MiraculousM

Hi all

I know most of you fly J or F but i have seen some of you post that you go in Y. My next flight is LHR to JFK at it leaves around midday..

As this is the BA forum, can you please give me your tips when you are on a long haul Y flight, including anything to do with terminal 5.

I read a lot of blogs about this but im intrigued to hear your thoughts.

Joely

McG

• Buy a bottle of water to take on board
• Take noise cancelling headphones
• Get up at least once during flight to stretch your legs. (Harder to do if you are in a window seat and don't want to disturb folk).
• Take some snacks on board. There are plenty of articles online recommending what snacks are best for flying.
• Download some movies or series to an iPad or phone. If there is nothing you want to watch on the IFE or problems with the IFE you will then have something to pass the time with.

konagirl2

You won't get any amenity kit on the day time flight, and my experience on the night flights is it is pretty woeful. So take a good eye mask, good headphones (obviously noise cancelling is best) or ear plugs if you want to try to sleep, a head/neck pillow and warm clothing in layers in case the cabin is either freezing or boiling, or in many cases both at different times of the journey!

Honestly T5 is fine without status, there are plenty of places to get reasonable food and a beer before takeoff. I would highly advise you take an empty water bottle through security and fill it up, or buy water at one of the shops. I don't know what the current policy is because it keeps changing, but BA in the past have refused to give out bottles of water and only provide very small (maybe 150 ml) plastic glasses.

Misco60

Millions of people fly in economy class every day and live to tell the tale. In fact, my partner, who is the wealthiest pensioner I know, will only ever fly economy: he is one of those rare and enviable people who can get comfortable and sleep anywhere and simply has no need to pay a lot more for a flat bed or bigger seat. Just approach the flight stoically - at worst, it will be a few hours of slight discomfort. And take some backup entertainment in case the IFE fails.

aidy

To be honest, as Joely says its a short hop LHR-JFK, as long as you take a bottle of water and some decent headphones i would not worry about it

saint_em

We fly in Y reasonably often but have status which means one massive benefit - early seat selection. However, that means zilch in terms of service on board so I would add the following:

Don't be afraid to go to the galley if you are hungry/thirsty. On recent flights to/from FLL the crew couldn't have been happier to keep us stocked up in fizzy water (I was given a big bottle to take to my seat) and booze, plus they have a little stash of uneaten pretzels/main course desserts/crackers etc for you to raid if you want to (assuming it didn't all get eaten).

Having said that, if you want anything vaguely healthy to eat, but it before you get on board!

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adrianlondon

T5 is a good terminal. If you're early enough, have lunch there.

On the flight .... Y is fine. Pack eye masks (if you plan to sleep), a neck pillow thing if you like those and a toothbrush. Wear comfy shoes or change into sandals/flipflops. Buy a large bottle of water, or take an empty one through security and fill it up after.

corporate-wage-slave

In all my flying over umpteen years, I only have a few longhaul sectors in WT / WTP, the first of which turned into a notorious thread here. I did atttempt to fly WT last weekend, having spent £230 on a return from LHR to ORD, but BA thwarted this by putting me in WTP outbound and CW on the overnight return.

My limited experience suggestions would be
- have a small bag, maybe just a shopping bag with a few, carefully prepared things for your nest, so you can quickly shove your main bag into the overhead, take your seat and relax, rather than flapping around forever during the boarding process. Middle aged males in CW are the worst for this, with no gizmo unaccounted for, but nevermind.
- you want your backup IFE, a magazine, a bottle of two of water from the shops (some now sell large bottles) and some treats (sweet or savoury) for mid flight, any medicines plus some headache pills. Personally I wouldn't overdo it, less is more.
- eat mainly before departure, don't feel obliged to eat on board, or all of it, better to arrive a little hungry than a little bloated
- use the bathroom just before boarding so that take off delays don't get stressful
- know they NEVER close boarding before 20 minutes from departure at T5, so turning up at the gate 30 minutes before departure is in itself an abundance of caution.
- wear thin layers of clothes so you can easily adjust to the cabin temperature while seated.
- work out your jet lag strategy and control it, rather than let it control you
- smile at cabin crew and make them feel important (which they are), ask them if they have any plans for the destination for example.
- be determined to have a good flight and be determined to look forward to arrival.
- personally I can't be bothered with bringing pillows, pashminas, neck cushions, blankets, "lounge wear" etc. Great in theory but why clutter up your life? If you are sleepy, you will sleep, just ask any cat.

pythonisman

Particularly during the day it's not that bad - The seats on the 777s out of Heathrow are 9-abreast (so more comfortable than many) and a ~7hr flight during the day isn't a big deal.

+1 on some good headphones, a bottle of water and for me I'd be going an aisle seat in the middle section of seats - potentially toward the rear if the flight isn't full should/could see you with no-one next to you which is a big boost for comfort.

Something to keep you entertained (as above, tablet or phone w/ movies, or a good book) and some music downloaded on your phone.

I'm flying in Y w/ my partner to ORD next month, don't have any issues with it on a flight during the day, for the money. For the return, we're in J because I really dislike overnight flights in Y personally (If I have the time, I'll always prefer to fly during the day and land in the evening) and cause I found a deal that was worth the money for me.

Worst case, if you're on the redeye return grab a good eyemask, earplugs, neck support and some melatonin and try and get a window seat so you can lean against the wall. It's an even quicker flight back (~6hrs), so by the time they've done the service you'll prob have about 2hrs of darkness before the lights are back on for breakfast. Even if you managed to get 4hrs of broken sleep you're still going to feel pretty gross when you land, but that night you'll have the best sleep you've ever had (and make sure you try and stay awake until at least 8 or 9pm else you'll be screwed up for days!

Melatonin also helps your body clock readjust across timezones - it's not a sleeping pill but it will help your body clock align itself again. Can get it over the counter easily in the US.

Above all, enjoy your trip!

windowontheAside

Take your own IFE. Y is miserable if you have nothing to do and there's always a chance the IFE system will be borked, or have nothing you want to watch.

I actually favour audiobooks over movies in Y. I just settle down in a window seat (of course), switch on and zone out. On a short hope like LHR-JFK you'll be there before you realise.

simonrp84

Flyertalkers tend to think of economy class as some kind of hell, it really isn't that bad in most cases - even on BA. Of course, everyone would rather be in the big seats up the front - but I've had economy flights better than business class flights, it can still be a pleasant way of travelling. Take a book to read, watch a movie or two, stretch your legs as much as possible. If you can, grab an aisle seat so you can move around without disturbing people.

pythonisman

Oh and wear shoes that are comfy, and/or easy to get on/off, take them off after you get to altitude (but put back on before you use the loo).
The smell of your feet will go away pretty quickly and it'll help your feet breathe a bit and make you feel a bit more cosy.

Just don't be like this person. This person is gross.

Joely

MiraculousM

Thank you all!