British Airways to Las Vegas

We've just booked up to go to Las Vegas (3rd time can't wait) staying at the Cosmopolitan for 5 nights yippee!! although not going until May 2016 so got a long wait

We have decided to try BA instead of Virgin this time - I hope I have made the right decision. It was based on my last journey 3 weeks ago with Virgin, not a good experience at all returning from Washington DC, and also better flight times and access to connecting flights from Heathrow with BA

As I've said before we live at Newcastle, so getting to Gatwick with ease and no stress is now impossible as no flights Newcastle to Gatwick, I know Manchester is an option but was going to be £200 each more and also means a 2-3hr drive home after flight - I wouldn't mind if it was cheaper but it wasn't..... !

Anyway sorry for going on........I wanted to know if anyone has any experience or advice regarding flying to Vegas via BA? We are travelling World traveller + (equivalent to PE on VA), we are on the BA275 from Heathrow and the BA274 home? anyone flown on these before? advice on seats? also how easy to get upgrades etc

Are there any sites like this one (aprt from seatguru) that has info on BA flights?

Is Edinburgh an alternative for a connection, still a 2 1/2 hr drive though ...

I've already booked it Slinky.....Just wanted advice on seats etc. Edinburgh never came up on the options, and it was the drive after a night flight that I was trying to avoid...oh to have flights from Newcastle to Gatwick available again...I can dream, I do so love the V-room at Gatwick...

Too late now but Glasgow-Las Vegas starts this September...

I've flown WT+ with BA. Indeed I've even done a couple of trip reports.
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I would say Virgin PE > BA WT+

Thanks Fuzzy. I'll have a read of your trip reports.

Don't let my trip reports put you off, I seem to remember the Heathrow fleet has just been refurbished so you'll get the product advertised on the BA website and not the older style we had out of LGW.

Ive just finished reading them and was thinking "oh No" have I made the wrong decision....but hopefully not... We don't normally eat the meals on Virgin, must admit I find them inedible, so fingers crossed, but it isnt a problem - i'll keep a couple of sandwiches in my bag .

Going to try and get the bulk head seats, just waiting for Thomas cook to get the ticket no confirmation through to BA (booked through TC this time as a friend got us a good discount) already got the exit row seats on our domestic flights

The world traveller plus food and service has just been upgraded. You'll get a Club standard main course and cheese and biscuits etc.

The advantage of LHR is using T5 and the timings of the flights are better for adjusting to Vegas time zone!

Enjoy, the Cosmo hotel is great...

Thank you for that, We stayed in the cosmo last year for my 40th - had a fabulous time....vowed to go back as soon as we could...

Hi Guys - I come across a bit of a problem (my fault) I presumed (mistakenly) when I booked my holiday yesterday with Thomas Cook, that once my deposit was paid and I had my airline locator number that I could then reserve my seats on my BA flights. I've travelled with Virgin holidays a few times in last 3 years and have always done this....I've now been told that I can't reserve my seats until holiday is paid in full (14 weeks before holiday which is May 2016) We are flying World traveller+ so there aren't many seats in that cabin.....30 odd I think....

I'm now stuck as what to do? if I leave it, and don't pay the remainder of holiday until its due (January time) I'm worried that there won't be any choice of decent seats left - I would hate it if we could not sit together.. I get a bit OCD when studying seat maps etc, or do I pay the balance now - which I would have to put on my credit card as it will be approx £2.5K.

I know its my own fault for not mentioning the seating specifically to the agent at TC, but I innocently thought that it would be the same as Virgin holidays....and I could reserve them....I've got myself chewed to bits this afternoon worrying...

Not sure how it works booking through Thomas Cook but requesting a seat on BA cost cold hard cash.

I know it will cost me to request the seats, I haven't got a problem with that - well I prefer it was like Virgin PE - cost's nothing - the issue is that I cant even pay to reserve my seats with BA until I have paid the full balance of my holiday to TC

None of BA's 747's have the new WT+ seat. But they are refreshing some of their 747's (the ones being converted to super-hi-J), but it won't be the new seats, I believe just new cushions and covers, nor are the likely to go on the Vegas route.

