FT Exclusive: *LIVE* BA001 LCY-JFK Trip Report 30 Sept 09
Oct 2, 2009, 5:54 am
#226
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Ireland
Programs: No longer bothered chasing FF status.
Posts: 2,345
Excellent read continentalclub, I thoroughly enjoyed it ^
One question….
Did the A318 seem a bit small at all, for such a journey across the Atlantic ?
Was it any way daunting to be on such a small plane heading out across the dark wild night sky from JFK ??
One question….
Did the A318 seem a bit small at all, for such a journey across the Atlantic ?
Was it any way daunting to be on such a small plane heading out across the dark wild night sky from JFK ??
Oct 2, 2009, 6:22 am
#227
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,753
Thanks kered. If anyone is going to be considering the aircraft's size, it's going to be when they're at LCY, viewing it at close quarter from the floor-to-ceiling glazed, apron-level lounge at Gate 24.
Having said that, compared to everything else next to it, it looks relatively enormous there.
At JFK, boarding via a jetty, it's barely possible to see the BabyBus from the terminal, so I suspect that it would be less of an issue to size queens there.
Inside, it is only in length that it varies from anything in the family up to an A321, which many will have flown on midhauls with far less spacious cabins, with much smaller seats, on sectors not dissimilar in length to JFK-LCY.
As I said early on, my initial impression was of space, rather than confinement, and the cabin is of course significantly larger than the upper deck of the 744.
Speaking of which, there are of course many people who still baulk at the idea of flying on something as huge as a Jumbo. They don't perceive that something that big can possibly float aloft safely.
So, personally, I never considered for a second that an aircraft of the A318's toned physique, with such a gym-trim interior would not be fit for Atlantic flying.
Likewise, I understand the physics that keep the Boeing behemoth above the briney, so it'll ultimately come down to personal preferences again.
Remember, size is all relative; even if the 'titchy' A318 ran over your foot, you'd almost certainly feel it
.
Having said that, compared to everything else next to it, it looks relatively enormous there.
At JFK, boarding via a jetty, it's barely possible to see the BabyBus from the terminal, so I suspect that it would be less of an issue to size queens there.
Inside, it is only in length that it varies from anything in the family up to an A321, which many will have flown on midhauls with far less spacious cabins, with much smaller seats, on sectors not dissimilar in length to JFK-LCY.
As I said early on, my initial impression was of space, rather than confinement, and the cabin is of course significantly larger than the upper deck of the 744.
Speaking of which, there are of course many people who still baulk at the idea of flying on something as huge as a Jumbo. They don't perceive that something that big can possibly float aloft safely.
So, personally, I never considered for a second that an aircraft of the A318's toned physique, with such a gym-trim interior would not be fit for Atlantic flying.
Likewise, I understand the physics that keep the Boeing behemoth above the briney, so it'll ultimately come down to personal preferences again.
Remember, size is all relative; even if the 'titchy' A318 ran over your foot, you'd almost certainly feel it
.
Oct 2, 2009, 6:33 am
#228
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Ireland
Programs: No longer bothered chasing FF status.
Posts: 2,345
Cheers for the CC ^
(if I may be that familiar as to refer to you as “CC”)
A truly eloquent writing style you have there, I love it 
The thought of heading out across the Atlantic on the wee A318, is quite a daunting one to me, I really don’t think I could bring myself to do so. But then I would shy away from CO’s 757 on the SNN EWR run too.
But I must say your report does make it seem really nice, so perhaps one day………….. although no I don’t think so
(if I may be that familiar as to refer to you as “CC”)
” an aircraft of the A318's toned physique, with such a gym-trim interior”
The thought of heading out across the Atlantic on the wee A318, is quite a daunting one to me, I really don’t think I could bring myself to do so. But then I would shy away from CO’s 757 on the SNN EWR run too.
But I must say your report does make it seem really nice, so perhaps one day………….. although no I don’t think so
Oct 2, 2009, 6:48 am
#229
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,753
You're very kind, Kered; thank you again and of course you may maintain your manicure and curtail the keystrokes by commuting to CC.
