FlyerTalk Forums - Direct AA angle flat or connecting BA flat seat

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- - Direct AA angle flat or connecting BA flat seat (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/oneworld/1704423-direct-aa-angle-flat-connecting-ba-flat-seat.html)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Madone59 (Post 25307674)

+1 I just flew on those AA angled C seats - they aren't that bad at all. I got 6+ hours of sleep heading to PEK w/o sleep aid.

I remember a time when everyone went nuts when "NGBC" came out, and how wonderful it was. I still think it's a good seat in and of itself. Obviously flat > angled, but it's a comfy, padded seat.

Given the info, I would pick the direct flight for convenience, since I think NGBC isn't THAT bad.

OP, can you and your SO sleep on a plane?

Quote:

Originally Posted by VNAFlyer (Post 25308616)

Normally, we cannot or sleep for a bit poorly. However, our experience is with economy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by apere006 (Post 25306364)

I am planning a honeymoon that starts with a round trip business class flight from Miami to Barcelona. I am paying with cash and this is my first time on business class, so I want to get a pretty good value. The departure will be overnight and the return will be during the day. The first option is a british airways flight on 747-400 with lie flat seats that connects though Heathrow and is about $150 cheaper. The second option is an american 777-200 V1 with angle flat seats that is a direct flight from MIA to BCN. The dates and times work out a little better as well. What is the difference for sleeping and food?

On a honeymoon, I would not want to run the risk of not being able to sit together, so you will want to select seats together at booking. BA charges for this unless you have oneworld status. Once you select seats on BA and add the $90 fee for it (assuming you have no status), the price difference between AA and BA gets so minimal that I personally would not want to subject myself to the 'experience' of connecting in LHR with a terminal change. Also keep in mind that LHR-BCN will be on a shorthaul plane where 'business class' is economy seats with the middle seat blocked. Absolutely nothing special.

That said, flying in the upper deck of a BA 747 with its intimate feel definitely is a nicer experience (go for seats in the upper deck when paying for seat selection!) compared to AAs 777-200 business cabin.
And depending on the fare rules, you could work in a stopover in London for no addditional charge...

Higher level strategy and analysis:

Seats together in CW (if you can get them together) means you either sit a) facing each other or b) shoulder to shoulder.

Option a) means that one person will always bothered to when the other pax wants to get out, and the other person will have to do the bothering.

Option b) means that the upper deck is not an option, and you're left with the lower deck in the middle section (i.e., no windows), bookended by passengers on either side (i.e., no unimpeded aisle access), unless you're lucky enough to get the end of each cabin.

If you go for the NGBC seats, since you can preselect your seats, you'll likely be seated together shoulder to shoulder with a window and bothering no one else, while no one else bothers you.

Just food for thought.

I recommend BA. If it is your first time in biz class, why shorten the trip?

The other advantage is you can book into the top deck of the 747, which is a very, very special place; there's no other aircraft with a cabin like this.

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

"I recommend BA. If it is your first time in biz class, why shorten the trip?

:confused:

MIA-BCN is a longer flight than MIA-LHR, and it avoids having to change planes and spend two hours in BA's Club Europe, which now "features" 30-inch seat pitch. Even AA's Economy Class has a better seat pitch than that!