We just wrapped up a three week around the world trip. I thought I’d provide a quick trip report based our experience. The entire trip was flown in a mix of business and first class. We paid cash for all of the tickets, no points or upgrades were used (except for the D1 flight). To keep this relevant to the DL thread, I’ll compare our experiences to DL where applicable, and through the lens of a frequent DL passenger. The trip did use a mix of SkyTeam, OneWorld, and Star Alliance.

Itinerary

IAD-CDG, Air France Business Class 773 (booked with Delta for the full MQD earning)

CDG-IST, Air France Business Class A220 (booked with AF, but credited to SkyMiles)

IST-DOH, Qatar Airways Business Class 773 (Cathay Pacific aircraft, booked with a stopover in Doha)

DOH-SIN, Qatar Airways Q Suites 773

SIN-HND, Singapore Business Class A350 (Regional J product)

NRT-LAX, Singapore First Class 773

LAX-DCA, Delta One 75S

We spent three days in each location, with some overnight travel days built in for DOH-SIN and NRT-LAX.

Lounges

Air France was the biggest let down. At IAD the lounge is small and cramped. AF has two evening flights out of Dulles and it gets busy. Food selection was fair. SkyClubs beat this hands down. The alcohol selection was also small and not great. We didn’t find the AF lounges at CDG all that impressive either. We had a midday flight to Istanbul and the lounges are decent in size, but the food/beverage selection wasn’t great. Also, their lounge agents are not friendly at all. We got to try out both the 2E and 2F lounges at CDG. Again, the spaces are nice, but in our experience most SkyClubs have a better selection of food/drink.

At IST Qatar used a contract lounge, the IAG lounge, which is massive. It was busy, but we managed to find a quiet area. What’s nice about this lounge is that it’s above the main terminal floor, but open, so it feels very airy. Food selection was large, with several buffet stations and a grill where they served fresh meat skewers. The bar was closed for renovations, but people were finding alcohol somewhere, I just never found it. This club also has lockable luggage closets near the front where I left my roller bag. Decent lounge experience. Better than AF.

Now things get good. In DOH Qatar has some of the best business class lounges in the world. We used both the Al Mourjan Business Lounge and the second one in The Garden. Both feature sit down, order at your table restaurants. Both are massive and expansive. Both feature full bars with a good selection, including decent spirits and wines. The one big disappointment was the shower rooms in The Garden. They are somewhat small and lack toilets. They are just small shower rooms. The lounge in the Garden also featured a gym and sleeping rooms, which we didn't use, but are a nice to have option.

We are big fans of Singapore’s SilverKris lounge at Changi T3. It’s one of the best business class lounges. Tons of food, good drink selections. If in SIN go to the lounge in T3. All of the terminals connect via the train, so you can easily depart from T2, but use the lounge in T3. Bathrooms are also a highlight. Modern, spotless and spacious. The SilverKris lounge in T2 isn't bad either, and still features a very similar food/drink setup in a smaller lounge space. SilverKris is SQ's dedicated business class lounges.

At NRT we had access to the ANA Suite Lounge, their dedicated first class lounge. It was fair, just slightly better than AF. It’s a nice space, and it was relatively quiet since it was restricted to first class Star Alliance passengers. There was a small buffet and a noodle ‘window’ where you could order from a limited menu. The food was ok, not great. Both Singapore and Qatar’s business class lounges are better that the ANA Suite lounge. We did consider ANA first class back to the U.S., but their fares were much higher than Singapore.

At LAX I love the Delta One checkin on the lower level of T3. We missed the new D1 lounge by a week!! While it was crowded, I’m a big fan of the LAX T3 SkyClub. The T2 lounge is not open for early flights. Food selection at this SkyClub was hands down better than every AF Lounge were in as well as the ANA Suite lounge. Although when we first arrived at the LAX SkyClub it looked like locusts had attached the buffet closer to the escalators.

On the Ground Experience
At CDG the SkyPriority passport control was a life saver. We arrived from IAD around 9am and the lines were long. However, following the snaking SP line we passed nearly everyone and were through in less than 5 minutes. Checkin at CDG and security are quick and painless with SP. This was one of the highlights of AF.

At IST it was unclear if our AF business class tickets got us access to Fast Track, so we waited in the normal passport control line. This took about 10 minutes. Leaving IST, Qatar gives you access to Fast Track, so we used that for security and passport control. Overall IST was a very easy airport. One thing to keep in mind is that they have security as you enter the building that you must clear to access the terminal. This is before checkin and before security to head to the gates.

DOH is a seamless experience if you're flying in J or F. Upon arrival Qatar has an arrivals lounge with passport control. The lounge is more of a large room where they encourage you to enjoy a coffee and have a snack, but we headed straight to the dedicated passport control officer. This took less than a minute and we were done. The lines for passport control outside of the lounge were rather long, so this was a big time saver. Departing from DOH, Qatar has a dedicated curbside stop at the first door for first and business class. You're greeted at the curb and escorted inside. From there we were escorted to the business class checkin. No wait, no lines, completely separated from the main terminal. Think of the D1 checkin at LAX/JFK, but on a much larger scale. There is dedicated, automated passport control and security as well. The airport is nice and modern. The lounges are excellent, as mentioned above.

