bkln

Hello everyone - I'm new to flyertalk and going to Sydney for the first time in april. Decided on QF108/107 as don't want to risk missing connecting flight...

I'll be in economy class - what can I expect in terms of vegetarian (lacto-ovo) food/service. i noticed that on 107, return syd-lax-jfk, there doesn't seem to be a meal? That doesn't seem right for a non-american airline. Can anyone confirm?

Thanks!

thadocta

You will get a meal, better than what you will get on AA (or any other American carrier on that route in WHY) but note that, due to recent schedule changes, there will be an aircraft change at LAX, the aircraft for the QF107/108 LAX-JFK-LAX is now an A330 which operates the QF25/26 AKL-LAX-AKL - so if your inbound QF107 from SYD is late, you may find yourself on an AA flight (with all that that entails).

As for your outbound, if QF108 is late into LAX, they will get you to SYD somehow, but you will get a meal onboard.

Dave

aa4ever

I'm holding an AA itinerary for this route XXX-JFK-LAX-SYD. Is it rare that the JFK-LAX is late and I'll miss the LAX-SYD? If so, how do they get me there? Do I get stuck waiting for the flights the next day, or do they do something else (i.e. hold the LAX-SYD) flight? Or do they rebook the JFK-LAX on AA? Are there safer ways to get to LAX for the SYD flight?

Also, what's the service like on the JFK-LAX route? I imagine it's better than AA on the same route?

Blackcloud

It has been a while since I had a meal in economy, nearly 12 months, but for breakfast you get a nice hot breakfast; baked beans, potatoes, tomatoes, asparagus (if in season) mushrooms....a little bit soggy but it is an economy meal.
For other meals it tends to be a curry, last 2 years it was a very delicious eggplant curry (same as used for Hindu/Asian meals).
Compared to what my neighbours get, I am very happy.

ba273

have a read of this it might give you some ideas about the flight and service.

http://www.airliners.net/aviation-fo...ad.main/180304

number_6

Rarely are pax stranded overnight at LAX due to late arrival from JFK; more often they are stranded at JFK instead (happens couple of times a year, generally due to weather). AA is far more reliable for JFK-LAX as it is their number 1 priority route (thanks to having the SAG contract, also having a dozen flights a day instead of just 1). Given the plane change for QF107/108, it is actually less reliable than using AA for the JFK-LAX-JFK sector. As for service/comfort in Y, depends on your FF status; pretty good upgrade chances on AA, so really comparing J on AA vs Y on QF; or J on QF vs F on AA (potentially). Personally I would pick AA for this route over QF, from both a reliability and comfort standpoint. For Y straight up, QF is far better (newer plane, meals and IFE, more comfy seat).

aa4ever

Thanks. So, would you recommend calling AA and seeing if I can change to the AA flights for these? Or is this not a particularly large risk, and I should just stick w/ the QF flights. Lets ignore upgrades, since I will be with the family and we don't all have status. Exits are still a possibility.

number_6

QF is very good at getting connecting pax onto the Oz flights at LAX, holding flights as they can. There are some constraints (curfews and crew hours), but for "normal" delays everyone makes a transpac flight, even if that means not their originally booked one. Taking an earlier AA flight, with >3 hour connecting time at LAX, would help with the connection risk. The QF108 plane goes on to AKL from LAX, so worst case you would be routed LAX-AKL-SYD if there is room on the plane LAX-AKL (often is these days), making QF108 pretty safe in terms of eventually getting to Oz. That said, I have personally been on QF108 when it was over 5 hours late, and in the past year there have been more than 1 greater than 24 hour delay ex-JFK.

Bottom line: if you want to be absolutely sure, you fly the day before with a stopover at LAX, or fly AA before noon to have lots of connecting time (which can be spent at Venice beach at LAX or by the pool at an airport hotel).

JerseySlime

Or if you've never had one, take a Parking Spot van over to their garage on Sepulveda, which is at the north end of LAX, and walk out of the garage next door to In-N-Out Burger. Order a #1, which consists of a Double-Doulbe with Cheese, Fries, and a Drink. You won't want McDonald's or Burger King (in OZ called Hungry Jack's) again. I enjoy In-N-Out better than Five Guys here on the East coast of the US, which is also very good.

og

In-N-Out makes me laugh. I keep thinking it is like "down the throat and then out it comes (at either end)"...

JerseySlime

LOL. But it sure is good going in.

docbert

And if you're feeling particularly adventurous, ask for either your burger and/or fries "animal style"!

Five guys are busy opening stores on the west coast now - I wouldn't be surprised to see one pop up at/near LAX if there's not already one there.

aa4ever

Thanks, all. I think I'll stick w/ the Qantas flights. The best I can get for AA JFK-LAX (within reason, based on times) is a 2pm leaving JFK. I imagine I'll be safer w/ the QF flight since they'll presumably hold in LA. If there's an issue, is QF/AA good at rebooking on the AA flights, pending availability?

number_6

The problem at JFK is that QF is in T7 and AA is in T8, and never the twain shall meet. In practice agents are very averse to switching pax between terminals because it always goes awry, so the only scenario QF will rebook you on AA is if they have no plane at LAX capable of operating LAX-JFK-LAX leg. Very unlikely, as QF has 6 planes on the ground at LAX, so even if the A330 goes mech they can usually substitute one of the 744s or even A380 for the JFK sector, if need be. Crewing can be a problem, but I think it has only happened once in the past decade that LAX-JFK didn't operate. More likely you get to go to AKL than fly AA.

aa4ever

Wow, I would've thought they'd be happy to book on their partner. It's not like getting between T7 and T8 is that bad now. But good to know.

What would you do? 2pm AA flight to get onto the 11:50 QF flight at LAX, or the QF flight? My concern is that if something goes awry on the AA flight and they're full, then I'm really in trouble whereas QF would presumably not send out the flights to Australia/NZ w/o the JFK flight since that is all connections (potentially as many as 250ish, I imagine).