[Anonymous]

[thecartoonman]

I wanted to tap into the knowledge of regular contributors who may well have recently travelled this route.

I have a trip planned for early April 2016 and this year flew BA WT+ on the 777-200 with old style seating, poor video screen and it was all a bit tatty, though the cabin was not full.

I would be grateful if anyone can perhaps offer some advice:

1) Is the VA PE LGW product better than BA’s and if so:

a) Where is the best place to sit? The upper deck looks good, but with Y also in the bubble does it get busy with other passengers always passing through the curtain to use the loo’s at the front?

This is a busy route and if the upper deck is full then the toilet run can be annoying particularly on the overnight return.

The main cabin is quite large, so maybe this is quite a noisy area, but looks like they may de-plane almost straight after UC and it seems as though Y passengers have no need to walk through PE during the flight.

The BA WT+ cabin only had 24 seats and was pretty quiet, it just looks as though VA might have the edge, but I have no recent experience of their LGW 747 fleet, so all advice and comments would be much appreciated.

Many thanks in advance.

[MartynSinclair]

When I arrived into MCO the other night, I saw 5 Virgin 747-400 verses 1 BA, 777, so clearly VS are doing something right.

However, I gave up using VS on this route a couple of years back. The service I received gradually worsened and the hard product felt even more dated than BA.

The one big advantage of the VS PE product, they use the upper deck on the 747.. In my mind that is probably the only reason, to use VS… except for that 5 verses 1 aircraft count…. which does tell the real story…

[1nfrequent]

You might get a wider response if you post this on the UK Forum at http://www.disboards.com as they have a lot of people who use the Virgin and BA flights and can give you more information.

I’m a BA loyalist but my friend (who goes to MCO 3 times per year) tarts between the two and votes on price because he thinks there’s not much to split the two in terms of product and service (but he does tend to fly business more than PE).

Sorry to not be of more help.
1F

[thecartoonman]

Thank you for your reply 1nfrequent – 01/09/2015 22:58 BST

I had no idea this ‘Disney’ forum existed and should provide some useful info with regard to MCO flights and my initial question.

TBH the flight is only 9 hours and BA’s WT+ cabin was pleasant and being pretty small it did have a ‘calm’ atmosphere. If only they would fit the new WT+ seating I would not hesitate to book with them again, as long as the fare was on a par with VS, since I do prefer the direct flights into MCO.

Also, as my son is about to join the DCL’s Disney Magic for a 2nd time for another winter cruising around the Caribbean, I will be searching this extensive forum, many thanks for the ‘heads up’ on this one.

[BugAdvisor]

Assuming both PE flights are the same price, I think you should stick with the airline where you have the highest status – especially if one gives you lounge access. But here are some thoughts:
BA WTP(PE) out of LHR serves the Club World meal but MCO is served by Gatwick and I’m not sure if that applies.
Virgin PE gives you fast track security at LGW whereas I don’t think that BA WTP does.
The Virgin upper deck used to be great for PE until they converted the rear section to economy. The effect is that when you land, there is a long wait to descend the stairs and so you lose the advantage of arriving at immigration before everyone else. There isn’t a curtain between PE and Economy.
If your flight is delayed by more than 3 hours, Virgin are much better at paying EU compensation.
Virgin (I think still) have the Disney check-in and bag drop – so you can deliver your bags and still make the most of your last day.

[Mirabel001]

I fly this route 3 times per year in Premium to visit family.
Ther is NO comparison. Despite all the recent issues with Virgin Atlantic Service, Im sorry but BA’s WT+ is no match.

Virgin’s seats are superior, as is the entertainment system. The amenity kit is of a higher quality, the meal service 3 options to choose from, 2 on BA, and the variety of snacks from the wander wall (Galley) on 747’s is something BA do not compete at all on. I also like that Virgin PE offers a very nice hot breakfast coming back to England, they dont even get that in BA CLUB! on Orlando flights
I like BA, but their Gatwick 777’s are shoddy and the product VERY dated in WT+ and Economy. Its not Heathrow or the B777-300ER.

Take it from me, if its PE you are flying Virgin is the only sensible choice

[thecartoonman]

Mirabel001 – 02/09/2015 14:26 BST and others

Thank you for your replies.

Mirabel001, your view of the BA Gatwick 777’s mirrors my own poor experience earlier this year and it was a world away from the LHR 777-300ER’s on which I have travelled a number of times in WT+.

A final point, where would you suggest is the best place to sit, either in the upper deck or the main cabin?

It seems odd there is no curtain between PE and Y on the upper deck, which might possibly create a ‘them and us’ situation in the bubble, rather than downstairs where there probably is a curtain and almost being the last off the plane at MCO would be a real pain.

For info, I unfortunately have no status with either airline.

[superchris]

VS, whilst marginally better than BA for PE, is still a poor product out of LGW unless you get any of their new aircraft (which I don’t think are operating out of LGW). For the Orlando route, I would be tempted to look at the Thomson Dreamliner in their premium cabin as I suspect it knocks the spots off VS PE

[AMcWhirter]

thecartoonman –

“It seems odd that there is no curtain between PE and Y on the upper deck”

We posted a news piece about this configuration almost six years ago, see below, along with reader comments which were mainly negative.

http://www.businesstraveller.com/news/virgin-to-cut-business-class-capacity

[thecartoonman]

Thank you AMcWhirter – 02/09/2015 15:22 BST

It seems VS ditched the UC/Y model on the UD as it is now PE/Y upstairs, or it is out of LGW, while the report was in 2009 with the last post in 2011, so maybe someone has a more recent experience in PE in the bubble.

It’s always difficult to moan about mixed configurations without sounding ‘pompous’, but the reality is the 2 don’t really mix, particularly when there are obvious logistical issues with different catering options having to pass through the cabin and then seemingly viewed with no curtain in situ!

I would be interested to hear from anyone with recent experience in the PE main cabin, while the Thomson Dreamliner may be a good option, just depends on their schedules.

Anyway, thank you all for your many comments and helpful suggestions.

[kt0rlando]

Just a word of caution about using Thomson is that they use Sanford which, before I moved out here, didn’t seem to be too far away from MCO but believe me it is! Travel time after and before international flights, tolls and the delays they cause, and airport accessibility / amenities at SFB are nowhere MCO – despite my weekly frustrations at their attempts at TSA Precheck…..

[1nfrequent]

No problem, thecartoonman. I think it was someone here who tipped me off to Disboards a few years ago (and I’m really sorry but I can’t remember who) so I figured I’d pay it forward.

If your son becomes a Mouse fanatic, they’ve got a lot of information for all the worldwide parks and their forums on Universal Studios are excellent as well.

1F

[thecartoonman]

kt0rlando – 02/09/2015 21:17 BST – soon as I replied I thought they don’t go to MCO, so have left it there as I do not want to arrive at SFB.

1nfrequent – 02/09/2015 23:31 BST – the forum is very useful with plenty of useful comments and answers and some serious Disney fans who seem to spend most of their holidays with ‘Walt’ and then planning to go again.

My son was ‘Disneyfied’ years ago and is in fact shortly going back on the Disney Magic for another 6 month stint as a main stage performer in the ships ‘on board’ theatre. We joined him this March and have to say, Disney certainly know how to run a good cruise ship, it really was excellent and everything was ‘top notch’, which is why they are at the upper end of the price range.

Interestingly, there were many couples and friends travelling without the ‘cabin baggage’ as their kids have now grown up and they were all enjoying an adults version of the ‘Mouse’, since the ship had many 18+ areas and the whole experience was superb.

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