*A C class quandry...
 

I'm off to Shanghai from NYC on May (8th) and can fly pretty much any way I want in paid C for work (I think I couldn't really go above $7.5k US for the round trip)...

So I've narrowed my choices down to Air Canada (on the 77L) or TG nonstop from JFK (can't seem to get any availability on SQ)...

So with these two options I have a problem - and that is I clearly love the look of the horizontal AC seat, but also LOVE Asian airline service/food/Bangkok.

Which would you take? (Or would you go CX via HK?)... Oh god all these options...

For a long flight like that, I'd take the flat bed.

I've taken the TG JFK-BKK flight several times. It's best feature, by far, is that it cuts hours off the trip if you're heading to Bangkok, and gets you there in late afternoon instead of midnight. But the food is hardly a selling point (meals have ranged from pretty good to inedible), and Thai cabin crews have not, in my experience, been at the same service level as some of the better Asian carriers (SQ, NH, CX). Also, flying to PVG via BKK is a *lot* of extra hours -- and miles.

The AC option is attractive if sleep and privacy are primary goals. If food and service are more important to you, you might well consider the ANA flight from JFK, then connecting in NRT to PVG. ANA offers an angled flat bed and 777 aircraft. I haven't flown in business on NH, but have flown several times up front, and it seemed that the J customers were content whenever I happened to pass through.

Another vote for the flat bed!

AC's service may not be great .. and the seat may not be the best (or biggest) flat one around... but it is still nice and horizontal!!! :D

Another plus for AC: on your way back you will go through US customs in YUL, generally much faster than in JFK.

Thanks, so good answers here - suddenly I'm thinking ANA - which I've never flown before. Feels interesting. Better than AC?

(And yes service is really important to me - talk about over-flying, I used to do this route in F on SIN via Frankfurt for the service:) )

NH is an excellent airline...it's in a completely different league from AC.

Give AC the edge for the new Business seat/bed, but NH blows AC away in terms of service and catering quality. You have to decide which is more important.

You might also consider going over on NH and enjoy the great service during the daytime flight and come back on AC to sleep on the overnight flight.

I just traveled on two long-haul ANA flights (NRT-BOM and back) on a C awards ticket and was very impressed. In fact, the service and food were better than the SQ flight to NRT, which I found surprisingly underwhelming. The NRT lounge with the noodle bar is also quite nice.

In short, I'm a big ANA fan now.

Haven't flown ANA for years now, but recently friends who have all rave about the service and food, and some have indeed claimed that it may even beat SQ

if you need to sleep, and have not flown lieflat before, id suggest flatbed on AC.

CX also has new flatbeds, but arent they much more expensive?

Of the options on the table, I'll take ANA C Class.

Question: Are you Mileage Plus? If so, and if you have miles to spare, perhaps buy the C ticket on UA, then upgrade to F class? 1.5 EQM on that flight is wonderful and F class on UA is bearable.

Add me to the list of folks who first flew with NH recently... and thoroughly enjoyed the experience....:D

Still want the flat bed on the long haul though....;)

Well, because I'm possibly out of my mind; I've now got SQ15 from SFO to ICN because of the new J class, then Korean to Shanghai - how does that get you?

Then back I've got 2 routes held either TG via BKK (because I want a massage) or AC via Toronto because it's a flat seat....?

I've flown Virgin Upper Class a lot, so know the seat well. I just have to make my own way to SFO!

I've flown United First and I think it's below bearable, it's more like con air :)

Thanks for your replies.

dont you have to overnight in seoul? i thought i just looked at that.

I know, I could do a night in Seoul, pretty much just to try the new SQ J class :)