As Ben has mentioned a few times now, picking flights for this trip escalated out of control. Like, ridiculously out of control. The other flights we needed to book (the outbound flights for my husband and niece, and the return flights), had zero flexibility. It was very obvious what the best options were, and those…
Continue reading: We Skipped Lufthansa First Class For This?!?
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At some point you just have to throw in the towel and remember that not every trip is going to be reviewable. I think we all realize that comfort needs to be key sometimes, or even the trip reports suffer. So shame on y'all for skipping out on Lufthansa F. Yes, I know it's been reviewed to death, but we long-time readers get it and can be an understanding lot.
For what it's worth, I flew CI in their new J a few weeks ago - reviewed it for another site, actually - and it was lovely. And their new lounge in TPE is mind-blowingingly beautiful. Very, very good service/food/drink, too, on both the flight and in the lounge . So definitely try to route through Taiwan in the near future if you can. Especially if you're connecting to and staying within Asia.
Just booked FAO-LIS-AMS-YYZ when I was trying to get from Faro to Toronto in economy with exit seats confirmed. Got a good 18 hours in Amsterdam which is always nice.
F or J would have been nice but not bad for 30k United miles.
On a side note, the two only times I've flown Delta in the past 18 months, I've been upgraded due to crossover rewards. Though they were only two hour flights between MKE-ATL.
Before an award trip ATL-STR-CDG-ATL I sussed out all I could find on recommended seats. Some reviews-and Seat Guru-suggest that 1A & 1C suffer from proximity to the lav and galley, but one on Flyer Talk said just the opposite. I, in 1C and a friend in 1A, had no problems with disturbances and really appreciated the extra space for feet.
I've cleared Crossover Rewards upgrade on Delta a few times on late night BOS-LGA routes, so I guess that's not completely unheard of...
I'm all Delta, all the time - for loads of reasons, but agree Skymiles is lame.
763 - Ok from JFK-LAX, wouldn't do longer.
777 - Don't like facing all the people, and away from the windows.
A332/3 - Love love love.
And yes, happy crews, usually good food, and the Heavenly bedding is heavenly.
I skipped 10 minutes of my life reading this crap!?! Funny, I'm 5'10 and have a size 11 shoe and I have no problem fitting into their seat. Sounds like the problem might be you...just sayin'. Delta has a great product and people.
@ Sam -- Well, it's not uncommon within 48 hours of departure, but not something you can plan on otherwise.
@ Peter Sanders -- Do you sleep on your side or your back? I had no problem on my back either, just on the side.
Lufthansa first class is crap. Go BA - they're actually decent with a decent selection of films and food
I'm flying DL BRU-ATL-AUS in 2 weeks. 763 on BRU-ATL. I have 3A, so one of the "private" seats. Thanks for the report, I have a good idea what to expect. Even a "sub-par" business class is still far better than economy.
Well, sorry Tiffany, I am with Lucky here.
While definitely you are right that LH F is probably the best value option that has opened up from West Coast USA to Europe, but this would not have done much for blog readership. OMAAT has to look after their audience, even if their butts have to suffer slightly as a result. 😛
If AeroMexico have been available, it would have been a great review, and the post will be searched over and over again, as there is so little review on that. And I think AM's J availability is still much easier than LH F. So the review would have helped a lot of readers decide if AM is a good alternative, when available. (Unfortunately, it is not when both of you tried to book)
In the end, Delta is boring, but at least we know 767 on DL is really meh.
And definitely, I would have loved the LAX-TPE (CI), TPE-ICN (KE), ICN-HKG (KE), HKG - CGK (CI), CGK-SIN (AF), SIN-AMS-LGW (GA). Lol. (CI reviews are lacking as well, both short haul and long haul, and not that many on SIN-AMS GA J)
Guess that would be another time!
