Premium Economy v Business?

[djc206]

pushthebutton said:

Which one out of interest?

The Panasonic eX3, the Thales or the Rockwell Collins one?

Good question I’ll be honest I’ve had to google them and it turns out I’ve tried two of the three.
Correct me if I’m wrong but the 747 on the way out to Cape Town seemed to be particularly st so that must be the Rockwell Collins system with a screen the size of a postage stamp and a resolution that made me think I had cataracts. My last flight was on an A380 and it was adequate but still not great so must be the Thales system which google tells me is what I’ve experienced on the 787’s I’ve been on too. So it would appear that I’ve not tried the panasonic system yet.

[Ridealong]

Anyone that wants to know about BA seating map, IFE, etc... click on the link below.

http://thebasource.com/seatmaps/380/14f97j55w303ym...

[bitchstewie]

Does anyone have any views on Lufthansa Business v ANA please?

I'm sure I won't be complaining with either one but with Kansai airport being slightly fked it's looking likely I'll change dates and fly into Tokyo which seems to open up many more options.

[eein]

djc206 said:

okgo said:

Travellers of PH

I've got a mixture of biz class flights coming up, and want to amuse myself with how bad they will be, here are the airlines - any thoughts would be good

Air India
Malaysian
Thai Airlines

If on the new Malaysian A350 quite good, on the old A380 average.

The old MY A380 is finished - I was on it's last flight earlier this year. The newer A350 is much nicer, if only because it is new and not tatty.

Air India is not always as bad as people claim - it really depends on the plane you get, dreamliner ok, old 747 less so. If it's curry you want I suggest Emirates flights to and from India have the best.

With all the airlines above, as I've mentioned before, there can be large variance within one airline - this cansually be found by route. For example most airlines put their best plane and best fit out on their London/Singapore/New York routes, and their oldest and scruffiest on their India routes. I use Malaysian for India flights and London flights and the difference is huge.

[loafer123]

djc206 said:

I always sleep well on BA’s club world seats. The IFE is old hat and the layout a bit odd but I really don’t mind it.

Who uses the IFE on any flight nowadays - there is a better selection and system on your iPad if you plan ahead a little.

[djc206]

loafer123 said:

Who uses the IFE on any flight nowadays - there is a better selection and system on your iPad if you plan ahead a little.

I do! I can’t get the latest films legally but I can watch them on flights. I don’t particularly like going to the cinema so I use flights to catch up on all the films I’ve missed long before they appear on Netflix or prime (for free).

Besides which in premium or economy you’d end up looking down the whole time to see the bloody thing and in business you’ve normally got a decent sized screen far larger than an iPad more conveniently placed.

Maybe I’m the odd one but on the flights I’ve been on recently most people seemed to still use IFE.

[captain_cynic]

loafer123 said:

Who uses the IFE on any flight nowadays - there is a better selection and system on your iPad if you plan ahead a little.

Flights are where I catch up on movies that just weren't on my RADAR. Things I don't mind watching but won't go out of my way or pay money to see.

Usually it's the latest Marvel/DC waffle... Films where you can just switch your brain off and enjoy, perfect for flying long haul.

My personal collection on my tablet is a last resort.

[GT03ROB]

djc206 said:

Maybe I’m the odd one but on the flights I’ve been on recently most people seemed to still use IFE.

Nope your not the odd one out!

[djc206]

GT03ROB said:

djc206 said:

Maybe I’m the odd one but on the flights I’ve been on recently most people seemed to still use IFE.

Nope your not the odd one out!

I’m definitely a bit odd though as I don’t own a tablet. I fking hate iPads, I have to use them from time to time at work and they are the devils work.

[GT03ROB]

djc206 said:

I’m definitely a bit odd though as I don’t own a tablet. I fking hate iPads, I have to use them from time to time at work and they are the devils work.

I use my macbook air on the flight to/from Amsterdam as it's a 4hr one with no IFE. Otherwise i just catch up with the IFE

[okgo]

I'd argue having a tablet is more old hat than using IFE!

Who the hell buys tablets now?

[bad company]

okgo said:

I'd argue having a tablet is more old hat than using IFE!

Who the hell buys tablets now?

Me. I use my iPad all the time. The laptop’s a bit big and my iPhone X screen a bit small.

[captain_cynic]

okgo said:

I'd argue having a tablet is more old hat than using IFE!

Who the hell buys tablets now?

Tablet market has definately fallen through, so much for the "post PC age".

I've got a 2013 Nexus 7 that I use rarely... I'll keep using it until it dies, when it dies I probably wont replace it.

[okgo]

captain_cynic said:

Tablet market has definately fallen through, so much for the "post PC age".

I've got a 2013 Nexus 7 that I use rarely... I'll keep using it until it dies, when it dies I probably wont replace it.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/272070/global-tablet-shipments-by-quarter/

Anyway, I found the IFE to be pretty good on BA, but I may well load up the laptop with some stuff on way to Aus, long time to be watching Curb your Enthusiasm

[Shnozz]

captain_cynic said:

Leonard Stanley said:

GCH said:

GT03ROB said:

Leonard Stanley said:

Ok, flew BA PE to JFK and back 10 days ago. Daytime flight out - fine, no issues. Night flight back (the 23:00) - not ideal, entire plane stank of urine + carpet on boarding but the smell faded (a bit). It was bearable - chuffing knackered the next day though.

