serfty

OK, I intent to book a whY award LAX-MEL in March. There is plenty of availability at the moment.

Two choices:

1. QF26 with the benefit of a break in AKL, but the disadvantage of departing from TBIT.

2. Via SYD, Long flight direct to SYD with transfer to MEL, but use of superior T4 facilities at LAX.

What would you do (and fly J is not the answer)?

Dave Noble

If it is QF8 (the daytime flight) from LAX-SYD, then that would win hands down to me, otherwise whichever has the shortest journey time sounds good to me. One good thing about connecting via SYD is the frequency of flights onwards to MEL

Dave

qasr

Taking the flight to SYD means that you avoid TBIT and have lots of flights to MEL if you are late.

The longer flight would be a plus to me for the SYD flight as you can sleep more. I took the AKL flight before and found it is harder to get over jetlag because of the very very early arrival time.

I'd disagree with Dave and say avoid QF8, but then again, I can think of nothing better to do than sleep when in WHY for 14 hours.

d00t

thumbs up for via syd, choose a very low or very high load flight and may the fairies be with you in search of that black strip.

also syd you can get a intl domestic flight connecting and use INTL LOWNGEZ (^)

thadocta

To each their own. Dave likes the QF32 LHR-SIN-SYD because of the daylight nature of most of the flight, I can think of nothing worse. Different things suit different people. I myself quite like the QF 8, because the loads are generally lower - that is when I was actually going to the LOTFAP.

Dave

Dave Noble

I much prefer to sleep in beds, by taking the daytime flight I can get to SYD nicely in time to go to bed rather than trying to sleep in a seat on an aircraft; far more civilised imo

Dave

prspad

I've never met the Bloke, but Dave Noble expresses my thoughts as well... Your catchy heading, "TBIT or not TBIT, that is the question" is well-done. As someone who travels ex-USA from LAX often, it's my opinion that traversing TBIT and the POS Lounges at that Terminal is a difficult way to have to start a long journey... It's a real downside to flying to LHR on BA's service from LAX!

QF WP

Oh gawd, he'll expect a :-: from you next...I couldn't care what flight I get (day time or night), we've had this argument.

serfty, I had the same conundrum...QF26 or via SYD (it's a Thursday we travel, so no QF176 ). If I were you, I'd look at the loads and choose..but I'd agree with the via SYD route for the better connex to MEL (especially if you get an Intl connex).

serfty

Thanks guys; so the general thoughts are that a 14 hour flight to SYD with a connect to MEL is better than via AKL or direct to MEL so I can avoid TBIT!

I'm arriving at TBIT from LHR around 3PM on a BA 'day flight' so unless I overnight at LAX QF8 is not an option; even then it's in March and does not get to SYD until 22:20 so really that's a NIX.

I'll book a late evening flight via SYD to MEL and try to get at least 50% sleep on a 14 hour 'night' flight.

Dave Noble

You didn't ask about taking the non stop to MEL. If not taking the daylight service, then I would take the non stop to MEL and save a fair amount of travel time

Dave

serfty

Yes Dave, I know. QF94's available any day I want. However I was trying to ease the burdon of longhaul whY, either by cutting the flight up (cf AKL/QF26) or avoiding TBIT.

By flying direct to MEL, it's a double whammy; TBIT and a scheduled 15:10 minute flight.

Look, I have not yet booked; I am still considering.

I have not been to TBIT; is it really as bad as indicated or to put it another way, what facilities are available to a WP there when compared to T4?

Dave Noble

It's a lounge. It is not as nice as in T4 , but not that bad; it has a self service bar and seating. Not much in the way of food

I had heard dire reports about TBIT but found it to be an average lounge when I went through; nothing special but nothing to be actively avoided. I posit that it was prob worse before SYD flights migrated to T4

Having done a few LHR-LAX-Oz flights, I would go for the quickest journey or stop overnight in LAX; I was on LAX-AKL-SYD in order to get an upgrade and due to bad weather the flight to SYD got cancelled and had a pretty cruddy time having to get myself rebooked onto an NZ flight ( v unimpressed with QFs handling of the prob there ) ; if you need to connect , connect where there's a good aircraft presence , but otherwise I recommend taking the nonstop

Dave

BronzedAussie

Sorry but I would disagree, I was there only 3 weeks ago and the BA lounge in Nairobi, Kenya was 100% better which is really saying something. If you can go to the new AA/QF lounge in T4 and enjoy it rather than the crappy TBIT lounge which would be lucky to seat 20 people! Sorry but I was really unimpressed with the LAX lounge, it was what I would expect in a 3d world country, not in LA!!

Dave Noble

Of course, there are those that would view USA to be the 3rd world of airline travel

Dave

og

When exiting the LOTFAP and looking forward to 14+ hrs in WHY, I'd prefer to be as unstressed as possible - especially if connecting. Part of the unstressing is a good shower and a lounge where you can actually swing a cat - neither of which IIRC are possible in the TBIC.