Questions and Answers

Hi I’m thinking of flying first from New York to LHR the long way. The airlines I am considering is Emirates, Cathay, or Singapore for a great long haul experience. Any suggestions?

[USER=778]@7DrG14[/USER] All very good first class products. Are you looking for something in particular/preferences that may help you choose?

See that’s the issue. I need help between choosing Emirates with a Shower Spa, CX based on the Great service I have had on previous trips and SQ with a great suites product. And I’m definitely open to any other Suggestions

[QUOTE=”7DrG14, post: 7265, member: 778″]See that’s the issue. I need help between choosing Emirates with a Shower Spa, CX based on the Great service I have had on previous trips and SQ with a great suites product. And I’m definitely open to any other Suggestions[/QUOTE]
I’m very flexible so I wouldn’t mind any “creative” routes.

In addition I have considered flying EK to SIN then SQ to LHR.

Is this going to be a paid fare or are you using miles? If so in what programs do you have the miles? Would help to know for the sake of what routing that are legal?

I’m going to go for a paid fare. But I am a member of Alaska MP as a MVP Gold.

Are you planing on returning the same way or are you buying one way tickets and taking a different routing home?

I’m not planning on returning the same way. I’m going to be in London for a month and then I’m gonna head to Canada.

I’m primarily going for a paid fare. I was considering flying sq to sin then EK to lhr via dxb or flying sq to Syd then fly EK to lhr via dxb or flying CX to hkg then EK to lhr via dxb

However I’m still open to any other routes or carriers

Right how about CX JFK to HKG, SQ HKG-SIN-DXB, EY AUH-LON, and EK LHR-DXB-North America on your way to Canada?

You would miss out on CX lounges in HKG with this routing. Might be worth doing JFK-HKG-BKK, sadly the BKK segment would be CX regional J. But I believe you would have F lounge access due to the JFK-HKG segment if you transit the same day. This would push up the price on your paid ticket however, but cost notting extra on miles.

Then do Thai F on the 747 or A380 BKK-HKG, this way you get to try the Thai First class terminal in BKK also.

SQ fly both their A380 and B777 on the HKG-SIN run, not sure what metal they use SIN-DXB belive it’s a B777.

Take the EY A380 to London from Abu Dhabi in a First Apartment or if you really feel like splurging the Residence. The Residence might be a good idea if you traveling with someone as the price is the same for 1 or 2 passengers.

Then take EK A380 LHR-DXB-North america.

I know you said then you are planing to primarily do a paid flight, but unless you really need the miles you will earn as a status run consider buying some Alaska miles for the CX and EK part of the trip.

Since most one way F tickets would be fully flexible you could buy a ticket for the days you want to travel and if award space opens up a few days before travel use the Alaska miles and save the cost of the F tickets by simply canceling the paid fare.

If flying EY F apartment consider getting AA miles for the same reason, if my memory if correct and you can still use AA miles on EY.

That’s a very interesting idea. I’ve always wanted to try out EY as well. However, I’m really considering a stop at SYD. What are good routes on good products that go through SYD

[USER=778]@7DrG14[/USER]

Both EY and SQ fly their A380’s to SYD

Is EY better than EK on thier SYD legs? How about other Asian carriers like Malaysia or JAL or Garuda?

[USER=778]@7DrG14[/USER]
Other options to consider are Jal or Ana JFK-Tokyo, but more expensive than CX. And SQ from there to SYD.

Interestingly Ana seems to have F fares JFK-TYO-SIN in their B777 for about the same price as CX to HKG. Then take SQ to SYD.

Since the price for SQ F to SYD is not that much higher from TYO or ICN-SIN-SYD taking Asiana A380 JFK-ICN might also be a good choice. Especially since the they seem to selling the ticket for around half the price of CX for some dates I checked in October.

Asiana JFK-ICN+SQ ICN-SIN-SYD would cost you around 9K USD all in, depending on dates off course.

What about Garuda or Malaysia are they more expensive?

[USER=778]@7DrG14[/USER]
EY definitely has a better hard product on their A380, soft product might is a bit harder to say. EK would have the advantage of having access to the Qantas F lounge in SYD.

Remember that EK also fly a A380 SYD-AKL R/T for around 2K USD, would give you a chance to try the Qantas F lounge and see New Zealand.

Malaysia only have F cabins on their A380 that I believe is only flown to London and Paris, so no F to SYD. And they are going to sell their A380 so F is going away unless they install it in some of their other planes.