Night flight back from JFK you will feel st next day even flying 1st. Flights are too short to get proper night sleep. For me any overnighter that is less than 8 hrs leaves me feeling yuck.

Yep. BA178 is the one to take (08:00/20:30) and a jet lag beater.

True, but either way you still have that sthole of a lounge at JFK to endure. Absolutely vile.

That's not the worst part... After you leave the lounge you're boarding a BA flight.

My worst business class experience was a mixture of the lounge at JFK (where I ended up in a row with a barman to boot), followed by then finding out that the BA flight had taken a turn for the worse and was in fact "in partnership" with American Airlines.

[djc206]

Shnozz said:

My worst business class experience was a mixture of the lounge at JFK (where I ended up in a row with a barman to boot), followed by then finding out that the BA flight had taken a turn for the worse and was in fact "in partnership" with American Airlines.

The new AA business class is nice

[Junior Bianno]

Used up some Avios last month and flew the family out business LHR-LAX. Other than the ridiculous "step-over" arrangement it was actually better than expected. The A380s are relatively new so everything was in decent order, and the service on that particular flight was outstanding - cabin crew couldn't have been more helpful or friendly.

Unfortunately we didn't have enough Avios for a business return so went Premium Economy. Quite apart for the fact that PE on BA is not great, we got the absolute worst seats I have ever encountered on any flight ever!!! Since found out it is the dreaded row 68.



3 seats with a toilet on either side - on a night flight. How they can sell these seat as any kind of premium is beyond me. A constant stream (excuse the pun) of people going to the toilet all night, banging the doors, forgetting to shut the door or standing over you, and 11 hours of the smell of piss. It beggars belief.

[fizz47]

Junior Bianno said:

Used up some Avios last month and flew the family out business LHR-LAX. Other than the ridiculous "step-over" arrangement it was actually better than expected. The A380s are relatively new so everything was in decent order, and the service on that particular flight was outstanding - cabin crew couldn't have been more helpful or friendly.

Unfortunately we didn't have enough Avios for a business return so went Premium Economy. Quite apart for the fact that PE on BA is not great, we got the absolute worst seats I have ever encountered on any flight ever!!! Since found out it is the dreaded row 68.



3 seats with a toilet on either side - on a night flight. How they can sell these seat as any kind of premium is beyond me. A constant stream (excuse the pun) of people going to the toilet all night, banging the doors, forgetting to shut the door or standing over you, and 11 hours of the smell of piss. It beggars belief.

Who ever signed of on the BA A380 seat plan needs to find another vocation...

Ignoring the fact that the A380 could have been a great opportunity to introduce a new club cabin design we have....


Huge ass toilets for the upstairs Club cabin - Although the size is great it doesnt make sense that Club have the best toilets on the plane rather than first. Im guessing they are so big as other airlines have showers installed except with BA's dormitory layout then having just two showers doesnt quite work...


Placing first class right at the front of the plane lower deck( meant to be the quietest part of the plane) but then the staircase from downstairs to upsatirs gets roped off as walking up and down makes it too loud for First Class - what is the point of the stair case if you are not allowed to use it.....

And yes those PE seats are way too close to the toilets- the closest i have got to the toilets in PE has been row 65 and even then you could hear people ( less to do with the posistioning of the toilet and more to do with the rather efficient sound insulation of the A380...

[tvrolet]

Just back from LA in Club - 747 (upstairs on the way out, first time upstairs on a 747, always been downstarir before) and upper deck on the A380 back. In both cases booked the rear facing window seat next to the bulkhead, with wife facing. Despite many gripes on here about BAs seating, I think it's a great layout, especially so if you get next to the bulkhead then you're in your own private 'den' with the screen up...although this time I was with the wife so screen down to be sociable. I always choose a window seat and on some of the herringbone or parallel arrangements you're some distance away from the window, or don't sit next to your partner. Quite a few arrangements mean if you're travelling with the other half you can't do a window.

Anyway - on the initial query of PE vs Business - slept the whole way there and back, and got off fit as the proverbial fiddle...which I absolutely would not have done on PE. No problems doing cattle-class or domestics/euro flights, but at my age the maxim (and that of my wife too) is if I we can't afford business/club then we aren't going. We'd rather wait and either save more or choose cheaper dates and enjoy the flights (in my case, drink then sleep on a flat bed) than sit upright for 10+ hours.

[eein]

fizz47 said:

Who ever signed of on the BA A380 seat plan needs to find another vocation...

Ignoring the fact that the A380 could have been a great opportunity to introduce a new club cabin design we have....

I'm just back from a Singapore return on BA CW, 777 out, 380 back, having not flown them for a while... and I'm just left perplexed why they continue with this reverse seating. It's nice enough in a window seat with the partition up, but just those first 20-40 minutes you need to sit looking awkwardly in to the eyes of some stranger is so unpleasant I'd choose another airline.

Does anyone know if the BA CW allows more seats to be packed in?

The only advantage I find is the width at the feet - being tall I dislike the 'foot box pinch' of many business seats. Looking at each other is odd, the TVs have to be put away at take off and landing, the tables need to be put up if you want to get out so there's nowhere to put a glass or something.