Goodbye Etihad
#61
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: Etihad Guest Platinum; Accor Platinum; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,356
Thanks Dogmatick and for the clue to look for the stars. Another trip next month, not quite a RTW but flying all three ME3 A380 First Class products in 48 hours... CDG-DOH-CAN on QR, CAN-DXB on EK and the AUH-JFK on EY. The last RTW trip was mostly miles except for the ICN-LAX JL leg which was part of an AA mistake fare.
Thanks akalra1187. Was hoping to incorporate a Residence flight but not this year.
Thanks akalra1187. Was hoping to incorporate a Residence flight but not this year.
How do you spot the AA mistake fares btw and what was it ?
#63
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: Etihad Guest Platinum; Accor Platinum; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,356
Going for a last hurrah and booking ex CAI Residence over the New Year to also enjoy the Palace Hotel. Have found an amazing agent in the MAN call centre who told me EY is about to launch a Premium only call centre again to concentrate on the premium passengers with status
The agent invited me to just email them with all needs and sets it all up and calls for the credit card ! Finally some service !
The agent invited me to just email them with all needs and sets it all up and calls for the credit card ! Finally some service !
#64
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Denver • DEN-APA
Programs: AF Platinum, EK Gold, AA EXP, UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 21,598
If you want the residence in there then look at it Ex Cairo, maybe adjust to CAN-CAI on EK and CAI-JFK on EY and you'll also get the Residence lounge at AUH thrown in. CAI airport is used to short turnaround passengers - or go look at a pyramid ! Oh and then you also get to spend two nights for free at the Emirates Palace Hotel - apparently well worth it !
How do you spot the AA mistake fares btw and what was it ?
How do you spot the AA mistake fares btw and what was it ?
Definitely on my to do list. I was trying to do the same thing as part of my trip next month, but the Gulf states' dispute with Qatar stopped me from connecting from DOH-CAI in time to make it all work.
I found the AA mistake fare in the FT Premium Fare Deals forum. The fare was SEL(ICN/GMP)-NYC roundtrip AA First (including codeshares on JL metal) with unlimited stopovers and changes for US$2,800. Flew ICN-NRT-LAX in JL First in April, LAX-JFK-LAX in AA 3 class F in June and will fly LAX-NRT-ICN in JL First in October. Earns more than 50K AA EQMs and RDMs.
#65
Suspended
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: London, UK
Programs: Etihad Gold, Emirates Gold, SPG Gold, Accor Platinum
Posts: 579
Residence would be good when I'm sure the F product already exceeds other F products, when EK F offers DP, CX F offers Krug and DP and they both offer Caviar and BR J offers DP then I'm hesitant to even bother to try EY Residence, I mean I am not dying for sleep???
#66
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: Etihad Guest Platinum; Accor Platinum; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,356
I was born the day Concorde first flew, the one chance I had to fly it my connecting flight into LaGuardia was fog blocked for hours and I missed the flight by six minutes
My next booking was blocked by the sad grounding and then I missed the boat when the last flights were announced
The Residence cannot last long and dammit I'm not missing this one !
My next booking was blocked by the sad grounding and then I missed the boat when the last flights were announced
The Residence cannot last long and dammit I'm not missing this one !
#67
Suspended
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: London, UK
Programs: Etihad Gold, Emirates Gold, SPG Gold, Accor Platinum
Posts: 579
I was born the day Concorde first flew, the one chance I had to fly it my connecting flight into LaGuardia was fog blocked for hours and I missed the flight by six minutes
My next booking was blocked by the sad grounding and then I missed the boat when the last flights were announced
The Residence cannot last long and dammit I'm not missing this one !
My next booking was blocked by the sad grounding and then I missed the boat when the last flights were announced
The Residence cannot last long and dammit I'm not missing this one !
#68
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: Etihad Guest Platinum; Accor Platinum; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,356
I don't know... even Concorde with the small seat and perhaps slightly better service didn't quite appeal to me either. Whilst I think it's strange that humanity wants to move backward and make a 3.5 hour flight back to 7 hours I don't feel I missed anything on Concorde, similarly if Etihad can't make the Residence experience significantly better than other first class products I don't feel I'm missing out.
If you didn't get Concorde then you really should revisit elite flying. Remember the era it was delivered in and its purpose. You want a Zeppelin with a flying apartment others want to get there as fast as humanity can design with its inherent restrictions but also with the best service available.
Oh and as is your absolute and final benchmark, they served caviar and the best champagnes
#69
Suspended
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: London, UK
Programs: Etihad Gold, Emirates Gold, SPG Gold, Accor Platinum
Posts: 579
If you didn't get Concorde then you really should revisit elite flying. Remember the era it was delivered in and its purpose. You want a Zeppelin with a flying apartment others want to get there as fast as humanity can design with its inherent restrictions but also with the best service available.
Oh and as is your absolute and final benchmark, they served caviar and the best champagnes
Oh and as is your absolute and final benchmark, they served caviar and the best champagnes
#71
Join Date: Feb 2016
Programs: EK, BA, AF
Posts: 73
I don't say you're wrong but just being devils advocate they served reasonably nice champagne on Concorde but not Salon (which JAL serve today in F) nor was it Romanee Conti or Sasssicia or an early Biondi Santi. Add to that the kind of seats you get in F on EY, EK, JL, SQ etc today and Concorde looks like economy class.
gotta watch your street cred a bit more :-)
#72
Suspended
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: London, UK
Programs: Etihad Gold, Emirates Gold, SPG Gold, Accor Platinum
Posts: 579
One knows a Barbaresco needs to be relatively expensive whilst a Umbrian Red needn't be expensive to be good.
''Sass i Cay Ah' isn't a word that is spelt naturally for an English speaker so yes can't get that quite right
Don't think the spelling interferes with the enjoyment of the wine though. In fact perhaps it was the wine itself that caused it to be spelt wrong.
Last edited by akalra1187; Jul 27, 2017 at 7:33 am
#74
Suspended
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: London, UK
Programs: Etihad Gold, Emirates Gold, SPG Gold, Accor Platinum
Posts: 579
Meaning Umbrian wine doesn't need to be expensive to be good, whilst Barbaresco pretty much does need to be expensive to be good.
Last edited by akalra1187; Jul 27, 2017 at 7:36 am