You're right the world is going crazy for premium economy. It's as if PE is the new business class and business is the new first class as airlines slowly phase out first on many of their routes. Business class fares have sky rocketed and airlines have made their mileage programmes more restrictive. Whilst i'm not a big fan of BA for LH flights, this does look like a solid product. I'm loyal to Virgin Atlantic so I'm often in their premium cabin LHR-JFK and I think they have a really great product, providing you fly on the 787. They still have the older 21 inch wide seats and only 5 rows in a 2x3x2 configuration. They also have 2 dedicated toilets for PE which is unheard of for most airlines. Sadly, when kitting out the A350's they opted for 7 rows in a 2x4x2 configuration with a crowded cabin and a much narrower less competitive 18.5 inch wide seat. For me, the best premium economy cabin in terms of sheer comfort is Cathay Pacific on 777-ER. It might be a little out dated now, but it's still a joy to fly.
I'm pleased that you're enjoying Virgin Atlantic. A long time ago when our ventures started it was a choice between BA on the A380 ying yang or Virgins 787. Opted for BA because of the privacy and because it was an A380 😊 Sadly as you say Virgin has three products now and one of them is being left behind by Its competitors. Who's Premium Economy is better? Virgin or BA.
Thanks for the update on B.A.’s P.E. It’s been a few years since I last used this. I’ve switched to a rival airline for my usual long haul because they offer such a great deal in Business far cheaper than B.A. Business and even better.
Very curious to know which airline? We are going to try two different SkyTeam products much later in the year. The seat is sound, the food was good. Would happily try it again 💺✈️ Thanks for watching 👀
@@liftoffandtravel Air France. The flight means I have a stopover in Paris instead of direct to LHR but it’s of short duration and I’m happy with that slight inconvenience to make a decent saving with a very good product. Cheers.
😂 So true! Plus do you just close the divide, engage in conversation or choose a point to stare at. I did like that it's on of the only business products to have 3 windows though 👀
@@liftoffandtravel the divider has to spend most of the time down with take off, landing and meal service 😂 It's not so bad if you're travelling with someone you know, but it's a truly awful design for biz travellers
Nice video. I’ll be doing BA 777 PE in July to IAH. Been a while since I did PE (last time was 787 to Durban in 2019). I’m sure I’ve heard the comment about air being like the Sahara before 😂
😂 You did indeed, it's a tough balance between drinking enough to keep your throat from drying out and needing the bathroom every 2hrs. 🚽 You'll have a great time. Enjoy IAH✈️
My very first flight was on a Boeing 777-200 of British Airways (flying on G-VIIM). I got mixed feelings about Premium Economy Class, but its nice to see airlines are investing in Premium Economy making them better than some older products.
I guess that was the older plus seats? These are so modern in comparison. At the end of the day the seats are all the same. Emirates just looks a bit shinier. Glad you got to experience it though.
@@liftoffandtravel I don't recall the cabin/seats, but it was in June 2000 (I was three then) so it was probably an economy product that is long history now! I did get a flight deck visit mid-flight over New Foundland as it was pre-9/11
would no longer bank on being able to upgrade to specific cabin with BA. last two long haul flights i took were completely booked out - no chance to upgrade. If you want to be in a higher cabin you gotta book it from the get-go and accept to fly what you booked. really sorry they bumped you down on that one flight.. i heard they did the same to nonstop dan, he got bumped down from business to economy (cant remember which airline)
It's always a massive gamble and one that barely pays of. I have had 2 upgrade offers and 2 forced upgrades due to over booking in my entire life time. That's less than 1% though 😂 Ouch I can imagine nonstop Dan wasn't pleased.
Was not expecting that but awesome! Absolutely love them but they keep wearing out from all the walking. Not so good in the wet weather. ☔ The London shop told me I need a different type. Any ideas?
We are now traveling PE as for $1400 RT FROM FLORIDA to GATWICK at 730. This is the first time I was able to sleep on a plane was in PE. I remember 10 years ago these flight to the EU were $1500 RT in economy. The first class then is WHAT PE IS NOW. So to us I think of it as we are flying first class But soon these seats will be overpriced and back to economy we go
That's a very reasonable price 👍 particularly given today's very high prices. I think you'll enjoy it. Hopefully you got the window seats 👍 that's so true. Premium Economy has to be priced right or it's a no brainer.