My understanding is that the BA 747s flying to LAS from LHR are some of the oldest in the fleet and the last to be upgraded, though they will be fitted with New First by October this year, when tey start flying out of Terminal 3. Whether they will refresh WT+ whilst they re-fit the First cabin i do not know. There are no plans to fit 747s with the new WT+

I have flown in new WT+ which was fine from my perspective, but have never flown in the older WT+ seats. You may find some more BA info on Flyertalk.

Vegas uses mid-j 747's currently, only some hi-j 747 are having the J cabin expanded and all seat refreshed, the other hi-j 747's will become mid-j and get no refresh.

Hi SGilly,

I have done the LGW -VEGAS on the 777 and have just done the 757 to Calgary on a very old WT plus seat so don't know if this is similar to the 747 . We are also doing the747 from LHR to VEGAS in March.

If your flight is from LHR you can choose your meal a month before and you get two choices from the main Club menu ours was excellent, and I gave never eaten a meal on PE with Virgin ever :$

With regards to the WT plus seating I did request/reserve nothing is guaranteed when first available on booking, and we're the only ones chosen for quite a considerable time. I did not want to chance not having a reasonable seat. About a week before departure BA release any un reserved seats for selection and managed to grab the two front ones the bassinet ones and they were definitely the best. There are 24 seats in WT plus so it's a nice cabin. Have a look on BA-flyer they have super seat plans and on BA as well. The service was brilliant and loads of drink runs every hour and a lovely crew. If you go to the ticketing desk when you get to terminal 5 if there are any available Club seats you can upgrade for cash, and we were on reward seats. Anything else just ask. Linda y)

Hi SGilly,
If you go to the ticketing desk when you get to terminal 5 if there are any available Club seats you can upgrade for cash, and we were on reward seats. Anything else just ask. Linda y)

From 14th October 2015 all BA LAS flights from LHR will depart from Terminal 3, not Terminal 5.

Morning Guys, thank you for all the helpful advice regarding booking my seats.

I will have to pay the full balance of my holiday now if I want to reserve my seats on the flights (balance actually not due until Jan 2016), but I'm scared to leave it that long in case only separate seats are left etc, I would like the bulkhead seats if possible but wary now that BA will not release these yet....

I've flown to USA 6 times in last years - always flown with Virgin Atlantic (either direct booking with them or via Virgin holidays), Ive never had a problem with the whole booking process - had problems with actual flights and flight times, but never with booking seats etc. This time, my goodness I've had nothing but stress in the last 48 hours since booking with TC. Different members of staff saying different things etc, BA not having any English speaking staff that I can understand, have spoken to them 3 times to try to clarify that TC were telling me the truth etc - all I wanted to do was book my holiday, pay a deposit, and reserve my seats (I know not guaranteed but at least gives you a bit of peace of mind).

Lesson learned, book with Virgin holidays or direct with airline even if it is £200 more expensive.....TC gone down badly in my estimation

I will have to pay the full balance of my holiday now if I want to reserve my seats on the flights (balance actually not due until Jan 2016), but I'm scared to leave it that long in case only separate seats are left etc, I would like the bulkhead seats if possible but wary now that BA will not release these yet...

In my experience bulkhead seats did not become available until check-in opens. They are held back in case there are infants onboard who need the Sky Cot.

I don't have experience of the Vegas route but for Orlando only a few WT+ seats had been reserved with 3 months to go and there was still plenty of choice.

Did not know when BA were moving their flights to Terminal 3 as ours for March are from this terminal. Will have to do better next time. Do not worry Sgilly, they open the bulkhead seats about a few days before, I know what you mean about not reserving seats as I have done all ours for next year where i can. Do keep checking once you have reserved as BA are notorious for changing aircraft and seating requests and they do not tell you!!!

They changed our aircraft to Calgary three times and the seats four times, I check at least once a day. As Fuzzy says even for our March trip to Vegas we are the only ones to have reserved our seats.Linda

I just don't like any aspect of BA at the moment. That's not adding anything to this thread but I just don't like them any longer. Being British, saying that about our supposed national airline hurts a little.

I know what you mean at the moment Silverfox, I do seem to be encountering a few problems with them currently.....