V-Flyer

I am planning on a trip to peru next year and I have a couple of options. One would be to go with delta and build up my airmiles, the other would be go with airfrance which has slightly quicker routes and slightly better travel dates. The routes would be as follows

AF

Manchester - Paris (CDG) - Lima (777-200)

Delta

Manchester - Atlanta - Lima (767-300 and a330-200)

I think i prefer the seating plan in economy on the delta flights as there would be two of us and hopefully we could get one of the 2 seat configurations.

Does anyone have any experience of these routes and which aircraft/company would you recommend?

Cheers

I wouldn't fly AF due to their safety record. Personal choice.

clarkeysntfc wrote:I wouldn't fly AF due to their safety record. Personal choice.

Ditto
If its miles you after then delta would be better. Otherwise dare I mention the OTHER airline :-$

my son did DL London to Atlanta and really rated it better than VS !!! Mind you anyone throws a couple of free beers and he rates them !!

I was going to go out on a limb and say avoid AF, but it seems it's not just me!

So a vote for DL for me.

Is AF really that bad and if so why ?

(Reasons other than 'because they are French' please!)

I think the comment on AF's safety record is an arguable one.

I however would not fly AF due to their ten across seating layout in economy on the 777s, ouch!

Thanks everyone. Looks like delta is the way to go. Also gives me a chance to spend a few hours in Atlanta on the way back thanks to a 14 hour layover

slinky09 wrote:I think the comment on AF's safety record is an arguable one.

I however would not fly AF due to their ten across seating layout in economy on the 777s, ouch!

you are right on both parts there.
while one major accident may not bankrupt an airline it certainly will affect how its perceived in the short to medium term believe.

I have flown AF and have to say it was a terrible flight. Reason being that the take off was so steep that my ears popped to the point of being painful and did not reset until I was on the Heathrow express.

Thats not to say that I would never fly AF (although they are not on my list of preferred choices) but just not across the atlantic.

tontybear wrote:Is AF really that bad and if so why ?

(Reasons other than 'because they are French' please!)

Have a look at Aviation Herald.

The number of AF incidents related to poor airmanship on the part of the flight crew relative to other carriers is (in my opinion) quite alarming.

AF are particularly good as losing and damaging luggage

I have flown with both airlines and was more than satisfied with both.

With Delta, you have the added bonus of purchasing an Economy Comfort seat (which for me at 6'2 is essential). This works out to be a lot cheaper than the Premium Economy of the European airlines - though features a lot less amenities.

If Premium Voyageur is within your budget for AF, I would whole-heartedly recommend it. It is the only PE service I have flown that compares to VS and may even be slightly better on their A380. The food is always excellent.

It would really come down to the miles for me. Don't forget that you can earn Delta miles when flying with AF if you set up a Delta Skymiles account. You can't combine these with your Virgin miles but you can then use these to obtain Virgin rewards booked with Delta. You would need to check how many miles you would earn for these sectors to see if it is worthwhile.

Reference the safety record, I am an Air Traffic Controller and I wouldn't hesitate from flying with either airline (my personal view).

Good luck! Let us know what you decide!

We have ended up booking economy comfort on delta (extra £320 total), hopefully the extra space will be worth it considering the length of the flights and the fact im quite a tall bloke.

Just need to decide which seats to go for now. Have gone initially for row 17 on the 767-300 which are bulkheads so im not sure if i will keep those and row 10 on the a330-200 which is again a bulkhead. I am wondering if i should go back a row or two in order to get better seats?

The bulkhead on 767-400 is really quite restricted but I haven't flown on the 763 myself. There were earlier reports that the 767-300 had increased legroom at the bulkhead though my understanding is that they have changed that in the most recent refurbs. I personally would move back one, or even two rows unless you can confirm there is extra room at the bulkhead. Most of the 767s have life rafts in the first overhead lockers in that section so going two back is a way to try and get the overhead space. Note that not all the 767-300s have AVOD PTV yet.

I have never flown on the A330-200.

Enjoy the trip!