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Shortest Flight With International First Class?
Lots of short tag flights out there, eg
HKG-TPE, TG F and CX F
SIN-JKT, LH F
NRT-ICN, KE F and OZ F
ICN-PVG, OZ F
I've flown SGN-BKK in LH F, a whopping 445 miles in which Lufthansa serves a 3-course meal.. offered me an amenity kit and slippers (I just assume they didn't pay attention to who was continuing on to FRA and who wasn't).. and served me two cappucinos.
Any flights offering international F that are shorter in the world than 445 miles?
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DOH-BAH also on GF A330/340. I think fatmac70 has found a winner.
* "Excuse me, flight attendant, can you please turn down my bed when we reach cruising altitude?"
* "Please wake me up prior to breakfast being served."
* "Is there an arrivals shower that I can use?"
* "Flight attendant, my IFE isn't working. I'd like to catch a quick episode of the Office."
* Published BA fare is $541 in F, $366 in C round-trip! But then again, you could hire a limo for those prices.
* Now I wonder if anyone in their right mind flies this short flight only. Obviously, this is meant for continuing service to LHR.
* Now I can see someone in BA screwing up, offering some promotion where you fly x segments in Club World or int'l first class and receive some absurdly highly reward. I'll know what to do.
Other short ones:
DXB-BAH on GF and EK A330/340. 1:15 - 303 miles
BAH-AUH on EY A330. 1:10 - 281 miles
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wiirachay
in C round-trip! But then again, you could hire a limo for those prices.
* Now I wonder if anyone in their right mind flies this short flight only. Obviously, this is meant for continuing service to LHR.
* Now I can see someone in BA screwing up, offering some promotion where you fly x segments in Club World or int'l first class and receive some absurdly highly reward. I'll know what to do.
You couldn't easily hire a limo, as the drive goes through Saudi Arabia, so is not only much longer than the flight, but impractical. (They are planning to build a bridge from Qatar to Bahrain; maybe it will be complete in my lifetime.)
I do fly this from time to time, although not in F. I did fly Etihad F from RUH-AUH a couple of years ago, international configuration, meals, amenity kit, and all. It was a fun way to experience top-level first class for a price similar to what you are quoting for the BA flight (a bit less, actually, if I remember correctly, as I purchased Y and upgraded via an informal cash upgrade -- basically a bribe to the agent, I guess -- at the check-in counter).
These short routes can be good values. For example, Qatar Airways is offering a round-trip F fare from DOH-DXB, less than an hour flight, for QAR 2,900, or about $800, all-in. [Edited: Sorry, I was a bit overzealous in my information before, and the actual price is a bit higher.] Sometimes they run an A340-600 on the route. One gets use of the premium terminal in DOH, including spa, and 32 Q-points (over 10% of the total needed to achieve top-tier status), plus at least 2,000 RDM, so for a semi-mileage run/mini-vacation, it's not the worst use of funds in the world.
Last edited by mecabq; Jul 6, 09 at 7:28 am.
Reason: Changed erroneous price
You couldn't easily hire a limo, as the drive goes through Saudi Arabia, so is not only much longer than the flight, but impractical. (They are planning to build a bridge from Qatar to Bahrain; maybe it will be complete in my lifetime.)
I do fly this from time to time, although not in F. I did fly Etihad F from RUH-AUH a couple of years ago, international configuration, meals, amenity kit, and all. It was a fun way to experience top-level first class for a price similar to what you are quoting for the BA flight (a bit less, actually, if I remember correctly, as I purchased Y and upgraded via an informal cash upgrade -- basically a bribe to the agent, I guess -- at the check-in counter).
These short routes can be good values. For example, Qatar Airways is offering a round-trip F fare from DOH-DXB, less than an hour flight, for QAR 2,110, or about $580, all-in. Sometimes they run an A340-600 on the route. One gets use of the premium terminal in DOH, including spa, and 32 Q-points (over 10% of the total needed to achieve top-tier status), plus at least 2,000 RDM, so for a semi-mileage run/mini-vacation, it's not the worst use of funds in the world.
So you bring up a good point about the fact that driving is difficult. Perhaps some people can fly QR just to use the spa.
And I thought it was funny flying MNL-HKG in J back on 2000 in CX. That was 2 hours and 710 miles.
While not F, Air Canada does fly its Boeing 767-300's, Airbus A330-300's and Boeing 777-200/300's between YYZ-YUL (usually a repositioning flight, but often with revenue pax on board). Those aircraft have an Int'l J product.
Those flights would cover a grand total of 316 Miles.
The shortest one, which I actually took, is AA 900 from MVD to EZE. It is 142 miles. The flight then continues on to MIA.
United used to fly that route as well. I did it in business class though.
It was funny. After takeoff from EZE, there was an announcement that fumigation would occur by order of the Uruguyan agriculture department or whatever. Then one FA would appear with one spray can of something. She sprayed the floor for about one second --- pssst. That was it. We all got a good laugh from it.
