camperdown9

Hi

Unlike most of you lucky people I don't get to travel much these days. So when I get the chance to go and visit friends in New Zealand and get to fly business class then, at least to me its a big deal.

I have booked

LGW-DXB A380 EK
DXB-SYD A380 EK
SYD-CHC 777 EK
CHC-SYD 777 EK
SYD-LHR A380 QF

I am not stopping at DXB or SYD on the outbound, but am having a couple of days at SYD on the way home.

All sectors are booked as QF flight numbers.

A few days ago I received the following by email from QF.

"We're writing regarding your upcoming trip. If it's more convenient for you, we would like to offer the option to change your arrival/departure port from London Gatwick to London Heathrow.

It means you would travel on the same Qantas flight for all sectors of your journey between Australia, Dubai and London, operated by the same Qantas A380 aircraft.

Your baggage will be checked all the way through and you'll have a quicker connection time, so you would be on your way sooner.

This change is available at no extra cost."

I wasn't expecting this sort of email and it kind of makes me think that either the outbound LGW-DXB is oversold or that they simply want to try and get as many passengers flying on QF aircraft as possible . Has anyone else received this type of email?

Anyway who offers a better business class product on the above route QF or EK?

Thanks

Alex

AndDee

There have been quite a few emails going out to get people off EK flights and onto QF flights actually.

I would rate the EK J A380 product over the QF product personally, but it's a tough choice

If you are traveling alone then EK would be much better as the A, B, J or K seats mean you have no-one directly next to you.

I find sleeping very close to a random person a little strange on an airplane

I would change to QF if a couple or stay with EK if travelling alone!

Globaliser

That's very interesting, considering the noises being put out by QF about how well the EK/QF partnership is going.

eminere

In J on the A380 definitely EK > QF.

Mwenenzi

If this is a cash revenue ticket earnings to your FFP may be a consideration.
In particular the QF flight number on EK metal (not a OneWorld member)

From reports on FT & AFF QF loads are low at this time. They are wanting to put more people on QF metal (and not pay $$ to EK?)

Enjoy the trip. But Christchurch is not what it used to be as a result of the 2010-2011 earthquakes

Blackcloud

If travelling alone the EK seat is better IMO.
I have not been on QF or EK out of UK or DBX so I cannot really tel you who has the better soft product but from experience I found QF more to my taste.

Dave Noble

I would definitely take EK over QF in J or F any day. I also would not swap departing from Gatwick to departing from Heathrow unless I was being paid to do so. LGW is so much more civilised an airport

eminere

I wonder if EK is actually the driving force behind this...

QF Lad

Very interesting email. The previous QF BA agreement was a revenue sharing agreement, so it did not matter physically which aircraft a passenger on the route travelled on.

I don't believe the QF EK agreement is revenue sharing, instead a "catch what you can kill" agreement, where the aircraft operater receives the lion share of the revenue. And this is the result.

I am guessing that the recent comments by Emirates about how they have received an increase in revenue F and J passengers under the new QF EK agreement will have irrirated QF to no end.

On ports that they travel to, like London, QF will want those passengers on its planes. Interesting that they are targeting passengers whose airport origin is also different, ie targeting Gatwick passengers and trying to put them on QF Heathrow flights.

Blackcloud

IIRC the QF/EK deal was metal neutral from Australia/NZ with a tradtional style codeshare arrangement from DBX to Europe/Africa/Middle East and Asia.

caviack

Stick to EK on QF codes, especially if you're a QFF status holder.
1. LGW would probably be a better airport than LHR to deal with never been to LGW but my experience with LHR is making me stay away.
2. EK have been known to be handing out upgrades to QF elites quite a bit recently.
3. If you're traveling before 1st July, changing aircraft/flight numbers means more SCs, points and squiggles! (Although you've already got the 4 ~'s anyway)

Otherwise if you're not a QFF member.
Flip of the coin really, and down to preferences on whose product you prefer more. But seeing you're traveling SYD-LHR on QF why not stick with EK A380 and see the best of both worlds.

(As for FF program crediting, the more points earn may still hold true even if you're not crediting to QF)

og

I just wonder if this is related to a ( temporary ? ) reduction in QF flights into LHR: http://www.smh.com.au/business/aviat...408-36awx.html

Shamrock55

Go Emirates. Much better service, crew, food, seats, entertainment and the A380 bar is very, very cool.

avm2806

EK in J is definitely better than QF in J... If it was F then I would go with QF....

Looks like this QF EK deal may not be all that for QF and more a chance for EK to lure passengers away from QF... QF/BA would have been better doing some kind extension of the revenue share deal and increasing rather than decreasing their presence on the kangaroo route... Who knows, that might just happen if the two Irishman can start talking...

Globaliser

Although something along these lines might yet happen between the airlines, it would be surprising if it were to happen while Joyce is still at QF. He couldn't live down such an extraordinarily expensive and damaging strategic U-turn. And, to coin some current song lyrics, there's been a lot of water under bridges that have already burned.