Flying BA

[Vikki]

Has anyone flown BA to Orlando? We've always flown virgin but the flights are looking to be cheaper with BA. Don't really know much about them so would value some opinions, especially in direct comparison to virgin

[lozzy]

We have traveled to Orlando with them once.
I can't complain about them but I would choose virgin over BA.
The staff seem friendlier on virgin, I find virgin planes more comfortable,( as much as it can be comfy)
We just generally find virgin a better experience all round.


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[Keith]

I think Britchick uses BA a lot

We used to go BA until Virgin started a direct service to Orlando from manchester which saves us getting the shuttle down to london first.

So I guess I'm a bit out of date with BA. My feeling was always quite positive about BA. The staff varied greatly though. Some of them were very snotty, others were extremely nice and kind. They tended to have a lot of planes so delays were usually fixed pretty quickly too. They were always a little behind the times on entertainment but I imagine they've caught up now :/

Virgin used to be the very best without a doubt but recently I've felt they've gone down a little. The staff seem to care more about chatting about what they did last night than about the customers and service can seem very cursory and a bit like "my job would be brill if it wasn't for passengers" (I'm sure everyone feels that way but the trick is hiding it well I guess ;-)

Although skeptical at first, some of the charter airlines are trying hard these days and making a pretty good job of it. I've had larger seats for less money with more cheery staff on thomson. yet for some reason I still default to Virgin for some unknown reason

[Vikki]

This is the thing Keith, we've always just done Virgin by default. So far, the flights for BA are coming out a couple of weeks before Virgin, and are cheaper. What we don't want to do is wait for Virgin and miss out on the cheapest BA seats......hate it, just want the flights done and booked

[Keith]

This is the thing Keith, we've always just done Virgin by default. So far, the flights for BA are coming out a couple of weeks before Virgin, and are cheaper. What we don't want to do is wait for Virgin and miss out on the cheapest BA seats......hate it, just want the flights done and booked

I Reckon if you've got a great rate on BA go for it they're not going to be "rubbish" at worst it's going to be hmmm ok virgin slightly better, virgin next time kinda feeling. Of course they could turn out to be even better but it's not like it's some dodgy airline with a bargain price who may not last long or anything

[Deb]

We flew BA this year. They were fine, and the only reason we wouldn't choose them as a first option is the difficulty of getting from our place to London. The previous two years we travelled with Virgin and I found those flights disappointing, and felt they had gone downhill in their service. Some of the crew were friendly, some were not. On 3 out of the 4 Virgin flights one of us had a tv that didn't work properly, so we couldn't rave about the entertainment system. On BA we found that system was fine. The BA planes seemed a little tired, but then so did the Virgin planes. So for me? I honestly felt they were much of a muchness, and would have no hesitation on choosing BA, especially if they are cheaper.

The one thing we said we would consider is this, but it may not matter to anyone else. When we went there this year, 3 flights from UK seemed to land in Orlando in a similar time frame; the 2 Virgins from Manchester and Gatwick, and the BA that we were on. The BA was the last to land by about 15 mins, and that meant a VERY long wait in immigration, which was even worse than the total horror it normally is. We said that next time we would remember to check out which flight arrived last, as we wouldn't go on that one!

[Keith]

The one thing we said we would consider is this, but it may not matter to anyone else. When we went there this year, 3 flights from UK seemed to land in Orlando in a similar time frame; the 2 Virgins from Manchester and Gatwick, and the BA that we were on. The BA was the last to land by about 15 mins, and that meant a VERY long wait in immigration, which was even worse than the total horror it normally is. We said that next time we would remember to check out which flight arrived last, as we wouldn't go on that one!

that's a REALLY good tip! Although it may sound like nothing much, it can be the difference between a 15-30min wait in a horrible immigration queue or an hour or even more! definitely worth consideration

[Deb]

that's a REALLY good tip! Although it may sound like nothing much, it can be the difference between a 15-30min wait in a horrible immigration queue or an hour or even more! definitely worth consideration

Keith, we waited for over 2 hours this year. I was literally in tears by the end of it. They opened all the gates when the three flights came in, but when there were "only" around 150 people left, they sent them all on their break apart from 5 (we know this because the agent we eventually saw told us, and grumbled that we were keeping him from his break!! I managed to restrain myself from saying anything). We truly have to think twice about booking to go ever again until the memory of that immigration experience fades!!

[Britchick]

i've not flown into Orlando with them but Miami once and Atlanta 3 times i think. I've also flown American and Delta and Virgin Transatlantically (Washington Dulles) a few times in the early 2000s and to Miami and out of Orlando in the 97. I really liked Virgin in the 90s - i think they were at their prime and it was a real treat- even in economy. I will never forgive them for abandoning me with a 2 and 7 year old though when we moved out to the US in 2001. MOD has a contract with them and they were supposed to help me transition to my onward flight. They didn't, they made me wait till everyone got off and then said oops sorry can't help. Those were in the days of 2 bags at 32KG each, i also had a car seat, stroller and 3 carry on and subsequently almost missed my flight to Charleston. Anyway.... i prefer BA, i know they've cut back recently but in my experience when something goes wrong they do they're utmost to fix it. They have also had a much better entertainment system (on demand) for quite a while which i believe Virgin now have? I like the control the stewards have over the plane with BA, they always seem stricter LOL . I think the only exception i would make is if you are going premium economy- Virgin wins hands down with that but at the right price ( i paid £89 both ways per person last year) the world traveller plus (BA) is good value- especially into Miami as the plane layout means you're off the plane first!! Sorry rambled a bit there

[Vikki]

I really dislike flying, the thought of going on the big tin can with wings petrifies me!
However, anything that will make it better, such as the on demand entertainment will be great, especially with a 2 and 6 year old to entertain. It's a shame they don't got from Manchester, but if they work out cheaper, I don't mind that much really.