pxy_a

I need to get to Melbourne in a few weeks and will have to suffer in coach (client won't cover T+ fares, so no hope of using my eUps ) and I'm hoping to get some recommendations from the group here who have flown to Australia in coach. Here are the options I'm considering:

1. Fly Tango fare on AC (YYZ-YVR-SYD-MEL) - only get 50% AQMs but I can use the lounges (I am SE)

2. Fly on UA (YYZ-SFO-SYD-MEL) - get 100% miles (since it's before the April 1st changes) and I can use the lounges, but I'm guessing the AC hard product is better than the UA hard product in coach (?) So is 50% miles worth suffering in a UA seat for 15 hours? Or is it not that much worse?

3. Fly on Qantas (YYZ-LAX-MEL) - get no usable miles (I don't collect AA or Qantas miles and can't see myself doing so in the future), but it saves me a connection point. I also won't get any lounge access with this one, however, I believe Qantas has a superior hard product in coach (?)

I have NEXUS, so transiting via the US is not an obstacle.

All three options are around the same price - any recommendations?

Thanks!

navigator4309

First off, how badly do you need the miles? I'm assuming you're not worried about maintaining status if you're willing to give up 50%. It's a fair bit of mileage, but...

UA 747-metal is not going to be pleasant. That's a long way to go. If you have your own entertainment, however, that you can keep charged for a decent amount of time, it might not be so bad. I wouldn't personally give up 50% of the miles for things like food. However, ACs 777-300ER (lower density, as on this route) is by far the most comfortable in coach I've ever flown.

I wouldn't fly Qantas over AC, simply because of the aircraft type and though connections aren't a treat, lounge access helps.

If it were me, all things considered, I'd go with AC.

BlondeBomber

I would go AC as well and even though "client won't cover T+ fares, so no hope of using my eUps", I might consider paying the additional myself. I have done this in the past when client wouldn't cover First Class or higher econo fares and I personally paid difference between Y and F regularly or Tango and Flex (Tango Plus). Depends what you need out of all this. AC planes in the back are quite comfortable (I actually flew in the back for the first time since the early 2000s in December from Chile). As long as I have an aisle seat and some entertainment, I can endure the throw it at you service, airplane food etc etc. Having an empty seat next to you does help though. But as a SE, if you can swing the upgrade, in a similar situation, I would pay the difference, even if it is a $1000 or so (for status miles and possibility of upgrades). If J is already low availability or zeroed out, I might rethink but likely would still go with Flex.

pxy_a

Unfortunately, T+ is more than $2000 extra - double the Tango fare! (if it was less, I might have considered paying out of pocket to potentially upgrade).

yyz_atc_qq

AC does NOT normally fly the 777-300 on this route. YVR-SYD is a 777-200LR route

rankourabu

The 747 will not be pleasant in economy minus.
They are not switching it to a 777 until April 1.

AC Y will be pretty brutal too, so, how badly do you want the miles?

If you can pay for economy plus on the long flights, and dont care about IFE - it will be better than AC Y.

pxy_a

I don't care about the miles (I've stopped chasing status on AC and once I lose my SE status on March 1st, I'm assuming it will be hard for me to use my existing miles). I just thought that if UA Y was not too bad, then I might as well get something more for the same price. (But it sounds like UA Y is not worth the extra miles).

I looked into E+ on the UA flights, but they only had middle seats left - I definitely can't do the long flight in a middle seat, even if the pitch is better.

Spot planes

I would suggest YYZ-LAX (AC) LAX-AKL-MEL (NZ). Changing plane at SYD is no fun. Need to get from International to domestic (far away). AKL NZ lounge is nicer that AC/UA at SYD/MEL.

rankourabu

Actually, a very good point - if you arrive on AC and want to connect to MEL - it will require a terminal change!

At least with UA, you dont change terminals. And if mileage connection is not an issue - the NZ route is great.

tomvancouver

if you're not bothered about earning miles, how about using your SE privileges and IKKing yourself a J ticket and expensing the fees (plus revenue syd-mel)?

Spot planes

UA SYD-MEL is combing the UA flights from LAX and SFO. The plane from SFO will fly SYD-MEL. If using UA, better YYZ-SFO (UA/AC) then SFO-SYD-MEL

cavemanzk

Agree SYD is pretty bad when it comes to INT to DOM transfers, it would make LAX look good

NZ also fly's YVR-AKL a couple times a week, so you could route YYZ-YVR-AKL-MEL.

YVR-AKL would be on a 772 which has pretty decent Y, then AKL-MEL would be on a 77W. Which with you *G status, would allow to select a premium economy seat for free (see here). As NZ doesn't sell it on a Tasman, so lets gold members to select it for free!

pxy_a

I've only done the SYD transfer once and I agree that it was painful. How can I get more information on the free premium economy seat with *G status? Do you have a link to that privilege?

I'm very intrigued with the idea of flying through AKL...

markandrew

I can confirm that QF has an awesome Y product. I love the hot chocolate service, perfect to put you to sleep after a meal, AC do not even offer that in J. To put it in context, I would say QF as was as far ahead of AC as AC was ahead of UA.

cavemanzk

If you do a dummy booking on airnz.co.nz for AKL-MEL and enter you AC number. It will unlock the Frequent Flyer seating (In yellow).



Also see here, NZ uses the same policy for *G
http://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/frequ...-flyer-seating