Aviation Discussion

[Peter Mugridge]

So when are they being retired?

I think about 3 or 4 years from now.

 

[Darandio]

Thanks for the input gang on my flights dilemma, Air Vietnam is an interesting one and not an airline I had heard of before! All advice will be taken into consideration, although I am still some weeks away from being able to shove the flights onto the magic plastic yet.

It's hardly surprising you had never heard of them, they ceased to exist in 1975 following the fall of Saigon!

 

[atillathehunn]

You should try an EZY A320 - they are slightly bigger than a 737, which makes the seats and aisle space just that little bit bigger. The overhead lockers are bigger too. You might even get an A320-Neo if you’re lucky, and there is no doubt they are quieter.

For Oz, if you want to stick to Boeing or A380s then you will need to pick your flight carefully. Going via LA is a long way round and likely to be more expensive; also by mid next year VS will have their first couple of A350-10s in service (first one is a few weeks away from being finished in Toulouse) and although I have no idea about their deployment plans, LA would be an obvious choice given flight length and frequency. Qatar also use A350s a fair bit from Heathrow, and many of the SE Asia and China airlines use A350s or A330s. (Which reminds me, you could go with Air Vietnam, I bet the food on that is something else!)

Flying with FR to Europe and then on from there will mean a 3 leg trip (at least); and most options will route you via Dubai / Abu Dhabi / Qatar. The man haul will be little different in price, so essentially you would be paying extra for the Ryanair leg, lining Mr O’Leary’s pockets and not getting any connection guarantee. I would avoid that if at all possible.

My recommendation would be Cathay or Virgin via HK (including a short break there, some amazing sights and world class transport); or SQ via Singapore. You could do Cathay or SQ from Manchester.

A320 or A321 or a pretty good craft really. The window height is much better than a 737, and I find the 737s have a strong note of fumes when boarding, which makes me feel a little nauseated. I had a NEO the other day, you notice the noise difference.

A cast iron guarantee of a 777 is to fly BA from LHR. But that's on your banned list, I see. You could mix it up with a BA A380 to SIN and then connect onto the BA service from SIN to SYD. You can also do that sort of mix and match via HKG. Singapore airlines, and Cathay, use an A350 from Manchester, so that's on the naughty list. Finnair is a good shout for a bit of a diversity. Embraer from Manchester, Airbus to HKG and then a 777 onwards with Cathay.

Vietnam airlines is an outside choice, I don't think the connection is all that smooth, and I think they use A350 to LHR. Air NZ is also a 777 via LAX and AKL.

 

[TheEdge]

I am hearing whispers that four of the BA 747 fleet are to get retro liveries, and that the first is already being prepared to be done...

Presumably three of the liveries would be BOAC, the original BA livery and Landor. The 4th, at a guess, could be British Caledonian as they did have a 747 and they were absorbed into BA?

( It would be nice if we could have an A320 in BEA livery as well... )

My guess would be those three and for a fourth one of the "World Image" tailfins.

 

[fowler9]

Thanks for the input gang on my flights dilemma, Air Vietnam is an interesting one and not an airline I had heard of before! All advice will be taken into consideration, although I am still some weeks away from being able to shove the flights onto the magic plastic yet.

Keep us posted on your plans chief.

 

[VioletEclipse]

Any information on Easyjet's new electric plane? just curious.

 

[Techniquest]

Keep us posted on your plans chief.

Will do good sir!

Someone mentioned 777s being on my 'banned list'. Not necessarily true, just my experience of a BA 777 left a lot to be desired in May 2018. We'll see what happens, I have just been watching a review of Phillippines' A350 and I have to say I was quite impressed. Service looked good and wow the engine noise was virtually non-existent!

My biggest issue, I reckon, would be sleeping on a plane. I've never managed that yet!

 

[atillathehunn]

Will do good sir!

Someone mentioned 777s being on my 'banned list'. Not necessarily true, just my experience of a BA 777 left a lot to be desired in May 2018. We'll see what happens, I have just been watching a review of Phillippines' A350 and I have to say I was quite impressed. Service looked good and wow the engine noise was virtually non-existent!

My biggest issue, I reckon, would be sleeping on a plane. I've never managed that yet!

That was me actually tech. I more meant LHR and BA being on the list rather than the 777 per se.

Keep us up to date though. It's vicarious fun planning a quirky route down under.

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

Will do good sir!

Someone mentioned 777s being on my 'banned list'. Not necessarily true, just my experience of a BA 777 left a lot to be desired in May 2018. We'll see what happens, I have just been watching a review of Phillippines' A350 and I have to say I was quite impressed. Service looked good and wow the engine noise was virtually non-existent!

My biggest issue, I reckon, would be sleeping on a plane. I've never managed that yet!

A quick search has revealed a remarkably cheap all-Boeing option with United flying MAN-EWR-SFO-SYD on 4 different aircraft types (764, 772/739, 789). Downside is extended journey time. My own experience of 777s is it all depends on the airline, but that is true of almost every aspect of flying.

