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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

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Original poster

Is Virgin the only airline you would fly with?

40 replies

alliebaba · 10/03/2006 17:09

Trying to book a hols to NYC... are the other airlines as good? help me please, my magic carpet is out of action

OP posts:

TinCan · 10/03/2006 17:11

I prefer Continental

Original poster

alliebaba · 10/03/2006 17:25

ooh i saw them and they're cheaper.. do you get a little telly and nice food?

OP posts:

SoupDragon · 10/03/2006 17:26

Don't some MNers recommend American Airlines?

Don't Continental share with Virgin?

Original poster

alliebaba · 10/03/2006 17:29

i don't know... we never go on holiday so not very experienced :(

OP posts:

eve2005 · 10/03/2006 17:31

don't go BA whatever you do, they're frighteningly bad. took one of their flights to NY a few years ago and the plane was a wreck, amazed it held together it shuddered so much. crap service too

Mazzystar · 10/03/2006 17:32

on my only trip to NY i flew with BA. i thought it was very good, but haven;t tried virgin.

fob · 10/03/2006 17:32

used to be a travel agent.

virgin to the usa is excellent.

better prices with continental and american airlines usually.

emirates excellent for travel to oz/far east.

never heard a complaint about virgin atlantic in all my time as a travel agent!

Original poster

alliebaba · 10/03/2006 17:32

thanks all.. will aa or continental be ok?

OP posts:

Mazzystar · 10/03/2006 17:33

LOL at cross posts eve. this was october 03. s tried other airlines for US flights, so don;t know any better.

NotQuiteCockney · 10/03/2006 17:35

I just flew Continental to Houston last month. It sucked. (I'm used to BA and Air Canada, mostly BA.) The food was ok, but there was much fewer TV channels, and the movies sucked. Also, they didn't have those baby seatbelts!

They did have a video message from their chair or whatever, that just went on and on about security. Because, yeah, that's what stops hijackers.

Oh, and on the way back, they had a weird per-bag weight limit that meant they could charge us an extra amount per bag, with no prior warning. Even though we were well under the normal total weight allowance for all our tickets.

I gather AA sucks, too, though. I suspect American carriers all suck.

NotQuiteCockney · 10/03/2006 17:38

Oh, I have flown Virgin once, and it was lovely, but it was Upper Class, and all the rest of my travel has been cattle, so hard to compare.

cori · 10/03/2006 17:41

First complaint abot Virgin then. We stored all handluggae in the overhead locker for take off. The locker got stuck, and we were unable to retrieve anything for the whole flight. We had a poorly and bad tempered DS with us so it was very difficult to keep him entertained for the whole flight with out access to the 'special toys' I had packed for him. DS had diahoerrea, the flight staff harrassed me to go back to my seat when getting ready to land, however DS was sick and couldnt just get off the toilet.

Oh and the plane was delayed at take off on both ends due to paper work problems. grrr/
I asked for assistance from the air hostess to help me off the plane as I am pregnant and couldnt carry all the hand luggage myself, DH had to carry DS who was asleep. THey agreed but it wasnt forthcoming. And the food was crap, but the tellys are great.

Original poster

alliebaba · 10/03/2006 19:13

now i'm confused..

OP posts:

NotQuiteCockney · 10/03/2006 19:14

Well, you know, flying cattle class always sucks, one way or another. I like BA and Air Canada fine, but I still hate the experience.

Original poster

alliebaba · 10/03/2006 19:15

we are on a budget so herd us in! flew with virgin about 8 years ago ato Washington and it was great.. was just contemplating the others

OP posts:

FairyMum · 10/03/2006 19:22

I like Virgin and BA to the States. Whatever you do, do not fly AA. They are hopeless!

MeerkatsUnite · 10/03/2006 19:27

British Airways have vastly improved over the last few years and they do offer a wider range of routes. BA's website is second to none really. Think the only real advantages Virgin could possibly have over BA is their separate lines for Premium Economy pax, their direct flights to Las Vegas and their V port system (when it works that is; it has had lots of problems).

Virgin to my mind have become more complacent over the last few years and have rested on their laurels. Some members of their cabin crew do give the impression of not wanting to be there in the first place and regard pax as a nuisance to be tolerated. Their newer planes have come in for a bit of flack in that the seat pitch is less than generous.

www.airlinequality.com has many comments from passengers on both airlines and airports. Makes interesting reading.

Continental code share with Virgin on some of the routes Virgin have.

Would never again use a US based carrier willingly (United in particular is dire). Will need to fly on American airlines later this year so do not have high expectations anyway.

Original poster

alliebaba · 10/03/2006 22:09

thank you

OP posts:

dizzy34 · 10/03/2006 22:12

I have flew to america a few times with virgin and they were good but nothing special and imo the food was crap. The tvs are good though and do help to keep the kids amused. I agree with the comments about the air hostesss, when we asked them something it was as if i was interupting their social gathering.

Flew NYC with continental this year and didnt really hav e any complaints. The cabin crew were not particulary attentive and whatever you do, dont get in the way of that trolley as they take no prisoners!! Food wasnt to my taste, but dh liked it. On the way out we were on 757 which had no seat back tvs, on the way back 767 which did have tv.

Have flew to NYC with BA one way and AA coming back. BA i thought were fab and couldnt do enough to help us. The food was good and we had seat back tvs.

AA not as attentive, but food ok. Good leg room and seat back tvs.

I think it depends on what qualities make a good flight for you, and how much you are willing to comprimise to save money.

Original poster

alliebaba · 10/03/2006 22:16

cheers.. it's only me and dh (hurrah!) but he 's over 6ft so leg room prob important.. i'm short so i don't care.. telly would be nice as he's afraid of flying a little!

OP posts:

cori · 10/03/2006 22:52

First flew virgin 5 years ago to Singapore, they were great then. Maybe they have detrioated a bit in the past few years. I never heard anything good about BA economy

moondog · 10/03/2006 22:54

Look at www.seatguru.com
Will tell you about seat configurations and pitch.
Travel a lot and can confidentally say it's all dire with anyone under 8.

eidsvold · 11/03/2006 07:21

american airlines has ( from my dim poor memory) the largest seat pitch.

never ever ever fly united - sucked, thought it might have been a once off - tried them a second time - more fool me - rude and arrogant cabin staff...

had no probs with American airlines or qantas flying la to london....

Original poster

alliebaba · 11/03/2006 08:25

ta.. i'm going to investigate today! will let you know the outcome..i'm sure you're all dying to know (not)

OP posts:

NotQuiteCockney · 11/03/2006 08:38

Oh, I don't hate travelling with DS1 now. From about 2.5, he's been fine, as long as there's seat-back telly. So for me, what I care about most on long flights is a seat-back telly.

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