Dave Noble said:
NM said:
I will take any QF 767 over a 737 in economy.
I'd agree there but I would take a Crash 8 over a 767
Dave
Not to Perth from the East Coast :wink: . Not sure how many routes give the choice of 767 or DHC8

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Booked some award flights last night for the family and ended up choosing 73H for them on the return PER-SYD-BNE since the only options for business class were red-eyes via CBR, CNS or MEL and there was a distinct preference for day flights. So for about the same points as 2 x J awards non-stop PER-BNE, I booked 3 x Y awards PER-SYD-BNE all on 73H. That way they should get 3 seats together for Mrs NM + 11 year-old Master NM + 1 yo baby NM. None is in need of the extra legroom.
They are not going to get exit rows with the Minis, so in that case the schedule became the driving force rather than the aircraft type. In fact, she could not understand why I keep mentioning the aircraft type when discussing the options - all she was interested in was the departure and arrival times and the duration of the connection

. Oh to be so unaware of the finer points of the travel experience

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Outbound is BNE-ADL-PER in J, again on 73H, but only two seats. Of course, by booking three seats for the return, I had to pay 3 x taxes/charges for the multi-segment routing. But for $400 she gets a week with her sister and takes Master NM and bub with her, so not bad value. And she actually gets to exercise her shiny new Gold FF card for lounge access in BNE, ADL, PER and SYD.
I will keep watching for U becoming available on the non-stop daytime service, and am willing to eat the 5000 points cost to cancel and rebook if necessary. Another advantage of making the reservation as two one-way itineraries (which was needed to book 2 x J outbound and 3 x Y inbound anyway). The saving in taxes/charges will offset the 2000 points it will cost. But the non-stops seem to have changed from A332 last year to 73H now - same seats in J, but no bassinet for bub to sleep on the 73H.