 

[Bald Rick]

A quick search has revealed a remarkably cheap all-Boeing option with United flying MAN-EWR-SFO-SYD on 4 different aircraft types (764, 772/739, 789). Downside is extended journey time. My own experience of 777s is it all depends on the airline, but that is true of almost every aspect of flying.

If you’re doing this in one go, and don’t sleep, you’re not human! Must take 36hrs including connections!

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

If you’re doing this in one go, and don’t sleep, you’re not human! Must take 36hrs including connections!

36hrs westbound, only 30hrs eastbound. TPac US-Oz is a very long way! I suspect that regardless of route our prospective intrepid traveller will discover a hidden talent for sleeping in the air.

 

[Bald Rick]

I think about 3 or 4 years from now.

2024 was the last I heard, although the first few go at the end of this year when their first A350-1000s enter service.

 

[atillathehunn]

A quick search has revealed a remarkably cheap all-Boeing option with United flying MAN-EWR-SFO-SYD on 4 different aircraft types (764, 772/739, 789). Downside is extended journey time. My own experience of 777s is it all depends on the airline, but that is true of almost every aspect of flying.

I think another staggering downside is flying United...

Interesting route though.

Our Marco Polo had better learn how to sleep on a plane though... or book a stop over somewhere.

 

[WestCoast]

Long-haul in economy I've now flown KLM, BA, Virgin, Singapore, Air China, Hainan, Garuda, Emirates, Qatar, Norwegian, Zoom (!), Thomas Cook and my favourites are probably Qatar and Singapore.

Emirates was not nearly as good as Qatar and likewise the Chinese airlines versus Singapore.

Work sent me on a training course last year to Miami. It was on one of BA's oldest (and seemingly most rattly) 747s with barely functioning seatback entertainment, when you plugged in your earphones you could also hear your neighbours entertainment and you'd be halfway through your film and it would just freeze and reset. Wasn't really bothered but it was laughably rubbish. The food was also a pungent curry served at 11am in the morning which stunk the whole plane out. I'm not sure any of the US airlines could have done much worse......think I prefer Norwegian

 

[LOL The Irony]

Work sent me on a training course last year to Miami. It was on one of BA's oldest (and seemingly most rattly) 747s with barely functioning seatback entertainment, when you plugged in your earphones you could also hear your neighbours entertainment and you'd be halfway through your film and it would just freeze and reset. Wasn't really bothered but it was laughably rubbish. The food was also a pungent curry served at 11am in the morning which stunk the whole plane out. I'm not sure any of the US airlines could have done much worse......think I prefer Norwegian

BA has needed a kick up the behind for a while.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

2024 was the last I heard, although the first few go at the end of this year when their first A350-1000s enter service.

Sounds about right, I suppose.

How many people on here, I wonder, would be up for a 747 experience charter, just a couple of hours up, around and back kind of thing? I get the impression that there's quite a few people out there - not just on this forum, I mean, but generally - who would like to fly on a 747 but without having to go to the hassle of doing a long haul flight.

 

[LOL The Irony]

How many people on here, I wonder, would be up for a 747 experience charter, just a couple of hours up, around and back kind of thing? I get the impression that there's quite a few people out there - not just on this forum, I mean, but generally - who would like to fly on a 747 but without having to go to the hassle of doing a long haul flight.

If it was cheap, yes. Although a fully booked 747 for a few hours would be cheap.

 

[Bald Rick]

Sounds about right, I suppose.

How many people on here, I wonder, would be up for a 747 experience charter, just a couple of hours up, around and back kind of thing? I get the impression that there's quite a few people out there - not just on this forum, I mean, but generally - who would like to fly on a 747 but without having to go to the hassle of doing a long haul flight.

A friend of mine claims (with certainty!) to have flown on a chartered 747 out of Luton. Now that I would be interested in!

 

[atillathehunn]

Long-haul in economy I've now flown KLM, BA, Virgin, Singapore, Air China, Hainan, Garuda, Emirates, Qatar, Norwegian, Zoom (!), Thomas Cook and my favourites are probably Qatar and Singapore.

Emirates was not nearly as good as Qatar and likewise the Chinese airlines versus Singapore.

Work sent me on a training course last year to Miami. It was on one of BA's oldest (and seemingly most rattly) 747s with barely functioning seatback entertainment, when you plugged in your earphones you could also hear your neighbours entertainment and you'd be halfway through your film and it would just freeze and reset. Wasn't really bothered but it was laughably rubbish. The food was also a pungent curry served at 11am in the morning which stunk the whole plane out. I'm not sure any of the US airlines could have done much worse......think I prefer Norwegian

Ahh, the low-J BA 747... How I haven't missed thee. They really are ratty old things now, yet somehow they are endearing in their own way. On my outbound in that particular chariot of fire the IFE didn't work at all which is fine, I was working. But on the way back it did, and the movie selection was... ok. Not going to win any awards but it was alright. I then recently flew quite a few sectors on the KLM 747. The IFE selection was absolutely awful, though the screen was better than BA. The one thing I did enjoy on my BA 747 experience was was the curry they served. Then again, after a month in a refugee camp, everything tasted fantastic.

