RR: 5 Reply 18, posted (5 years 4 months 1 week 3 days 20 hours ago) and read 2538 times:
I have flown over the atlantic with LH, DL, Sabena, VS and NW. I have to say LH was the best followed by NW.
NW would be on top if I would only count my return flight but on my flight to the States service was bad.
Very lazy and unfriendly crew only one drink in 9 hours while on my return flight the crew was so friendly and nice that I could not believe to be on a flight with the same airline.
VS despite of the great inflight entertainement and the choice of movies a real disappointment. I have never had so uncomfortable seats before. I am not tall but I could not stretch my legs in that sardine can 747-400.
LH despite missing PTV (how about reading a book once in a while ? Or bring your own laptop ?) the best flights over the atlantic. Always on time, comfortable seats, good food, nice crews, always enough to drink etc....
It will forever be a McDonnell Douglas MD 80 , Boeing MD 80 sounds so wrong
MSYtristar From United States of America, joined Aug 2005, 6250 posts, RR: 51 Reply 21, posted (5 years 4 months 1 week 8 hours ago) and read 2411 times:
I've done the following across the pond...
AA (ORD-DUB, LHR-ORD)
AF (CDG-ATL)
BA (BOS-LHR)
CO (IAH-LGW)
DL (ATL-AMS)
LH (FRA-DEN)
SN (BOS-BRU)
UA (IAD-FRA and back)
My top three were AF, LH and BA....by a long shot!
AF and LH blew me away with the in flight service. It was outstanding...best I've ever experienced in Y. It was a 744 on LH and a 343 on AF. Amazing flights. I took BA in 1999 and unfortunately I don't remember a great deal about that flight, but I can tell you that it was a 777 and that our group raved about the service once we landed back in BOS.
Out of the American carriers, UA gets my vote for #1 because I freaking love the much maligned 744, and their service has always exceeded my expectations across the pond.