SFO to SYD. Best Business Class Experience?
May 16, 2018, 1:43 pm
#16
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 4,449
I understand not wanting to give UA your money but are you really willing to give up 75k RDMs (let's say $7k after taxes x 11 1K MQM bonus and the 75k cap)? The VA option gives you ~31.2k SkyPesos (15.6k in total distance at 200% RDMs for a J ticket).
If you were a DL person, I'd say the VA option is the easy one. It nets 40% MQDs which puts you at $6240 (aka enough for DL Gold off one trip) but presumably you don't have the 50k MQMs that you'd need to go with that (you'd likely net 150% MQMs so 23.4k).
31.2k SkyPesos gets you a OW Y TATL flight or a perhaps a OW domestic F ticket if you hit the right timing vs. 75k additional UA miles gives you a OW TATL J ticket or a OW TPAC J ticket (or nearly if you are using partners).
It sucks to give the dollars to United but if it were me, I'd rather just suck it up because of the higher ROI.
I'm surprised that NH requires a change of airport. You should be able to go SFO - HND - SYD but maybe United isn't willing to sell that since it competes with their SFO - SYD flight (you'd have to fly United on SFO - HND and then connect to NH for HND - SYD with a long layover at HND).
If you were a DL person, I'd say the VA option is the easy one. It nets 40% MQDs which puts you at $6240 (aka enough for DL Gold off one trip) but presumably you don't have the 50k MQMs that you'd need to go with that (you'd likely net 150% MQMs so 23.4k).
31.2k SkyPesos gets you a OW Y TATL flight or a perhaps a OW domestic F ticket if you hit the right timing vs. 75k additional UA miles gives you a OW TATL J ticket or a OW TPAC J ticket (or nearly if you are using partners).
It sucks to give the dollars to United but if it were me, I'd rather just suck it up because of the higher ROI.
I'm surprised that NH requires a change of airport. You should be able to go SFO - HND - SYD but maybe United isn't willing to sell that since it competes with their SFO - SYD flight (you'd have to fly United on SFO - HND and then connect to NH for HND - SYD with a long layover at HND).
May 16, 2018, 1:58 pm
#17
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: DL PM, MR Titanium/LTP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,130
Thank you for the opinion. Yes, but I don't need any more United Miles. I am already cleared for 1k with my crazy traveling, and 1K is near useless these days. I almost never get upgraded as a 1k, despite using GPU/RPU/ or whatever the PU's you can think of. 1K is near useless, so I am done playing the frequent flier game. I couldn't care less about the stupid frequent flier programs any more; they are just a stupid game that these airlines set up. I just want a nice product and a nice experience, especially since I am not paying the full priced airfare.
May 16, 2018, 10:44 pm
#18
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Bay Area, CA
Programs: AS 75K, Marriott Gold, SPG Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 80
Thank you! There seems to be some great love of ANZ's product on this forum but I just cant get over the herringbone product. I mean who wants to stare at someone else the whole flight. Plus anyone in the aisle can see everyone. It doesn't make any sense to me.
May 17, 2018, 7:13 am
#19
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Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM SK EBG LATAM BL
Posts: 23,305
Actually far more private than United's set up
May 17, 2018, 2:25 pm
#20
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: NY Metro Area
Programs: AA 2MM Yay!, UA MM, Costco General Member
Posts: 49,038
I think you are emphasizing the wrong thing. I have flown LAX to either MEL or SYD a few times. Mostly on UA747s and once on a Qantas 747 or 777. But the one that was really different was the Qantas A380. And I wasn't even in business but in premium economy. In fact on that trip I went to Australia on the A380 and back on the 747. The difference was night and day. When I landed in Australia I was literally thinking, I don't feel like crap like I usually do on a flight this long. The newer generation of planes have better pressurization systems and I think moisture and air circulation systems as well. Take the UA787. On a flight that long it matters.
May 18, 2018, 6:17 am
#21
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: DL PM, MR Titanium/LTP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,130
One other option I don't see anywhere:
SFO - MEL - SYD on QF
Would give you 1-2-1 on the new 787 for the long hop. However, it's not a daily flight so might not work for you
SFO - MEL - SYD on QF
Would give you 1-2-1 on the new 787 for the long hop. However, it's not a daily flight so might not work for you
May 20, 2018, 10:25 am
#23
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 4,449
I am so surprised that given the amount of wealth and money in the San Francisco bay area, neither Qantas nor UA want to put in their best product on flights to SYD. They still use their crappy old products and charge $8000 for the flight.
May 20, 2018, 10:27 am
#24
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 4,449
I agree. plus, it's so narrow and seems like a coffin
May 20, 2018, 10:30 am
#25
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 4,449
I agree. However, one is continually staring at other people's feet. Some people take their socks off, and it's quite nasty. Plus, I don't like the "coffin-like" experience.
May 20, 2018, 12:55 pm
#26
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Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: NY Metro Area
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Posts: 49,038
Awesome. Thank you. This is a great suggestion that I hadn't thought of!!
I am so surprised that given the amount of wealth and money in the San Francisco bay area, neither Qantas nor UA want to put in their best product on flights to SYD. They still use their crappy old products and charge $8000 for the flight.
I am so surprised that given the amount of wealth and money in the San Francisco bay area, neither Qantas nor UA want to put in their best product on flights to SYD. They still use their crappy old products and charge $8000 for the flight.
May 21, 2018, 9:46 pm
#27
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 4,449
If that schedule works for you it is a great option since it's a 787. Really, focusing on seating arrangements on a flight this long is like the proverbial "rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic". The differences in seating are trivial compared to the cabin environment in the current generation of planes like 787s of A380s.
May 23, 2018, 1:33 am
#28
Join Date: Jan 2018
Programs: Delta Silver Medallion, United MileagePlus Silver
Posts: 18
I've not done 1 and 3 (except SFO-SIN with the 2-2-2 configuration, which was unacceptable) but have taken VA SFO-SYD multiple times and cannot recommend it highly enough. Good food, great seat, much better privacy than the 2-2-2, and to top it off, the bar is small but magnificent.
May 23, 2018, 8:24 am
#29
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 4,449
I've not done 1 and 3 (except SFO-SIN with the 2-2-2 configuration, which was unacceptable) but have taken VA SFO-SYD multiple times and cannot recommend it highly enough. Good food, great seat, much better privacy than the 2-2-2, and to top it off, the bar is small but magnificent.