Zoom vs Air Transat

[phil_2405]

Hi all,

I am going to have to travel to Vancouver in Sept for work. However I know my company will want the cheapest possible fare. This seems to bring it down to Zoom or Air Transat from LGW. Has anyone travelled with these and recommend which is better? My main concerns are seat pitch and entertainment.

Thanks :)

If anyone knows how I can get a cheap fare with Air Canada or BA from LHR would be good as well!!!

[Captain Airclues]

I flew from Vancouver to Gatwick with Zoom last month and had a great flight. An almost new aircraft with a fantastic cabin crew. It's worth paying the extra for Premium Economy as you get 36 inch seat pitch and you can choose your seat when booking. The food was excellent and the booze was free (in Premium Economy). A massive LCD screen showed three movies as well as the moving map.

Airclues

[Big Harvey]

My wife is from Canada, and flew Air Transat from Toronto to Gatwick last year. She said it was the worst flight she'd ever been on, and that they're even worse than Air Canada. What's more, she knows someone who used to work as a stewardess for Air Transat, who always advises friends not to fly with them.

My wife has never heard anyone say a good word about Air Transat, and neither have I, other than the remarkable skill of their crew in getting their plane down in one piece in the Azores after running out of fuel in mid Atlantic a few years back. I've no idea what Zoom are like, but Captain Airclues seems to rate them, so that's one more positive comment about them than I've ever heard about Air Transat!

Unfortunately, we're in the position where we generally have to to take the cheapest option when it comes to flights, so it might just be the Air Transat experience for me next time!

One website that's worth a look for cheap charter flights to Canada (including Vancouver) is www.canadianaffair.com (http://www.canadianaffair.com) . Please note that this doesn't constitute a recommendation of the airlines concerned, since my own worst travel experience (and that includes things like long-haul bus and train journeys in places like India and Bangladesh) was with one of those airlines. This was the sheer torture of flying to Australia with Airtours before it became MyTravel. Incidentally, my sister, much to my horror, booked me on one of their flights a few years later when they'd become MyTravel. In the latter instance, my flight home from Cyprus to the UK was 17 hours late, making it my longest ever non-weather-related flight delay. A truly impressive double for MyTravel, especially since I've only flown with them twice.

[Sagey]

As suggested above, you might want to try http://www.canadianaffair.com as well. MyTravel and Thomas Cook operate the aircrafts on their behalf. Premium is usually available for about £60 and they are generally reasonably priced. I flew to Vancouver with Thomas Cook last Summer and it was a pleasant experience.

[BelfastChild]

I'd go Zoom. I prefer to have the engines turning whilst in flight.....:uhoh:

[CWL2YOW]

I've also heard very good things about Zoom. My parents flew with them and have no complaints and a colleague flew with them from Montreal to Paris and had nothing but praise.

[TSR2]

Services into MAN currently running 24 hours late.

Must have had a 'Tech' issue somewhere along the line as their punctuality is usually not bad.

[phil_2405]

There seems to be a split, neither airline is loved by all.

I'm still quietly hoping I might get to go BA from LHR and avoid them both!

[10secondsurvey]

I haven't checked the fares, but maybe you can get premium on either of the two airlines for the price of BA economy, and your employer may be persuaded to pay for it?. As a bonus this would mean you could avoid the hell that is Heathrow.

Personally I have heard good reports about zoom, but I guess the best thing is to check what you are getting (food, comfort etc) for the money.

[renfrew]

You get what you pay for.According to the Mail Zoom has had three long delays out of Glasgow in last few days including one of 44 hours.

[PaperTiger]

As suggested above, you might want to try http://www.canadianaffair.com as well.Or maybe not. Air Transat now owns Canadian Affair (assuming it's the same outfit): http://biz.yahoo.com/cnw/060714/a_transat_buys_tasc.html?.v=1

[groundbum]

I went to Toronto from gatwick last year in normal economy and it was fine, bang on time, clean inside and out, ok food, nice staff, good price. I don't remember seat pitch and other technicalities but the sheer simplicity of it all was refreshing! So I'd quite happily fly Air Transat again, and they are very cheap!

Simon

[WHBM]

The Canadian charter carriers (including Zoom and Transat) have garnered a reputation for lengthy delays over the years, which always makes me think they do not have their downroute maintenance arrangements lined up adequately, when something goes wrong it seems to take an age to get someone to fix it. And the transatlantic charters can be getting towards crew flight time limits so when there's a departure delay of more than a few hours it's an overnight for everyone.

They also attract much comment about over-tight seat pitch. Peak season for these Canadian carriers is in winter, from snowy Toronto down to Florida or the Caribbean, flights of 3 to 5 hours, and the aircraft are pitched accordingly. Summer is low season for them, the transatlantics are something of a fill-in. The aircraft just do not suit long overnight flights from Vancouver to Europe.

The honourable exception was an airline that ran on the route for many years and showed how charter carriers can be professional, punctual and have exceptional in-flight service. Unfortunately they were just too good and were bought out. It's name began with a "W", many of you will know who I mean.

[10secondsurvey]

The seat pitch with zoom is the same in economy 31", (maybe better) than for example BA economy (just over 29" to just under 31"/76-78cm).

In their premium classes with both, you get a lot more legroom for your dollar than you ever would with mainline carriers. Premium for zoom gives seat pitch of 36". don't know so much aboout transat.

[phil_2405]

Cheers everyone :)

Booked LHR-YVR rtn with BA today :)

[phil_2405]

Anyone know what version of the B747-400 BA operate to Vancouver on the BA85? I cannot see the seat map on the BA website because all the pre-allocated amount of seats have been allocated :*

[Globaliser]

Having a random play with a few dates where seat maps are available, it looks like the low-yield aircraft (38J) is planned for all/most YVR flights. (But I hasten to underline the slightly unscientific nature of the research approach!)

[Skipness One Echo]

quote "The honourable exception was an airline that ran on the route for many years and showed how charter carriers can be professional, punctual and have exceptional in-flight service. Unfortunately they were just too good and were bought out. It's name began with a "W", many of you will know who I mean."

WARDAIR, always full, and virtually never late. Unprecedented..... Nice big 747s and DC10s as well.

[PaperTiger]

The honourable exception was an airline that ran on the route for many years and showed how charter carriers can be professional, punctual and have exceptional in-flight service. Unfortunately they were just too good and were bought out.Ah the parallel universe theory again :hmm:
Yes, Wardair were a class charter oufit until Max got ambitious and went into the domestic scheduled market. Superior product or not, there wasn't the demand for 3 transcons (still isn't !) and Wardair lost the ensuing capacity bloodbath.
CP paid waaay too much in the totally unnecessary 'buy out'; they didn't last much longer either.

[WHBM]

Yes, Wardair were a class charter oufit until Max got ambitious
Of course, goes with entrepreneurship. If Max had not been ambitious there would never have been a Wardair in the first place.