US Airways Dividend Miles (Pre-FlightFund Merger) - Most comfy full coach transatlantic flight?

So either US Airways RES system is imploding, or they've managed to sell EVERY SINGLE COACH SEAT from March 5-9th on their TransAtlantic hops to LGW from either PHL or CLT.

I'm impressed if they've done so but it leaves me in a bit of a bind. Who would you reccommend for the coach TransAtlantic flights? Do any US Flag carriers have a coach+ type arrangement for those of us paying the full freight?

As a caveat, I am NOT as interested in electronic doodads as I am in seat space.

Your thoughts are appreciated.

Regards,
-Bouncer-

United's E+ is pretty comfortable for coach. The service isn't perhaps the best in the world, but it ain't bad and the seat pitch is decent to quite good, depending upon your seat.

There are seats in eco left CLT-PHL on US on the 5th and 8th of March.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by kempis:
There are seats in eco left CLT-PHL on US on the 5th and 8th of March.</font>Umm... that's not the trans-atlantic part! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Bouncer: Try AA. If you're willing to pay full Y, then I'll bet they give you an exit row seat (acres of space for your legs). At the same time, enroll in a challenge (unless you already have AA status) and before you know it, you'll be a convert. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

And even if you can't snag an exit row, the rest of coach, thanks to MRTC (that's More Room Throughout Coach), all the seats are tolerable.

I don't think United's 777s have E+ (at least not all of them) - Be careful with UA. Hate to pay full Y and be stuck in a regular UA coach seat for several hours.

d.n.d - definetly not Delta

I know the query was for domestic airlines - but what about British Airways World Traveler Plus?

NW is not in the running.

From what I understand, AA's More Room Throughout Coach applies to the ENTIRE coach cabin whereas UA's Economy Plus applies to only the first several row of coach (but reserved for Premier and full Y fares, I think).

Icelandair will upgrade you to their business class if you pay full fare economy. Check http://www.icelandair.com/index.jsp. Click the special offer. Baltimore to Paris for around $2,600

YOu might want to try SQ's transatlantic service to AMS or FRA, and then catch another flight to LGW.

How about US, with the PIT-LGW leg?

Failing that, AA. Hands down.

------------------
Saving the world, one clue at a time.

I'd go with VS Premium Economy. Much better than UA E+ or AA MRTC, plus you have a very good chance of being upgraded to J. Speaking of upgrading to J, if I were you I would make that my mission -- upgrading from full fare is usually a good deal.

i bet AA exit row seats rock the house (or plane in this case).

Seems the 7th is particularly bad but there appears to be seats still being sold on

I wouldn't classify BR (not that they fly trans-Atlantic), VS or BA's enhanced economy as a true economy product.

I'm not convinced AA's MRTC is that noticeable on 767s (not as it is on M-80s).

SQ economy is still economy.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by terenz:
a true economy product.

I'm not convinced AA's MRTC is that noticeable on 767s (not as it is on M-80s).

</font>

Having done it 7 or so times recently, I can attest to the fact that it is not very noticiable. It translates to about 1" to 2" more room. It's not enought that I would choose AA over another carrier only because of MRTC.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by kempis:
There are seats in eco left CLT-PHL on US on the 5th and 8th of March.</font>

Bouncer-
When I search 3/5 - 3/9, I get the following in coach:

CLT-LGW
3/5: 1 seat available
3/6: 5 seats available
3/7: sold out
3/8: 1 seat available
3/9: 2 seats available

PHL-LGW
3/5: sold out
3/6: 2 seats available
3/7: 2 seats available
3/8: sold out
3/9: at least 7 seats available

On most of these flights, there are at least 7 Envoy seats open. With loads this high on each flight, there might be a chance to be upgraded to Envoy as US Airways oversells its flights by a certain percentage. If you have systemwides, even better! I'd skip those other airlines and try and grab a US Airways seat and try and get an Envoy upgrade... that'll give you the most room http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

And of course you cannot forget these promos for full fare coach on US:

**NEW** #5387 Earn *50,000* bonus miles to Europe, and double miles everywhere else.
Through April 30, 2002. First Class, Envoy, Y or B fares.

