Survey.: Best to worst airline to fly from BA to USA.

[Quilombo]

People getting stuck? They can't get the door open?

People can't get out, or, like me, struggle to get in. I'm about 6'6" and built like a fridge so I admit this isn't
going to impact everyone as much, but I never thought it'd be a battle to take a leak or wash my hands after
doing so.

The floors are constantly drenched as the basin is too small to wash your hands, and as such anyone with dirt
on their shoes turns it in to mud. The vanities are equally drenched, and if you're a big person (tall or wide) forget
sitting down as you'll struggle to turn to do so. I saw FAs recommending people back up in to the bathroom if they
needed to sit which is advice I wish I had before trying to use it like a normal one.

https://www.flyertalk.com/articles/ok-fine-we-admit-it-the-737-max-bathrooms-are-a-problem.html

 

[BobbyHank]

I moved from Dallas Texas which is AA’s HQ. While living there, Delta changed their req’s for diamond and hiked the credit card spend threshold from $25k to $250k, (really griped me at the time!) so I switched over and tried to like American, I got their credit card and their frequent flyer account. After three months I couldn’t take it anymore, switched back to Delta, and have been happy ever since. Prior to pandemic I was traveling three weeks a month. Although I like and occasionally fly UA, I love Delta!, and plan to remain loyal.

 

[antipodean]

For flights to the US am a big fan of American.
When - if - things go wrong, one call is all it takes at least in my experience. Plus their Premium Economy product is solid for a few hundred bucks more than Main Cabin if you don’t want to pay for Business Class but want a bit of comfort on the way - plus about 6 out of 10 times they usually end up upgrading Oneworld status holders booked in this cabin to Business anyway. The big plus side is their much bigger frequencies to and from Argentina and connectivity within the US, meaning if something goes wrong, you’re not exactly short on options. Now they also have a partnership with JetSmart to allow connections to the interior of the country and earning points etc.

In second place, LATAM. It’s a fairly solid product (far superior to Aerolineas) in terms of comfort. Plus you can fly from AEP and connect in SCL, LIM or GRU. Downside is no alliance for points wh***, but they do partner with Delta. Customer service can be very annoying to deal with however.

AeroMexico is also ok especially if you’re headed to the West Coast - a more comfortable alternative than COPA with the EZE sectors operated by a 787, although the airport is experience in MEX is a hot mess. Also, if your SoCal bound flying to Tijuana and crossing the CBX bridge at the airport can be far cheaper than flying to SAN literally on the other side of the fence.

Air Canada is a good option if heading to northern part of US with US pre-clearance in YYZ or YUL. But it’s a bit annoying to deplane during the stop at GRU and then deal with transit again in Canada. If you fly in Business Class they have a truly excellent Signature Suite pre-flight dining facility at Pearson.

COPA is “okay” - you get what you pay for and it’s fairly reliable, if you go cheap in economy on many aircraft you won’t get a screen, USB socket or luxuries like that unless you pay extra for a forward seat. PTY offers easy connections but new terminal can involve long walks.

Aerolineas just doesn’t offer value for money for the usually higher fares they charge. Outdated products in both classes of travel and abysmal catering. Very much an A to B affair but with more convenience if connecting from or to the interior of the country. When things go wrong it can be very hit or miss, especially if you don’t have “contacts” to help solve your problem (meaning you may end up feeling like you’re getting screwed in favor or someone who jumps their place in line just because their primos wife’s daughter works for the airline, it’s everything most of us bemoan about Argentina in airline form).

Avianca has made some big “changes” to their service recently, and for the worst. Now it’s bare bones “business class” and even barer bones economy, you want water, pay for it and hope they haven’t run out by the time they get to you. On the plus side some of their EZE flights are operated using a 787. Used to be a Diamond member with this airline but it’s now on my “no fly list” until they start investing in their product again.

Almost all my flying Horror stories have been with United as far as North America bound carriers are concerned. I have a deep distrust of this airline to handle situations that don’t go to plan well and in my personal experiences they have some of the least professional/ sloppy crew on the planet. Their Polaris hard product on the international leg is nice thorough.

Haven’t tried Delta.

 

[Silvie]

Lately I fly American Airlines because is the best most direct route to NYC.
In the past, I used to fly a lot with LATAM, with a stopover in Chile or Lima, which of course took longer and I was very impressed with the great service I was getting from the airline personnel in general and hostesses (very very nice). The problem was that sometimes there was some kind of climate issue at one of the airports involved or some other kind of problem at one of the airports and both flights were getting screwed-up to the point in which I had to sleep inside Ezeiza and stay there until they figure out how to combine both flights again.

 

[on the brink]

For a change, I recently flew Delta business class to the US. The bed felt cramped, and the food was pitiful. However, the Ezeiza personnel was very efficient and friendly.

Both United and American business class beds are roomier and more comfortable, and the food is edible. Sadly, their ground people are not at all helpful.

So it's a choice between easy check in and boarding, and a good night's sleep.

 

[Ceviche]

American Premier economy is a very solid option between NYC and EZE. Very comfortable.
COPA business class is efficient but unless they have those new -lie flat seats, both their business and economy are very uncomfortable.
Aerolineas sells over priced tickets. Air hostesses are quite hostile.
LATAM is a very good option even in economy via SCL or GRU or LIM, but their is a huge chance of one of their flights getting delayed due to weather and wrecking yr whole trip.
AVIANCA is worst low grade third class flight for peasants/cattle. Even worse than COPA.
UNITED via Houston on Premier economy is very comfortable.

