Cathay or Qantas J to the USA?? And QF B747 or A380?

[kirstyoz]

Hi everyone

I am planning to travel to the USA next year booking J with QF award points about the second week in September 2014 for myself and hubby. I have my points and have been looking at the newly released QF award bookings to get a feel for the likely available routes from Perth - LAX.

It looks likely that I will have the choice between travelling J on Qantas or Cathay. I travelled Cathay Chicago-HK J last year and it was very good but I haven't travelled J on a QF international flight before so I don't know what would be better to chose? Certainly the meals on Qantas look brilliant although I couldn't fault what I had with Cathay last year.

Question 1: So which is the better J product for a trip into LAX, Cathay or Qantas? Not a great deal of difference in terms of timing etc.

On the way back we'll travel QF J using AAdvantage miles (pending availability) so given we will likely get to travel QF on the way back maybe we should go Cathay on the way out and do a direct comparison?

Question 2: When we do travel QF whether it is once or twice, we'll have the choice (again pending availability) of the A380 and the B747 going into/ coming out of LAX - does anyone have any advice either way on the pros and cons of either?

Any and all advice is appreciated.

 

[Mwenenzi]

Book what ever is availabile. You may not have choice. Very hard to get 2 J award flights on QF
With AA miles you are limited to 330 days out. With QF points 355 days out

As you are in Perth also consider Malaysian MH & Qatar QR (soon to join OneWorld)

If you see 2 seats just book them quick, before some else does:- J awards do not last
Simple to cancel if you need to later

 

[QF029]

Keep in mind that using CX usually costs slightly more points than Qantas (at least from Melbourne).

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Hi everyone

I am planning to travel to the USA next year booking J with QF award points about the second week in September 2014 for myself and hubby. I have my points and have been looking at the newly released QF award bookings to get a feel for the likely available routes from Perth - LAX.

It looks likely that I will have the choice between travelling J on Qantas or Cathay. I travelled Cathay Chicago-HK J last year and it was very good but I haven't travelled J on a QF international flight before so I don't know what would be better to chose? Certainly the meals on Qantas look brilliant although I couldn't fault what I had with Cathay last year.

Question 1: So which is the better J product for a trip into LAX, Cathay or Qantas? Not a great deal of difference in terms of timing etc.

On the way back we'll travel QF J using AAdvantage miles (pending availability) so given we will likely get to travel QF on the way back maybe we should go Cathay on the way out and do a direct comparison?

Question 2: When we do travel QF whether it is once or twice, we'll have the choice (again pending availability) of the A380 and the B747 going into/ coming out of LAX - does anyone have any advice either way on the pros and cons of either?

Any and all advice is appreciated.

from Perth, if the flight timing is much the same... take CX! at least you know what you're gonna get! what if qantas substitutes a 747 for an a380? that's 14 hours of misery on an angled sloping bed. at least with CX it's guaranteed flat bed all the way.

qantas meals look brilliant, and sometimes match up. cx meals never push the envelope, but are never 'bad'.

qantas has better wines.

you don't say your elite status level, but if you are limited to business class lounges, then those of cathay during your transit in HKG are far superior to any qantas business class lounge in australia if you have to transit sydney or Melbourne.

but who would risk having a bad qantas crew totally ruin your journey? (which unfortunately happens quite a lot of the time).

the risk of a bad crew on qantas is significant. so a warning again that your perfect holiday could be brought to a shuddering halt by flying qf on the way back! but... if you have to brave them, the a380 is better with it's full flat beds in business.

 

[adrian]

CX................

 

[RooFlyer]

Have done both in past 8 months and I'd say go CX from PER. As others have said, timing is not much different and you may not get the A380 on QF.

 

[knightman7]

CX without question. Superior hard and soft product to QF J IMO. 777 seat HKG to LAX is streets ahead of MK 2 skybed.

 

[Timsboot]

Cathay is better at
- seat - I like the size and privacy of their herringbone seats.
- service especially on a long flight. At its best QF has amazing service but crew variability is legendary. Especially the case on a long flight. God forbid on a QF flight if you ask for something to eat or drink when a cranky crew believes it is break time. CX staff are always responsive
- entertainment system. So much more to choose on CX and much faster system. I once watched a whole season of 24 during a flight to the US and back


QF better at
- food and wine. Much better. CX still serve all the food from a silver service style open trolley. Means that you can end up with food that is a little colder or has been sitting a little longer than you'd like. QF have a fantastic menu and serve individually. That said, the "second plate" QF plan is not working,
- sitting together - the herringbone CX set up means you are not really sitting next to someone. If you want to really travel together and share wine, movies, talk etc then QF seats are better set up for that




if cost, schedule, miles etc are equal I choose CX over QF

 

[k3nnis]

I would definitely say CX from PER. If from SYD I will risk it and go QF J

 

[katiebell]

Cathay. Why suffer QF dom J when you can go international all the way. Also, the transfer between international and dometic terminals in SYD is dire. Once booked a BA trip because of free upgrade to F: it wasa fantastic trip until I had to transfer to dom in SYD.

If at all possible fly international from your home port

Good luck getting seats

 

[cirqueboy]

Go with CX. If it doesn't make too much of a difference to you, try doing HKG-SFO instead of LAX. You'll get a 747 instead of the 777 and a much nicer experience when you arrive at SFO compared to LAX.

Yes it does take longer but if schedule is not an issue for you then the CX experience in J through SFO and HKG is so much more nicer than the QF J experience through LAX.

 

[amaroo]

+ 1 with CX

 

[Paddy55]

+ 1 with CX

Ditto... for all the reasons given.

 

[speed]

CX,,,, just for the copious amounts of "cloud nine" that you could drink...

 

[craven morehead]

Ditto... for all the reasons given.

Double Ditto :mrgreen:

 

[cosi]

+1 for CX

Bed is brillant