We're currently looking at flights to the USA for a family trip (all adults) and have the option of flights by Continental and KLM/North Western. Both offer similar departure times etc and are roughly the same price, with Continental being about £30 cheaper altogether.

Anyone flown with them before? Are KLM so much better that it's worth paying the extra? It's normal economy class by the way – can't afford business 🙂

depends where your going if west coast i really would go with a premium carrier for that extra comfort 11 to 12 hours on a plane is not nice. Saying that I went with Air France to LA I thought they were BA standard they are not, but they do own KLM/NWA and I flew back with NWA the plane was very quit I had 3 seats to myself as did many others. Food not so bad considering the constraints there must be to plane food. Air hostess sucked though looked like Mrs Doubtfire, now singapore airways thats different very different go with them but don't tell your wife.

Never flown trans-atlantic with CO but flew regularly on them between New York and Houston for what seemed like every damn week for a few years when based in the States.

They seemed efficient and their service was friendly rather than surly which was my recollection of the handful of time I have flown with AA.

Their overbooking management was pretty poor but I suspect this is just the americans' approach to manage what are in effect just shuttle buses between major US cities.

Have flown with them into Philadelphia and Newark, never had any problems. last time was more than 3 years ago so might not be relevant. As efficient as any other airline, I'd be letting the seat pitch or convenient timings offered make the choice if the price is similar.

i think they're as shit as all the other US carriers. is it £30 shit? hard to say. i prefer KLM though.

I flew into Newark this time last year from Bristol. Very good imo. Better outbound than in, but that came down to the age/type of plane. Not quite BA/VA but I'd use them again.

Yes, have flown with them from Manchester to Newark.
It was a few years ago now, in the days when the captain would come out and greet passengers during the flight. I swear he was Leslie Neilson.
During one particular flight there was water dripping along the overhead lockers (bins in USA), out comes the first officer, she's carrying a pair of step ladders, an enormous manual and starts to take off a section in the ceiling. Everybody was silent. She then climbs partially into the hole and fiddles with stuff for a while. Yes the water did stop after this.
So my answer to your question is find another airline. Don't rate KLM either. We had the grumpiest cabin crew ever flying from schiphol to USA.

I used to fly frequently between Manchester and DFW, and used a number of different airlines.Out of them all I would rate BA>American>Virgin>Continental. Continental were OK apart from the route (2 changes!!) and I would probably use them again. Just wouldn't be my first (or second) choice.

EDIT: Delta were better than Virgin too IMO

Continental are like the Ryanair of long haul travel. And no free alcohol either. Worst ones are their cross USA flights – 7 hours, you have to pay for food & drink, and the seats are so close together you have your knees jammed up against the seat in front and a fat american's stomach encroaching under and over the armrest to the side of you.

On ones where you do get fed, you get the best of American airline catering, which is to say you get something that is worse than one of the worst, most disgusting American takeaway chains.

I like Virgin best, or Air New Zealand if they fly the route.

Joe

I flew out with Continental a couple of yrs ago, then flew with Delta last year..
Continental – old folk for stewards / stewardesses – planes and food were shite ( I flew cont to NY then Cont onto Vegas ) the flight we had was not cheap, it was not a last minute booking etc.. in flight food was atrocious, (Peanuts were served wether you could eat them or not and guess what ? for breakfast it was a cereal with nuts in ) absolute shite..
the whole experience.

Delta, well the flights with those were really really good, and we also got upgraded into business class on the return journey.. I would book Delta every time over continental..

We'll be flying Manchester-Newark-Las Vegas and then the return journey, so quite a bit of this is relevant – thanks.

In terms of seat pitch for the transatlantic journey at least, CA have it by one whole inch according to the averages on the websites. Both seem much of a muchness other than that (both offer same sort regularity of food/snacks/drinks etc).

Lets face it, i'm booking based on price so I can't expect BA or Virgin 1st class and we'll just have to put up with whatever happens anyway, but thanks for every comment so far and I'd welcome any other feedback too.

Dave.

Continental and KLM/NW are very much of a muchness. They all use older, more 'worldly wise' flight crews. Something to bear in mind is that KLM/NW codeshare, so although you may have good previous experiences of KLM you may find yourself boarding a NW flight, which in my experience have the most rude and moody flight crews. I prefer to travel Virgin or American/BA to the US as the crews are better and (importantly for me with often a bicycle in tow) they don't charge extra for carrying a bike.

Ended up on both on my flight back from America recently. Flown Continental twice and have been reasonably impressed, especially for what you pay. Food and drink was free, apart from alcohol, but everything was cool and you can watch Ice Road Truckers on the seat back thing.

KLM was about the same- gruffer staff, but that's what you get for being Dutch.

Been from Manchester to Newark on Continental a stack of times most recently in July. They fly 757's which are quite small for a transatlantic jet (3 seats – aisle – 3 seats) but to my delight last time they'd upgraded from 'shared' roof tellys to seat back screens so major improvement there, plus it implies that there 757 fleet is/has undergone a refit. It's true they charge for booze but that might not bother you. The staff hover between OK and surly but certainly not as bad as US Airways. The food is OK.

Other things to consider is you'll presumably have less changes unless KLM go direct to Las Vegas. Also from MAN there's two flights a day so you might be able to get something that suits your schedule slightly better.

Newark is pretty average as an airport in terms of killing time so the less time spent there the better.

Certainly would recommend Continental.

I've taken the Edinburgh-Newark CO flight a few times and it's mediocre. Think most of it is down to the aircraft which appears quite old. An economy class transatlantic flight is never going to be a spectacular experience no matter who you fly with, but little things the airline does can put a smile on your face. The continental service didn't seem to have many of them.