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Rank your favorite *A carriers for BUSINESS class

Rank your favorite *A carriers for BUSINESS class

Old Oct 4, 2013, 7:37 am
  #16  
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Originally Posted by Jasper2009
My apologies:

IMO = in my opinion

SAA = South African Airways
LH = Lufthansa
LX = Swiss
TK = Turkish Airlines
ET = Ethopian Airlines
AC = Air Canada
US = US Airways
UA = United Airlines
SN = Brussels Aairlines
OS = Austrian Airlines

three letter codes are airport codes (google is your friend)

767 / 787 = aircraft types



TATL = transatlantic
No worries Jasper - I knew several which I've picked up over the years but not all. I also wasn't familiar with "soft product" and "hard product".

In any case, it does look like I have several options there - hopefully I'll have the liberty to be at least somewhat picky, although by the responses in this thread it looks like I may have to take whatever I can get to redeem two awards.

Next order of business for me I think will be to figure out if I need to book something soon (I'm beginning to be concerned that post US-AA merger, I won't be able to get to Africa as easily).
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Old Oct 4, 2013, 7:43 am
  #17  
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Originally Posted by VLtone
I also wasn't familiar with "soft product" and "hard product".
Hard=seat/plane
Soft=food/service
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Old Oct 4, 2013, 2:41 pm
  #18  
 
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Originally Posted by VLtone

Next order of business for me I think will be to figure out if I need to book something soon (I'm beginning to be concerned that post US-AA merger, I won't be able to get to Africa as easily).
You will also have lost JJ by then.
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Old Oct 5, 2013, 6:43 pm
  #19  
 
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I have taken SAA from IAD-JNB and it was very good. You do not really want to end on JNB, but perhaps Cape Town. Or go north for a great safari.

Remember that US will probably be leaving Star Alliance so keep an eye on those dates and get your tickets before the turn over. If you wait for oneworld to Africa you will pay huge fuel surcharges for British Airways. You will lobe South Africa.

I have take Turkish Business product and I think it is better then LH.
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Old Oct 8, 2013, 7:14 pm
  #20  
 
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Originally Posted by Jasper2009
LX basically doesnt release any awards to *A partners. My preference would probably be SAA (full-flat beds; 2-2-2 works well when travelling together, generally very good soft product), but youre unlikely to find two award seats on the JFK/IAD-JNB flights. Chances are better ex-Europe or ex-South America.

For your TATL flight, there are plenty of options incl. AC, US, UA, SN, OS, LH. LH will probably be the easiest option to find any availability.

TK also is a feasible option: very good soft product, but hard product not the best IMO.

Another outside-the-box option would be ET via ADD. I quite liked the C product on the 787, but they only have a few of those and equipment changes happen often, so Id probably not take my chances as the 767 C product is mediocre.
Maybe Im obtuse but LX doesn't release which Awards to * Partners?
I have successfully used a SAUA through UA MileagePlus to upgrade from C to F on a ZRH-JFK recently - and I have not a week ago booked an award ticket on LX/SQ/TG ie ADL-SIN SQ C SIN-DEL SQ C DEL-ZRH LX C ZRH-TLV LX C TLV-ZRH LX C ZRH-MXP LX C MXP-BKK TG F BKK-SIN SQ C SIN-ADL SQ C for 155k miles andUS$223.07 taxes There are lots of various LX C award redemptions avaialable on UA website
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Old Oct 8, 2013, 9:17 pm
  #21  
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Originally Posted by cbourl
Maybe Im obtuse but LX doesn't release which Awards to * Partners?
I have successfully used a SAUA through UA MileagePlus to upgrade from C to F on a ZRH-JFK recently - and I have not a week ago booked an award ticket on LX/SQ/TG ie ADL-SIN SQ C SIN-DEL SQ C DEL-ZRH LX C ZRH-TLV LX C TLV-ZRH LX C ZRH-MXP LX C MXP-BKK TG F BKK-SIN SQ C SIN-ADL SQ C for 155k miles andUS$223.07 taxes There are lots of various LX C award redemptions avaialable on UA website
Congrats! Thats a nice award!

LX indeed releases plenty of award seats on short-haul flights and some awards in C to the Middle East, but they rarely release C/F awards on long-haul routes. F awards will only be available to M&M SEN/HON members effective next year and C award space on long-haul flights is pretty non-existent on TATL routes and extremely rare on any other intl route. Im actually really surprised you were able to snag DEL-ZRH in LX C.

The UA website occasionally displays phantom LX C award space that doesnt actually exist, but I dont think Ive seen LX C award space on a long-haul route in over a year.