We fly again in January on BA in PE This is our 4th flight with BA The service is great even when we flew in economy We usually then use Ryan Air afterwards just can’t beat the price I like the fast approach and bumpy landings means they care about their turnaround time and I care about getting on and off and continuing the journey Just need to know how to work the fight and train and metro system so you don’t stand around all over place then the next you’re saying is we spent all our time getting on and off planes trains and automobiles!
@@liftoffandtravelDon’t suppose you have any idea if the window config is symmetrical? I’ve booked 14K having no idea before this video about the window situation 🤦♂️ no other window seats available to switch to either. Thanks
@@S4MM7ify I Re-watched the clip just after boarding three times and it appears that the windows are the same on the other side. So if you pick the last two rows you should get a decent window.
Thank you for sharing. Yes, there in Premium Economy is nice but I would always like to be seat in the first row with the bulk head in front of me. I like not having anyone in front of my who are pushing their seats back on me early early!!😊
I don't hear it myself but glad to be local 👍😊. Is it on particular words? I also picked up dropping the t like in water having lived in London for a bit
You mention to stay away from 14a but do you know if row 15 has a full recline because of the bulkhead? We are flying Gatwick-Punta Cana on a flight which only has rows 14 and 15 available so not sure what would be best for us.
Someone else mentioned this. After a little research appears there are two configurations. So I was in row 15 not 14! 😂 I'd be surprised if the row behind didn't recline but unfortunately can't answer that one.
Just re-watcyed the video. We are the second last row from the back. So pretty sure that's row 14. 15 is better because it has both windows. How long will you be flying it for? Either way enjoy 👍✈️
@@liftoffandtravel When you pan around presumably sitting, the seat back TV says 15A & 15B. Does that not refer to where you're sitting .. ? Maybe I need to go to Specsavers..!!! Grenada so 11+ hours unfortunately. But hopefully comfy.!!
@@Scrat62-ef5gk mind blown! You are absoutely right 👍 I've rechecked the seat maps online and yes it's row 15. Appears there are two different layouts to the 777-200!
I need to speak more clearly but often I forget to drink enough water when recording 😂. The seat is very comfortable and I was amazed! That I even fell asleep. I forgot having done a lot of Business and Economy how much room you have. No fighting with your neighbour for the armrest. If you're not sure whether you'd love or hate it on a 13hr flight you could sample it to Madrid from London with Iberia where they have an A330/A350 ✈️ I'd probably avoid it for that long but it's just a long time to sit up right.
Funnily enough I found a photo on my phone yesterday of our trip to Canada and it featured the old Premium Economy with very very plush seats, didn't even have UK plug sockets in Business. How time flies
Qatar ruined our Maldives holiday by moving our flight 15 minutes and then cancelled it altogether. We've just booked BA flighing economy as they wanted an extra £1000 each on top of our flights. To go to Punta cana
@@doodles3075 schedule changes happen and cancellations are sometimes just unavoidable but always frustrating. Did they offer you a different route or just another flight a different day?
@liftoffandtravel sorry that was supposed to say only did economy with BA as they wanted another £1000 extra each to do premium. The Maldives was done via Tui because it was classed as 3rd party. Tui said we could either cancel and get a refund or change our holiday. We said as we have booked through you, you have to find us another flight, they said as 3rd party they didn't. In the end, they said they could book is with Emirates at an extra £3000! So we cancelled, bareing in mind this was the week a flights went through the roof.
@@doodles3075 I'm glad you messaged use because that was an interesting situation. After discussing this with my partner I believe the issue was because TUI is a charter flight not scheduled and unfortunately has different rules when it comes to cancellations or changes. Sadly this is a reason to not go with them because when it goes wrong you are at their mercy. Also ouch yes £1000 is a lot. I was offered £450 for LAX to London once. Either way jealous, such an amazing destination. I bet you loved the Maldives ☀️ 🌴
@@Barra32 since the video was made unfortunately BA had an overhaul and put the fees up! It was a little hard to calculates because my booking was part of LGW to Doha to Bangkok. With the second part in First with Qatar.
