LHR - DAD (best routing)
Aug 20, 2018, 3:01 am
#1
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LHR - DAD (best routing)
Planning a trip to Da Nanag from London for a week or so and looking at the most convenient One World route and flight times being that a connection will have to made.
For the outbound flight, BA0031 to Hong Kong departing on a Thursday works well with CX5224 on the Friday, ultimately landing at DAD at 18:40.
The issue I am having is finding the best route back to London being that I ideally want to return the following Sunday ready for the office Monday morning.
The Cathay flight on Sunday leaves DAD 09:50 arriving into HKG at 12:45 which is not ideal for the returning BA0032 over 10 hours later however there is a HK Express flight which departs at 18:10 and arrives at 21:10 leaving me with a 2 hour transfer time.
Is the HK Express flight the best soution here? I have no idea of HK Express' punctuality and I don't particulaly want to miss my onward flight which wont be protected. On the flip side I don't particulalry fancy a 09:50 flight and lengthy connection.
Many thanks
For the outbound flight, BA0031 to Hong Kong departing on a Thursday works well with CX5224 on the Friday, ultimately landing at DAD at 18:40.
The issue I am having is finding the best route back to London being that I ideally want to return the following Sunday ready for the office Monday morning.
The Cathay flight on Sunday leaves DAD 09:50 arriving into HKG at 12:45 which is not ideal for the returning BA0032 over 10 hours later however there is a HK Express flight which departs at 18:10 and arrives at 21:10 leaving me with a 2 hour transfer time.
Is the HK Express flight the best soution here? I have no idea of HK Express' punctuality and I don't particulaly want to miss my onward flight which wont be protected. On the flip side I don't particulalry fancy a 09:50 flight and lengthy connection.
Many thanks
Aug 20, 2018, 3:04 am
#2
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: London, United Kingdom
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If you just took CX all the way then on the way back you could connect onto the afternoon Cathay flight to London. Sleep in your own bed that night
2hrs is too risky for a separate ticket transfer
2hrs is too risky for a separate ticket transfer
Aug 20, 2018, 3:09 am
#3
Join Date: Nov 2008
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I'd agree with the sentiment that a 2 hour connection is too tight on separate tickets. I was in Asia last week and had a 4 hour connection in Manila. My inbound plane from Cebu was 2 1/4 hours late leaving due to bad weather in Manila and I only just made the flight to HK and hence my onward connection back to London.
I tend to be quite conservative and it saved me on this occasion but I plan to be extra careful on separate tickets in the future.
I tend to be quite conservative and it saved me on this occasion but I plan to be extra careful on separate tickets in the future.
Aug 20, 2018, 3:13 am
#4
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Thats a good point; CX253 departs at 14:40 arriving into LHR at 20:35 which only means a 1h 55m layover.
An added bonus of my own bed on Sunday night instead of trekking from T3 on Monday morning having had an inferior sleep
An added bonus of my own bed on Sunday night instead of trekking from T3 on Monday morning having had an inferior sleep
Aug 20, 2018, 3:32 am
#5
Join Date: Oct 2006
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Don't know how risk averse you are but Air Asia to KUL then onwards is a decent connection?
Bangkok Airways flight to BKK requires an overnight - always a good thing in Bangkok in my book.
Silk Air via SIN, VN via SEL, and VN via NRT - 5 hours connection to BA flights) all offer options to look at with not horrendous connections.
My experience of HK Express flights is reliability was shocking, reportedly slightly better in last year.
Bangkok Airways flight to BKK requires an overnight - always a good thing in Bangkok in my book.
Silk Air via SIN, VN via SEL, and VN via NRT - 5 hours connection to BA flights) all offer options to look at with not horrendous connections.
My experience of HK Express flights is reliability was shocking, reportedly slightly better in last year.
Aug 20, 2018, 3:42 am
#6
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Many thanks Sam Bee for those suggestions. Hadn't previosly considered Air Asia to KL which as you mentioned, departs DAD at 12:35 with then a 7 hour connection before BA34 later that evening.
Aug 20, 2018, 3:52 am
#7
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Frankly, you'd be a lot better off just booking a through ticket on VN than sticking to OW for Danang.
Aug 20, 2018, 4:04 am
#8
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You are probably right orbitmic however I want to burn some the avios I have just sitting on my BA account. I currently have almost 700k which need to be spent so was initially thinking BA F to/from HKG and then CX Business on the short hop to/from DAD.
