Best First to Bali?
Sep 20, 2009 | 11:07 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Posts: 98
Best First to Bali?
Hello all,
Wanted to get some feedback from those who have sampled the various First class options to Asia on *A. I am hoping to get to Bali late next year, and will attempt to use miles to do so. This probably rules out Singapore completely, many have posted they aren't releasing first class for *A miles.
Although I do appreciate great service, I have back problems and for me the most important aspect is the comfort of the seat. Especially once in bed position. What I have found is the width of the seat makes the biggest difference as I am not especially tall and like to wiggle around.
With that being said, I am trying to figure out which is the best option among NH, UA, TG and OZ. OZ and TG's first seats look a bit narrow compared to the other two. Does this seem accurate? Seat guru puts them at 20in.
Clearly the service on UA is not always great, but the new first seat is listed at 31in. wide. which seems quite good. NH is listed at 33 which is wonderful
My hunch is I should shoot for either NH or UA. Any thoughts?
Wanted to get some feedback from those who have sampled the various First class options to Asia on *A. I am hoping to get to Bali late next year, and will attempt to use miles to do so. This probably rules out Singapore completely, many have posted they aren't releasing first class for *A miles.
Although I do appreciate great service, I have back problems and for me the most important aspect is the comfort of the seat. Especially once in bed position. What I have found is the width of the seat makes the biggest difference as I am not especially tall and like to wiggle around.
With that being said, I am trying to figure out which is the best option among NH, UA, TG and OZ. OZ and TG's first seats look a bit narrow compared to the other two. Does this seem accurate? Seat guru puts them at 20in.
Clearly the service on UA is not always great, but the new first seat is listed at 31in. wide. which seems quite good. NH is listed at 33 which is wonderful
My hunch is I should shoot for either NH or UA. Any thoughts?
Sep 20, 2009 | 1:47 pm
#2
Moderator, Hilton Honors
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: on a short leash
Programs: some
Posts: 71,445
There is no first class to DPS. The best you can do is F to SIN or BKK. For new products (eg UA, TG, OZ) be sure to check the equipment actually flies the route(s) you are looking at.
Sep 20, 2009 | 5:15 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: DCA
Programs: AMC MovieWatcher, Giant BonusCard, Petco PALS Card, Silver Diner Blue Plate Club
Posts: 22,314
From CMH, your absolute best bet IMHO -- if you're flying say December through March -- would be ORD-NRT (NH F) - BKK (TG F) - DPS (TG C).
NH offers a decent amount of F award inventory on the ORD route in particular but only during what's more or less the Northern Hemisphere winter. They offer a lovely first class, though it's surprisingly dated in some ways. The AVOD is improved, and despite some claims of cutbacks I find the food to be absolutely fabulous.
ex-NRT though your best bet is going to be TG F. Probably looking at a forced overnight though, as the BKK-DPS flight departs early a.m.
SQ has the most *A lift into DPS, but award seats are hard to come by. Three flights a day but rarely any C awards and only occasionally Y during busier seasons. But those do allow for more convenient connections.
I'd definitely skip UA if I could avoid it, the new seats are good (though a bit cheap feeling) and the AVOD is good as well. But the service, food, and amenities are sorely lacking.
That said, why not attempt to compare, fly transpac on NH and then connect to UA? Or do UA one direction and NH the other?
OZ is nice -- the food and amenities in particular, though don't wash the PJs in hot water because they will shrink to almost nothing! But the seat in their new F is not a 'suite' in the truest sense, it's more akin to the TG seat. And it isn't 100% flat, more like 95% with a bit of a kink or bump to it. Still, a very nice product and award availability is very good --- LAX-ICN it's almost always availability and ORD-ICN and JFK-ICN availability isn't bad.
TG isn't an option for F on your transpac, by the way.
Another thing to consider is routing via the Atlantic. There your options for 'special' are a little broader, eg you could fly JFK-IST-BKK in the TK F (suites w/ doors) and connect to TG C to DPS.... or JFK-ZRH in the new Swiss First, connecting on to BKK in TG F perhaps (or LX old F, long layover).
Of course you don't tell us whose miles you're using. Availability across the Atlantic is generally excellent on LX,LH, and TK. TG F is incredibly available LHR/CDG/MUC-BKK, less so for FRA/ZRH-BKK, and I don't keep up as much on the other routes. But if you're trying to use United miles they almost invariably block you from redeeming Europe - Bangkok on Thai.
NH offers a decent amount of F award inventory on the ORD route in particular but only during what's more or less the Northern Hemisphere winter. They offer a lovely first class, though it's surprisingly dated in some ways. The AVOD is improved, and despite some claims of cutbacks I find the food to be absolutely fabulous.
ex-NRT though your best bet is going to be TG F. Probably looking at a forced overnight though, as the BKK-DPS flight departs early a.m.
SQ has the most *A lift into DPS, but award seats are hard to come by. Three flights a day but rarely any C awards and only occasionally Y during busier seasons. But those do allow for more convenient connections.
I'd definitely skip UA if I could avoid it, the new seats are good (though a bit cheap feeling) and the AVOD is good as well. But the service, food, and amenities are sorely lacking.
That said, why not attempt to compare, fly transpac on NH and then connect to UA? Or do UA one direction and NH the other?
OZ is nice -- the food and amenities in particular, though don't wash the PJs in hot water because they will shrink to almost nothing! But the seat in their new F is not a 'suite' in the truest sense, it's more akin to the TG seat. And it isn't 100% flat, more like 95% with a bit of a kink or bump to it. Still, a very nice product and award availability is very good --- LAX-ICN it's almost always availability and ORD-ICN and JFK-ICN availability isn't bad.
TG isn't an option for F on your transpac, by the way.
Another thing to consider is routing via the Atlantic. There your options for 'special' are a little broader, eg you could fly JFK-IST-BKK in the TK F (suites w/ doors) and connect to TG C to DPS.... or JFK-ZRH in the new Swiss First, connecting on to BKK in TG F perhaps (or LX old F, long layover).
Of course you don't tell us whose miles you're using. Availability across the Atlantic is generally excellent on LX,LH, and TK. TG F is incredibly available LHR/CDG/MUC-BKK, less so for FRA/ZRH-BKK, and I don't keep up as much on the other routes. But if you're trying to use United miles they almost invariably block you from redeeming Europe - Bangkok on Thai.
Sep 20, 2009 | 6:03 pm
#4
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Stuck on this planet - mainly in STR and LAX
Posts: 5,032
NH F and OZ F have great seats. TG F is more like LH F, a bit smaller and less privacy, but good enough.
I personally did not like the new SQ F (on the 777) too much. Lots of space, great flat surface to sleep. But you need to get up, fold the backrest of the seat forward to make the bed. There is no 'in between' position between sitting and flat. Sitting and watching TV is uncomfortable in the Bed position. And watching TV is also uncomfortable in the sit up configuration, because the back does not recline enough.
UA F (the new one, don't even want to talk of the old one) is the smalles of all seats, Food is more what you expect in Business and Service is the typical UA miss and hit.
I personally did not like the new SQ F (on the 777) too much. Lots of space, great flat surface to sleep. But you need to get up, fold the backrest of the seat forward to make the bed. There is no 'in between' position between sitting and flat. Sitting and watching TV is uncomfortable in the Bed position. And watching TV is also uncomfortable in the sit up configuration, because the back does not recline enough.
UA F (the new one, don't even want to talk of the old one) is the smalles of all seats, Food is more what you expect in Business and Service is the typical UA miss and hit.