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[Travel] Help from NSC's long haul airline gurus please





Chicken Run

Member Since Jul 2003
NSC Patreon
Jul 17, 2003
18,274
Valley of Hangleton
I am soon going to have to go to Atlanta, at quite short notice (a few days or so). I've not been long distance since a trip to Australia in 2004 and not to the US since 1976 so need a few tips such as :
Recommended airlines ?
ISTR people saying premium economy is worth the extra ?
Do I need a visa (or anything else) ?

Have you got a criminal record since 1976?
 






Weststander

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Aug 25, 2011
63,384
Withdean area
Really depends on your budget and what you can get the seats for - I think PE is good value at (typically) around 1.5x economy (compared with maybe 6-8x economy for Business class)
Not sure who has the Atlanta routes but BA/AA are adequate, Virgin a bit better, Delta similar to BA and United crap in my experience
For the US, you need an ESTA if travelling from the UK, has to be obtained before travelling - it's done online here and costs USD14 (valid for 2 years) - https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/
(don't use any of the various 'ESTA agency' sites, as you'll pay extra unnecessarily)

Are either Pan-Am or TWA any good?
 








Publius Ovidius

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
45,919
at home
Simply put,if you can afford it definitely take a premium/ economy plus or better option for any flights over 4 hours imho!!


Only svp level are allowed to travel above cattle! Miserable sods when I am flying 9+ hours.

Going out I am seat next to door with long leg room...coming back on the red eye, middle of the cattle with a isle seat and eff all else! On a 747 which is donkeys years old!!!!!
 












Jul 7, 2003
8,571
I will wave at. you tomorrow.

I fly from Heathrow t3 on BA 747 crate cattle class to Denver...set off at 14:40 right in the middle of the storm and arrive at 17:30 local time.... 9 and a half hours later!

Snow in Denver seemly and up into the rockies on Sunday. ( a ice hockey game Saturday night) work for a week and back Thursday/Friday morning.


Need an ESTA and passport...check medical insurance. Load UBER app to get about ...sorted.

Was there the other weekend. Train into the city centre from the airport is only $9 and includes free travel on other light rail and buses for the whole day. Very friendly city and would love to go back again. Enjoy!
 


Jul 7, 2003
8,571
Generally in economy it is much of a muchness, go for convenience. Some of the BA planes are VERY old with shit IFE etc. The 787-800 is also terrible for width for anyone over 5'6 or 10 stone.
I actually flew to Delta in the summer and it was pretty good. The extra legroom seats were decent

Shame if BA have ruined their 787s with crap seats as they are a fantastic plane. Went with Virgin to NYC in the summer and the economy seats were okay. United to Denver the other week and the economy seats were fine and the Economy Plus the same but with more leg room. One all flights, the tinted windows were used to help with the body clock adjustment and I found I was both able to sleep better on the flights but also that I didn't really suffer with any jetlag - surprising for Denver as it is a 7 hour time difference.
 


Icy Gull

Back on the rollercoaster
Jul 5, 2003
72,015
Delta cover approx 70% of Virgins flight in/out of Atlanta under their codeshare agreement, so don't expect a VS flight necessarily.

An easy way to tell if the flight is operated by Virgin is to check the flight number. If it is three digits it’s a Virgin aircraft (it could be 4 digits if it starts with a zero] four digits not starting with zero means it’s a code share using a Delta aircraft.

I.E VS103 is a Virgin aircraft and VS4045 is a Delta aircraft
 





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