US Airways Dividend Miles (Pre-2005 America West merger) - PIT-LGW B767

Has anyone recently flown PIT-LGW on the B767? If so, what should I expect? They are cutting back BIG TIME at PIT and I'll go to the 330 if it's not going to be that great(i'm actually originating in PHL, but since i'm so PIT loyal, i'm just going with my normal routine)...Any info is appreciated..Thanks...

If you're originating in PHL, I'd take the A330 option. Do I understand correctly that you were going to fly PHL-PIT-LGW? I'm not sure I understand the logic there.

Coach or Envoy, the A330 is the far better choice. It has nothing to do with the fact that the plane is starting in PIT or PHL. Intl. is catered and service is the same for both cities.

[This message has been edited by PHL (edited 07-11-2003).]

US Airways 767's are ok. The coach seat is about the same as a 757 or 737. In Envoy (business class), they recline quite a bit but not flat or nearly flat. I usually try to sleep through the meal so I can't report what they served.

I found it more restful to take a daytime flight to London. I think other airlines fly from JFK, Newark, Toronto, Boston, and maybe Chicago to London during the day. There are a few cities which have early enough fights to connect to these daytime flights.

What kind of info do you want? Seat dimensions, food, entertainment, amenities kit?

Looking for information on IFE and food. As for why i'm doing PHL-PIT-LGW, i'm going to be out of the country for several months and there are a few ppl in PIT I need to touch base with.

On topic of day flights to London, nothing would please me more than to see a PHL-LGW in the morning. It's so much easier on the body to travel during daylight and then hit a real bed upon arrival.

They'd need an almost around the clock operation there, though, which can't easily be done with what they have now (staffed early morning until mid afternoon).

For example:
PHL-LGW: Depart 830am, arrive 830pm
LGW-PHL: Depart 8am(next day), arrive 1130am

So, in 27 hours, the plane has made one cycle. That's less efficient than the approximately 18 hours that it currently takes to send one out and back. Hence, the need for more service to utilize planes better.

That 830am departure would allow them to bring in connections from anywhere, including redeyes from the West coast. Any earlier would be too tight and probably not give them the loads(due to no pax to funnel in)

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by sfeinberg:
Looking for information on IFE and food. As for why i'm doing PHL-PIT-LGW, i'm going to be out of the country for several months and there are a few ppl in PIT I need to touch base with. </font>

Well, you didn't mention coach or Envoy, but the Envoy class IFE on the 767 is 6 years old. Personal TVs with channels to select that show whatever the 8mm tape decks up front are playing. Coach gets the big screen up front, or a few overhead monitors, in which everyone watches the same programming.

The A330 has the full on-demand video and bigger screens at every seat throughout the plane.

Are you saying that everyone on the entire plane watches the same stuff? nothing different for Envoy in terms of IFE? Also, how is the food?

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by sfeinberg:
Are you saying that everyone on the entire plane watches the same stuff? nothing different for Envoy in terms of IFE? Also, how is the food?</font>

Maybe my last post wasn't clear -

Everyone in coach on the 767 watches the same stuff. Envoy pax have 6 or so channels to surf with movies or special interest programming.

The full IFE lineup of both the 767 and A330 is here:
http://www.usairways.com/travel/inflight/entertainment/index.htm

I would sacrifice anything or take alternate routing to get on the A330 if that was an option. Being shorter routing, no connection, and a better plane IFE system would make it no competition. (The extra 1000-2000 miles for flying through PIT isn't worth it to me.)

If you want the miles, you could try routing through CLT if they're flying the 330 from there to LGW. It seems like sometimes they do, sometimes they don't.

United operate daytime flights to London as follows:

UA 922 IAD-LHR
UA 976 JFK-LHR

Both uses 767-300's with economy plus and seatback TV's in coach. Both flights depart between 9 and 10am, and arrive around 9pm in London.

By far the best way to cross the Atliantic without the usual jet lag effects (you arrive feeling tired, at a time when according to the local time zone you're supposed to feel tired!)

The only reason most flights to Europe go overnight is, as pointed out, aircraft utilization. Interestingly, Continental tried bringing their daylight flight to Gatwick back as a late departure, that with time differences, still made Newark around Midnight or just thereafter, on the same day. The notion was a business person could do a whole day, even an early dinner, and still save the hotel and get home late that same day. Apparently nobody cared.

If IFE is very important to you, I would highly recommend the A330, especially if you are in coach. The A330 has what's called an AVOD systerm (audio video on demand), which alllows you to maintain total control of your entertainment (within the limits of what US is offering that month, of course). There are several movie channels to choose from, as well as audio channels and a dedicated kid's channel. You can start/stop/pause what you're watching at your own discretion.

One other thing to note, which may or may not be a concern to you: The overhead systems (i.e. coach on 767s) play films edited (for content, and often for time, as well). The AVOD systems do not. If you're used to overhead systems, you may be surprised (perhaps pleasantaly?) when that R-rated movie you're watching is still R-rated. If you're traveling with children, I've been told they can rig the systems on individual seats so certain channels cannot be accessed, but I don't know of anybody who has actually requested this.