It's certainly a dangerous subject. I'm always wary not to feature cabin crew and to be realistic in my opinions. I'm pretty easy going though so unless someone does something really wrong I won't linger on it. Sadly all airlines have planes in their fleet which they aren't so proud of. I suspect that when the 777x comes out there will be a cascade and routes like Sri Lanka might start seeing the older 777s with Q Suite or the 787 which is still a wonderful way to fly
I look at Japan and I see all this culture. I look at the UK and I love how diverse we are but what do tourists see when they come here? An America I joked with thought we drink tea and eat fish and chips all the time 😂
@@liftoffandtravel Most tourists visiting the U.K. for the first time are shocked at the state of the country. They expect a safe and civilised country as it used to be. If only we could be more like Japan - a homogenous culture where people are respectful, proud and feel safe walking their own streets.
@@SmartFactsEdu I found the northwest pretty safe when I lived there for 8 months. Everything but London and Birmingham I found very safe. Wouldn't recommend going for a walk at 4am from Birmingham bus station to the train station.
You're right the world is going crazy for premium economy. It's as if PE is the new business class and business is the new first class as airlines slowly phase out first on many of their routes. Business class fares have sky rocketed and airlines have made their mileage programmes more restrictive.
Whilst i'm not a big fan of BA for LH flights, this does look like a solid product. I'm loyal to Virgin Atlantic so I'm often in their premium cabin LHR-JFK and I think they have a really great product, providing you fly on the 787. They still have the older 21 inch wide seats and only 5 rows in a 2x3x2 configuration. They also have 2 dedicated toilets for PE which is unheard of for most airlines. Sadly, when kitting out the A350's they opted for 7 rows in a 2x4x2 configuration with a crowded cabin and a much narrower less competitive 18.5 inch wide seat.
For me, the best premium economy cabin in terms of sheer comfort is Cathay Pacific on 777-ER. It might be a little out dated now, but it's still a joy to fly.
I'm pleased that you're enjoying Virgin Atlantic. A long time ago when our ventures started it was a choice between BA on the A380 ying yang or Virgins 787. Opted for BA because of the privacy and because it was an A380 😊
Sadly as you say Virgin has three products now and one of them is being left behind by Its competitors.
Who's Premium Economy is better? Virgin or BA.
Thanks for the update on B.A.’s P.E. It’s been a few years since I last used this. I’ve switched to a rival airline for my usual long haul because they offer such a great deal in Business far cheaper than B.A. Business and even better.
Very curious to know which airline? We are going to try two different SkyTeam products much later in the year.
The seat is sound, the food was good. Would happily try it again 💺✈️
Thanks for watching 👀
@@liftoffandtravel Air France. The flight means I have a stopover in Paris instead of direct to LHR but it’s of short duration and I’m happy with that slight inconvenience to make a decent saving with a very good product. Cheers.
I love how there's a water bottle holder for the bottles you aren't given 😂 They don't seem to fit most reusable ones either
😂 That's funny and yes was surprised not to be given one. Most airlines do this as a standard. Some even do this in economy
Better than Gatwick Club World with the old ying yang stare at a stranger and have all your stuff on the floor seats 😂
😂 So true! Plus do you just close the divide, engage in conversation or choose a point to stare at.
I did like that it's on of the only business products to have 3 windows though 👀
@@liftoffandtravel the divider has to spend most of the time down with take off, landing and meal service 😂
It's not so bad if you're travelling with someone you know, but it's a truly awful design for biz travellers
Nice video. I’ll be doing BA 777 PE in July to IAH. Been a while since I did PE (last time was 787 to Durban in 2019).
I’m sure I’ve heard the comment about air being like the Sahara before 😂
😂 You did indeed, it's a tough balance between drinking enough to keep your throat from drying out and needing the bathroom every 2hrs. 🚽
You'll have a great time. Enjoy IAH✈️
My very first flight was on a Boeing 777-200 of British Airways (flying on G-VIIM). I got mixed feelings about Premium Economy Class, but its nice to see airlines are investing in Premium Economy making them better than some older products.
I guess that was the older plus seats? These are so modern in comparison. At the end of the day the seats are all the same. Emirates just looks a bit shinier.
Glad you got to experience it though.
@@liftoffandtravel I don't recall the cabin/seats, but it was in June 2000 (I was three then) so it was probably an economy product that is long history now! I did get a flight deck visit mid-flight over New Foundland as it was pre-9/11
would no longer bank on being able to upgrade to specific cabin with BA. last two long haul flights i took were completely booked out - no chance to upgrade. If you want to be in a higher cabin you gotta book it from the get-go and accept to fly what you booked. really sorry they bumped you down on that one flight.. i heard they did the same to nonstop dan, he got bumped down from business to economy (cant remember which airline)
It's always a massive gamble and one that barely pays of. I have had 2 upgrade offers and 2 forced upgrades due to over booking in my entire life time.
