Originally Posted by
transpac-canuck
I'm doing Singapore to San Francisco r/t in a few weeks, and faced the same question. HKG or NRT?
I chose HKG for a few reasons.
First, I like to settle into a long-haul flight and make it "my space" for as many of the hours I'm traveling as possible. With the NRT connection, you spend a lot longer on the "shorter" flight, and less on the "longer" flight. I'd prefer a quick hop from SIN to HKG and then treat HKG-SFO as my long-haul where I'd bother to take off my shoes, dare to sleep, etc.
Second, the upgrade possibilities (I'm doing NF, not NC, but it's the same basic situation) are mostly the same on the ex-SFO legs. The 747 definitely provides better odds than the 777 for an upgrade on the intra-Asia legs, so the HKG-SIN legs are much easier than the NRT-SIN legs -- I know this one first hand!
I think it's a bit different if you're doing NF vs. NC. C and F are by and large the same on the 744 vs. 777 -- but if you're shooting for NC and don't get it, then I'd clearly rather be in Y on the 777. With that risk in mind, if I'm booked in Y looking for NC, I've always preferred to go through NRT if the upgrade is not confirmable at booking.
Also seem to have much better odds of a great Asian-based crew on the SFO-NRT sector vis-a-vis SFO-HKG.
Other than that, I always prefer one long flight and one short one (except with baby in tow).