Hi,

I was hoping for some advice. I have the option of travelling CE from Nice to either LHR or LCY. However I was trying to find some information on the Embraer E170 which flies the LCY route, I can't find a seat map anywhere!

I get the impression that CE on the Embraer is very similar to ET. Is this the case, as clearly I don't want to pay the extra for Club and then wish I'd flown to LHR instead.

Thanks for any tips you can give me.

Hello!

Welcome to FT and the BA Board!

Well, you have sort of answered your own question! You are correct that the CE product on the LCY route still has the same seating as Traveller. No additional width in the seating, and no empty or compressed middle seat in the row.

Obviously the meal and stuff will be CE, but if the space is more important, then go with the LHR flight as it will have the empty seat in between.

Regards,

I think there is a thread on this somewhere but essentially yes the seats on the E170 are similar in ET and CE. The planes are brand new and a big step up from the previous Avro's. Remember there is no lounge at LCY. I'd pick the easiest airport to get to.

Thanks for the information.

I'm less bothered about the seat width, but do you know if CE on the Embraer get extra legroom?

Heathrow is actually in a better location for me, but the time of the LCY flight is much better, so they effectively cancel each other out in that respect. So from the sounds of it, it doesn't actually matter where I fly too much

If you live in East London then LCY, otherwise LHR...

I was pretty disappointed with my last NCE-LCY on the E170.

Seating is 2-2, same as economy.
Food was appalling. It would appear LCY does not operate on the 'Band' system like at LHR. Everyone gets a hot meal in the evenings, no matter what route. However, the bad news is that NCE-LCY ("Band 3") gets the same as AMS-LCY ("Band 1"). And it's rubbish - a Y foil container with a bit of dried out 'steak', a small dessert and a rectangle of shrinkwrapped Red Leicester + two water biscuits.

Out of the two-row CE cabin, there were two passengers. Number 2 either an opup or a late booker didn't get a meal. I didn't get a choice - there was obviously only one meal loaded for the sector. The cabin crew started to cook this during boarding - I could see from 1A - and served it as soon as seatbelts came off. No drinks round before.

All in all - outbound from LCY in the mornings, fine. Inbound in the evenings - avoid.

The Avro's have appalling legroom, even in CE (even though it has a bit more than the back half of ET). When BA introduced the Embraer they boasted that the seats were wider but it appeared (by omission) they did not have increased legroom.

My advice if you're concerned about legroom is: avoid LCY shorthaul. Unless I get very clear advice to the contrary, the only BA services I'm taking from LCY are the ones with single digit flight numbers.

I'd plump for LHR purely to use the lounge..??

I say I'd have to agree w/you there, mate. Since LHR & LCY are about equally hard on the olde wallet from Finchley Road (& having done LCY - AMS in CE on the Avro), I'd plump for the black taxi fare to LHR & enjoy the lounge + the wider seating & expanded service from LHR to AMS.