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#935974 by Lucydog
15 Jun 2017, 05:15
Sitting in Mccarron airport terminal 1 which I will say is very nice clean easy to go through, lots of food court choices, Awaiting my Delta flight to Jfk, which is a new experience for me. This was booked through virgin holidays as a package from Man/Las/jfk/Man. Late flight 23.30. I will post review in New York, if I get time.
#935990 by mitchja
15 Jun 2017, 16:30
JFK can be a little confusing with Delta as they use both terminal 2 and terminal 4 for both International and domestic flights (VS are also in T4) so just be aware which terminal you are arriving into.

I did a couple of domestic flights on DL metal the other week from JFK to BOS on different days and one of the flights departed JFK T2 and the other one departed T4!
#935995 by Lucydog
15 Jun 2017, 22:42
Update.

Ok flight took off on time, 23.30. And they kept squeezing on more and more standby customers, but the size of the luggage they dragged along was huge. This flight was a 757/200 comfort plus. You get a few snacks couple hot drinks. You pay if your not first or comfort plus. It was so cold, we could not get warm. And when seat belt signs came on ie turbulance they ignored them. We landed in T4 and seemed to walk miles to reclaim baggage.Was it an experience, YES, would I do this trip again, No it was like cattle transportation. They do make you board in class order and were strict about it. Virgin Atlantic I missed your seats and good fun with the CC.
#935996 by gumshoe
15 Jun 2017, 23:02
Sounds about par for the course I'm afraid.

With a few notable exceptions (e.g. AA's once-a-day MIA-LAX on a 777), US domestic air travel is pretty grim, particularly for 4-5 hour flights on narrow-body A320s or B737/757s.

It's standard practice to op-up frequent flyers in a strict pecking order according to status (you'll often see an upgrade list on monitors at the gate) so First will invariably be full even if it appeared virtually empty when you checked in. And, as you discovered, there are also standby lists (often pretty long lists at that) which the gate agents will fill empty seats from.

Having said that most of the main airlines offer an "Economy comfort" or similar, with extra legroom and other privileges, and their First cabins do have bigger seats and considerably better legroom unlike what BA laughably calls Club Europe.
#935997 by mitchja
15 Jun 2017, 23:59
If you use the Delta iOS app, you can also see the upgrades and standby lists on there too for each of their flights once online check-in opens.
#935999 by shaneg17
16 Jun 2017, 06:11
I remember a few years back doing an internal flight from Cincinnati to Las Vegas and the experience was awful...so we just drunk as much alcohol as we could lol

I've booked my older brother a trip in September LHR > JFK (stay 3 nights) > LAS (stay 5 nights) > LHR. This is all booked via BA so the internal flight is on what looks to be a relateively new AA aircraft so 'should' be ok

41 days until my next experience of JFK. UC though so should be grand
#936006 by PeterStansfield
16 Jun 2017, 11:14
I had an awful experience on Delta in 1993, and swore I'd never fly them again

But this year I relented, as they offered the only direct connection from San Jose, Costa Rica, and Altanta, from where we were catching the Virgin flight. I was disappointed to see no improvements

PROBLEM 1 - it was an early morning flight (0700). They emailed me at 0430. We were up, as we were ready to go to the aiport. They announced a 5 hr delay - whoopee! - back to bed for more sleep, and a leisurely morning (there was still time to make the connection in Altanta). But no. Warning on the email that if we didn't check in as usual (0615 latest) we'd have our reservation cancelled. Grr.

PROBLEM 2 - Airport like a Zoo -even for First Class. Delta REFUSED to check bags through, making us collect and recheck at ATL. Wait 5 hrs at San Jose Airport

PROBLEM 3 - 5 hrs turns into 5 1/2 hrs. Connection getting tighter - particularly with baggage reclaim / recheck

PROBLEM 4 - Plane arrives - 757 - didn't know they were still flying. History of our plane was that it was 31 yrs 7 month old - it could have been the same one I flew in 1993. Incidentailly, it was owned by Wells Fargo Bank, as they hadn't redeemed it from the last bankruptcy (now 10 years ago - Delta were running a special promotion in celebration)

PROBLEM 5 - We get on - it's like a museum. No greeting on boarding, and I had to ask two arguing Cabin Crew to move aside so I could get to the aisle for my seat

PROBLEM 6 - They power up the inflight entertainment to show safety video. This ENORMOUS Television (not screen) half folds out of the ceiling, but gets stuck half way. So we see only the legs of the people in the video. I complain (I can't remember how to get out of antique planes - do you need a can opener?). They do the safety demo manually

PROBLEM (NOT A PROBLEM) 6 - The woman in front complains her First Class seat won't recline. Cabin crew tell her that's because it's 'broken' (not a problem for me!)

PROBLEM 7. The Food. My wife chooses Pasta - dish is inedible. I call Cabin Crew
"Tell me, is my wife's pasta SUPPOSED to be crunchy'"
"But sir, it's only crunchy round the edges - it's fine in the centre"

£700 each to fly on a 3 1/2 hr flight that's 5 1/2 hours late, on an antique plane and being served inedible food even in First Class. Nothing's altered since 1993 - except the prices. And we only made the Virgin flight with 2 min to spare!

So I'm vowing again not to fly Delta for another 24 years at least - and even then it will probably be the same plane!

Peter
Virgin Atlantic

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