Which is the better choice-CX or JAL?
 

It's the infamous susiesan again!

I find my self flying on CX to Asia once again on award seats from AA in J on Feb. 25, 2010. I have my outbound seats into PNH reserved, on hold. I will call AA in 2 days to try to get return seats on March 13 from BKK. we'll be flying in from Luang Prabang arriving BKK at 5:45pm.

My flight options are:

JL 718 BKK-NRT 10:30pm-6:15am 6 hour layover
JL10 NRT-ORD 12:00pm-8:20am
AA 1861 ORD-MCI
total travel time 26H50M, 3 flight segments
Or
CX 702 BKK-HKG 7:00pm-10:45pm
CX 880 HKG-LAX 11:45pm-9:15pm 3 hour layover
AA 2400 LAX-DFW 12:10am-5:00am
AA 1026 7:15am-8:45am
total travel time 26H45M, 4 flight segments

JAL has more time on the ground, less in planes. Making the connection at LAX in the middle of the night could be very disrupting to sleep patterns and jet lag. For seasoned travelers who have done a trip like this before, which would you choose?

Are you sure you could get inbound award seats?

Are you sure you want to go to Thailand again?

Have you factored in the possibility of social unrest and any other factors in the next 11 months?

Are you sure a 6 hour layover is enough?

You are bound to encounter jetlag when you fly to Asia. So why travel at all?

PS. Here we go again... I'll go get my popcorn :D

Have you factored the weather could be windy and you get there early due to the tailwind and have to spend longer on the ground

I guess I deserve some sniping...
 

C'mon, now. I'm asking a serious question. If award seats are available on both airlines I'd like to choose the one that you frequent Asia travelers would choose if it were you. We did take JL 10 from NRT to ORD last year as part of susiesan's adventures in Thailand and I found the service great and the Japanese meal outstanding (for airline food). I'm not fond of tippy flat bed seats though.

You have to admit I was very entertaining last year here on the CX boards!

You need to AVOID BKK and Thailand Full Stop.

Given how hysterical u can be I suggest u just stay in the US and Mid west specifically and avoid international travel.

Believe me, I want to avoid Thailand, especially after watching the events of the past week. But since Laos is on the itinerary for this trip along with Cambodia, BKK is the logical airport to transit through.

Then DON't GOTO Asia. Really with so many things out there I think you will have a nervous breakdown before u even begin to depart!

I would highly recommend not trying to connect out of BKK on the same day you arrive from LPQ.

Bangkok Air is notorious for canceling flights, and missing your international award flight from BKK would be catastrophic.

Get a hotel room for the night and depart to NRT or HKG the next morning or following evening.

As I said last time susiesan's travel was discussed, ENOUGH. Give her a break, will ya?

Susiesan, I'm in BKK right now, on a vacation. First, it's over for the foreseeable future. The protesters have gone home. What's more, the tourist areas (such as Sukhumvit area where I stay) were completely unaffected. There's a report elsewhere on FT saying the same about the riverfront properties (MO, PEN, etc.) Not even an increased police presence, let alone any protesters or soldiers. You can expect the same. If you like nice places, check out the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit (Starwood Luxury Collection), one of the nicest properties I have ever stayed in. BKK is a great place, fascinating, friendly people, great food and more. If you can work a few days into your plans, I recommend it. Now, on to your question...

First, none of this matters if you don't really care about your on-board experience when flying. Just get the most convenient (for you) itinerary you can. That said, if you enjoy flying as I do, I would avoid JL. Although I have never flown them, my understanding from what I read here and elsewhere is that CX will provide a better experience.

That HKG connection, CX 702 to 880 could be a bit tight if your inbound is even 15 minutes late. And for my money, that LAX-DFW leg will be no day at the beach. I'd be dead tired. Without checking flight times or availability, could you do AA NRT-ORD? I hear good things about AA J on TPAC flights. If you could make that work, that might be my choice. Additionally, if you can do an overnight at HKG (assuming that you're not taking my advice to build in a few days in BKK), you're options go up exponentially, seems to me, by being able to take a morning departure.

Good luck, and feel free to PM me if you want to avoid the public ridicule.

I've taken both CX and JL home from BKK, and both are great. However, put me in the category that also thinks you should plan an overnight in BKK and leave the next morning. Especially if you are checking a bag on option 2 LPQ-BKK-HKG-LAX-DFW-MCI.

BKK is normally the logical choice, but unless that is part of itinerary, I would recommend avoiding it. Have you considered Vietnam?

This thread is not specifically about CX but rather choices of oneworld partnered flights, hence it is being moved to the Oneworld forum.



Thx

Guy Betsy
Cathay Pacific Asiamiles forum moderator

For ZZZ, CX (if the aircraft has new bed seats) for service consistency, I'd choose JL.

Bangkok Airways has an earlier flight from LPG that arrives BKK at 2:15pm. That should give us plenty of time to make the connection to the CX flight at
7:00pm, right? The Bangkok Airways flight that arrives 5:45 should be enough time for the 10:30pm JAL flight, shouldn't it?

I thought about staying a few nights in Bangkok as part of this trip and just going to Luang Prabang in Laos, skipping Vientane. I'm researching how different the two Lao cities are and whether it's worth the time and expense to visit both. I haven't been to Bangkok since 1995 so it might be time for another visit. I know it has changed a lot.

I looked at flights to Vietnam from Laos, but they are very expensive compared to flights with the BA Discovery Airpass ($100 per segment). Also, Vietnam has an advance visa requirement, and I believe it costs $100 (can't seem to find the cost on the Vietnamese Embassy web site) I have visited Vietnam before and did enjoy the country, and I would like to visit again, but that would be it's own separate trip.

Can you transit through Vietnam without getting a visa?