 

[Giuliettaspider]

For flights to the US am a big fan of American.
When - if - things go wrong, one call is all it takes at least in my experience. Plus their Premium Economy product is solid for a few hundred bucks more than Main Cabin if you don’t want to pay for Business Class but want a bit of comfort on the way - plus about 6 out of 10 times they usually end up upgrading Oneworld status holders booked in this cabin to Business anyway. The big plus side is their much bigger frequencies to and from Argentina and connectivity within the US, meaning if something goes wrong, you’re not exactly short on options. Now they also have a partnership with JetSmart to allow connections to the interior of the country and earning points etc.

In second place, LATAM. It’s a fairly solid product (far superior to Aerolineas) in terms of comfort. Plus you can fly from AEP and connect in SCL, LIM or GRU. Downside is no alliance for points wh***, but they do partner with Delta. Customer service can be very annoying to deal with however.

AeroMexico is also ok especially if you’re headed to the West Coast - a more comfortable alternative than COPA with the EZE sectors operated by a 787, although the airport is experience in MEX is a hot mess. Also, if your SoCal bound flying to Tijuana and crossing the CBX bridge at the airport can be far cheaper than flying to SAN literally on the other side of the fence.

Air Canada is a good option if heading to northern part of US with US pre-clearance in YYZ or YUL. But it’s a bit annoying to deplane during the stop at GRU and then deal with transit again in Canada. If you fly in Business Class they have a truly excellent Signature Suite pre-flight dining facility at Pearson.

COPA is “okay” - you get what you pay for and it’s fairly reliable, if you go cheap in economy on many aircraft you won’t get a screen, USB socket or luxuries like that unless you pay extra for a forward seat. PTY offers easy connections but new terminal can involve long walks.

Aerolineas just doesn’t offer value for money for the usually higher fares they charge. Outdated products in both classes of travel and abysmal catering. Very much an A to B affair but with more convenience if connecting from or to the interior of the country. When things go wrong it can be very hit or miss, especially if you don’t have “contacts” to help solve your problem (meaning you may end up feeling like you’re getting screwed in favor or someone who jumps their place in line just because their primos wife’s daughter works for the airline, it’s everything most of us bemoan about Argentina in airline form).

Avianca has made some big “changes” to their service recently, and for the worst. Now it’s bare bones “business class” and even barer bones economy, you want water, pay for it and hope they haven’t run out by the time they get to you. On the plus side some of their EZE flights are operated using a 787. Used to be a Diamond member with this airline but it’s now on my “no fly list” until they start investing in their product again.

Almost all my flying Horror stories have been with United as far as North America bound carriers are concerned. I have a deep distrust of this airline to handle situations that don’t go to plan well and in my personal experiences they have some of the least professional/ sloppy crew on the planet. Their Polaris hard product on the international leg is nice thorough.

Haven’t tried Delta.

as always excellent information, last time I flew United to Newark USA ( in 1998 before covid ) and it was good
Many family members fly AA and they love it

 

[Quilombo]

Aerolineas sells over priced tickets. Air hostesses are quite hostile.

Expensive and hostile soft product is exactly how I'd describe AeroCampora. I fly them domestically when if they're significantly cheaper only, and internationally they're often the most expensive. They're good for collecting Delta SkyMiles and not much else.

I've been lucky enough to fly 170+ times (according to the spreadsheet I keep) and of the carriers that service AEP or EZE I can comment on the following:

Aerolíneas Argentinas: See above
Air Canada: Hard product is okay, generally needlessly expensive, awful soft product (from Canadians, intl. crew is fine) only redeeming perk is Aeroplan which lets you earn with United/Star Alliance and their new family share which merges accounts across multiple people which is great
American Airlines: Only ever flew US Airways once domestically, it was fine
Copa: I like Copa (except for the restrooms on the 737 Max) because I get 100% Aeroplan earning, good meal/drinks, quick connection in PTY, and the crew is usually friendly. The downside is the old PTY terminal which is basically tropical LaGuardia (in terms of humidity, prices, and general ugliness) plus 30 mins max of free WiFi so if you're early or late use it wisely
Delta: I really like Delta for transcontinental, it's a shame they're usually the most expensive. Good hard and soft product, friendly staff in air and on the ground, and they just work from my experiences
Ethiopian Airlines: Food was good, hard product was rough, especially for a 787, looked decades old, but roomier compared to most carriers. Staff seemed tired/under a lot of demand/stress
Flybondi: Better than Aerolineas, used them to fly GRU-EZE and was great, very similar to Vueling, no frills but the price and product is worth it
ITA Airways: Flew them as Alitalia, no real issues, nothing stood out, good or bad
JetSmart: They were fine, discount airline, similar to Flybondi, no complaints
LATAM: I've flown all 3 (TAM, LAN, and LATAM) and the experience has been the same: rather basic for the price you pay, and they nickel dime over carry-ons now which is annoying seeing as they're rarely cheap. FA smashed the shit out of a box of alfajores I bought for my mom, only response was "oh, sorry"
Lufthansa: German efficiency in an uninspiring product - nothing to brag or complain about, it just works
Turkish: Probably amongst the better experiences I've had, soft and hard was good, food was good even if not enough for the long IST-GRU leg, and the seats are more spacious than most carriers
United: See my previous review; default usually for long haul international for the price/time/points combo, only one major issue which they handled very well