Check in at DOH

SIN is also a fairly seamless experience. We were departing from T2, so we dropped our bags at the business class checkin desks and then headed over to the Jewel for a bit. If you haven't been to Singapore, but want to go, keep in mind the Jewel is Singapore and not in the transit area. You must clear customs to access the Jewel. If you are departing Singapore, go to the Jewel before clearing passport control. SIN uses automated passport control which is a breeze. (Both coming in and going out.) Just remember to complete your SG arrival card via their app up to 3 days prior to arrival. Security is done at the gate in SIN, which I don't love, but it keeps you away from the gate until its almost time to board. There is no dedicated lines for business or first class, just an FYI.

Arriving at 10pm at HND was a bit of a headache. Passport control had a massive line and only four officers working. Nothing is automated. It took us an hour to clear. Fill out the Japan arrival card on their website and get the QR code, that does help speed things along once you make it to the front of the line. This was our first time arriving at HND and I was shocked how this was our worst customs experience. Leaving out of NRT the departing passport control is automated. One HUGE complaint we had is that ANA manages the ground handling and checkin for SQ. They don't open any counters until 3 hours prior to departure. Since were using the Skyliner to get from the center of Tokyo to the airport we ended up on a train that got us to NRT about 30 minutes before the lines opened. There's not much to do other than line up. Fortunately there was a first class line and it was just the two of us, but the J and Y lines were massive by the time the ANA staff opened up the counters. And for the record they waited until 3hr to the minute to open the lines.

Air France

You can feel the Delta influence on AF. We were not impressed with their catering on either AF flight. I’ll also add I hate the cheap plastic AF branded trays they serve meals on. At least DL's trays are somewhat nice. IAD-CDG is a 7hr redeye. The crew took nearly two hours to complete dinner service. Then they turned on the lights 2hr out of Paris to serve breakfast. One of my pet peeves is that they served ice cold and stale dinner rolls. It would have required minimal effort to heat them up in the galley oven. (The FA on the flight to IST did this!) The flight to IST is AF's short haul "business" class where they just block the middle seats, but it's a standard Y seat. We had the bulkhead on the 3-seat side of the A220 and it was quite comfortable. We had a good amount of legroom. The people in the row behind us had standard Y pitch. Cold meal was served, but the FA did heat up the bread! This was an enjoyable 3.5hr flight over to Istanbul. One note, we were supposed to be on a 777 out of IAD with the refreshed AF J cabin, but we ended up in the older seats, which were very worn and very dirty.

Lunch on the flight from CDG-IST


Qatar
Our first flight was IST-DOH on a 777 Qatar leased from Cathay Pacific. It features (6) F seats in a 1/1/1 configuration and a 1-2-1 business class product. The seat is the same as AF. We were. in the mini J cabin behind first and it only had two rows. The crew on this flight was fantastic. J was only about half full and it was a 4hr daytime flight, so the meal service was leisurely. I had pre-ordered a Qatari chicken and rice dish and it was fantastic. Qatar's catering is very good and the level of service is better than DL and AF. Qatar features dine on demand and you can select as many starters as you want. Overall this was a very pleasant flight.



Lunch to Doha

The second flight was an overnight to Singapore. It was roughly the same length as the AF IAD-CDG flight. We were in Q-suites in row 1, the two center seats. These are great for a couple and the seats are right next to each other. They do face backwards, but this wasn't an issue. With the doors closed, which the FA's are quick to close even during boarding, the suite feels very private. Dinner service was great, starting with caviar and the I had a beef and rice dish that was amazing. The crew moved quickly to complete dinner within an hour after takeoff. They were then quick to turn down the bed. Qatar does provide pajamas in J, but I found them to be hot and scratchy. (60% polyester, 40% cotton) Our biggest complaint about the Q-suites is that the bed isn't long enough and the foot well is a bit tight. I'm 6' and my other half is 6'4". Because of the built in headrest in the seat you can't really move up on the seat to try and get more space or else you end up with this very uncomfortable headrest in the middle of your back. We'll have to give them another shot, but I wasn't a huge fan. I honestly like the DL A350 suite better. What I liked was that they didn't turn on the cabin lighting for breakfast. This allowed people who wanted to keep sleeping to sleep. Breakfast was decent, but they ran out of half of the menu items, which I found odd since we were in the first row and they appeared to start orders from the front. The IFE and screens in the Q suites are fantastic. (But so is the DL screens/system on the A350)


Singapore Airlines
SQ is one of our favorites. The service is consistent and the crews are just so professional. We were in J flying SIN-HND on a midday flight. It's 7 hours and since we would be arriving late we didn't sleep, so it was just relax, eat and watch movies. SQ has a fantastic IFE system. SQ's regional J product is the same seat used by Turkish and a few others. The cabin is configured in a 1-2-1. The flight to Tokyo was full, which the crew told us was typical for the route.

