British Airways 747: Best Seat?

The Seat Expert — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 20:05:52 +0000

Q (continued): First of all, I’m a silver club member if it makes any difference. I heard some airlines reserve the best seats for the silver and gold members but I’m not sure.

I don’t care much about the seat when flying with club world since most are the same though I always prefer the upper deck. However, this time I’m going LHR -> Beijing on a daytime flight as I thought I would use up the miles I gathered, some 250,000+ and in Economy. Unfortunately once you buy this ticket you can’t make anymore upgrades to it so I’m stuck with it.

So, what seat would you people recommend for economy, one that has a lot of leg room.

A: FlyerTalk members offer the best advice.

Virgin Atlantic 747: Gatwick same as Heathrow?

The Seat Expert — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 20:02:50 +0000

Many of our users have asked about the premium economy class seats, and I thought the following might be of some interest to you:

Perhaps due to the airlines’ marketing campaigns and TV commercials, many people falsely assume that Premium Economy is really Business Class Lite. If this is your belief, you will be sorely disappointed on any of the three airlines on this route. However, if your expectation is that Premium Economy is a LITTLE bit better than standard back-of-the-bus Economy class, then you will probably be reasonably satisfied.

What do you get in Premium Economy?

The big difference between Premium Economy Class and Coach is the extra leg room. All three airlines give you 6-8 inches more than standard Economy.
Both BA and VS give you a wider seat, as they fit one to two fewer seats per row compared to standard Coach
Leg and/or foot rest, possibly better head-rest, although many people feel that the seats are no more comfortable than coach (or put it another way, no less uncomfortable than coach)
Typically in-seat power-ports for your personal electronics
Slightly more miles earned in frequent flyer mileage program
Higher possibility of receiving an operational upgrade to the next class of service – Business class.
The ability to use miles and/or cash to pay for upgrade into Business class

What you DON’T get in Premium Economy?

Special meals. Meals are the same as Coach, although you might get it served on better quality dishes
Served-to-order pre-departure drinks. You’ll only receive one pre-departure drink, perhaps mass-market champagne
No fast track immigration
Normally no extra baggage allowance
Level of overall service is the same as Coach. Of course, individual cabin crew do vary in the service they provide, there are differences even from flight attendants serving the left vs the right aisle. But again, Premium Economy service is generally the same as Economy class.
In-flight entertainment is the same, most airlines offers AVOD (Audio Video On Demand) in both Coach and Premium Economy
Generally the same in-flight amenity kit as coach, and not the more luxurious offering in Business class
No complimentary VIP lounge access, neither on departure nor on arrival

There are probably other minor points, but I think we have covered the majority of them.

Ask the Seat Expert » 747

British Airways 747: Best Seat?

Virgin Atlantic 747: Gatwick same as Heathrow?