fireflyreaction

hello everyone

i have to make a decision in a few hours and i was hoping some of you could put in some last minute advice:

in january, i can fly either YYZ-LHR-NRT-SYD with a 12 hour layover in tokyo (YYZ-LHR-NRT in BA J class and NRT-SYD in QF J)

or

YYZ-LAX-SYD on QF J class.

i want to make the decision based purely on level of service and/or comfort. plus i have to admit a free lookaround in tokyo would probably be interesting.

cheers
ffrxn

(crossposted to BA and QF forums)

number_6

Easy choice -- much nicer via NRT. Of course it takes about 2 days longer for the trip. The planes are likely to be much less full than via LAX which helps. And Tokyo is a wonderful city for a 12 hour stopover. There is even a public Japanese bath in Narita City (near the airport) which offers sleeping space by the hour if you need a nap.

fireflyreaction

hrm..interesting you should say that - i'm getting mixed opinions.

some are saying there is great value in the flat seats. i've flown cathay's new business class several times and i can't sleep in that 150° position - for me it has to be 180° flat or nothing.

do you think a whirlwind tour of tokyo is possible in a little under 12 hours?

also - since it says your QF platinum, you must have some experience on QF. do you think the BA option is better because of their class of service?

cheers
firefly

QF WP

fireflyreaction, I agree with number_6 (how unusual ), IMHO the BA J (Club World) seats are far and away better than QF J seats.

Likewise, I would rather use BA service (until QF have installed their new seats), because it is unlikely that the new seats would be installed on the NRT/SYD ruote (according to previous reports). Plus, stopping in NRT I'd be able to practice my poor Japanese on some unsuspecting CSA...

number_6

Ignoring the seats, BA and QF are fairly similar with QF having better food and BA having better service (QF is a bit erratic in its service, can be very good on some flights). The BA J seat is superb (but I've only used it once, I don't usually fly J on BA) -- and BA is refusing to let any other airline use it (not even QF, and they own close to 25% of QF). Flying via LHR and NRT is a huge detour, but if you have the time and the inclination (and cost is about the same) it is worth doing. Each of the flight legs is better than via LAX, the lounges are much better than via LAX. I've had several 20 hour visits to Tokyo and it is quite viable and enjoyable. More so than most cities. You do have to do your homework to be able to get around in Tokyo on your own, though (luckily that is easy now with the web). I'm surprised you aren't routing NRT-HKG-SYD on CX (to complete the routing madness). I've done SJC-NRT-HKG-SYD and it is a nice trip (but I had to be in Tokyo and Sydney with a spare day in between).

number_6

I was curious how these routings could be equivalent choices (presuming you are using an AA award), and they are indeed similar cost! The QF YYZ-SYD award is 125K AAdvantage miles in J, while the Oneworld award is 130K. If you have the time, I highly recommend going YYZ-LHR-NRT-HKG-SYD with another <1 day transit in HKG. There should be plenty of CX inventory available NRT-HKG, and from HKG there are lots of flights to SYD (twice a day on CX, 1 or more on QF, and you could also route via MEL, PER, AKL, etc and complete it on QF). The AA award structure continues to amaze me (sometimes it is very generous).

fireflyreaction

you have me figured out! (how?!?!?!)

in fact, i have to give credit to my dad who came up with the 130K award idea. i still don't believe him and i'm going to the AA office in SYD today to complete ticketing. (i thought the 130K reward was only one way! i still don't totally understand what all the in's-and-out's are of it)

i may or may not go through HKG - i've already had the pleasure of going through there twice YYZ-SYD when CX had that award, but now that it's two awards, there's no way i'm going through HKG using the AA award. i'll check on availability as well.

on this oneworld 130k award, do i have to go back home to YYZ using the same route? if not, any suggestions?

cheers (and thanks for all the help!)
ffrxn

AshleyF

I have to say that the NRT to Syd leg in J would probably spoil the travel experience.
If I had the choice of F lot of LAX that would be my first choice. You get into Syd with a good 7-10 hours sleep under your belt.
The BA seats are so much better than the old J class from NRT that there is no comparison.

You could always go LHR/BGK/SYD? on BA. Then go back to YYZ via lax IN f?

fireflyreaction

no F award - i was going to do it, but then realized it was 180 for the one world award - no comparison to the QF 140 award for the "all partner award". i'm probably going to do the all partner qantas flight in first in 2005.

but now i've thrown luck to the wind and decided on the YYZ-LHR-NRT-SYD routing with a nice straight return SYD-LAX-YYZ home.

these BA seats better be good!

QF WP

fireflyreaction, I doubt you'll be disappointed! BA certainly have it on J seating over QF as well as less variable service, but as number_6 said, QF have it on service.

(Edited to correct my comment)

[This message has been edited by QF WP (edited 10-21-2003).]

fireflyreaction

colour me excited!

can i make sure i seat forward? i hate sitting backwards on a bus and if i had to sit backwards on a flight, i might just have to use the little bag infront of me!

QF WP

Then use Check My Trip to view what seat you currently have been allocated and what else are available.

You can also use BA's On Line Check In (which if you are a BA EC member gives you check-in from 24 hours beforehand, if just signed up to OLCI it gives you 12 hours beforehand).

I was in 13F on a BA 747-400, facing backwards, but do the seatmaps show which face backwards??

(Edited to correct UBB)

[This message has been edited by QF WP (edited 10-22-2003).]

Leumas

Don't think so, but you can always go to BA's site and have a look at the map there. There's also www.seatexpert.com...

(Stupid UBB/stupid user...)

[This message has been edited by Leumas (edited 10-22-2003).]

Globaliser

I found it funny that for this, not even airliners.net was able to supply a pictorial answer.

Dave Noble

I was in 13F on a BA 747-400, facing backwards, but do the seatmaps show which face backwards??

They do. The aisle seats face forwards, all others face backwards

Dave