108912

TimT how was breakfast pre-landing on DL?

didnotbat

A major advantage with DL is that you can fly MAN - ATL and back without going via LHR.

perseus11

Op should be able to enter either the BA Galleries (If not restricted at the time), or any of the 4 AA Lounges at PHL, prior to an international Business Class departure on US Airways. The 3rd Floor AA Lounge, between Concourse B and C is the largest and arguably the best. The BA Lounge in the A-West Concourse is quite nice, but small and typically very crowded around LHR departures. http://www.oneworld.com/ffp/lounge-access

phunc

Not for long. VS take this over in a couple of weeks with an A330.

I had to fly DL in J from MAN to DFW last month and was very impressed. ATL is a great airport to transfer in and their product has come a long way in the past year. Loved the Tumi kits, food did the job, seats look dog ugly but comfortable. The massage function was a bit of a novelty. Aeroplanes were clean and the staff seemed happy (but they all just had a 16% bonus that week!).

orbitmic

To be fair, DL has had a very good J product for several years now. In fact, the timing of their major improvement is not dissimilar to AZ's, which product I like even better (the food is one big notch above although amenity kits and entertainment are one notch below). IB was a bit later to improve but I also find their product really good (old) to excellent (new).

In terms of the various North American airlines, it is true that their long haul J was really rubbish for most of the 2000s. AC, US and DL made progress very early on, AA and UA were slow starters but have now significantly improved as well.

Tim_T

I didnt partake of breakfast.

Transfer at lhr terminal 3& 2 was better than terminal 5. Yes I had to get a bus, but the security and immigration process was quicker and more friendly. It's a shame that virgin little red is stopping as this is a good service when not travelling via t5.

orbitmic

Pre-landing breakfast in J on DL is usually quite a notch above BA. On shorter flights, you usually get a choice between a hot egg-based sandwich (e.g. scrambled egg and bacon muffin) or a cold cereal and berry plate. Normally comes with fruit, yoghurt, and pastries/bagels. On longer flights you normally get a choice of proper eggy dishes (e.g. omelette with pepper and grilled Canadian bacon, or scrambled eggs with smoked salmon, etc).

Also on dinner, in addition to the antipasti-type starters, salads, choice of 4 mains, and dessert, you normally have a cup of soup (unless it has been enhanced in the last month or two). The OP does not mention it so not sure if it was offered to him and he did not partake or if they skipped it on that flight for some reason. They are usually quite good (I'm not a soup person in principle).

Tim_T

I don't recall seeing soup on the menu or being offered it.

From what I saw of breakfast I would agree it looked better than BA and was a wider choice.

orbitmic

Thanks! I hope they haven't gotten rid of it. It wasn't much (a "demi-tasse") but was definitely a nice addition and some of them were very good!

BerksFlyer

I was hugely impressed with Delta J when I flew with them last year. Both soft and hard product were better than BA CW in my opinion. Use of the VS clubhouse Both ways was a bonus too. The reason I flew with them was the Ł1,500 saving compared to BA.

Being a BA board there will always be those who deny that any other airline can compare favourably to BA. I am happy to spread my travel round and save money too.

TPJ

Wow! Yet another 'other airlines are better' thread on BA forum... With no abusive comments from BA supporters... Where is this forum heading

godfreyb

Recently flew J on Delta JFK - LHR. Was on an award ticket. I said to the wife that 'the breakfast won't be good, we'll eat in the lounge'. Much to my amazement, the omelette was delicious and we both finished ours. I had to eat my words! Similar great experience flying back to JFK from Paris. We always preferred to fly the Atlantic on BA but after this, if I am paying on my own dime for J class, I will use Delta. Shame, as on the whole BA have treated me (a lowly Blue member) well, but the good food and the attention of the Delta staff and the lack of needing to 'clamber over' was a revelation that can't be ignored. Don't want to upset anyone here!

MGW2000

Just to add to the chorus, I find Delta One (the new name for BusinessElite after March 1) to be significantly better than BA, particularly in the soft product.

I used to very much enjoy BA, and would go out of my way to fly them. But in the last year, the penny pinching, progressively more disinterested crews, and Avios changes have made me shift my business towards Delta.

As for the seats, the seats on the A330s and 747s are the same as US Envoy on the 330s or AA's 77W, and those are of course great. The 1-2-1 seats on the 767s I also prefer to BA, but I'm quite small (5'7 and 145 pounds).

Tim_T

Just to add, it was the 767 I was on.

Thanks to the accidental little red flight and the BA gold status match I'm now back up to virgin gold. I'm now weighing up if it's worth starting to focus more on virgin. I stopped flying virgin because of the lack of routes, but with the link up with delta I see that it could be better to switch back. As North of Manchester, the option for man to ATL or man to MCO and connecting onward with delta could work better than BA via lhr.

I need to do the maths.....

Swiss Tony

A one-way trip to reality I think . Interesting that Cantor issued a broker note yesterday highlighting that IAG was running out of available margin to squeeze.