INB O X YOUR COMMENT S Join the debate
READERS SHARE FIRST-HAND KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCES AND IDEAS B U S I N E S S T R A V E L L E R . C O M /F O R U M
FAVOURITE AIRCRAFT
P O ST : BUL L F R O G We would all probably agree that our preference is to fly as comfortably as possible – ie, first or business class. However, I’m heading to Barbados shortly with Virgin Atlantic (and delighted to be flying Upper Class) but the real buzz for me seems to be that I’m booked on the B747, rather than an A330. I wondered whether I’m the only “nutter”, or do others share my thoughts?
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➜ C AP E TONIANM I completely agree with you and although aircraft type isn’t my first criterion, it is certainly one of the main ones and more important than food or IFE. My favourite for long haul is the A340 and my last and next few flights between Cape Town and Europe are on Austrian Airlines and Swiss/Edelweiss using that aircraft, on daylight services, which is another big plus for me.
➜ AL ANR ED1 3 My first long-haul flights were on B747s. When I went on an A330 I was surprised by how much quieter it was than the B747. However, I did like the Club seat upstairs on the B747, rear of the cabin and port side (64A). The floor area was eight-feet long plus side storage, really spacious and private. The only downside was that it was the seat with the bassinet, so if there was a booking with a baby you’d get bounced.
➜ F RUSTR A TEDF LYER I am a fan of the upper deck of the B747 (64K) on BA. The refurbished ones with the new IFE are fine (I flew one last week from New York JFK), but the ones they are pensioning off in the next couple of years have seen better days. I like the A380 but it is huge and the luggage wait can sometimes put a downer on the trip.
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➜ S WI S S DIV ER I hate A330s as much as I love the upper deck on B747s. So I think you are very fortunate and hope you will love your trip.
‘Historically, B747s are definitely my all-time favourite; VC10s a close second’
➜ GIV INGUP B A My favourite aircraft are 1. A380; 2. A350; 3. B747 (upper deck if possible); 4. DC-10. I haven’t flown on the B787 so can’t comment. I have a soft spot for two more – the B707 and Russian IL-62 (not for comfort though!). And, of course, Concorde (enormous fun and a great experience, although not very comfortable).
➜ WIND OW - S E A T When booking flights to places like New York there is such a choice of metal that I sometimes decide by aircraft type as well as departure time. I have a soft spot for a BA B747 upstairs or seat 1A/K. Space on an A380 is also nice.
➜ M AR T YN S INCL AIR My only interest is the seat and the real estate around the seat (long haul is business and BA). I will avoid the B777 like the plague. I did Hong Kong once in a B777, but when you have the choice of more real estate on another aircraft the choice is easy to make.
➜ C ANU CKL AD How travel has evolved in a relatively short period of time. As a child, I vividly remember feeling like the bee’s knees the first time I travelled in first class. It was on a CP DC-8 over the Pole. Huge comfy seats in a 2-2 configuration with tables in the armrest. Brilliant food and in-flight service. And many years later, my, how I was wowed by Air Canada’s Executive Class cabin and the service on board, which by comparison was
truly a different world. Yet if British Airways was to plonk that proposition into, not First, not Club World, but its premium economy cabins, I’d bet there would be quite a few keyboards hot with disgust. Now, my anoraky answers. I’ll stick to long haul “Y” [economy] nowadays.
1. Emirates’ front cabin on the A380; 2. Cathay Pacific’s A350. Historically, B747s are definitely my all-time favourite; VC10s a close second; back cabin of DC8-63s. As GivingupBA
mentioned, the DC10 was also a favourite despite its bad reputation.
➜ P OINT Y M AR K Aircraft type is key to my booking plans. I love to be on an A380, for the space, (including larger washrooms and the onboard lounge on Qatar Airways) and the smooth and quiet flight. It also benefits from 6,000ft cabin pressure by way of the composites used in construction. The A350 also has this cabin pressure and larger windows owing to composites. But my favourite is the B787 because it ventilates the cabin with fresh air directly from outside. Other aircraft cabin air is taken from an engine bleed, which many argue contains oil particles, which are bad for health. Clean air plus 6000ft pressure (which contains more oxygen and humidity than 8,000ft aircraft) means I always feel better when I get off a B787 than when I boarded.
B U S I N E S S T R A V E L L E R . C O M / F O R UM
SH A R E Y O U R E X P E RI E N C E S O N OU R F O R U M
bus ine s s tr a v el ler .c om
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