BrooklynDave

Planning a big trip to Australia for either this Fall or (next) winter. Would be flying JFK to either SYD or MEL (and probably returning from whichever Australian city we didn’t fly into, as we’d like to see them both).

We don’t have enough AA miles for an award ticket, so it looks like we’ll be saving our pennies and buying the tickets. Being 6’7”, it needs to be either business or first for a flight that long. Full fare First is just too much, but as of right now there are still some First saver fares available, for not that much more than business.

Of course we’d like to go on either AA or Qantas to at least get some serious miles for hopefully the next trip. The macro question is which of the two I should choose. (Could also choose Cathay Pacific via HKG; adds 6 hours or so, but if the price was way better for some reason, that’s a maybe). Presumably we’d fly JFK-LAX-SYD (or MEL), so if on AA that would be probably a 321T to LAX and then a 77W, and if on Qantas, a retrofitted 747 to LAX and then an A380. If for some reason it was advantageous to go through DFW, we could do that too. So, my questions:

1). How would you compare the business seats, especially on the LAX-SYD leg? Seat comfort and “sleepability” is my #1 priority here. In addition to being 6’7”, I’m pretty broad-shouldered. Seat Guru (I know, I know, but it’s a starting point) lists AA’s 77W business seats as a very nice 26 inches wide, but 75-78 inches long… those 3 inches make a big difference to me! Are some actually longer than others? Seat Guru lists the A380’s business seats as all being 78 inches long, but 21.5 inches wide. Probably wide enough and not claustrophobic, but has anyone flown both types?

2). Same question comparing the First seats, should they be semi-reasonable. Comparing the First seats between AA and QF and comparing business and First with the same airline.

3). It looks like we’d get more miles flying AA, if price was roughly equal. Is that right?

4). I’ve never flown enough times in a given year to get elite status, but this is such a big trip, it looks like this and some smaller trips I have to do anyway might do the trick. Woo hoo! I’m guessing, again, AA grants more EQM’s and EQD’s flying on their metal?

5). How would you compare the soft product between the two? This is less important for me than the seat, but still can matter; in declining order of importance, the service/crew, the food onboard, the IFE, the lounges.

I appreciate any insight you all can give. I hope it’s not against protocol to post to both the AA and QF sections; if it is, I hope someone will kindly consolidate them. Thanks, everyone!

Austin787

Business: go with AA. AA is 1-2-1 and everyone has aisle access while Qantas is 2-2-2 which means 4 of 6 people either have to leap over a sleeping seatmate or have their seatmate leap over them.

First: go with Qantas. Qantas F seats are more private and more spacious. Plus Qantas may have better service.

AAflyerORD

In terms of hard product for J, it would have to be AA (and CX as they have the same seats) over QF since QF doesn't have all aisle access. As for F, QF and CX both have some of the best F class suites in the world.

oysterhead43

I'm 6'5" and the flight between SYD and LAX in J on AA was very comfortable.

Dave Noble

How is this different to the thread http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...usiness-f.html

BrooklynDave

It's not; hence my question in the last paragraph. I thought perhaps different people would tend to read the two different sections, with a lot more Australians reading this one.

BrooklynDave

With my very long legs, stepping over a seatmate is not that hard (unless the design of the QF seats makes it so - it doesn't look like it in pictures). I stepped over without disturbing anyone in BA J, for instance. But that 72" BA seat was just useless for me for sleeping. So the "75 to 78" inch description of AA J concerns me a bit. Are the window seats longer? (Someone said so on another site, but sometimes that's just perception.) If I was confident I could snag a 78", I'd be quite happy with that.

Dave Noble

It is against protocol and FT terms to crosspost

BrooklynDave

That's why I asked. Thanks.

cynicAAl

we did Qantas LAX-SYD in business last year over Xmas, sat in the nose on the 744, which was only half booked. Seats are nice, and paired, so you can actually speak with your companion (which you can't really do on AA's 773 J). There is lots of room to the seat ahead of you, plenty of room for the window person to get out (unless in bed mode, then you have to step over). Qantas has a nice in-seat massage feature, which I liked. We did LAX-LHR this year (773 in J). Service is equivalent. Food is about the same, but then I don't expect 5 star restaurant food on an airplane. AA has WiFi, which Qantas does not.
If I had to pick, I'd probably go with Qantas JFK-LAX-SYD (which is the same plane).

DoctorORD

If I were in your position, my priority would be QF F > AA F > AA biz > QF biz. I have flown in all cabins.

A few months ago I did JFK-LAX-HKG in AA F -- a longer flight time than what you're doing. It was brutal. Getting in to LAX at 9 or 10, then waiting till 2am (actually more like 3am with a flight delay), not to mention the weirdness of getting dinner at 4am LAX time (7am NYC time!) on the 77W, I really wasn't able to enjoy it. Fortunately, AA's LAX-SYD leaves at a slightly more reasonable time.

Keep in mind 321T F seats are just like 77W business seats, and the biz seats aren't amazing (2-2 on an airbus). Very narrow.

So, if you go AA business for the entire trip, you're going to get stuck with the 321T's business class seats for the first part of the journey, which won't be as comfortable for you. The 77W business seats are just fine. Very nice, rock solid and consistent - same as what Cathay has. The 77W biz cabin is 1-2-1, and the center seats have less legroom than the window seats, so I would try to get a window bulkhead seat if you can, which should be 78".

QF's biz seat is very very similar to the A321T's biz seat. Probably too narrow to be comfortable for your shoulders. Taking QF biz for your entire journey will make you feel uncomfortable.

QF's F seat is similar to AA's, they are both big and somewhat swivel-y (AA's more than QF's).

QF's service, lounges / soft product are far superior to AA's, and QF provides excellent, consistent service in F (and biz). AA is catching up, but the service can be VERY hit/miss.

You will want to sleep (and occasionally drink/dine) on this long trip, so sitting close to someone else for the entire plane trip shouldn't be that important. You're going to resent it if you get crAApy service after saving all those pennies.

It sounds like this will be a special trip -- I would splurge on QF F, as it will be much easier on your body than biz, and you are guaranteed to have fond memories due to the superior, consistent service/soft product.

JDiver

Cross posting is not permitted on FlyerTalk.

Perhaps you could request AA an QF Moderator's move you heads to he oneworld forum and have hem merged, as it's an appropriate forum to make comparative inquiries about two oneworld airlines?

Moderator

DownUnderFlyer

[mod hat] Comparing two products from oneworld member airlines should actually go into the oneworld forum. So this is where I am going to move this thread. [/mod hat]

JY1024

Moving this to the oneworld forum. /JY1024, AAdvantage forum co-moderator

BrooklynDave

Thanks for moving it. I had some replies on the other thread, but that one was closed while this one was left open. Hoping to get some more input - thanks in advance.