Upgrade awards work slightly differently with LX as one can sometimes upgrade using *A mile/instruments even when no award space is available. I honestly have no clue what the alogorithm is in that case.
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Old Oct 9, 2013, 2:15 am
  #22  
 
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Originally Posted by Jasper2009
Congrats! Thats a nice award!

LX indeed releases plenty of award seats on short-haul flights and some awards in C to the Middle East, but they rarely release C/F awards on long-haul routes. F awards will only be available to M&M SEN/HON members effective next year and C award space on long-haul flights is pretty non-existent on TATL routes and extremely rare on any other intl route. Im actually really surprised you were able to snag DEL-ZRH in LX C.

The UA website occasionally displays phantom LX C award space that doesnt actually exist, but I dont think Ive seen LX C award space on a long-haul route in over a year.

Upgrade awards work slightly differently with LX as one can sometimes upgrade using *A mile/instruments even when no award space is available. I honestly have no clue what the alogorithm is in that case.
Thx yes it is a great award and I love LX C on the A330/A340 in 4A $A all the way on all the LX flights - good to have Miles and More Senator status! Go United and go Lufti Group!!!!
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Old Oct 10, 2013, 3:38 pm
  #23  
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Originally Posted by Jasper2009
LX basically doesnt release any awards to *A partners.
As someone who books awards professionally, I can tell you that this is absolutely false. They are certainly not the most generous, but I often see I and O class from east coast cities like JFK and BOS to ZRH.

LAX and SFO are much harder, but I've personally flown LAX-ZRH and return in both business and first using United miles.
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Old Oct 10, 2013, 4:05 pm
  #24  
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Originally Posted by Savvy Traveler
As someone who books awards professionally, I can tell you that this is absolutely false. They are certainly not the most generous, but I often see I and O class from east coast cities like JFK and BOS to ZRH.

LAX and SFO are much harder, but I've personally flown LAX-ZRH and return in both business and first using United miles.
Thanks for the info. Just curious: Were those US-ZRH C and F awards this year? I saw the occasional space last year, but havent seen anything on TATL routes for several months.
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Old Oct 12, 2013, 6:20 am
  #25  
 
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?

Originally Posted by Jasper2009
Thanks for the info. Just curious: Were those US-ZRH C and F awards this year? I saw the occasional space last year, but havent seen anything on TATL routes for several months.
i think this is an extremely good question worth an answer....
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Old Oct 13, 2013, 10:46 am
  #26  
 
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Originally Posted by Jasper2009:21550854
Originally Posted by VLtone
Possible to get an acronym breakdown? I'm not wearing my decoder ring and you're talking to a noob.
My apologies:

IMO = in my opinion

SAA = South African Airways
LH = Lufthansa
LX = Swiss
TK = Turkish Airlines
ET = Ethopian Airlines
AC = Air Canada
US = US Airways
UA = United Airlines
SN = Brussels Aairlines
OS = Austrian Airlines

three letter codes are airport codes (google is your friend)

767 / 787 = aircraft types



TATL = transatlantic
I'm surprised you think US>UA, which I think is pretty weak anyway.
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Old Oct 13, 2013, 1:24 pm
  #27  
 
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You know, this is not easy to rank, even within one airline.

For example, UA 777 alone has 6 versions!

http://www.united.com/web/en-US/cont...0/default.aspx

ranging from lie-flat bed to lounger. They have other aircrafts as well, not all uniform.

Difficult to compare apples to apples.
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Old Oct 13, 2013, 1:42 pm
  #28  
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Originally Posted by dcpdxtrans
I'm surprised you think US>UA, which I think is pretty weak anyway.
The above list posted by me was not a ranking. It was a response to the OPs question what the abbreviations stand for.

Regarding US vs. UA: Soft product isnt overly impressive on either airline. Regarding the hard product Id say US new C > UA new C > US old C > UA old C.
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Old Oct 15, 2013, 4:21 pm
  #29  
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Originally Posted by radiowell
You know, this is not easy to rank, even within one airline.

For example, UA 777 alone has 6 versions!
Yes, but only two long-haul seats and service levels to compare. A few of the six there do not exist anymore or will very soon be retired.

The US A330 Envoy Suite seat is very nice. I'd take that over any of the UA options for seat comfort. And then the sCO flat seat (preferably bulkhead) on the 777, 767 or 757, the sUA flat seat (777, 767, 747) then the US 767/757 options. That's just my ranking within that small pool. There are many more to consider.
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