That's less than 1% though 😂
Ouch I can imagine nonstop Dan wasn't pleased.
love your allbirds! I have the same pair
Was not expecting that but awesome! Absolutely love them but they keep wearing out from all the walking. Not so good in the wet weather. ☔
The London shop told me I need a different type. Any ideas?
We are now traveling PE as for $1400 RT FROM FLORIDA to GATWICK at 730. This is the first time I was able to sleep on a plane was in PE.
I remember 10 years ago these flight to the EU were $1500 RT in economy. The first class then is WHAT PE IS NOW. So to us I think of it as we are flying first class
But soon these seats will be overpriced and back to economy we go
That's a very reasonable price 👍 particularly given today's very high prices.
I think you'll enjoy it. Hopefully you got the window seats 👍 that's so true. Premium Economy has to be priced right or it's a no brainer.
We fly again in January on BA in PE
This is our 4th flight with BA
The service is great even when we flew in economy
We usually then use Ryan Air afterwards just can’t beat the price
I like the fast approach and bumpy landings means they care about their turnaround time and I care about getting on and off and continuing the journey
Just need to know how to work the fight and train and metro system so you don’t stand around all over place then the next you’re saying is we spent all our time getting on and off planes trains and automobiles!
Did you have the leg rest on your flight? I saw the foot rest but curious if the 777 BA PE has leg rests too.
Yes each seat has a foot rest. I guess it helps with circulation. It is a tiny bit noisy when retracted though.
Thanks for the warning re. seat 14A. I was due to be sitting there in June, but have now changed my seat.
I'm pleased it helped you! Sometimes it's hard to find these details out. I don't want others to suffer 😂
Thanks for watching 👍
Oh what's that? I think I missed that part
@@johnjeoffreym not good with the window placement. If you load a seat map online and skip to when I board. Or just watch it again 💺😁
@@liftoffandtravelDon’t suppose you have any idea if the window config is symmetrical? I’ve booked 14K having no idea before this video about the window situation 🤦♂️ no other window seats available to switch to either. Thanks
@@S4MM7ify I Re-watched the clip just after boarding three times and it appears that the windows are the same on the other side. So if you pick the last two rows you should get a decent window.
Looking very nice!!😊😊😊
Thank you for sharing. Yes, there in Premium Economy is nice but I would always like to be seat in the first row with the bulk head in front of me. I like not having anyone in front of my who are pushing their seats back on me early early!!😊
Thanks for watching 👍 Agreed best seats in the house. Climbing over to some sleeping to get the bathroom is always awkward 😂😴
Totally agree!! That's is why I have used points for Business Class when I can.
That brummie accent is coming through ! Great video
I don't hear it myself but glad to be local 👍😊. Is it on particular words?
I also picked up dropping the t like in water having lived in London for a bit
You mention to stay away from 14a but do you know if row 15 has a full recline because of the bulkhead? We are flying Gatwick-Punta Cana on a flight which only has rows 14 and 15 available so not sure what would be best for us.
Someone else mentioned this. After a little research appears there are two configurations. So I was in row 15 not 14! 😂 I'd be surprised if the row behind didn't recline but unfortunately can't answer that one.
Thanks for the info. But looks like you are in 15A, not 14A .. ? We have 15A & B this weekend ..! No pairs of seats left to change too either. Pity.
Just re-watcyed the video. We are the second last row from the back. So pretty sure that's row 14.
15 is better because it has both windows. How long will you be flying it for?
Either way enjoy 👍✈️
@@liftoffandtravel When you pan around presumably sitting, the seat back TV says 15A & 15B. Does that not refer to where you're sitting .. ? Maybe I need to go to Specsavers..!!! Grenada so 11+ hours unfortunately. But hopefully comfy.!!
@@Scrat62-ef5gk mind blown! You are absoutely right 👍
I've rechecked the seat maps online and yes it's row 15. Appears there are two different layouts to the 777-200!
@@liftoffandtravel Maybe we’ll have the other layout..!!! Thanks again for the info. Most helpful.
