What's a good airline to use to fly out to the UK?

From the AA website concerning flights to the UK

Thanks for that, bookgrl. I guess I was just unlucky. 

And AA is by far the worst in my experience. The flight staff are simply surly!!

Yes! They were horrible!!

And AA is by far the worst in my experience. The flight staff are simply surly!!

Good luck!

Yes! They were horrible!!

Same here. Wasnt so much when on the plane, but the fact I had to check myself in and load my own luggage (and then got snapped at by AA staff for not moving fast enough) Also they had domestic and international flights checking in & passing through security together, causing massive queues. We arrived 4+ hours early as so we could not be stressed out, and it took almost 3 hours to get past security desks

BTW this happened at the US side of things at JFK. We flew from Heathrow, and were checked in properly. We were never told that on the US side, we'd have to check ourselves in or any of that.

NEVER, EVER again.

AA: Terrible. Bad food. Expensive alcoholic drinks.  Overhead TVs and no personal entertainment- and ones that don't even work properly at that, pay for headphones, RUDE flight attendants, baggage allowance pretty standard, decent leg room at least, usually cheap(er)

Wow im shocked all the flights i've took with AA were good even the trans America flights I got free Beverages. On the smaller planes you have overhead tv's but you do have the radio to listen to. you only pay for headphones on short flights across America all long haul headphones are free.Long haul flights well the ones to Heathrow (normally 777) have individual touch screen tv's with the latest movies aswell. very shocked at your personal experience but I would recommend them. As I have said before im used to the flights where you have NO room at all nothing is free and the cabin crew are rude but thats just the case with flights to Europe from the UK if your not willing to re mortage your house to do this

Free non-alcoholic beverages, yes, but if you want wine with dinner, they charge you. And depending on the route, the personal screens are not a given. My co-worker just flew LHR to Chicago in June and did not have personal screens.

I'm not sure if you're saying that rude cabin crew members are "just the case" with international flights, but I've not found this to be true with any airline except the US based ones. AA being the worst in my experience.

Everyone has their own thing which they are willing to pay for. If I am going to be stuck in a tiny tin tube for 8+ hours with loads of strange people, I want decent food, entertainment and service. 

Free non-alcoholic beverages, yes, but if you want wine with dinner, they charge you. And depending on the route, the personal screens are not a given. My co-worker just flew LHR to Chicago in June and did not have personal screens.

Thats really strange because that was the route I took at the end of June, but everything is down to personal experience and it might be the possibility that being British and as a nation we don't receive as amazing customer service as over in the US that might explain why i thought they were ok

Everyone has their own thing which they are willing to pay for. If I am going to be stuck in a tiny tin tube for 8+ hours with loads of strange people, I want decent food, entertainment and service.  

Most definitely!!! (And nice to see you around Courtney  )

UPDATE ON MY POST: I think I will be flying out from San Diego after all lol.. I'm going to fly my mom out here instead of paying for my daughter and I to fly out there and then hop another flight to the UK. Ugh traveling plans are always a bit chaotic haha

I'm also in the pro-Virgin camp.  I'm 5'5" and have usually been a US size 20/22 and haven't had problems with the seat allowance. Free booze, great entertainment system (and protable DVD players in case the seat-back entertainment breaks), polite staff.  Flying from the LHR to SFO, they bring food around every two hours and do regular drinks services.  Not the cheapest airline, but they do run frequent sales that bring their prices down to their cheaper competators, and for a 10+ hr flight, a few extra frills can make a huge difference.

I'm also pro-virgin (atlantic  - not holidays, but that is a different story!) We've always managed to find fairly decent flight prices with them for the times we want to travel and I'm a member of their frequent flyer club and you can save a bit of money on their fares using miles plus money (only 2,000 miles needed for that!)

Their entertainment is good but not all of their planes are currently fitted with the on-demand entertainment where you can pause, ff, rwd etc If you get that then its excellent!

I'm not bothered about the entertainment or booze or any of that stuff. I take my IPod and books/magazines. And take advantage of the water, juice and soft drinks they come around with.
I do like a roomy space and some decent food. I usually order a veggie or fruit meal (AA makes you phone to order rather than online  ) The advantage is it's more interesting and you usually get served first (which means you get first whack at the loos before the rest of the cattle car has fed)

I'm also in the pro-Virgin camp.  I'm 5'5" and have usually been a US size 20/22 and haven't had problems with the seat allowance. Free booze, great entertainment system (and protable DVD players in case the seat-back entertainment breaks), polite staff.  Flying from the LHR to SFO, they bring food around every two hours and do regular drinks services.  Not the cheapest airline, but they do run frequent sales that bring their prices down to their cheaper competators, and for a 10+ hr flight, a few extra frills can make a huge difference.

My only problem with Virgin is the 13 pounds/6kgs of carry on luggage policy.  BA's policy of if you can lift your carry on in the overhead you're good and is much better for shopaholic me. Although US air and Continental are 40lbs they have never weighed my carry on.

Delta/KLM/Air France - I'm good with these guys.  For some reason, Delta may or may not hook you up with the booze, but if you fly KLM, they do.  even though they are all owned by Delta?  Not that I need it, but if I'm taking a night flight, I kind of like the option.  and on principal, it's a pricey flight to begin with, give me the $6 crap chardonnay for free, will you?    But regular stuff like food and soft drinks are free.

I don't think KLM are owned by Delta, they are just in the same alliance and have codeshares etc.  Same as American and BA.

Hi

Agreed with most of what's said so far in that economy class in pretty much all the big carriers is 'about' the same, so I just look for the cheapest flights to get me across. So long as there is some decent food and drinks and friendly staff I'm all good!

I will add that Br(Sh)itish airways will never get my money again ! after a gap of perhaps 12 years of flying them when they last totally messed everything up for one of my NYC visits, I thought I'd try them again 2010 - bad mistake!

Cheers! DtM! West London & Slough UK!

Thanks everyone for all the advice! I'm gonna go ahead and purchase through Continental I'm traveling economy anyway so I'm sure that class is virtually the same with every airline haha. Flying out of San Diego-Heathrow 

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