Upsmd11 From United States of America, joined May 2003, 799 posts, RR: 4 Posted (8 years 9 months 2 weeks 5 days 5 hours ago) and read 1935 times:
Hello All,
I haven't posted here in a while as I have been moving, which is quite tiring to say the least.
I am getting ready to take my summer vacation to Spain and Portugal. I am flying to PHL from SDF and then onto MAD on the US A330-300, which I have always wanted to take a trip on. I have heard good things about the Envoy Class for US transatlantic service but haven't experienced it yet.
I am wondering if anybody here has flown in the A330 Envoy Class or the old First Class section. I am going to try and call US to see if I can get the First class seats. Is it worth it?
A330323X From United States of America, joined Oct 2003, 3039 posts, RR: 47 Reply 1, posted (8 years 9 months 2 weeks 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 1847 times:
I've flown in Envoy Class several times on the A330-300. It's really fantastic. Great flight attendants, good seats, good food, the *fabulous* P@ssport system. Great Envoy Lounge in PHL.
As for the old F seats in Row 1, they'll assign them to you in advance if you are on a Paid Envoy ticket, or if you are a Chairman's Preferred with US Airways. Some people have been able to sweet talk the agent into the seats if they are a Gold Preferred. If none of those apply to you, you should still be able to request Row 1 from the agent at the airport if it is not full. Try at the ticket counter in SDF, try at the Club in PHL, try at the gate in PHL. They're certainly nicer than the Envoy seats (I've flown in them once), but without the rest of the old F service, I wouldn't worry too much if you can't get them. You'll be quite happy in Envoy.
I'm the expert on here on two things, neither of which I care about much anymore.
GSPSPOT From United States of America, joined Sep 2003, 2749 posts, RR: 2 Reply 2, posted (8 years 9 months 2 weeks 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 1832 times:
I'm surprised to hear they've still got those seats in the planes. I would have thought they'd rip 'em out to put in more Envoy seats, or use the space to move Envoy up a bit & add more Economy seats....
Gigneil From United States of America, joined Nov 2002, 16215 posts, RR: 88 Reply 3, posted (8 years 9 months 2 weeks 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 1832 times:
I've flown the Envoy seat on a 333 once, PHL-CDG. (My return leg got cancelled and I was fimmed onto UA back to IAD)
MaverickM11 From United States of America, joined Apr 2000, 15733 posts, RR: 48 Reply 4, posted (8 years 9 months 2 weeks 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 1811 times:
I flew Envoy MAD-PHL when it was a 767 and it was still pretty nice, although I was a US employee at the time and talked shop with the FAs so they may have been extra nice for that reason.
JetboyTWA From United States of America, joined Jul 1999, 379 posts, RR: 5 Reply 5, posted (8 years 9 months 2 weeks 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 1796 times:
I flew Envoy on an A330 last week from SJU to PHL. Try to get row 3 if you can. I was in seat 3A, with my father being in 3B. It seemed like row 3 had more room than the other rows.
Very nice flight, and excellent service, especially for this flight being the shortest A330 flight in US Airways' network.
GSPSPOT From United States of America, joined Sep 2003, 2749 posts, RR: 2 Reply 6, posted (8 years 9 months 2 weeks 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 1766 times:
My partner says that everything about Envoy on the 330's is far & above that on 767's.... Which doesn't make sense to me. Someone help me out here-wouldn't the ONLY major difference be the IFE system and that the 330's seats are maybe more cushy and recline further? Wouldn't the food & Beverage service be exactly the same? My partner has flown both and says no. Why??
A330323X From United States of America, joined Oct 2003, 3039 posts, RR: 47 Reply 7, posted (8 years 9 months 2 weeks 5 days 1 hour ago) and read 1675 times:
I would have thought they'd rip 'em out to put in more Envoy seats, or use the space to move Envoy up a bit & add more Economy seats....
They plan to rip them out one of these days (read: years) and replace them with Envoy seats. However, there's a fixed bulkhead between Row 1 and Row 2, so the 6 F seats will be replaced by 6 Envoy seats, resulting in no capacity gain, which is why they're in no big hurry to do it.
It seemed like row 3 had more room than the other rows.
Yes, forgot to mention, Rows 3-5 in the front Envoy cabin have more room than the back Envoy cabin (Rows 6-7) and the bulkhead Row 2 in the front Envoy cabin.
Someone help me out here-wouldn't the ONLY major difference be the IFE system and that the 330's seats are maybe more cushy and recline further? Wouldn't the food & Beverage service be exactly the same? My partner has flown both and says no. Why??
I've never flown Envoy on the B767-200ER, but besides the major differences in seats, pitch, and IFE, it's probable that the food service is slightly different due to newer/better equipped galleys on the A330-300.
I'm the expert on here on two things, neither of which I care about much anymore.
Gigneil From United States of America, joined Nov 2002, 16215 posts, RR: 88 Reply 8, posted (8 years 9 months 2 weeks 5 days 1 hour ago) and read 1650 times:
Someone help me out here-wouldn't the ONLY major difference be the IFE system and that the 330's seats are maybe more cushy and recline further?
The 330s seats are divine. The 767s are oldish and not that comfortable. That's all the difference in the world.
However, there's a fixed bulkhead between Row 1 and Row 2
It may not be quick-change, but they could remove that divider during an overhaul and probably add two rows of Envoy seats.
Upsmd11 From United States of America, joined May 2003, 799 posts, RR: 4 Reply 9, posted (8 years 9 months 2 weeks 4 days 17 hours ago) and read 1473 times:
My partner and I are in 3A and 3B and our travel friend is in row 3 across the aisle from him. We are really looking forward to the trip but I'm mostly looking forward to the getting there part on the 333.
I am not that great at trip reports but I will try to write one while I am gone. We are also going to be flying some IB and TAP flights MAD - LIS - BCN - MAD while we are there.
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From United States of America, joined May 2003, 799 posts, 
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