 

[CC 72100]

Sounds about right, I suppose.

How many people on here, I wonder, would be up for a 747 experience charter, just a couple of hours up, around and back kind of thing? I get the impression that there's quite a few people out there - not just on this forum, I mean, but generally - who would like to fly on a 747 but without having to go to the hassle of doing a long haul flight.

* Raises hand *

I very much fall into that camp. I'm not a huge Av-geek by any stretch of the imagination (as evidenced by most frequent aircraft being uninspiring 737-800s!) but I would like to fly on a 747 just to be able to tick that one off. A sort of enthusiast bucket list if you will. I've got no desire to spend hours on a plane and/or be limited to destinations served by 747s only, and so would be very interested in this sort of thing.

 

[fowler9]

Anyone who wants to fly a relatively short distance on a chartered 747 could perhaps consider Hajj or hope Liverpool get to another European Cup Final somewhere with a decent airport unlike Kiev. Ha ha.

 

[atillathehunn]

Sounds about right, I suppose.

How many people on here, I wonder, would be up for a 747 experience charter, just a couple of hours up, around and back kind of thing? I get the impression that there's quite a few people out there - not just on this forum, I mean, but generally - who would like to fly on a 747 but without having to go to the hassle of doing a long haul flight.

Could be good fun. If they offer a discounted first class ticket for those who would never normally get to fly in the front, but always fancied seat 1A. This would be quite good fun. But no, I wouldn't necessarily be interested if just economy. Plenty of hours logged in the back of 747s bouncing down to Nairobi.

 

[Bald Rick]

Back to Australia flights for @Techniquest .... I did an unofficial straw poll at work today amongst people who have done the trip a few times.

Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong was the unanimous choice of route and carrier. The best airline, best experience, and a good place to stop over if so inclined.

(A350 from MAN or LGW daily, but 12 hour connection at HKG (ideal for a quick explore?); 777 from LHR 5 x daily with much shorter connections to Sydney for the late evening departures from London)

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

I think another staggering downside is flying United...

Interesting route though.

Our Marco Polo had better learn how to sleep on a plane though... or book a stop over somewhere.

United do seem to have a lousy reputation but my own experiences with them do not bear this out. Indeed the only carriers that I'm in no hurry to use again are BA and Emirates.

 

[atillathehunn]

United do seem to have a lousy reputation but my own experiences with them do not bear this out. Indeed the only carriers that I'm in no hurry to use again are BA and Emirates.

Of course, a bad experience is subjective, as are the measures to overcome this. And I think recently the company has been trying to turn a corner. I've heard many complaints from users of United that some of the older, tenured (for want of a better word) FAs would do better working in a prison. And like everywhere in the world, seats get smaller, people get bigger.

I'm in no rush to experience Malawian Airways again. That was an experience. Vueling was not a good experience. It's only redeeming feature is the redemption of Avios for flights with no cash charges on top.

 

[Bletchleyite]

United do seem to have a lousy reputation but my own experiences with them do not bear this out. Indeed the only carriers that I'm in no hurry to use again are BA and Emirates.

BA I find are safely mediocre. A bit expensive and a bit rubbish, but seriously bad experiences are relatively unlikely. And there is something a bit nice about stepping on board into a mini-Britain before you've even got home.

I'd certainly choose the orange team first, though, these days. And that's based on somewhere in the region of 200 flights with them, so I wasn't just lucky.

 

[fowler9]

Back to Australia flights for @Techniquest .... I did an unofficial straw poll at work today amongst people who have done the trip a few times.

Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong was the unanimous choice of route and carrier. The best airline, best experience, and a good place to stop over if so inclined.

(A350 from MAN or LGW daily, but 12 hour connection at HKG (ideal for a quick explore?); 777 from LHR 5 x daily with much shorter connections to Sydney for the late evening departures from London)

you could possibly visit that huge Buddah near the airport by cable car or perhaps a very quick trip to the city.

 

[GW43125]

BA 747-400 G-BNLK positioned from Heathrow to St Athan yesterday for scrap. The beginning of the end?

 

[atillathehunn]

you could possibly visit that huge Buddah near the airport by cable car or perhaps a very quick trip to the city.

12 hours is definitely enough time for a city tour. You can be downtown within an hour off the Manchester flight. Head up the Peak, take the ferry, walk the Chinese hollywood star walk, take some Dim Sum in Happy Valley and get back to the airport.

 

[johnnychips]

12 hours is definitely enough time for a city tour. You can be downtown within an hour off the Manchester flight. Head up the Peak, take the ferry, walk the Chinese hollywood star walk, take some Dim Sum in Happy Valley and get back to the airport.

And you don’t need a visa.