Am tempted now between:
1. early Cathay flight from DAD to HKG followed by lunch a late lunch in Central before heading back to the airport for the later BA flight that evening
2. the same early Cathay flight from DAD followed by a CX daytime flight back to LHR
3. Air Asia from DAD to KUL followed by a 6 hour layover before BA34
Am tempted now between:
1. early Cathay flight from DAD to HKG followed by lunch a late lunch in Central before heading back to the airport for the later BA flight that evening
2. the same early Cathay flight from DAD followed by a CX daytime flight back to LHR
3. Air Asia from DAD to KUL followed by a 6 hour layover before BA34
Aug 20, 2018, 4:14 am
#9
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You are probably right orbitmic however I want to burn some the avios I have just sitting on my BA account. I currently have almost 700k which need to be spent so was initially thinking BA F to/from HKG and then CX Business on the short hop to/from DAD.
Am tempted now between:
1. early Cathay flight from DAD to HKG followed by lunch a late lunch in Central before heading back to the airport for the later BA flight that evening
2. the same early Cathay flight from DAD followed by a CX daytime flight back to LHR
3. Air Asia from DAD to KUL followed by a 6 hour layover before BA34
Am tempted now between:
1. early Cathay flight from DAD to HKG followed by lunch a late lunch in Central before heading back to the airport for the later BA flight that evening
2. the same early Cathay flight from DAD followed by a CX daytime flight back to LHR
3. Air Asia from DAD to KUL followed by a 6 hour layover before BA34
Aug 20, 2018, 4:40 am
#10
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 5,596
You are probably right orbitmic however I want to burn some the avios I have just sitting on my BA account. I currently have almost 700k which need to be spent so was initially thinking BA F to/from HKG and then CX Business on the short hop to/from DAD.
Am tempted now between:
1. early Cathay flight from DAD to HKG followed by lunch a late lunch in Central before heading back to the airport for the later BA flight that evening
2. the same early Cathay flight from DAD followed by a CX daytime flight back to LHR
3. Air Asia from DAD to KUL followed by a 6 hour layover before BA34
Am tempted now between:
1. early Cathay flight from DAD to HKG followed by lunch a late lunch in Central before heading back to the airport for the later BA flight that evening
2. the same early Cathay flight from DAD followed by a CX daytime flight back to LHR
3. Air Asia from DAD to KUL followed by a 6 hour layover before BA34
Aug 20, 2018, 5:55 am
#11
Join Date: Oct 2015
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Posts: 175
You are probably right orbitmic however I want to burn some the avios I have just sitting on my BA account. I currently have almost 700k which need to be spent so was initially thinking BA F to/from HKG and then CX Business on the short hop to/from DAD.
Am tempted now between:
1. early Cathay flight from DAD to HKG followed by lunch a late lunch in Central before heading back to the airport for the later BA flight that evening
2. the same early Cathay flight from DAD followed by a CX daytime flight back to LHR
3. Air Asia from DAD to KUL followed by a 6 hour layover before BA34
Am tempted now between:
1. early Cathay flight from DAD to HKG followed by lunch a late lunch in Central before heading back to the airport for the later BA flight that evening
2. the same early Cathay flight from DAD followed by a CX daytime flight back to LHR
3. Air Asia from DAD to KUL followed by a 6 hour layover before BA34
Using Avios, I would burn it on CX J/F over BA J/F if possible. Any particular reason you prefer BA F to/from Hong Kong? I would probably take the CX250 out and CX253 back. Otherwise, you could also fly DAD-SIN and fly BA/QF back.
Aug 20, 2018, 6:00 am
#12
Join Date: Oct 2006
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Not sure how it would work with regards to Avios, but Qatar do offer a DAD-SGN-DOH-LHR with smooth connections (first flight on VN), and get you into LHR on Monday for 06:35. I imagine the VN sector though would be a problem. There are earlier flights though - about 1 every 90 minutes if you wanted to spend a few hours in Ho Chi Minh before the late evening QR flight?
Aug 20, 2018, 6:47 am
#14
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Posts: 2,246
Perhaps consider when you want to arrive back at LHR/LGW, at 5am ish or in the afternoon ish, do you want to avoid a night on the plane ? And then work back from there. I’d go for the Dreamliners (avoid economy), A350s and A380s on the routes. VN Dreamliners in PE are great for direct non-stop flights, I found great fares on Expedia.
