business: CDG-PHL
Oct 2, 2013, 6:53 pm
#2
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Maine
Programs: AA Plat, FI Silver, DL alumnus
Posts: 1,432
It'll be an A330 on USAirways. Their Envoy class on the Airbus gets great reviews (I haven't tried it TATL). Transatlantic BE on Delta's 757s is nothing to write home about in my experience. If FF benefits are immaterial and price is about the same, I'd go with US.
Oct 3, 2013, 4:21 pm
#3
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: ORD / MDW / FLL
Programs: DL DM/1MM, AA EXP, SPG Platinum, Hyatt Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 2,295
I have done TATL in DL 757 and US A332s and have the following perceptions:
HARD PRODUCT: Hands down the US Envoy service. The new Envoy Suites are quite nice and completely lie flat. The IFE is also rather good. If you are traveling alone the 2-2-2 configuration is nice as you can get a seat in the middle group and not have someone climbing over you to get to the lavatory.
SOFT PRODUCT: IMHO DL edges out US on this. The BE meal service is better as is the service excellence provided by the FAs.
If it were me and I was not worried about making status on DL for the year I'd opt for the US flight. The widevbodies always seem to make the TATL flights more comfortable.
HARD PRODUCT: Hands down the US Envoy service. The new Envoy Suites are quite nice and completely lie flat. The IFE is also rather good. If you are traveling alone the 2-2-2 configuration is nice as you can get a seat in the middle group and not have someone climbing over you to get to the lavatory.
SOFT PRODUCT: IMHO DL edges out US on this. The BE meal service is better as is the service excellence provided by the FAs.
If it were me and I was not worried about making status on DL for the year I'd opt for the US flight. The widevbodies always seem to make the TATL flights more comfortable.
Oct 3, 2013, 4:29 pm
#4
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,413
DL has a nice new lounge at PHL. At CDG, you have use of the AF (business class) lounges and elite security and passport control lines. If US is using Terminal 1 at CDG, it's old, badly designed, and inconvenient for public transportation such as the RER to/from Paris.
Oct 7, 2013, 11:59 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 117
Delta 757-200E
We'll be wanting to book business for a non-stop flight back to PHL from CDG. From what I can tell, the US Airbus flight is the more comfortable one, but the Delta flight leaves CDG at a better time for us.
Is the 757-200E all that bad in business? It's interesting how much more narrow the seats are. (I realize that the plane itself is more narrow.) I don't think we'd miss the fact of seats not fully reclining (or maybe we would!), but the width of the 757 seats surprised me.
I welcome opinions. Thanks in advance.
(Btw, I've had no luck in using Delta ff miles since they don't do one-way tickets as some of the other airlines do. We're not real frequent flyers, so we don't have enormous numbers of miles.)
Is the 757-200E all that bad in business? It's interesting how much more narrow the seats are. (I realize that the plane itself is more narrow.) I don't think we'd miss the fact of seats not fully reclining (or maybe we would!), but the width of the 757 seats surprised me.
I welcome opinions. Thanks in advance.
(Btw, I've had no luck in using Delta ff miles since they don't do one-way tickets as some of the other airlines do. We're not real frequent flyers, so we don't have enormous numbers of miles.)
Oct 7, 2013, 1:10 pm
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 117
Many thanks for prompt replies.
The US Airways is an A330-200. It supposedly has seats that are 25" wide (or maybe 24- not sure).
I agree about not sleeping much on westbound (though the Delta flight leaves at 4:30 p.m., so maybe we would try to sleep some).
Thanks again.
The US Airways is an A330-200. It supposedly has seats that are 25" wide (or maybe 24- not sure).
I agree about not sleeping much on westbound (though the Delta flight leaves at 4:30 p.m., so maybe we would try to sleep some).
Thanks again.
Oct 8, 2013, 12:17 am
#9
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: DL PM, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 8,414
Where is that information from? This is not accurate, as far as I know. Perhaps you are looking at very old information from when USair used to have 3 class cabins and their international first class was bigger? I don't think they could fit 25" wide seats in the 4 across pattern that they fly....
Oct 8, 2013, 7:58 am
#11
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: ORD/MDW/MKE
Programs: DL, UA
Posts: 786
I believe what this means is that the aisle armrest can be lowered which in effect creates a wider seat/bed. When the armrest is down, obviously the seats are significantly wider, but you typically wouldn't do this unless you were putting the seat into flat-bed mode.
Oct 8, 2013, 7:59 am
#12
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: JFK/LGA
Posts: 1,423
If you decide to go with Delta, I prefer the C/D side (preferably row 2 or 3, but I generally dislike bulkheads). 1A is the pilot rest seat and the curtain track impedes into 1B, 2A, and 2B which, in turn, seems to cause Row 2 to recline more, which leads Row 3 to recline, etc.
Oct 8, 2013, 9:22 am
#13
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: N/A
Programs: N/A
Posts: 823
From a hard product perspective, US wins in a landslide here. You have a widebody aircraft with flat bed seats all with aisle access compared to a single aisle aircraft with a 90's style reclining seat.
On other things Delta will win - their food will likely be better, pillow/blanket better, amenity kit nicer, and service will likely in general be better. Also, no clue what lounge US uses in CDG, but the Air France lounges are excellent in my opinion, especially the new one at the M gates.
I guess what you need to decide what is more important - the seat or the extras.
On other things Delta will win - their food will likely be better, pillow/blanket better, amenity kit nicer, and service will likely in general be better. Also, no clue what lounge US uses in CDG, but the Air France lounges are excellent in my opinion, especially the new one at the M gates.
I guess what you need to decide what is more important - the seat or the extras.
Oct 9, 2013, 9:07 am
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 117
757-200E
Trying to decide whether to spring for business class. I know, e.g. that Envoy on USAirways is significantly better than coach, but don't know if same is true on Delta. (This would be CDG-PHL.)
If economy isn't much worse than business, I hope that someone can suggest what two seats to ask for.
Thanks!!
If economy isn't much worse than business, I hope that someone can suggest what two seats to ask for.
Thanks!!
Oct 9, 2013, 9:08 am
#15
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Planet Earth(most days)
Programs: Hilton Honors, SPG, Marriott
Posts: 1,544
The 757s they use across the pond are the BE outfitted seats with 16 in the J cabin vs 22-26 standard domestic seats. Google 757 business elite seats and see pics and reviews.