creampuff

I'm doing a single Sydney - Tokyo flight in business class as part of a RTW ticket.

Can do this leg either on Qantas or JAL. It's with wife + 4yo + infant if that makes any difference.

Any recommendations?

I would already have flown Qantas in biz a few times by this stage so unless Qantas is substantially better I'm leaning towards JAL.

Side topic.... late March in Japan - where is a good place to see cherry blossoms?

kamchatsky

I cannot answer you with QF/JL comparison as I have not flown it yet, even though I have booked JL771 J for sometime next year also. So I am interested to know as well, even though mine is on award ticket anyway and I don't see QF22 available.

But I can answer you Q on Cherry Blossoms. It all depends on where in Japan you are, they will tell you the blossom dates:

http://www.jnto.go.jp/sakura/eng/index.php

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2011_when.html

You need to be at the right place at the right time. Last time I was in Osaka in late April, I have to go to a garden with special late blooming blossoms to see them. All others have finished their blossoms.

LTN Phobia

A major point for SYD-NRT:

JL is a day flight. QF is a night flight. With an infant, you may prefer a day flight. However, if you are connecting from a domestic flight, a morning departure from SYD may not work. QF arrives at NRT at around 0620, so you will probably need to book a hotel from the night before. Another negative due to departure time.


Not as major but something to consider:

1) QF seat in bed config, IMO, is better than JL seat in bed config on this route. Both have sloped seats but JL ones are steeper.

2) Food is generally much better on JL than QF. Unless they have recently re-upgraded the meal on QF J on this route, it will leave you rather hungry unless you eat enough in the lounge.

3) IFE for non-Japanese speakers are MUCH better on QF for obvious reasons.

og

I like the way JL emphasise that you should be polite to your fellow travelers - eg if in Y, then be careful when you recline your seat as it may cause bother for the person behind. But, on the OP's question, both JL and QF have good and bad aspects. The time of the day departure sucks (JL), the time of the QF arrival sucks (QF) unless you are connecting or immediately trying to get somewhere else. I'd fill up in the lounge and only snack on-board if on QF - sleep is paramount and they'll turn the lights on 2 hrs pre landing.

blutek

JL cabin temperatures can be a problem. (Search FT)

creampuff

Oooh. I did not realise Qantas did not have horizontal lie flat seats. Are they angled flat on the A380 too?

This brings me to another question then. One of the flights in this RTW trip is LHR-SYD. The choice of airline then is either Qantas or BA (need a single flight number so as not to eat up my RTW sectors, therefore only BA and QF are under consideration). AFAIK both airlines operate only A380s on this route.

This is really a first world problem, but I've flown BA business class before and the only thing I don't like about it is the manual ottoman footrest. The bed is horizontal lie flat, not angled flat. Haven't flown Qantas biz class before.

So LHR-SYD: BA or Qantas?

Being a RTW ticket the fare is the same but BA would likely have a higher fuel surcharge which would make it a bit more expensive.

theassassin

QF fly an A380 between LHR and SYD. BA uses a 777. The bed on the QF A380 is described as fully flat but often has a slight droop.

Food and IFE are better on QF than on BA. I also prefer the QF service to BA but both are hit and miss.

The other thing is that QF fly via Dubai whereas BA flies via Singapore. The SIN - SYD leg is very short for an overnight flight.

pandaperth

As is the LHR-DXB leg on QF

LTN Phobia

A380 is flatter - it isn't so much a slope as a just a droop. However, what they operate between SYD and NRT has a slope seat. However, since JL one is worse, you may not find it so bad.

LHR-SYD on BA is 777. LHR-SIN leg however can be 747 or A380 (you can therefore fly LHR-SIN on A380/747/777 and then connect onto 777 on BA and vv).

Personally I avoid QF J unless I can get an aisle seat as it is not possible for me to get out of the non-aisle seat without disturbing the seat neighbour in a beg config, whereas I can get out of any long haul BA seat easily.

However this may not be an issue if you are travelling with your family as they are 'easier to inconvenience' than a stranger.

QF fuel surcharges are very high, although not as high as JL if I remember correctly. I am not 100% sure how much it is, but tax, fees and charges for NRT-SYD on JL J was Ł214. I *think* it may be less on QF than JL.

For LHR-SYD, I think fuel surcharges (not TFC, just fuel surcharge) is about Ł300 from memory.

creampuff

Thanks for the info. I'm really surprised Qantas doesn't have a fully horizontal flat seat on a new aircraft like an A380. I think Qantas must be in with Lufthansa in the "what the hell were they thinking department"?

I wonder if I should do a BA 747 flight. The opportunities for flying a 747 are rapidly diminishing.

sxc

The seat is theoretically horizontal, and for all intents and purposes is horizontal. It's just that a bit of wear and tear, and a heavy passenger means not all seat mechanics are aligned perfectly resulting in a bit of a droop at the end of the seat.

og

A well placed shoe or bag under the foot rest overcomes "DSS" (droopy seat syndrome).

blutek

For photo of Skybed Mark2:
http://www.smh.com.au/travel/flight-...606-2nrdx.html

pomkiwi

Slightly OT but award seats on BA between LHR and SYD are very difficult to obtain - not sure it woud be easy to get 3 award seats in J (maybe at short notice but difficult even then).

LTN Phobia

I don't think it was meant to be droopy, but I think the design issues cause it to be droopy because the foot end is not supported by anything and people tend to put quite a bit of weight on it (e.g. when they are trying to get out of bed, for example). Even when the aircraft was practically brand new, I noticed a significant droop. You need to wedge something underneath the foot of the bed it to stop it from drooping, and don't forget to take it out before you put it upright or it can either crush the object or damage the mechanism.

Bear in mind on some days SIN is A380-operated, and and it does not go do SIN-SYD. A380 days and 747 days may be swapped around also, so I recommend not to book purely in the hope of getting one aircraft type or another when two different types operate the route.

I assume the OP is talking about a commercial RTW ticket. 3 J seats on BA LHR-SYD are extremely difficult to obtain and most flights I have been on that route have been very full or overbooked. I suspect there is not much motivation to release an award seat for the route as a result.