Garuda have by all accounts an fantastic F product, but they don’t fly it to SYD I think. Not sure where they fly it except CGK-AMS/LON. There was a short review written by [USER=12]@Nick[/USER] not long ago. Try searching for Garuda in search box on the site..

While Jal has a by all accounts great F product, I don’t think they fly it to SYD.

What about Garuda or Malaysia are they more expensive?
On what route?

Another option is of course Qantas with their A380’s true DFW or LAX with an AA code shear from JFK. The JFK-LAX route could be a AA321 transcon. Did remember reading that some grumblings about Qantas in-flight catering slipping, but not sure if it’s true or not.

This would be the fastest way. Played with some dates in October again, cost around the same as CX JFK-HKG

I’m a lot more curious about EY now. And the EK SYD-AKL route is interesting. I think from AKL, I could board a CX flight. How about Qatar or the Korean carriers? How do they compare?

Would not AKL be the same as SYD, no CX F only J?

Problem with Korean is that they on the ICN-SYD route uses this aircraft on some days I checked.
[URL]http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Korean_Air/Korean_Air_Airbus_A330-300.php[/URL]
With F in a 2-2-2 config, aka the same as their J just with a bit longer bed. Not true F in the modern sense.

Lucky has written a number of reviews on Qatar and the Korean carriers, might be a good place to start?

Qatar only fly to MEL and PER in Aus and don’t have F on those flights. Would rate Qatar behind EY or EK when it comes to top products, but it depends what plane you are on. EY and EK have some older configured planes also, not just their top product on the A380’s same as Qatar.

Biggest bonus with Qatar is that they are in Oneworld giving you miles for status in any Oneworld program.

Assuming you are planing to spend some time on the ground DXB or AUH is much better then DOH.

Keep in mind that AUS is just 24 million people, not all airlines that fly there provide F service.

What would be a good route to include SQ and EK and possibly CX. Those are my fav carriers. And I’m certain I want to route through Aus.

CX JFK-HKG SQ HKG-SIN-SYD EK SYD-DXB-LHR

Optionally do EK SYD-AKL R/T and EY SYD-AUH-LHR

EK and EY is about the same cost on the SYD-LHR run

Or do Qantas SYD-MEL-SIN with MEL-SIN by EK on a B777. Then EY SIN-AUH-LHR or EK SYD-DXB-LHR. From around 8K USD with EY or 9K USD with EK on the LHR flight.

I assume you have read Lucky’s EY A380 review from earlier this year?
[URL]http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/02/27/review-etihad-airways-first-class-apartment-a380-abu-dhabi-to-london/[/URL]

Without CX you would take Qantas JFK-LAX-SYD with JFK-LAX on AA, Then SQ SYD-SIN and finally EK SIN-DXB-LHR.

Probably about 20K USD all in.

What are you planning to fly on your way to Canada? EK again?

I have and it was eye opening. I haven’t considered EY much as I was an EK flier. But the first routing was pretty nice. But is the SQ SIN to SYD segment on the A380

I’m heading to YVR so I’m considering EK to HKG. Then HKG to YVR

SQ HKG-SIN-SYD is possible with both A380 on both segments or A380 on just SIN-SYD depending on timing.

That’s great. I know this is crazy but I think I have enough miles for several round trip EK flights so I want to do a long haul EK. But do you think there’s a way to do this route on SQ, EK, CX and EY? I know it’s a stretch but I’m up for it.

Why not do EY LHR-AUH-SIN CX SIN-BKK-HKG-YVR on the way to Canada then?

EY LHR-AUH on the A380, AUH-SIN B787
CX SIN-BKK-HKG A330-300 Regional J, HKG-YVR on the B777

EY LHR-SIN about the same cost as EK LHR-HKG, CX SIN-BKK-HKG-YVR 500-1000USD more than CX HKG-YVR .

[QUOTE=”7DrG14, post: 7305, member: 778″]But do you think there’s a way to do this route on SQ, EK, CX and EY?[/QUOTE]

What route? HKG-SIN-SYD?

So you have EK miles and want to use them for a long haul EK flight instead of a paid fare?

Any route going to LHR. I have enough miles for EK and on SQ I have enough chase rewards points to transfer.

If you can find award availability and have the points in their frequent flyer program or can transfer them in then sure you can fly SQ SYD-SIN-LHR or EK SYD-DXB-LHR.

