Virgin or BA to the states with a 5yo

[CountessDracula]

I hate BA short haul are they any better longer?

Last time I flew long-haul with virgin to San Francisco I vowed never again. The seat pitch was so bad and the seat so uncomfortable - this was in 2000 are they any better now?

I usually fly AA - rude but good seats

They don't go where we want to go though

Both have been great and crap on my long haul.... am trying Quantas and Thai this year!!

am considering AA with a change

they guarantee 34 - 36 seat pitch
BA are 31
Virgin 30-31

crap

I've flown to Sydney, Toronto and Beijing with a toddler and the staff were fantastically helpful, but I have found them a bit hit and miss (not so great on several other longhaul flights). I used to much prefer Virgin, but I have found their standards (customer service, food etc) have slipped. Now I would only choose them over BA if the plane being used on the flight was one of their new fleet (extra leg room, on demand entertainment system, which is great for kids). You can find this out by ringing up customer service I believe. Otherwise, little difference between the two in my opinion.

Twelvelegs - found Qantas hopeless, but Thai very, very good!

I'd go Virgin. I avoid BA now, you can never get the seat you want, even if you check in on line the second you're allowed. And Virgin has that nice habit of offering you a choc ice when it s movie time, like they actually want you to enjoy yourself.

Oh goodness, I'm flying with dcs, 6,5 and 2 and am 5 months pg to Hong Kong, meeting dh in Thailand later.....

My dad flew with Thai. He said they were great.

I'd choose Virgin over BA.

Agree that the choc ice is great!@DiullWitch .

I do feel that virgin try and distract you from their shite seats with entertainment, temple balm and crap socks

They don't fool me for a minute

Virgin used to piss on BA, but they're much the same now, aren't they?

Where's the change and is it a lot cheaper to change ?

no it's a bit more actually!

Then definitely no. The only time I do a change on long-haul is when its a lot cheaper.

eg. last winter to SA, BA wanted £13,000 (yes you read that right) to SA for the 3 of us Business Class.

Air France (with a change at Charles de Gaulle) did it for £3,900

We did Virgin last year and BA this year to Orlando.

There was not alot in it.

Virgin were better entertainment wise as you can pause the films you are watching but they took ages to clear away the meals when we wanted to sleep on the way back.

We found the online booking/ checking in and on board service better with BA this year.

Both about the same amount of room with BA slightly more comfy.

I'd say Virgin if you are going to fly direct, but it's marginal IMO. They seem to treat you 'better' on the Tokyo/HK/Africa routes than on the US ones, but I'd still go for them over BA when it comes to longhaul economy

perhaps phenergen is the answer you seek?

BA have entertainment on demand now so that you can pause films etc, and its a really good choice of stuff.

we went to chicago with united, (cant remeber if its america united, or united america) and they were really good with our 5yrs old ds, had tv screens in back of chairs with kids channels, kids packs etc and actually talked to him which he liked. (this was 3 years ago)

would go with them again..

would be economy I reckon
or premium at a stretch!

I really am not that concerned about dd her legs are weeny, more me and dh
She is v easy on flights

Delta are supposed to be good too
Is it a lot more to fly with diff airlines on diff bits of the journey? eg could I do on on outward and another on homeward?

I need to go

LHR to Washington DC
Then
Charleston West Virginia to Boston
then
Boston to LHR.

BA have just put up their fuel surcharges on long haul flights to some eye watering amount that I've forgotten....

Always economy for me, until my children sleep through a flight, at the same time, I don't see the point in buying a seat I can sleep on!!