#4743 Earn up to 60,000 miles when you fly US Airways between the U.S. or Canada and Europe between December 16, 2001 and April 28, 2002.
Fly First Class (F fare class), Envoy Class (J/C fare classes), or Full Fare Economy Class (booked in Y or B fare classes):
1st First Class/Envoy Class/Full-fare Economy roundtrip = 15,000 bonus miles
2nd First Class/Envoy Class/Full-fare Economy roundtrip = 15,000 bonus miles
3rd First Class/Envoy Class/Full-fare Economy roundtrip = 30,000 bonus miles
Total = 60,000 bonus miles

[This message has been edited by kube (edited 02-28-2002).]

the loads into manchester seem to be somewhat lighter with better chances of upgrades. so depending on where you're going in england, that might be a better bet.
(PHL-MAN US 196, which, by the way, is also on a 330).

i'm booked on the 8th phl-lgw, and as a chairman's, cannot get a seat assignment (no seats left to assign AT ALL!!), let alone an upgrade with over 15 seats still left to sell in envoy. keeping my fingers crossed that the guardians of the inventory will be kind.

As for PHL-MAN, there are quite a few seats left for travel on either March 6 or March 8. There seem to be seats available for the 7th too (although not as many as as on the 6th or 8th). No upgrade seats available - but looks like a lot of Envoy seats left for sale. Getting to London is quite easy as bmi (formerly known as British Midland) - has a $137 fare for a roundtrip, and (gotta love it) a one way fare at $130 (I'm flying in to MAN on the 9th, and using the BD one-way to LHR - and then flying out of AMS - getting to AMS on KLMuk for $58 - out of STN). Or you could take the train too.

In other words bouncer, we here at the US FT board think you should stick with the wonderful US Airways service. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

:P phbth!!! ..on principle.

In fact, since I posted a few things have happened. The travel agency we use was able to get me on the CLT - LGW run for the date I needed to be there. Sort of yay. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

The date I needed to be there then immediately fell back one week. Because the Almighty has a sense of humor.

And the hamster Wheel turns ever onward, wheeeeeeeee!!!

Regards,
-Bouncer-

$50 followup..

I have been tracking PIT-FRA on 3/23 and returning 3/31 for about a month. Suddenly in the last 2 weeks these have basically gone from 1/2 full to full. I wonder whether the cause of this is the group fare sale to Europe??

I cant otherwise see how planes could fill up so fast to Europe. People dont make spur of the moment travel decisions there in this volume.

Interestingly (at least to me!) the flights to and from Madrid during the period I'm going (3/14-3/20) are all quite full or sold out. On the return, it is showing zero Envoy seats left in any class, and coach is sold out in the outbound. There goes the upgrade. But as I've checked it periodically over the last few weeks, I have noticed that the numbers jump around a lot. the outbound had been almost sold-out in Envoy, then a number of seats reappeared. The return had 12 seats left last week in Envoy, now it's sold out. I don't get it.

Needed a seat for my wife from PBI to the New York area right after Easter. Tried the website, then called the CP line. Couldn't clear anything for less than $530, which is bigtime for that route. Finally tried Expedia, and what do you know, I get the flights we originally wanted, for $325. I think they may be selling seats in bulk to these online agencies, which might explain why the price variances, and the apparently abnormal consumption of inventory.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by freqflyer2001:
Interestingly (at least to me!) the flights to and from Madrid during the period I'm going (3/14-3/20) are all quite full or sold out. On the return, it is showing zero Envoy seats left in any class, and coach is sold out in the outbound. There goes the upgrade. But as I've checked it periodically over the last few weeks, I have noticed that the numbers jump around a lot. the outbound had been almost sold-out in Envoy, then a number of seats reappeared. The return had 12 seats left last week in Envoy, now it's sold out. I don't get it.</font>

A lot of the airlines were offering discounted mileage rewards to Europe that had to be used by 3-31. That may be a contributing factor.