@@Scrat62-ef5gk no problem at all 👍 have a safe and enjoyable flight ✈️
Thabks. So at the end did yoy say the seat isnt comfortable? Im considering booking a 12.5-13hr return leg journey BA PE thanks
I need to speak more clearly but often I forget to drink enough water when recording 😂.
The seat is very comfortable and I was amazed! That I even fell asleep. I forgot having done a lot of Business and Economy how much room you have. No fighting with your neighbour for the armrest.
If you're not sure whether you'd love or hate it on a 13hr flight you could sample it to Madrid from London with Iberia where they have an A330/A350 ✈️
I'd probably avoid it for that long but it's just a long time to sit up right.
This doesn’t look like the new updated cabin?
Funnily enough I found a photo on my phone yesterday of our trip to Canada and it featured the old Premium Economy with very very plush seats, didn't even have UK plug sockets in Business.
How time flies
Does the rear row in premium allow the sewte to full recline on the 777 200
@@davidg2116 this was a long time ago, I'm pretty sure it does though.
Qatar ruined our Maldives holiday by moving our flight 15 minutes and then cancelled it altogether.
We've just booked BA flighing economy as they wanted an extra £1000 each on top of our flights. To go to Punta cana
@@doodles3075 schedule changes happen and cancellations are sometimes just unavoidable but always frustrating.
Did they offer you a different route or just another flight a different day?
@liftoffandtravel sorry that was supposed to say only did economy with BA as they wanted another £1000 extra each to do premium.
The Maldives was done via Tui because it was classed as 3rd party. Tui said we could either cancel and get a refund or change our holiday.
We said as we have booked through you, you have to find us another flight, they said as 3rd party they didn't.
In the end, they said they could book is with Emirates at an extra £3000! So we cancelled, bareing in mind this was the week a flights went through the roof.
@@doodles3075 I'm glad you messaged use because that was an interesting situation. After discussing this with my partner I believe the issue was because TUI is a charter flight not scheduled and unfortunately has different rules when it comes to cancellations or changes. Sadly this is a reason to not go with them because when it goes wrong you are at their mercy.
Also ouch yes £1000 is a lot. I was offered £450 for LAX to London once.
Either way jealous, such an amazing destination. I bet you loved the Maldives ☀️ 🌴
Nothing unusual for Qatar to change planes, change departure times, or cancel flights. That is why I no longer fly with them
Sadly it's become common place. Hoping since their A350s are back in place after the paint issue there might be more stability with swap outs.
Can I ask was your 42k miles plus the £92 for a return or one way?
Good question! This was a one way fare.
How did you manage to get fees of only £92. The same ticket from gatwick is showing £140 with the same avios and thats with ‘off peak’ rewards prices
@@Barra32 since the video was made unfortunately BA had an overhaul and put the fees up!
It was a little hard to calculates because my booking was part of LGW to Doha to Bangkok. With the second part in First with Qatar.
Extra 2 inches of what? Seat width? Tea with milk? 😁
Mostly likely seat related but a large tea is always good 🍵🤣
Budget airline,,,thats all
Qatar have been terrible now! They banned Josh Cahill over his bad flight experience
It's certainly a dangerous subject. I'm always wary not to feature cabin crew and to be realistic in my opinions.
I'm pretty easy going though so unless someone does something really wrong I won't linger on it.
Sadly all airlines have planes in their fleet which they aren't so proud of. I suspect that when the 777x comes out there will be a cascade and routes like Sri Lanka might start seeing the older 777s with Q Suite or the 787 which is still a wonderful way to fly
The new safety video is not ‘very British’. Sadly it’s reflective of a state in decline.
I look at Japan and I see all this culture. I look at the UK and I love how diverse we are but what do tourists see when they come here?
An America I joked with thought we drink tea and eat fish and chips all the time 😂
@@liftoffandtravel Most tourists visiting the U.K. for the first time are shocked at the state of the country. They expect a safe and civilised country as it used to be. If only we could be more like Japan - a homogenous culture where people are respectful, proud and feel safe walking their own streets.
@@SmartFactsEdu I found the northwest pretty safe when I lived there for 8 months. Everything but London and Birmingham I found very safe. Wouldn't recommend going for a walk at 4am from Birmingham bus station to the train station.
@@SmartFactsEduby more homogeneous you mean more white?
@@Polostar79 No, culturally homogenous.