United Airlines or British Airways?

Doshwaster

CG19a wrote: »

I've booked my flights with BA, mostly because of flight times. I can fly back from NY and arrive the same day instead of an overnight flight.

I've never seen the point of daytime flights back from the US east coast. You have to be at the airport early in the morning, spend all day on the plane and then it's night time by time you get home. Seems to be a waste of a day of your life. With an overnight flight you can do a full day in the US, sleep on the plane and arrive at the start of a new day.

CG19a

I'm never able to really sleep on a plane, plus I'll have to go back to work the next day so it seems the most reasonable way to do it. I've always had overnight flights before, so I might be proved wrong, but I hope not.

Marmaduke123

BA have much better food and far more recent films on the IFE, and T5 at Heathrow is pleasanter experience than the other terminals.

All things being equal I would always choose BA over the american airlines, but things aren't always equal. There's price, flight timings and which hub you will fly into to consider. Not always an easy decision

xxlouisexx56

Flew with united last year to NY.

Thanks to all you BA lovers my flight was only 1/4 full. I had a whole row to myself and so did my fianc!, both on the way out and on the way back. Slept for most of the time! Staff were pleasant, food was average.

I would fly with them again!

martindow

Caz3121 wrote: »

BA - in case there is issues with the return flight....we flew with United from Washington DC and flight was cancelled with little assistance offered (and no compensation to be paid!)

If the flight is to or from the EU shouldn't you get the standard assistance and compensation whether it is a UK or US company?

Doshwaster

martindow wrote: »

If the flight is to or from the EU shouldn't you get the standard assistance and compensation whether it is a UK or US company?

Flights to the EU are only covered if

"This concerns delays, cancellations and overbooking that prevent you from boarding …

… and applies if you are:

leaving the EU with any airline, or
arriving in the EU with a carrier registered in the EU (or Iceland, Norway or Switzerland)"

http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/passenger-rights/air/index_en.htm

ferf1223

Doshwaster wrote: »

I've never seen the point of daytime flights back from the US east coast. You have to be at the airport early in the morning, spend all day on the plane and then it's night time by time you get home. Seems to be a waste of a day of your life. With an overnight flight you can do a full day in the US, sleep on the plane and arrive at the start of a new day.

Neither did I until we did it - although we don't particularly enjoy the last 'day' as we know we are on a timetable and can't just relax and enjoy it - spend the whole day looking at my watch thinking how much time we have until we have to head for the airport and will there be traffic, etc...so a few trips ago took the 9am departure, arrived in the UK about 10pm...back home and to sleep straight away.

Only trip I have ever had exactly zero jetlag...absolutely none - was back to normal immediately...hubby didn't find it worked as well for him though...plus as we landed late Friday night we had all weekend at home before going back to work which was nice.

totallybored

I've flown United loads of times and they're fine. I normally choose flights based on the most convenient times so I'm not bothered who I fly to the US with. It's a few hours of your life, as long as it gets you from A to B within your budget and at a time you want then I wouldn't worry about which has the friendliest crew, best choice of films or the standard of a plastic box of unidentifiable food etc.

duchy

Agreed-I call the eastbound daytime flight my jetlag killer

ferf1223 wrote: »

Neither did I until we did it - although we don't particularly enjoy the last 'day' as we know we are on a timetable and can't just relax and enjoy it - spend the whole day looking at my watch thinking how much time we have until we have to head for the airport and will there be traffic, etc...so a few trips ago took the 9am departure, arrived in the UK about 10pm...back home and to sleep straight away.

Only trip I have ever had exactly zero jetlag...absolutely none - was back to normal immediately...hubby didn't find it worked as well for him though...plus as we landed late Friday night we had all weekend at home before going back to work which was nice.