We opted to do the Japanese meal on the flight to Tokyo. We requested sake to go with the meal. The flight leader came by and apologized that she didn't feel it was cold enough to be served. She offered us another drink while she chilled down the sake. About twenty minutes later she brought us each a bottle of perfectly chilled sake. The meal was good, and a definite departure from the western menu that it appeared most of the cabin had ordered.

Starter course.

Sake.

Main course.

The obvious highlight of the flights was SQ's first class from NRT to LAX, SQ12, which is a continuation of the flight that originates in Singapore. These are an older F product on the 777, and not the suites that are featured on the A380's, but they are still an amazing seat and the service is spectacular. The plane features one row of 1-2-1 seating. There are two dedicated first class lavatories at the front, and the FA's were very strict to keep J passengers from coming up front. The cabin is much larger than the La Premier cabin on AF. There are no overhead bins. You have room for a roller bag and backpack under the ottoman in front of your seat. There are no doors, but the window seats are staggered behind the middle two seats so there is a ton of privacy. The purser and three flight attendants served the F cabin, with a total of four passengers. We were addressed by name throughout the flight. The service was flawless. (The photo doesn't really showcase just how much room you have)

SQ 773 first class cabin.

One of the highlights of Singapore F is their food and beverage menus. The Champagne list alone retails around $700 USD. We started with Krug (171 edition, for the winos here) and then moved to the 2013 Taittigner Comtes during caviar service. The other two F passengers didn't drink, so these two bottles were just for us, and that doesn't count the 2005 Chateau Pichon Longueville that we enjoyed with the Japanese wagyu filet. That steak made up for every overcooked airplane steak I've ever had. It was walked by a warm grill, but otherwise very rare. Pre-dinner, with cocktails, was SQ's iconic chicken satay. While we ordered ahead of time, the crew told us everything on the menu was catered, so we could have more food if we wanted. (Not necessary) Mid flight I did enjoy a bowl of ramen which even included a seasoned egg. Even this midnight snack was served on a table cloth with SQ first class branded chopsticks.

Krug to start.

Satay pre-dinner.

Caviar course.

Japanese wagyu filet.

Fruit tart. (I skipped the cheese course)

Chicken ramen snack mid flight.

Breakfast was served about 90 minutes from LA. The crew made fresh squeezed OJ. As in they juiced oranges. I had booked the cook for the second meal and enjoyed an olive oil poached black cod, which was amazing. SQ12 lands at LA around 12:30pm, so I treated this like lunch. SQ does cater a full breakfast menu. They will make you fresh eggs onboard and the FA tried to talk me into it. They said they could prepare them scrambled (their specialty), poached or baked. Needless to say we were not hungry after this flight.

SQ also has an extensive tea and coffee menu both in F and J. You name it and they'll make it. I do wish DL would add expresso to their D1 long haul.
SQ12 was one of those flights where you really wish it was longer.

Delta
Back in LA we stayed the night before heading to LAX for the 8a D1 flight to DCA. I'm on this flight 4-5 times a year and it's a convenient departure time that gets into DC around 4p. While the D1 cabin on the 75S is showing its age, it's still a comfortable way to cross the country. In contrast to all of the other premium J cabins we flew in, only (1) flight attendant served the 16 passengers in D1 on this flight. She was definitely stressed and a bit overworked. I swear in the past there have been two and the second one eventually goes and helps out in main cabin.

I preordered the toasted brioche before realizing I've had it before and it's not good. Honestly, none of the other options sounded all that great. The fruit was good, but the brioche was in the oven way to long and burns on the bottom. This is the same complaint I had with it previously. It's also all carbs. I'm not sure who came up with this dish.

One thing Delta is great at that we didn't experience with any other airlines is technology. The DL app (despite DL IT) provides more comprehensive updates than most airlines. SQ never provides updates. The bag tracking is great. This is something AF, SQ, Qatar did not have. The D1 checkin experience and direct elevator to the club is fantastic. I can't wait for the D1 lounge to open.

DL has also come a long way with the SkyClubs. The crowding is an issue, but the bar options and food are good. I like the premium bar with the option to pay with SkyMiles, which when you have a million miles, spending some on premium alcohol is a no brainer. If DL would improve the soft product a bit, catering and get rid of the 767's they would compete much closer to the likes of Qatar, etc. Just my 2 cents.

Trip Totals:
22,348 miles
43:02 hours in the sky

**All tickets were bought about 4-6mo in advance**
AF IAD-CDG $1,870/per ticket (Delta ticket stock)
AF CDG-IST $541/per ticket (AF ticket stock - J)
Qatar IST-DOH-SIN $2,321/per ticket for the entire journey (we also booked a stopover at the St. Regis Doha for $300 TOTAL for two nights, breakfast included)
SQ SIN-HND $2,381/per ticket (J class)
SQ NRT-LAX $4,008/per ticket (F class)
DL LAX-DCA $5.60 (and 86,000 SkyMiles)