A380 or 747 to USA?

[babysofly]

We are traveling to Washington DC later this year. We are lucky enough to be going business. We are however traveling with a toddler who struggles to fly Sydney-Melbourne. We are pretty sure he will have his own seat although he isn't yet two and we are just hoping he sleeps a little.

Our options are to fly via LA or Dallas. So, it is either SYD-LAX-JFK then onto DC (so that we get the A380 all the way from LA to New York and don't have to fly 5 hrs American Airlines LA to DC direct) - or to fly SYD-DFW-DC (IAD or DCA) on the 747.

My preference is the second option to save us a flight. But, what are the seats like on the 747 in business? It's not about me (I would be happy with any form of business!) but I am trying to imagine my toddler curled up on a sloping bed if it doesn't lie flat.

Also, he is way too heavy for the bassinet option.

Any thoughts?

 

[Hvr]

Firstly welcome to AFF, may your stay here be long and enjoyable.

Secondly, not sure how this will play into your plans but you need to know that the A380 doesn't go to New York. You will change to an A330 at LAX.

I am sure some of the travellers with children will provide you with some more ideas.

 

[rechoboam]

Tell me the dates first, I just want to ensure we are at different ends of the cabin (I have little kids too, have taken them round the world this year and this is my 5 days off) ;-)

My kids slept 12 hours on the old skybeds, they don't care about the slope at all. Take less flights, and if you are lucky they will sleep the whole way transpacific

Lastly, get him a seat. Believe me.

 

[babysofly]

Firstly welcome to AFF, may your stay here be long and enjoyable.

Secondly, not sure how this will play into your plans but you need to know that the A380 doesn't go to New York. You will change to an A330 at LAX.

I am sure some of the travellers with children will provide you with some more ideas.

A great tip, thank you. I did know you changed at LAX but I had been told by a friend it was the same type of plane. So this will support my argument that we should go for the second option - thanks.

 

[Simo]

My nearly 3 year old has mainly done short flights but she has nearly always had her own seat thanks to check in staff...You need them to have there own seat...

 

[babysofly]

Tell me the dates first, I just want to ensure we are at different ends of the cabin (I have little kids too, have taken them round the world this year and this is my 5 days off) ;-)

My kids slept 12 hours on the old skybeds, they don't care about the slope at all. Take less flights, and if you are lucky they will sleep the whole way transpacific

Lastly, get him a seat. Believe me.

Ha ha ha - fingers crossed you aren't on the plane with us! Great to hear your kids were fine on the old skybeds. I travelled on them a few years ago and have a vague memory of it being fine. But its reassuring to hear it from someone else. Thanks.

 

[rechoboam]

Transcontonental to NYC in the A330 (maybe in "j" maybe not) and a tired child having finished the long flight from SYD? Avoid. I would get the long leg over with and try to entertain from dfw with iPad etc.

Was just joking about avoiding you. I'll be in the self serve bar with the Denon headphones on so couldn't care less.

 

[harvyk]

Get him his own seat, and go via LAX and on QF107 to JFK...

All he will know is he is still seated on a plane for a long time, but on the QF options you'll have AVOD all the way (put on kids shows and you'll get some piece and quiet), if you go via DFW you'll be on an AA plane for the last leg, which will not have AVOD, and your likely to have a very upset kid who is already tired from the flight over the pacific...

 

[rechoboam]

Get him his own seat, and go via LAX and on QF107 to JFK...

All he will know is he is still seated on a plane for a long time, but on the QF options you'll have AVOD all the way (put on kids shows and you'll get some piece and quiet), if you go via DFW you'll be on an AA plane for the last leg, which will not have AVOD, and your likely to have a very upset kid who is already tired from the flight over the pacific...

OTOH that's where the iPad comes in..at that age they can watch spongebob for like forty hours straight. Then there's still the hassle of the last flight, albeit shorter. Depends on the child's personality.

 

[drron]

And if you are paying for J then on AA that will book into F-still not as good as a QF international J on a 330 but as you say 1 less flight.And a connection to be in DC by 2030.
Second.If you fly through to NYC on QF you will arrive 1715 and there is only 1 flight after that at 2100 and it is on american eagle CRJ with 1-2 seating for F.A regional jet.

 

[browski]

FWIW, I've done the flight to IAD a few times.

I like the VA flight on the 777 from SYD into LAX. You arrive at 7.30am and this leaves a comfortable connection time to catch the United Airlines flight on the quaintly-timed 10.38am flight direct to IAD. Arrive into IAD at 6.20pm. Perfect.

Depend how Qantas-centric you are, I guess.

 

[jamesatfish]

Another vote for the 747 to DFW then an AA flight to DC:

1. LAX is a nightmare. I've been first off the A380 at LAX and ended up in a 90 minute queue just for immigration, and the only time we flew into the US via LAX with our daughter (then 6 months) it took at least another 30 minutes after the immigration queue for our travel cot and stroller to be delivered to oversized baggage. DFW is a far nicer airport and I'd vote for Texan hospitality over LA attitude any day.

2. To connect to QF107's LAX-JFK leg (on the same day), you need to fly in on QF107 SYD-LAX, which is a 747 anyway. QF11 is the A380 but that doesn't land you in LAX until an hour after QF107's LAX-JFK leg departs.

3. There aren't any decent sized aircraft flying JFK-IAD/DCA/BWI, and this is a pain when travelling with young children and their associated baggage. I fly between Washington DC and New York reasonably regularly and the flights are American Eagle operated using teeny-tiny aircraft - not much fun travelling solo in F (especially as the carry-on only advantage is lost when you have to gate check everything); even less fun with a young child and associated baggage. You'll struggle to get a reasonable sized carry-on bag (the one you carefully packed with nappies, toys, bottles etc) actually onto the aircraft on those routes.

Worse, the days' flights between the two cities are operated on a shuttle basis (same aircraft/crew going back & forth) so if the first flight of the day is late, the rest of the flights get later and later.

On the other hand, flying DFW - DC gives you the option of the 757 and 738 which are both huge improvements over the ERD (Economy only) and CR7 (1-2 F that's as cramped as Economy on the 738 anyway) aircraft on the JFK - DC flights.


If you can't resist the lure of the A380, consider taking QF11 SYD-LAX then AA144 from LAX to IAD. You'll have about a 4 hour wait at LAX which is manageable if you have lounge access - which you should do regardless of status given you're arriving on an international OneWorld J flight - but you will arrive reasonably late into IAD which could cause a problem depending on how well your little one sleeps.

 

[Awesom Andy]

Given the situation, I would choose to fly the schedule rather than the aircraft type. Simply get the flights with the shortest travelling time, hopefully without having to be awake for transfers at OMG hours. I also doubt the little ones would/could truly appreciate the different aircraft types...

 

[Sprucegoose]

Consider drugs for the kid. A good doctor can advise. Plane type largely irrelevant, but if you got more distractions the better. QF IFE for starters, through DFW.

 

[Simo]

I would always do the a380 if possible

 

[serfty]

I'd do the 747 to DFW.

What is your QFF status? If high enough, you should be able to select the flat "First Class Seats (sold as Business)" in the nose.

How old is your Toddler?

 

[TonyHancock]

I'd do the 747 to DFW....if only to avoid the hell that is LAX.

 

[babysofly]

Great advice thanks everyone!

I am pretty sure I am going to go DFW.

I haven't been to DFW before, but I can't imagine it could be any more chaotic than LAX and stopping just once is very appealing. I think you are all right about the difference in aircraft not being significant and going on AA for 2hrs 40 isn't all that awful, compared with 5hrs from LA anyway!