Premium Economy - LGW vs LHR

Hi all!

Planning our next trip (June 2012) to the US at the moment, and it looks like we will be flying in to LAS, which means leaving from LGW.

Given the length of the flight we have decided to fly PE this time, but I understand that the PE on the LGW fleet is not quite as good as that on the LHR fleet.

Can anybody please outline the differences between the two?


Thanks!

The PE product on LGW services is definitely inferior to the one on LHR flights. Indeed, I flew LGW-LAS-LGW last month and was dismayed to find a tatty seat on the upper deck with staff that seemed more interested in talking to passengers that were clearly cabin crew going on holiday than other - dare I say it - full revenue passengers. Food was nothing out of this world though they were generous with the spirits, pouring me one of the strongest G and Ts I have ever had. Again, the seat is awful and all LGW based planes need to be dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century.

As for the newer purple leather PE seats on birds based at LHR, they're much better but again the service is hit and miss. One thing I have noticed is that they have scrapped the pre-meal drink service with just one round when they serve the meal. The menu cards are just not needed, indeed, they lull into a sense of having a gourmet meal when all you get is the same bland meal that folks at the back of the bus get.

Would be interested in hearing your views after your trip. Enjoy Vegas!

We can talk about what PE is now and the differences between the LHR and LGW fleets. It depends what you mean by 'not quite as good as' as there are fans of the purple leather PE (LHR) as well as fans of the cloth syyle PE (LGW) fleets

However the LGW fleet is going to be refurbished from April next year and apparently this impacts on the PE cabin the most (which means you wont be able to request seats as VS won't know what planes in what config will be flying).

I liked being upstairs in PE on the way to Vegas from lgw. And I had great service. Also done it to Orlando and again it was great. Nice and quiet

Thanks guys.

That's a bit of a pain not being able to select seats, but as long as we get seated in pairs (2 couples travelling) then we should be ok.

I assume that closer to the flight day, or at OLCI we will be able to select seats.

[Neil]

Thanks guys.

That's a bit of a pain not being able to select seats, but as long as we get seated in pairs (2 couples travelling) then we should be ok.

I assume that closer to the flight day, or at OLCI we will be able to select seats.

It will only be at OLCI stage you will be able to select seats.

[honey lamb]

Bear in mind that the PE cabin is due to get a re-fit. The first aircraft is due on 1 April 2012 so you may well be one of the lucky ones.

when all you get is the same bland meal that folks at the back of the bus get.

No you don't. PE has its own menu which is posted as a sticky or the UK-US routes at the top of the General Discussion forum

I would have thought that it would be easier for airlines to have the same few planes on the same routes in a predictable pattern, but that probably isn't possible for reasons beyond my comprehension

For maximum utilisation of the fleet and to cover maintenance, etc. the same aircraft don't do the same outward/return trips to the same destination - e.g. an a/c into LGW from one destination will likely be scheduled to fly straight out to a completely different destination 4 or so hours later. So the a/c are always rotating between different destinations/routes.