I sometimes regret the fact that I didn't choose a more succinct handle myself!
Nonetheless, I fully appreciate that you might fall into the wide-body preferring population; hopefully if CWLCY is the success that I think it deserves to be, then perhaps more aircraft and more routes will join the airline, and some of those might be sectors of a length that you'll be comfortable sampling the service on.
I sometimes regret the fact that I didn't choose a more succinct handle myself!
Nonetheless, I fully appreciate that you might fall into the wide-body preferring population; hopefully if CWLCY is the success that I think it deserves to be, then perhaps more aircraft and more routes will join the airline, and some of those might be sectors of a length that you'll be comfortable sampling the service on.
Oct 2, 2009, 8:55 am
#232
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,753
Thank you CIHY, and yes of course you may be so bold!
And logic would suggest that you'd be right too, HIDDY, but there again, it is only 64 seats a day in each direction (when the twice-daily schedule launches) so I would have thought that either side of the pond could potentially fill that on their own.
Accents? I haven't yet perfected my detection of any difference in modulation or pitch between a British snore and an American snore, so last night's flight was a bad sample to interrogate...
On the outbound I heard at least one American accent, but there again there are so many Britons living in the USA and vv, that I'd not draw any particular conclusions from that either.
The (British) guy sitting next to me this morning told me that he was very impressed though, a silver card-holding regular JFK CW passenger who'd booked CWLCY to try it out.
And logic would suggest that you'd be right too, HIDDY, but there again, it is only 64 seats a day in each direction (when the twice-daily schedule launches) so I would have thought that either side of the pond could potentially fill that on their own.
Accents? I haven't yet perfected my detection of any difference in modulation or pitch between a British snore and an American snore, so last night's flight was a bad sample to interrogate...
On the outbound I heard at least one American accent, but there again there are so many Britons living in the USA and vv, that I'd not draw any particular conclusions from that either.
The (British) guy sitting next to me this morning told me that he was very impressed though, a silver card-holding regular JFK CW passenger who'd booked CWLCY to try it out.
Oct 2, 2009, 9:48 am
#235
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,452
Inside, it is only in length that it varies from anything in the family up to an A321, which many will have flown on midhauls with far less spacious cabins, with much smaller seats, on sectors not dissimilar in length to JFK-LCY.
As I said early on, my initial impression was of space, rather than confinement, and the cabin is of course significantly larger than the upper deck of the 744.
Speaking of which, there are of course many people who still baulk at the idea of flying on something as huge as a Jumbo. They don't perceive that something that big can possibly float aloft safely.
So, personally, I never considered for a second that an aircraft of the A318's toned physique, with such a gym-trim interior would not be fit for Atlantic flying.
The previous plane on those flights was designed for midgets, preferrably for midgets without any hand luggage (192 cm ceiling height, 263 cm cabin width). Worse, it was 4 abreast just like Babybus which has 369 cm cabin width.
Did the flight numbers exist before 1976?
VC-10 cabin is narrower than Babybus, at 350 cm. B707-420 also is narrower, at 353 cm. And Comet is almost as narrow as Concorde, at 292 cm or so... but in coach, it has 5 seats abreast!
Oct 2, 2009, 10:17 am
#236
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: New York
Programs: BA, LH, VS, Hyatt, SPG
Posts: 3,813
There was a review of CC's outbound flight in the Telegraph:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/de...-New-York.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/de...-New-York.html
Oct 2, 2009, 8:19 pm
#238
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Argentina
Posts: 40,225
Oct 3, 2009, 3:18 am
#239
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Join Date: Jul 2004
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On Thursday for example, pre-flight dining was heaving at JFK around the time of BA2 with barely a seat to be had. Not a great experience for the premium CWLC (which does command a higher fare than 'normal' CW too). Moving the CWLC pax to the CR would benefit both them and the other CW pax as the dining room would be less busy. Granted that means the CR would be busier but it seems an acceptable trade-off.
BA could at least experiment with it - perhaps as a temporary, unadvertised until check-in offer, and see if it works better.
