Expatbear

Just to say having flown to Oz about ten times in the last five years (though thankfully in PE and J) I do so much better with jet lag on the Middle East layover flights. Leaving here at night, having two nights on the plane and arriving at 0500 is possibly the worst jet lag torture I can imagine. I will now go out of my way to choose flights that arrive in the evening.

likethis

criso

From a hard product point of view, I flew Qantas back from Singapore on the 380 which had come from Sydney and it was one of the most uncomfortable flights I've had in a long time.

I really disliked the seat design which when the person in front puts their seat back intrudes more than other planes I've had on that route. The screen was pushed right into my face and it was impossible to use the table. Luckily the crew insisted that seats were upright when food was served but that wouldn't necessarily be great if the person in front wanted to sleep not eat. Felt sorry for the people who'd already done the Sydney/Singapore leg. The BA seats weren't nearly as bad plus I have a reasonable chance of a bulkhead.

Row9

Thanks everyone, very grateful for all the advice and personal insights. It's amazing that one route can have so many differences of opinion - what's clear is that what works well for one doesn't work for all. One constant appears to be an overnight layover, which I'm now seriously considering.

Globaliser

And now, presumably, nobody ever will.

ISTR that on the 380 this would have required the floor to be repositioned, so it was a bit more complex than just squeezing the seats in.

dddc

If time is limited and you can't do the overnight stop somewhere, then I'd go for one where you arrive as late as possible at your destination. Definitely avoid the the 5am arrivals! I've only done a stop over if I'm visiting someone.

I am a fan of Cathay Pacific's Economy class. The thing that irked me with Qantas is how they changed the food portions. They serve a bigger main meal, with no side dishes. Maybe I'd made the wrong menu choice but by the time I was half way through eating it I was bored with it. Then they'd serve baby burgers in a box before landing in Dubai. Calling them sliders does not make it a party on plane!! Cathay serve two hot meals on all sectors. And somehow they manage to serve warm bread rolls that aren't dried out!! Even out of LHR or LGW, so why can't BA do that in Y?? Or even J!! Emirates seemed to be one hot meal followed by sandwiches, iirc.

I'm glad Qantas stopped flying into Dubai. I didn't like it's position for a break in a flight - for me the timings were wrong and I was never a fan of Dubai Airport. Hong Kong I like. I do normally get a Priority Pass and use the Premium Plaza lounge to relax in. Definately have a shower where ever you stop in. I've even managed it when there's only been a 90 min stop over. You feel so much more refreshed for the next leg.

I'm fly to Oz next week, but an open jaw into Brisbane and out of Melbourne. I'm flying the A350 all the in and out of Gatwick. As much as love the A380, the downside is the longer boarding and disembarking times. My arrival into BNE is 11.30pm so straight to bed when I get out. Woken up the next day with minimal jet lag. There is a Sydney flight that arrives at 9.50pm that you should look at. Coming back the best bet appears to be a 3pm arrival back into LHR. I've come back mid week on that flight and got from gate to baggage hall exit in 18 mins at T3.

I hadn't flown on Cathay before, but like another poster on here, I had to go out at short notice due a family situation and Cathay had the most palatable fare at Ł1300 (it was a couple of weeks before xmas, so a bargain really!!). Since then I've managed to get them on fare sales, but lately there seems to be a permanent one on for selected dates. I was impressed with the service. The 777 was pre-densified days. With the A330 I liked the 2 3 2 config that comes in handy when flying a couple. On my last trip I had a sector on the A350 and loved all the creature comforts at the seat. The new storage and bifold tray with cup holder was long overdue for Y class.

Depending on the fare you get, you will earn miles, but check if you can put them to Iberia first and then transfer to BA. BA would only give 25% of the miles for the particular class I flew last, but Iberia gave 50%. This time I'm flying on a deep sale fare at Q class, and BA give 25% but Iberia don't recognise it!

Depending on your height, you may want to consider an inflatable foot stool. That, along with cotton eye mask (from my BA J flights), ear plugs, Bose noise cancelling headset, flight socks and a small glass of something (just the one) I find I can relax enough and sleep for several hours upright. Well, at a 6" recline!

Good luck and let us know what you decide and how it goes!

A1pax

Thank you, shefgab for this explanation. Based on this, I think hubby should go with QF on A380 and select the aisle seats.

A1pax

I did not want to hijack the OP's thread. But, many thanks on the good comments and suggestions here. Hubby is flat out at work, so I will do more research for him and book this weekend.

thibderoc

I'd go with Qatar, in A380 : their economy product is very good and, as a BA Silver/OWS, you can grab a seat in the rear cabin of the upper deck in A380 flights. This cabin is much (much much) more quiet than the main deck.

A1pax

Thanks. Certainly another option to consider. Other factors will be connection time between flights, and 2 night flights vs one night + one day.

email2markt

Get an overnighter to KUL/HKG/SIN, stay there overnight to recover and then try to get an elusive day flight on the next leg to Sydney. Your body will thank you.

Egoldstein

I was going to recommend exactly this. By chance (it was the cheapest ticket) last year when I flew to SYD in Y, I was on Qatar, chose aisle seats in the upper deck for each leg, all 380s. The upper deck is normally the quiet zone and no small children or infants are booked there. The good thing is that the transit time in Doha is very short so the total flight time is not that bad. I was worried about the tight connection on the first leg, but it turns out it is the same plane from LHR to DOH as the one on to SYD. You also arrive in the early evening, so there is time for dinner, perhaps a short walk and then a full nights rest. If you have status, you can get into the Qantas business lounge in Sydney which is really nice.

1010101

It's brutal however you look at it and i would be swayed by aircraft more than airline.

- Qantas A380 all the way.
- BA A380 to HKG, window seat at the rear of the Upper Deck, connecting to CX A350.
- CX A350 all the way from LGW.

If you were flying J I'd love to try out the Qantas service to Perth and connect there but it would be unbearable in Y.

libertyuk

I'd agree, if you don't want to overnight, I'd do Qantas A380 all the way (it's via SIN), you're Silver so you get lounge access and you might just have enough time to shower at SIN before reboarding, otherwise BA A380 to SIN, then change ont the 777 to SYD, plenty of time to freshen up at the BA or QF lounge at SIN. Overnighting makes a difference, but bear in mind the BA and QF options via SIN are all overnight and all arrive in the morning in SYD, which makes it tricky to get a hotel room for early check in (unless you pay). Overnighting at HKG is better, as you can go BA to HKG on A380, then overnight at a hotel near the airport, then get the daytime CX flight to SYD (but I'd check if the 77W on that is now a 10 abreast one, which you should avoid).

The other option often ignored is JAL via Tokyo, JAL on a 787 (LHR-HND) is the most spacious economy class of any, with more seat pitch and the original 2-4-2 seat arrangement 787s were designed for (not the 3-3-3 all other airlines use), but then you have to change airports to NRT (but could overnight in Tokyo) to go JAL to SYD. Take your own entertainment, eat before the flights if you are not into Japanese options, but for seat comfort it is hard to beat.

A1pax

Hubby is going back to Oz again in May (we booked flights using points LHR-SIN-LHR J return with BA months ago when his mother was still alive) and he has built in one night stopover in SIN and will take SQ day flight in Y to SYD. On the return leg SYD to SIN, he will take SQ day flight in Y. The trip next month was not planned in advance (hubby needs to be in Oz to start the paperwork for probate) - hence he will have to do the entire trip in Y.