Help! Class choice!
 

I will be flying in from BOM (via DXB) to SFO and have to connect to LAS. With an arrival time of 1:45pm the 4:10pm departure to Vegas is ideal. I am flying Business Class on Emirates, and I am confident will be exhausted by the time I reach SFO.

Upon Landing in LAS I will be going out immediatley on a Stag Night - so need all the sleep I can get!

So... Do I book Economy Plus, or First for this small sector. Don't care about the food, just want to get on board, be left alone and sleep for that final hour.

Also, do you think that EK may check my bag all the way through to LAS? I know I will have to to the US immigration clearence, but just seems easier to take it off one belt and onto another!

Thank for any advice!

DW

If you can't normally sleep in a coach seat, I'd go for F. They are nice, big reclining seats and should provide a nice place to sleep. Note, however, that you can only have them in the reclined position for the 40 minutes or so between takeoff and landing.

Edited to add: F is usually not full on this route, so you might save a few $$ by snagging a 24 hour upgrade for $50 rather than buying it flat out. No guarantee of an F seat but this route has some good odds. Check the FAQ on how to do this.

EK will not be able to check your bag through.
It'll be really hard to sleep on such a short flight. If you really think you can get sleep, want to give yourself the best chance, and you can afford it, you definitely want to be in F. MCS (what you call Economy Plus) has the same seat width as coach, and the same recline. You get more legroom, and other stuff you don't care about. In F, you get very deep (electronically controlled) recline, massager, foot rest, etc. But like I said, I'd be surprised if you could sleep. You should also buy a pass to the Virgin Clubhouse. You can shower, and maybe catch some sleep there.

I've done LAX->SFO in F after a transpac (BNE->LAX, QF E-). It was worth it after coming off a long flight.

Since I don't want to spend your money for you and it sounds like comfort and convenience are the most important aspects of your journey, I would advise you to book in First Class for your trip. When you gather your bags following Customs & Immigration, proceed directly to the Virgin America check-in desk for First Class Guests. They will take and tag your bag and you can then purchase the Virgin Clubhouse pass. With the amount of time you have available to you, you'll be able to enjoy a really nice hot shower, some light snacks cooked to order and a lovely lounge chair that will give you some peace and quiet. The staff will alert you when it's time to board your VX flight. ENJOY!

I wonder if Emirates has any arrivals lounge access agreements? Might not need to buy the Clubhouse pass.

http://www.emirates.com/ph/English/f...e_lounges.aspx

He'd get the SFO RCC, as a EK C class customer.

http://www.loungeguide.net/wiki/u/Sa...t%27l_Terminal

While I've heard that the SFO RCC is one of the best in UA's system, VS's Clubhouse is considerably nicer- food cooked to order, top shelf drinks, shower. I've done something somewhat similar to what the OP is doing (gotten into SFO a few hours before flying a VX SFO-LAS leg and feeling pretty punked, wanting somewhere to shower and recharge), and I really enjoyed the Clubhouse. It was well worth my $40. And I did actually nap on the plane, as I recall.

The one drawback for the VS clubhouse is that it's landside- so you must reclear TSA checkpoints before boarding the SFO-LAS flight. Of course, you have to do this anyway on an international arrival anyway, but do build in a little extra time for this (I've never seen huge lines going to the International A gates at that time of day).

The SFO RCC would be even more inconvenient than the landside Clubhouse because it is in a different interenational terminal pier (G) and therefore would require the OP to clear security twice.

I did F LAX-SEA on VX after BNE-LAX in QF Y. It was only $60 more at the time of booking, so it was a no-brainer. The only problem was the long layovers that separate itineraries force on you.

Thanks for all your advise! I went for the F class in the end, figured as I could not check in all the way, it was just easier to do the F thing, as I will have bags to check etc.

So if anyone is on the 319, say Hi to the laid out sleeping guy in 1A - although i may not respond!

Thanx again