Don your anorak and get technical about airplanes.
#867753 by CHill710
04 Mar 2014, 07:22
well as i am in Los Angeles and up at a stupid time i thought i would put together a bit of a comparison between VS and BA from the back of the bus.

this puts BA's new A380 economy service against VS on the 747 on the LAX route.
I last flew the route with VS last year on the upper deck of G-VFAB and this week flew out on G-XLEC with BA.

if i miss anything let me know.

Check In @LHR
VS win. BA sent me away as i was 5 mins early to drop my bag. (i thought T5 had a massive early bag store on the bag network)

Terminal @LHR
T5 is brighter but draws with T3

Boarding
VS manage priority boarding quite well with flights.
BA display PRE BOARDING on a screen and the whole of London tries to board.
for this flight all special assistance passengers were put through the gate and down towards the aircraft and then all 22 crew turned up :0 .
Personaly i would prefer the crew to security check the aircraft with ought having to board these pax at the same time.

Cabin
I prefer the VS economy cabin on all aircraft over the BA A380 Y cabin i found BA's seat uncomfortable as the head restraint is shaped and can not be flattened this makes it hard to find a comfortable position to sleep.

IFE
a draw. BA's touchscreen system wins over the VS equivalent and definitely wins over V-Port (or whatever it is called now) but VS have a better selection of content in my opinion.

Food
VS win. VS give 3 choices (chicken/beef/pasta) BA have chicken or pasta.

Crew
VS win. BA's crew started the flight shouting at a group of PAX for not sitting down quick enough (perhaps the crew should have been onboard 30 mins earlier so as to start boarding on time!) and then made minimal contact with pax
at least VS crew smile and talk to pax.

Arrival.
LAX is LAX nothing the airlines can do.
it did take an hour to get my bag and after sprinting to immigration and beating most of the other pax to boarder control getting through to the bag carousel in 15 mins waiting there for 60 was not good. and to make it worse they were sending 10 bags then having a break before another 10 or so.
VS last year got bags out a lot quicker (and i was only a red then so like for like)

all in all the A380 with BA has not done enough to make me switch from VS. the higher cabins did look nice but i think VS still has it for me. just need to work out how to keep my gold card with VS for another year.

i will post a trip report for the 380 when i get home and get over the jet lag.
#867754 by hiljil
04 Mar 2014, 08:04
Thank you. That was a most interesting read and you came to much the same conclusions as I did when I compared CW with UC.
#867764 by pjh
04 Mar 2014, 09:25
Thanks for this. Interesting comparison across Y cabins that we don't often see.


CHill710 wrote:Check In @LHR
VS win. BA sent me away as i was 5 mins early to drop my bag. (i thought T5 had a massive early bag store on the bag network)


Probably still full of unclaimed bags from the opening disaster...
#867769 by at240
04 Mar 2014, 10:31
Thanks for the interesting comparison. Aside from the seat (a big aside, admittedly), did you find the 380 more pleasant to fly on? Perhaps not!

I was struck by your remarks about the airports. Personally I much prefer T5 to T3 if you are stuck in the general departure lounge, just because there is so little natural light in T3 and it is so horribly stuffy in there.

As for LAX -- although T2 is dreadful, I tend to think it is a great benefit that VS does not come into TBIT, where the queues seem to be predictably much much worse. But maybe I've just been lucky.
#867772 by buns
04 Mar 2014, 10:37
Thanks for this very interesting comparison y) y)

It just goes to show how it is very much "swings and runabouts", and that in essence, the economy product will often be separated on price more than anything else

buns
#867783 by mitchja
04 Mar 2014, 14:47
Good comparison, thanks.

Yep, I've also had the 'go away and come back in xx mins' when checking in at LHR T5. Saying that I've had the same with BMI in T1 (when they where still operating) so that must be a LHR thing.

Never been a fan of T5, too much walking required and changing levels between the various airport areas. I just hope T2 isn't the same?
#867788 by CHill710
04 Mar 2014, 17:05
at240 wrote:Thanks for the interesting comparison. Aside from the seat (a big aside, admittedly), did you find the 380 more pleasant to fly on? Perhaps not!


I do like the A380 as I prefer Airbus over Boeing, the A380 does feel a bit more spacious than the 747 and seems to have larger windows making it seem lighter.

as for the T5 vs T3 although T3 has no windows i find that T5 is always crowded with no sets available and although there are windows there is never anything other than parked BA a320's to look at.
and quite a lot of VS adverts to remind you that you are flying with the dark side!!
DSC02112.JPG
T5 poster
#867794 by Hamster
04 Mar 2014, 17:49
Very different view on T3 v T5! I find just walking through T3 to get to the CH a depressing task!
I think T5 is fantastic! It can look full at times, but there are always seats available in the main departure area, hidden round corners etc.

VS have had the advertising rights since T5 opened! Must be paying A LOT for BA not to out bid them (and BA have the 'Million Pound Door"!)
Virgin Atlantic

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