747 F v 380 J
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: UK
Programs: BA Exec Club Bronze, Hilton Diamond, Virgin Flying Club Red
Posts: 1,257
747 F v 380 J
Just prefacing my post with #firstworldproblems
So we are booking Avios flights down to JNB and have the choice of the BA55 (A380) in J or the BA57 (86J B747) in F or J.
I'm leaning towards the 747 in F simply because we've never flown F on that aircraft. Our only prior F experience was on a 77W to/from Japan.
What are your thoughts folks?
So we are booking Avios flights down to JNB and have the choice of the BA55 (A380) in J or the BA57 (86J B747) in F or J.
I'm leaning towards the 747 in F simply because we've never flown F on that aircraft. Our only prior F experience was on a 77W to/from Japan.
What are your thoughts folks?
#2
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: London, UK
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 1,020
Just prefacing my post with #firstworldproblems
So we are booking Avios flights down to JNB and have the choice of the BA55 (A380) in J or the BA57 (86J B747) in F or J.
I'm leaning towards the 747 in F simply because we've never flown F on that aircraft. Our only prior F experience was on a 77W to/from Japan.
What are your thoughts folks?
So we are booking Avios flights down to JNB and have the choice of the BA55 (A380) in J or the BA57 (86J B747) in F or J.
I'm leaning towards the 747 in F simply because we've never flown F on that aircraft. Our only prior F experience was on a 77W to/from Japan.
What are your thoughts folks?
#3
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#4
Join Date: Jun 2016
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Regardless of aircraft, I'd pick F over J every time - BA F may not be perfect, but it's just nicer than J however you cut it (in my view) - especially for a nice long flight like JNB where you will have time to enjoy the CCR and the meal and then a decent night of sleep.
F on the 747 is also quite special, in the nose - at least try it. Club World on the A380 will be around for years; F on a 747 probably not.
no contest
F on the 747 is also quite special, in the nose - at least try it. Club World on the A380 will be around for years; F on a 747 probably not.
no contest
#6
Join Date: Dec 2009
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LHR-JNB is an ideal route for F in the 744, especially as you have the view of Africa out of the nose (assuming you're in seat 1A or 1K) while you have breakfast. Jetlag is minimal, it is long enough to enjoy the F service and still get some sleep. Fly J when the view is worse, the flight is shorter, or the jetlag worse.
#7
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Ba f on the 747 (or any other aircraft) is nicer than ba j on the a380 (or any other aircraft). Was that meant to be a trick question?
#8
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Angus Scotland
Programs: BAEC Bronze, LH M&M
Posts: 177
We fly this route quite a bit and have managed to snag cw and f reward seats on all our journeys. ( Thanks FTalkers ). We've got flights booked ready for next year on the 380. We would have preferred to travel CW UD on the 747 but because of us connecting to WDH we opted for the flight which gets in earlier to JNB........(hopefully) as it's often delayed!!
We like the UD on the 747 as it feels more private. I find the 380 too hot and don't sleep too well as it's a quieter aircraft and am disturbed by other general noises. The engine noise on the 747 soothes me to sleep, nothing to do with the G&T's of course.
We prefer to save the avios difference between CW and F for another trip. My F was on the 380, I would love to fly F on the 747 before they go however.
We like the UD on the 747 as it feels more private. I find the 380 too hot and don't sleep too well as it's a quieter aircraft and am disturbed by other general noises. The engine noise on the 747 soothes me to sleep, nothing to do with the G&T's of course.
We prefer to save the avios difference between CW and F for another trip. My F was on the 380, I would love to fly F on the 747 before they go however.
#9
Join Date: Sep 2007
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Just prefacing my post with #firstworldproblems
So we are booking Avios flights down to JNB and have the choice of the BA55 (A380) in J or the BA57 (86J B747) in F or J.
I'm leaning towards the 747 in F simply because we've never flown F on that aircraft. Our only prior F experience was on a 77W to/from Japan.
What are your thoughts folks?
So we are booking Avios flights down to JNB and have the choice of the BA55 (A380) in J or the BA57 (86J B747) in F or J.
I'm leaning towards the 747 in F simply because we've never flown F on that aircraft. Our only prior F experience was on a 77W to/from Japan.
What are your thoughts folks?
#10
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Ipswich
Posts: 7,543
I just booked a trip to JNB a couple of days ago and went for J on the 380 both ways. F is just too inconsistent to be worth the premium. And that's based on our experiences, rather than reading about it here.
CW is a very consistent product in my experience - you know what you're going to get and are rarely disappointed. Whereas F can be great or really poor. It's just not worth it for us.
CW is a very consistent product in my experience - you know what you're going to get and are rarely disappointed. Whereas F can be great or really poor. It's just not worth it for us.
#11
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: UK
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. Although the A380 in J upper deck especially is also very nice. As you say, truly #firstworldproblems.
#12
Original Poster
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Thanks all - went with F on the 747. Being Silver I can't select row 1 at this point, so I have put my wife and I in 2A/K. Are these seats OK for a couple? I have a very strong preference for a window over a middle seat.
Have had to go CW on a mid-J 747 from CPT on the way back as nothing was available from JNB on the dates we are travelling.
Does anyone have any experience of international -> international connections at JNB?
Have had to go CW on a mid-J 747 from CPT on the way back as nothing was available from JNB on the dates we are travelling.
Does anyone have any experience of international -> international connections at JNB?
#13
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: London, UK
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 1,020
Finally you can check the seat map up until departure and they will release 1A/1K if they are not taken and then you could grab them if you wish. I did that albeit on the A380 and as a no status passenger at the time swapped into 1K a couple of days before departure.
#14
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Angus Scotland
Programs: BAEC Bronze, LH M&M
Posts: 177
Thanks all - went with F on the 747. Being Silver I can't select row 1 at this point, so I have put my wife and I in 2A/K. Are these seats OK for a couple? I have a very strong preference for a window over a middle seat.
Have had to go CW on a mid-J 747 from CPT on the way back as nothing was available from JNB on the dates we are travelling.
Does anyone have any experience of international -> international connections at JNB?
Have had to go CW on a mid-J 747 from CPT on the way back as nothing was available from JNB on the dates we are travelling.
Does anyone have any experience of international -> international connections at JNB?
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: UK
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Posts: 1,257
Thanks for the responses.
On the return we'd be catching the BA58 leaving CPT at 19.30. Comair don't fly WDH - CPT so I am planning to arrive on SA Airlink at 17.05.
Our travel agent (Audley) will provide some sort of guide to help us through the connection, but if anyone has experience of int-int connection at CPT that'd be great.
On the return we'd be catching the BA58 leaving CPT at 19.30. Comair don't fly WDH - CPT so I am planning to arrive on SA Airlink at 17.05.
Our travel agent (Audley) will provide some sort of guide to help us through the connection, but if anyone has experience of int-int connection at CPT that'd be great.