Intra-Asia F routes
 

Looking to maximise my F experience and/or Qantas SCs on an AONE - so both F and distance are important.
Flights likely to be in early 2012.

Reading the sticky shows F to Bangkok (some inc 751), Beijing (using KA), Delhi, Denpasar, Jakarta, Manilla, Osaka, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei, Tokyo Narita, Tokyo Haneda

However checking schedule on experflyer fro Feb 12, I can only get F/A availability on the following:
Bangkok (701 on Thu/Fri), Beijing (via KA), Jakarta (Thu), Manilla (most), Osaka (506), Seoul (416 on Sat), Taipei (474), Tokyo Haneda (548)

Is this all Cathay has left in Asia??? (or at least all they let you book in F, noting some routes still use 747s just no F bookable)


to maximise F experience and distance I am presently thinking for the Asian segments
syd-bkk (QF F 744) (unfortunately 380 only to sin)
bkk-hkg (CX F on Fri/ Sat)
hkg-hnd (CX F)
hnd-pek (JL J) (had considered Seoul but requires either a hnd-nrt or gmp-icn transfer and still no F)
pek-hkg (KA F)
hkg-jfk (CX F)
Anyone got any better suggestions.

For the CX experts anything more you would do to optimise - have posted in CX forum rather than OW forum as there is likely to be more knowledge here.

The odd HKG-SIN flight has F, you could also consider HKG-DEL-HKG which has F on a 744 once per day.

[500th post, finally, =)]

500th well done.

HKG-DEL in Feb-12 is all 343s so no F
HKG-SIN in Feb-12 is a mix of 330, 343, 773, 777 so no F

do you have preferences and are you on miles maximization? I've talked to FTer fumitani earlier, and he came up with this JFK-HKG-NRT-DEL/CGK-NRT-SIN-LHR for an AONE3. Given that you're from SYD, how about SYD-BKK-NRT-DEL-NRT-SIN-XXX(Europe) or NRT/HND-HKG-YYY(NA)? this would make sense since HKG is in the middle of everything and is good fore route optimization (min distance) and not more us crazy people.

guess I'm a combination of mileage and SC maximising, but also having aircraft where I can get F service and thus get real benefit from the price difference.

Note in the QF scheme there are substantial Status Credit differences (50% more) from F versus J and slightly more mileage (25% on base)
hence the NRT-DEL-NRT segment whilst optimal for some is less good for QF (and I suspect BA)

--

Should note that I'm working under the assumption that JL no longer has any intra-Asia F since their 744 retirements.
The current NRT-CGK on a 773 with F seems to switch to a 777 with no F before 2012

oops sth seems to have happened to NRT-DEL but NRT-CGK is ok in real F on JL. I may have to recheck the routings a bit...

SYD-HKG-NRT-CGK-NRT-HKG-JFK
QF29/30 still have F a few times a week?

Just a word of warning. CX don't usually finalise their timetables for NHW until about August/September. Right now the information showing for NHW11-12 mirrors that of NHW10-11. You might see some shuffling of routes between now and when you actually fly, so it's worth keeping an eye out.

good point on the timetables - probably applies for both CX and JL. will probably book short (ie around Nov/Dec-11) then date change.

Have also added HKG-CGK as F on Thu. Also whilst I can see NRT-CGK with F, every date (from July onwards) I try is A0 - has anyone every managed to book this on an AONE

Here is the CX F-class service note.

2 Class Service Only on 74A (55C/324Y) & 77A (63C/238Y) :
- Japan ( SPK / NGO / FUK + TPE/KIX tag )
- S.E.A. flights except MNL / JKT / BKK / SIN direct service + HKG/BKK/SIN vv
- Mid-East flights except BOM / DXB direct service
- China flights

So other than above, all Asia flights by 744 and 77W provide F service ^

What does it mean? Pay J fare, Get F Seats?

It means no F sold, so some pax will get F seats, but J service/ food.

Think however the list is old - eg in Jul-11, HKG-SIN 773/777 have no F,
in any event it covered most of CXs routes, apart from the few exceptions

The list is that whenever a 74A or 77A is sent to certain destinations then it is always sold as two-class, whereas if sent to others then it sells as three class - not that the three-class routes are sticky for three-class service (if that makes any sense).

I've been looking online, and it may be the time frame but every flight I've seen for SIN or BKK has been two-class (there's the star indicating that F isn't sold on that flight). I'm using BA points on an F award trip and would like an intra-Asia F segment to go along with my TPAC segment but I can't see anything (flying in March 2012). Does F usually only operate during the summer?

Also, I think this question was asked before. If the planes are switched to a regional aircraft, I know there's no compensation for long-haul J to regional J. What about F pax (not sitting in F on a two-class flight)? Do they get something?

Edit: soccerpapi beat me to the punch while I was typing.

Don't count on having an F cabin on any HKG/BKK flights, regardless of the direction. This route has one of the highest occurrences of aircraft substitution.

702 has the odd scheduled appearance of a 744. but dont get your hopes up.