Flying with BA

[ShelleyB]

We're flying to Orlando with BA again this year, and I wondered if someone could answer a couple of questions.

Last time we flew with them, the aircraft didn't have any seat back screens - do they all have seat back entertainment in them now?

We found that we had better service, ie. more food choices, packs for children etc with Virgin. Would anyone disagree and say that they preferred BA.

The new entertainment system with Virgin is fantastic, you can choose when and what to watch, from an extensive selection. You can also play lots of different gameboy type games (this was fantastic for my son last year).

Has BA got any entertainment packages similar to this, in their fleet going to Orlando?

We fly on 15th August from Gatwick at about 10.15am (I think)

Thanks

[g1rbw]

we fly with BA last Nov, on a 777 but were in Club. We had individual screens and I am fairly sure they had these in Economy too but they did not have games. The service was very good and we were very happy. However we have also enjoyed our flights with Virgin before and next time we are flying with Virgin to Orlando (in Sept this year). The only thing we found with BA as it was a 777 rather than a 747 as with Virgin the flight too marginally longer, not sure how much but it did feel longer.

We have always flown PE with virgin and be very happy with hit.

BA are a great airline and so I am sure you will be fine. The entertainment systems are not quite as good as Virgin when we flew with them i.e. no games but the films were upto date and the food was fine.

If you go to BA website it will tell you which films are on the plane and if you look in more detail it might even tell you the plane and type of entertainment systems on board.

Hope this helps

[ShelleyB]

Do you just go onto the normal BA website, haven't looked yet but I'll check it out tonight.

Thanks for your help.

[g1rbw]

yes ba.com. and look under about my journey and then on board.

[Mermaid]

When we flew with Virgin to Orlando in 2002 we didn't have games....not sure if that's still the same....however this time we flew into Miami with BA.....we really enjoyed the service...the cabin crew were so polite and couldn't do enough to help;......we had seat back screens....

[susieh]

We flew PE with Virgin last Sept and didnt have games. Maybe the planes have been changed?

[fyfe9]

I also flew last Nov on a Boeing 777 (777/200 series) but was economy, we did have back seat screens but no games. just basically the same as what g1rbw said, really.

i can't compare BA to Virgin because i haven't flown with Virgin so sorry for not helping you there. all i can say is that i prefer having my own TV infront of me and i've had no troubles with BA whilst i flew with them the past 6 years. the staff are really cool when helping my sis (who's in a wheelchair during boarding - arthritis).

i hope this has helped some-one at least.

[Toastie]

There are few flights from Glasgow to Florida and only recently that has changed so everytime we have flown to Florida it has been from Glasgow to Gatwick then onwards, we have flown twice with BA and once with Virgin and BA beat them hands down. We had our own seat back TV each time we flew on the BA flights, in fact I chanced my arm and asked for the emergency exit seats and we had the flip up TV's. I personally preferred the BA flights for comfort, attention from stewards and cleanliness. Regarding games I wouldnt know the wife wouldnt let me.

http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/7/7_2_116.gif (http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001_ZNxmk696AXGB)

[ShelleyB]

With regards to cleanliness and staff attitude, I can't remember what the BA staff were like - probably got myself into a huff as there was rubbish entertainment :blush:

Virgin staff vary considerably, some can't be bothered and others are helpful and friendly (as long as you treat them the same too). It's the luck of the draw I suppose! Though Virgin beats BA down with their new planes and entertainment package - and on a long flight it does make a difference.

I'll have a look on the BA website.

Thanks

[welshjim22]

Virgin beats BA every time in my opinion i have had the normal half hour delays with Virgin but never the poor treatment as with BA. I have had two similar incidents with BA once to Orlando and once to Newcastle both from Gatwick where the plane has been delayed and then just befored it was meant to arrive it turns out the plane had not even left. In the case of Orlando we where told we had a three or four hour delay this time elapsed and another passenger dragged a BA women to explain to all the passengers that there had been a technical issue. The replacement aircraft had not even arrived at Gatwick to pick up the outbound passengers considering the flight time, 9 hours, they had plenty of time to update us but didn't. Both occasions were several years ago so they may have got there act together or i have just been unlucky.

[Kath2003]

We have flown twice with Virgin and 4 times with BA. We had one nightmare trip with BA in 1999 - after a 2 hours delay, we boarded a plane no TVs in the back of seats and they cancelled the only movie on the way back to LGW to show a documentary on London! So we tried Virgin again, and the entertainment was great, except everyone who had the chicken at lunch instead of the beef (4 out of our party of 8) got sick and spent the first 36 hours of our vacation in the bathroom (good job we were in a villa with 4 full bathrooms and an extra toilet!).

We now always fly BA and have found the service and the entertainment near identical to Virgin - we have always had individual TVs, and the food the last two times we went has been EXCELLENT. We now always fly into MIA, though...I'm flying with BA again this summer.