It's worth it to spring for F on an award ticket though, right? Or are you just a fan of onboard staircases? I'm thinking of going to JNB next year on CX too- what's the best gateway city to depart from in terms of nicest hardware, lounges, etc? YVR, JFK, LAX, SFO? AS usually gets you to the gateway, too, right? Is JFK even an option since AS only serves EWR?