Going to London June 12 through June 20th.

Thinking about flying British Airways out of Houston.

If you have flown British Airways - what did you like about the airline, etc?

Airline recommendations recommended as well.

TIA.

I would just go with whatever is cheapest unless it is U.S. Airways or something. The most important thing IMO for long flights is the airplane configuration and getting those 2 seats on either side of the plane if you are traveling with another person (ex. the 767).

Service? These days? Are you kidding?

[This message has been edited by Dr. Devil Dog (edited 8/12/2010 10:54a).]

Ive been fortunate to have great service on BA the last 2 times Ive gone over.

Do they still have free booze?

They did when I flew them from London to Zurich over Christmas

and don't forget to factor in their baggage fees; I think they are more strict than American airlines about checking bags for intl flights, at least they caused us some grief with our snowboard bag that American Airlines didn't

[This message has been edited by Dr. Devil Dog (edited 8/12/2010 11:50a).]

And a friend just informed me that most international flights have free booze.

Is this true?

yes

KLM and Lufthansa have free booze . . .

I dont recall Continental or American having free booze on international flights anymore, unless that has changed. Most foreign carriers still do.

Best flights I've had over have been on BA.

Worst flight I've had over was AA.

A flight on United was somewhere in between.

The BA 777 are 3-3-3 across for us poors.

I am supposed to fly BA Sept 2, but with the looming BAA strike, who knows if that will happen....

The BA 777 is great, even in the poors section there's plenty of legroom.

anything but us airways and you should be good.

BA lost my luggage on the London to Houston flight twice in a row. Second time it was never found.

Free Booze: Not on US airlines anymore. Most international carriers (ie not US ones) still have free booze. I cannot recall if BA still does though, for some reason I am thinking they are one of the few intl ones that doesnt.

Baggage Fees: Even on US airlines, you get free baggage checking on international flights. They only charge you on domestic flights (and maybe some flights to Canada or Caribbean). If you fly to Europe, regardless of the airline, you will get free checked baggage.

Which Airline: Honestly, some are better than others. But go with the cheapest. You are only on it for 10 or so hours, if it saves you a couple hundred, it is completely worth it. I like BA personally. I also like American, and I know some people dont.

A group of about 50 of us flew BA back in March. We didn't have any issues with service and no luggage was lost. The only gripe I have is that it was really stuffy on the plane and you didn't get your own air-control knob over your seat. I don't remember what type of plane it was, but the poor section that we were in sat 3-5-3 and there was a second level for the rich folk.

We got free wine.

I flew BA from Houston to London a few months ago. It was fine. I have found little difference in airlines on these long flights. I've flown BA, KLM, Continental, AA, and Lufthansa to Europe. It all seems the same to me.

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The only gripe I have is that it was really stuffy on the plane and you didn't get your own air-control knob over your seat.

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A lot of the international flights on bigger planes are like that

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I don't remember what type of plane it was, but the poor section that we were in sat 3-5-3 and there was a second level for the rich folk.

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sounds like a 747.

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If you have flown British Airways - what did you like about the airline, etc?

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I liked the Captains Wings and the Logbook.

3-5-3 seating configuration???
I'll double-check that one. The only plane that could be that wide (in a Western configuration) would be the A380.

I know United does a 2-5-2 configuration in their 777s and most airlines do a 3-4-3 configuration in their 747s (at least for the 30+ years I've been flying them).

now that I think about it a little more I think it was 3-4-3

Continental and BA are pretty much the same price for flights over there.

Only problem is we live in Austin and would prefer to fly out of Austin instead of having to drive to Houston where BA flies out of. Dallas is not an option because it's 6 to 700 dollars more with BA.

Is BA really that much nicer than Continental?

Love flying BA across the pond but I've also been lucky in that I've mostly flown business class.

Frankly, on the 777 even flying coach isn't that bad for a 9-10 hr flight. Coach has tvs now so you can basically watch 3 movies and you are there. Time flies with the tv.

BA is a great airline. I have flown on it many times.

I would suggest signing up for the frequent flyer program and watch your email for great specials. In 2005 I purchased r/t Hou to Gatwick for $267 total price. It was a one day special.

Yeah - I've already enrolled in their frequent flyer program.

Hopefully they will have a special sooner than later! We are wanting to get our flights booked no later than January.

BA has its Economy Plus or World Traveler Plus section, which is much cheaper than biz class, and more than coach, but very nice relative to coach. It's comparable to a Jet Blue setup w/TV for each person, complete w/free movies and music, as well.

If coach, the schedule usually picks for me. Business class on BA is better than CO due to more angles/features on seats.

I've flown BA twice from IAH to London Gatwick connecting to Dublin. Both times flights were delayed and we got stick in London with little recourse. The staff were really rude and they never gave a reason for the delay. We got a free night in the local hotel and a meal voucher for the restaurant that was already closed.

Go with the cheapest, they are all about the same these days.

Might want to reconsider.
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/world/about+crash+passengers+told/3449655/story.html