Or any route SQ and EK operates for that matter.

You simply did not mention having these points when I asked earlier

Sorry I forgot to mention it. The route I’m now considering based on your suggestions is JFK-HKG CX then HKG-SIN-SYD on SQ then SYD to AKL via BNE &DXB then SYD to LHR EY. Since I have Alaska MP I can earn miles on most of the routes I’m paying for, sans the EY flight, right or is there a better route

You can bank the EY miles with AA?

SYD to AKL via BNE &DXB. Do you mean the EK SYD-AKL R/T flight or have I missed something?

No I meant going from SYD-DXB then DXB to BNE onwards to AKL

[QUOTE=”7DrG14, post: 7313, member: 778″]No I meant going from SYD-DXB then DXB to BNE onwards to AKL[/QUOTE]

Sure that will work if you can find award space both ways, since award space to Aus can be hard to find especially in high season.

Or are you planning to take a paid fare?

Think that routing might be a bit too much time up in air for my taste, but if it works for you.

I probably will pay for that route but I do plan on staying on land for a few days in SYD and Dubai. I haven’t done it myself but is it true that emirates allows you to do a stopover in Dubai. Is it complementary for first class passengers

[QUOTE=”7DrG14, post: 7315, member: 778″]I probably will pay for that route but I do plan on staying on land for a few days in SYD and Dubai. I haven’t done it myself but is it true that emirates allows you to do a stopover in Dubai. Is it complementary for first class passengers[/QUOTE]

Are you talking about this program? Don’t think it’s active anymore.
[URL]http://www.ausbt.com.au/emirates-offers-economy-business-class-travellers-free-stopovers-in-dubai[/URL]

Plus you would not be having a stop over, but having DXB as your destination and would not have been able to use this offer anyway.

What they have these days is this program, but that is just a discounted travel package at best.
[URL]http://www.emirates.com/us/english/destinations_offers/dubai_stopovers/dubai-stopovers.aspx[/URL]
Does give you meet and assist service at DXB and transfers and 24H hotel check in..
[URL]http://www.emirates.com/us/english/destinations_offers/dubai_stopovers/experience-dubai-as-a-stopover.aspx[/URL]
Flying paid F you would have free transfers and possibly meet and assist service at DXB already.

Or are you thinking about Dubai connect?
[URL]http://www.emirates.com/english/plan_book/essential_information/dubai-connect/dubai-connect.aspx[/URL]

EY does still offer a free 2 night stay in AUH for F passengers, you could use that on your SYD-AUH-LHR flight.
[URL]http://www.etihad.com/en/plan-and-book/book-stopovers/premium-stopovers/[/URL]

That’s pretty cool. In terms of the hard product is what is the difference between EK and EY

[QUOTE=”7DrG14, post: 7317, member: 778″]That’s pretty cool. In terms of the hard product is what is the difference between EK and EY[/QUOTE]

Do you mean on the A380’s? Or something else?

Forgot in my last post, airlines that allow stopovers.
[URL]http://www.emirates247.com/lifestyle/two-holidays-for-price-of-one-how-to-get-free-secret-stopover-2014-06-05-1.551585[/URL]

Well thier first classes in general. i have never flown an ultra long haul with air France. Is it worth trying?

[USER=79]@Gaurav[/USER] do you have any suggestions?

I think [USER=268]@No Name[/USER] has covered a lot of possibilities, I’d be hard pressed to add anything. Since you are paying for the tickets I would definitely consider AF if you can fit it into your itinerary. There isn’t a lot of information about them out since they are restrictive and expensive in allowing mileage redemptions but seem to offer a very good soft and hard product from what I have read.

If you have the means to pay for these tickets I would figure out the best itinerary and go with it. The products aren’t going anywhere… you can always fly them on your next trip!

Lucky wrote a review about AF F. Sounds like a good product with a great lounge in CDG, biggest draw back would be Euro J CDG-LHR.
[URL]http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2013/12/21/review-air-france-a380-first-class-los-angeles-to-paris/[/URL]
SIN-CDG-LHR would cost around 6K USD

On EK and EY A380 F cabins.

The biggest differences would be a lot more seat/suites space on EY, but no bar like on the EK A380. I think the pictures in the Lucky’s reviews says it all, don’t you?

Unless you go for the EY Residence. But that is strictly speaking not F, but a new class above F. Noting can match the EY Residence in commercial aviation and only on A320, B737 or above on Biz jets