UNITED OR VIRGIN TO US WEST COAST???

By: bring_it_on - 3rd October 2006 at 18:29 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

My expereinces have been better with virgin but i have never flown to the west coast internationally - mainly Newark-Hethrow for me with virgin!!

By: T5 - 3rd October 2006 at 19:48 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

I've flown with both Virgin Atlantic and United. Both are decent airlines, although I think you're in for more of a treat if you choose Virgin, especially when comparing the inflight entertainment of the two airlines.

However, I think you'd be mad to pay £200 more to fly with Virgin. United are a great airline and Channel 9 (audio) is a must - that's where you can listen in on the air traffic control.

By: T5 - 3rd October 2006 at 20:52 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

Just about all flights from Heathrow with United are 777-200s. Virgin Atlantic utilise the 747-400 on flights to San Francisco, whilst the 747-400 and A340-600 seem to be used for flights to Los Angeles.

By: Skymonster - 3rd October 2006 at 22:43 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

United are using a 747-400 (the morning flight from LHR and the early afternoon flight from SFO) and a 777-200 (afternoon departure from LHR, evening departure from SFO) for their twice daily LHR-SFO-LHR operation this summer - I know because I just got off the 777 from SFO this lunchtime!!! UA 747-400s DON'T have seat-back PTVs in economy, but the 777s do. LHR-LAX-LHR with United was meant to be one 777-200 and one 767-300 during this summer although I've not checked to see this is what actually happened - both types have PTVs in Y-class. FWIW, SFO usually goes to two 777s in the winter, but I've not checked to see if this is happening this winter, and I think LAX downgrades to just one 777 service in the winter.

Virgin use a 747-400 on SFO, and when I've seen them one 747-400 and one A340-600 on their double daily LAX operation.

Andy

By: Skymonster - 4th October 2006 at 00:25 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

Rickt,

Just checked United's website as I have to go back to SFO again in late October - the UA LHR-SFO-LHR schedule changes to 2 x 777 over the last weekend of October, the traditional timetable change weekend. Not sure when you're planning to travel, but if UA runs true to form the 744 is likely to be back on one of their SFOs next summer (i.e. after the end of March 2007).

The trip was fine, but tiring as it was not a holiday. The preferred trans-Atlantic airline of the company I work for is UA so I've used them quite a lot, but fortunately I'm able to travel business class these days - not that UA economy is bad, all airlines are much of a muchness. FWIW, if you like a drink during the flight, UA (and pretty much all the other US-airlines) charge for booze $5/£3 in economy, whereas Virgin don't. Virgin have the better IFE (particularly compared to the UA 747-400 which only has the big screens in economy), but as has already been said UA are the only airline in the world to have live-ATC on their IFE system. Virgin is probably slightly better for the casual traveller (although maybe not for the frequent flyer mileage accumulators amongst us!!!) but I wouldn't pay £200 extra to fly Virgin.

Andy

By: hawkdriver05 - 4th October 2006 at 00:40 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

I'll never fly United again....I paid ALOT of money to fly to the west coast 1st class and they downgraded the plane on 2 legs to ERJ-145s.......NEVER fly United.

By: tommyinyork - 4th October 2006 at 11:32 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

UA are first class i flew them in 2001 LHR-JFK-LHR on a 777-200 and i must say they are some of the best flights i have ever had. Comfert is 10/10, food is 10/10, entertainment 10/10 with PTV's, complimentry drinks and snacks and of course excellent crew and 777s are brilliant planes.
Why go with Virgin when you can get an excellent experiance with United.

By: Duesseldwarf - 12th October 2006 at 23:41 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

Having flown both airlines to the States recently (and am about to go back to SFO with Virgin in November), I'd defo pay up to £75 extra to fly Virgin, but £200 out of your own pocket is a bit too much, I'd say. Virgin have got to be the best for IFE, although I didn't have many complaints against United. Legroom felt slightly better on United, although I haven't done any homework on this.

VIRGIN VIRGIN VIRGIN........hurrah hurrah hurrah

By: Manu - 20th October 2006 at 00:55 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

I have flown from SFO to London using both, UA and Virgin on several occasions.

If you are flying coach, I would choose UA for one very good reason - Star Alliance. And on a 10 hour flight, no matter which Airline you take, your posterior will be sore by the time you land.

Besides, I want a Jack and *Coke*, not Jack and *Virgin Cola* (don't even get me started on Virgin Vodka :mad: )

The only redeeming feature of Virgin is the excellent in-flight entertainment system. But not worth spending an extra 200 bucks of your own money.

By: jesterhud - 21st October 2006 at 10:02 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

Having spent many years working for United and flown on them more times than i can remember, I just took my first trip on Virgin recently, there is no competition in my view, i would now go Virgin every time.

Everything about Virgin was just so much classier than UA, the in flight entertainment was miles ahead of UA, i know UA has Channel 9 but you take you chances that the Pilot switches it on, they don't always.