V-Flyer

Hi

The usual Q I'm afraid.

I'm looking to book 8 reward seats to either SFO or LAX in August next year.
(I do NOT want to fly LGW to Vegas.)
I'm willing to book all Econ then look for upgrades to PE or UC as they appear.

Outbound has no availability in either July or August whilst earlier months has ample.

Is this normal ??

(I assume as it's peak UK season the reward tickets are loaded later than normal to see what the paid load is??)

Coming back there is availability on most days.

So any idea when the August tickets are likely to be released?

Looks like I'll be booking the return before the outbound

A quick update
I see MAN-SFO has availability in PE and UC for all 8 over various dates (mine not out yet)

I know MAN has no lounge but is the UC experience on board any different than LHR-LAX??)

I know SFO has a UC lounge.

You beat me to it - I was going to suggest MAN if that's an option!

I can't comment on the UC experience from MAN though - I've only ever flown VS UC from LHR but next year am flying PE to SFO from MAN.

Well as I am not a plane geek I need to know that this means in reality

"Whilst the A330 does not offer the B744 Upper Class experience, it is not all that bad - especially if the rumours of a 1-1-1 cabin refit turn out to be true."

I've just returned LGW-LAS and the cabin was really showing it's age and was a let down TBHO.

blindman wrote:I've just returned LGW-LAS and the cabin was really showing it's age and was a let down TBHO.

In what way? It was only refurbed a couple of years ago, and has new IFE and the suites have been refreshed....

(Always used to bug me how LGW/MAN planes were referred to as 'tired' long after they were refurbed, and much better than a LHR 747, as if people seemed to want to continue that narrative which held true a few years before).

Smid wrote:

blindman wrote:I've just returned LGW-LAS and the cabin was really showing it's age and was a let down TBHO.

In what way? It was only refurbed a couple of years ago, and has new IFE and the suites have been refreshed....
.

Really?

Very small IFE screen and scuffs and marks on the seats.

Looked exactly the same as when I flew LGW-BGI about 10 years ago.
Flight was Outbound Sunday August 21st and Inbound Sept 10th if that helps with the config.

Don't want that experience on MAN-SFO etc.

blindman wrote:Really?

Very small IFE screen and scuffs and marks on the seats.

Looked exactly the same as when I flew LGW-BGI about 10 years ago.
Flight was Outbound Sunday August 21st and Inbound Sept 10th if that helps with the config.

Don't want that experience on MAN-SFO etc.

What cabin? I know uppers screens got smaller after the refurb. But touch screen based (capacitive, so do didn't have to poke it like a angry predators eye, like in the old LHR).

Not sure what you flew on 10 years ago to BGI, but it was likely rolling video and certainly no type of touchscreen. Unless they used LHR configs back then, and even at that you won't have got an old LHR 747 a few weeks ago, they are all gone as far as I'm aware...

8 reward tickets to the West coast is a big ask anytime of year but more so in the summer months.
We managed 5 G returns for next summer by flying to JFK, taking a couple of days in New York before going west and coming home on the new SFO-MAN service which seems to have much more reward availability still.
Haven't booked the internal flights as waiting for Southwest to release next summer's flights.

Smid wrote:

blindman wrote:Really?

Very small IFE screen and scuffs and marks on the seats.

Looked exactly the same as when I flew LGW-BGI about 10 years ago.
Flight was Outbound Sunday August 21st and Inbound Sept 10th if that helps with the config.

Don't want that experience on MAN-SFO etc.

What cabin? I know uppers screens got smaller after the refurb. But touch screen based (capacitive, so do didn't have to poke it like a angry predators eye, like in the old LHR).

Not sure what you flew on 10 years ago to BGI, but it was likely rolling video and certainly no type of touchscreen. Unless they used LHR configs back then, and even at that you won't have got an old LHR 747 a few weeks ago, they are all gone as far as I'm aware...

UC cabin
Screen was small

DocRo wrote:8 reward tickets to the West coast is a big ask anytime of year but more so in the summer months.
We managed 5 G returns for next summer by flying to JFK, taking a couple of days in New York before going west and coming home on the new SFO-MAN service which seems to have much more reward availability still.
Haven't booked the internal flights as waiting for Southwest to release next summer's flights.

Well even 1 award ticket is not available in ANY cabin LHR-West coast from July 13th onwards.

Just need to know if this is usual and I need to wait for some to be released.

There are 8 awards from MAN to both SFO and SEA.

Anyone have an Idea about LHR??

blindman wrote:UC cabin
Screen was small

Well, you were in a refurbed plane, maximum 4 years since the refurb. I think they pretty much made all the screens the same size when they redid them, which mean the larger Upper screens got smaller.

But they're not old. I've never found them old either.

I've been on an old BA 777 which had larger screens with total crap screen quality, you could barely see if there was any sunlight in the cabin. Those are old.

So I'm not sure what you're expecting from your modern IFE and business class fleet. Do you fly Qatar, Emirates or Etihad business a lot? Your expectations of the other airlines might be a bit much....

There's a thread on IFE size here.