This is an awesome behind the scene on efforts going reward travel booking, especially the back and forth text between you two make it my favorite post on OMAAT !!! Agree with flyingfish that LAX-TPE (CI), TPE-ICN (KE), ICN-HKG (KE), HKG – CGK (CI), CGK-SIN (AF), SIN-AMS-LGW (GA) would be a spectacular (and somewhat insane) route to review, but the co-ordination of booking two remained seats through two different reward programs is equally spectacular how you guys can make it work, almost an adventure by itself. Well done!!! And we definitely won't try this at home 😉
Just curious, do you guys always talk in airport codes, or do you ever use city names? ; )
I love the conversation--it's just how we imagine you guys.
Excellent post, entertaining and informative. I enjoyed to see how funny and passionate y'all interaction are 'behind the scenes' in trying to maximize the use of miles. Nicely done Tiffany, loved the text exchange!
RK: unless 2 members of family r equally versed in miles n can do rebooking w each prog concurrently, it is v difficult. (Hard to find 2 friends, not to mention 2 in a family).
Tiffany: what did u put ur hubby and niece on, since its not DL n AM. Lol. It should be a more direct choice compared to the exercise above.
(Maybe LH F went to them?)
@ mbh -- Oh gosh, we really do. We actually have an entire game we play on boring taxi rides based around airport codes. We aren't lying about being nerds. 😉
@ flyingfish -- Indeed. I could probably have booked the online award at the same time as I was on the phone (we have to do crazy stuff like that all the time), but was much easier having Ben there. My husband would have been zero help.
He and my niece flew Virgin Atlantic on Saturday evening. They both had other commitments during the day on Saturday, so that ~11PM flight was perfect for them. Was much easier to decide on, though her itinerary required mixed cabins for the positioning flights, so took about 25 minutes on the phone with Delta to price.
I'm just kinda shocked that you text each other in regular texts...why not use Whatsapp??? it's so much more fun and easier.
Well firstly it's good news that more reviews are apparently coming up - hopefully more in J. Glad to see Ben is planning for this. The blog needs more than just reviews of F on the same airlines all the time.
Secondly - I didn't understand a lot of this review - I mean literally didn't understand! Way too complicated for my small brain!
@Kathy I'm with you ref Peter Sanders Dude get a life and ease up. Good review Tiffany but based on reviews on FT about Air Tahiti,Iberia et al no way would I fly them 🙂
Tiffany, Similar story to your crossover rewards upgrade. I was meeting my family in Texas (wife, son, daughter) They were on the same record, I was on my own. I am Gold and she is Platinum, the children only 2,000 miles short of Silver. Anyway, I landed on Wednesday and we were all on the same return. Anyway Wednesday night I checked the app and DFW-MSP I was upgraded. As Gold. Before my Platinum wife. I went to Delta.Dumb and looked up why this happened, and apparently they have some stupid companion policy. Anyway, the next day my wife called the PM Line. Reservation was separated, and BAM, 1st Class for DFW-MSP. We forgot to ask about the companions and then I called the GM Line. Requested companion upgrades for children, explained I’m Gold and wife’s Plat. He put the request in, said they will clear later like at the gate then started saying wait, wait… I said what? and he said. Um, it look’s like they’re clearing right now. Ta-da.
Best thing that ever happened to this family.
(PS my daughter’s name is also Tiffany)
And LOL now I realize it is not similar at all. Also, our flight was DL 5773! What a co-inky-dink!
I am 6'3 and can side sleep in 1A and 1D but otherwise I avoid all other seats. Not great seats for sleeping if you are tall. The 767-400 is better since the bathrooms are in the back of the Delta One cabin and not in the front of the plane. A lot less traffic for anyone sitting in the front of the plane. I am glad the 767 model is getting phased out. It is a tired old plane.
Agree with what others have said about 1A and 1D. I'm 6'1" and I always try to book one of those two seats. Easily the best two in the cabin. Very private and plenty of room in the footwell for the tall among us.