monvoyage

I will be returning to DFW via LHR and have a choice among several flights. Going over, I do MCE, but plain old economy on the way home. I will take either AA 77W or BA 744. Both are the unfortunate 3-4-3 in economy but I would probably lean towards AA. On the other hand, I wonder if it might be nice to ride a 747 again for what may be the last time....

Has anyone done this flight lately? Is the equipment one of the small group of 747s that BA has modestly refurbed or is it getting tatty and the seat padding has disintegrated?

V10

BA193 seems to be served by a 773 lately - is it showing as being served by a different aircraft in future?

Anyway, the refurbished 744s aren't that much to write home about - OK, there is new IFE but the seats aren't new and just a refresh (recovering) of the original 16 year old seating. Unless you are on the upper deck in club, any nostalgia for the 744s is misplaced. These aircraft are old, noisy and offer an outdated and substandard flight experience to economy and premium economy passengers.

Given the newer aircraft on AA (if BA is indeed operating a 744), recent enhancements on BA, and despite my serious reservations about the way AA treats economy passengers, I'd probably go with the AA service.

corporate-wage-slave

I am all for nostalgia, but I don't think this is an ideal opportunity. BA will be flying 747s for many years to come (it is still flying 757s, um, just like AA!), the Jumbos are more cost effective overall than some of the other options and BA management are currently surprised at how well they are doing. If you want to have a "one last go" occasion, it just has to be either First and/or Upper Deck, not WT, and you don't need to rush there either.

So I would personally discount that. I'd consider whether the new IFE and its good list of options will compensate for the newer aircraft, along with timings/price and so on. Perhaps one of these options has a better upgrade option, maybe your ticket/Avios balance will permit a UuA? Having said that, at the economy level, the differences between airlines and aircraft aren't great, in my view.

Swanhunter

The reports about 3-4-3 on a 77W would make me prefer a tatty old 747.

TravellerFrequently

I was unaware that BA still had 757s. What are they used for?

I had nostalgia for 757s too but when I flew this summer on an AA 757 with poor F legroom (row 1 to be avoided!) and seat, it faded a little.

corporate-wage-slave

Openskies services.

A P Yu

When are you travelling monvoyage? Any equipment specified after next March could still changed by BA. They tend to firm up the summer aircraft plans around December time when they tend to tweak things a little.

TravellerFrequently

Ah, of course.

Thanks.

andymac7

I do the LHR-DFW route a few times are year and for the past couple of years it's been a 773 for the summer schedule and a 744 for the winter.

My two trips last winter were both on low J 744's so they had not been refurbished.

That may all change this year of course.

Andy

monvoyage

It will be in January and the flight details show a 744.

monvoyage

The only other small consideration is that if I fly the AA 77W I will have to change terminals at LHR. However, I would have 3 hrs for the change (with several subsequent flights if I missed), which should be fine. If I do the BA 744, I would not have to change terminals but the layover would be a bit longer (and I don't care about shopping).

jeffhacker

British Airways schedules the 77W to DFW during the summer, then goes back to the 744 in the fall (I think in October this year). But note that 3-4-3 on a 744 is much more comfortable than 3-4-3 on a 77W. I'd take the BA flight if you can. AA's 777's are nice, but in the back for 10-11 hours it is pretty painful.

stevie

I fly back mid Oct and it is a 777

BA6501

If you have status, you can get Main Cabin Extra for free on AA.

muishkin

I would take the 3-4-3 on the 744 over the 3-4-3 on the 77W.

If you truly want to enjoy BA 744 for the last time then wait a few years, and do one flight on the upper deck and another in 1K.