KF vs VA points

[Cruiser Elite]

SQ's biggest problem is their inconsistency of their J product. Either very good or really cough.

Feel free to enlighten us as to SQ's really cough J service - cause in way over 100 SQ J sectors over last 5 years I have NEVER had a really cough experience. I have had 2 meal choices in that time that were IMHO inedible - 1 being totally over fatty pork belly MNL-SIN about 4yrs ago and some disgusting soupy swill SIN-MEL only a month ago - but they were only main courses - and they swapped for different choices both occasions - rest was fine - still never experienced better service on any airline than SQ but still really keen to hear how you can say their J product can be really cough.

 

[civinod]

Feel free to enlighten us as to SQ's really cough J service - cause in way over 100 SQ J sectors over last 5 years I have NEVER had a really cough experience. I have had 2 meal choices in that time that were IMHO inedible - 1 being totally over fatty pork belly MNL-SIN about 4yrs ago and some disgusting soupy swill SIN-MEL only a month ago - but they were only main courses - and they swapped for different choices both occasions - rest was fine - still never experienced better service on any airline than SQ but still really keen to hear how you can say their J product can be really cough.

CANNOT AGREE MORE

SQ would have to be the most consistent top end performer.

I would certainly admit the services that are not A380 or 777 300ER are not the same hard product but the service is ALWAYS spot on.

Love to hear about the " really cough J service"

 

[VAG newbie]

CANNOT AGREE MORE

SQ would have to be the most consistent top end performer.

I would certainly admit the services that are not A380 or 777 300ER are not the same hard product but the service is ALWAYS spot on.

Love to hear about the " really cough J service"

I meant the hard product, not soft service. Jack already commented he got an old 777 regional recliner that's same as QF domestic J to replace A380 fully lie flat. Isn't that inconsistent? Isn't that cough for an international J product? The only international long haul hard product I can think of that gives you recliner is Jetstar or scoot, not from a well established 5 star airline such as SQ. For most other airline such recliner is only considered PE, not J.

Please read my comment carefully. I said "product", not service. But again, I'm not the victim, Jack is. My gripe with SQ would be they charge the same or more for A330 ex-BNE as A380/77W ex-SYD/MEL, when the J hard product is clearly not the same. But at least I haven't come across recliner.

 

[civinod]

Hi VAG

I do agree that the hard product they offer in the older 777's is sub par and I would never ever book those flights.

As far as the rest I put them at No.1.

Suites using points is a bargain.

 

[VAG newbie]

Hi VAG

I do agree that the hard product they offer in the older 777's is sub par and I would never ever book those flights.

As far as the rest I put them at No.1.

Suites using points is a bargain.

Fully agree.

To clarify, I am a big SQ fan! I have no hesitation to recommend SQ especially their services. If you read my previous posts with Jack, I actually told him what a waste to use his KF points to redeem UA flights, when he could've redeem SQ for less!

It is just such a shame that for such a premium airline (and the price they charge) they have so many different grades of J HARD products. Ranging from the almost First Class new business class on the 77W (One day! I will try one of those, that's my goal!), to the still very good A380 business class, to the sub-par angled lie-flat and to the coughpy old recliner! As I said, they are not as bad as TG, so you are at least 98% certain you are getting what you paid for, either with cash or points. But imagine you end up with recliner when you paid for A380 product!

I wish they will get rid of all the recliners and even the angled lie flat. If CX can do it, why can't SQ? That's why I think it is their "biggest" problem because they have no problems elsewhere.

The reason I posted this topic is to be as objective as possible and be fair to velocity. It is not as worthless as we think. But I am not a VA fan, my user name VAG newbie has nothing to do with Virgin Group. I actually fly Qantas a lot more than VA! (I am an elite member with Qantas, but cough member with VA. My sc YTD with VA is only 60!). I used to think Velocity points were useless but I am revisiting it from another angle, and I believe I will collect more VA points than QF from now on.

The VAG is actually stands for Volkswagen Auto Group, my user name from the VW forum. I recently bought a new VAG car, so I am a newbie to German cars! I just used it here as well......

 

[Jack_OC]

Fully agree.

To clarify, I am a big SQ fan! I have no hesitation to recommend SQ especially their services. If you read my previous posts with Jack, I actually told him what a waste to use his KF points to redeem UA flights, when he could've redeem SQ for less!

I'm a huge SQ fan too- all things considered it's my favourite airline. That was the point I was making by mentioning that terrible one-off experience I had with SQ - things go wrong sometimes, even with the best airlines.

If I had a straight choice of SQ vs UA on the same route, it would of course be an absolute no brainer. But the problem is, with SQ it's 2 stops in 30-40 hrs, whereas with UA it's direct in 14 hrs. In any case, it seems UA is unlikely to be an option due to limited availability, so it's a moot point.

 

[JohnK]

Wow! Either you fly a lot or you are really unlucky. Lost luggage happen but certainly not common.

I agree s**t happens. I guess what matters is how each airline compensate you.

A bit of both. I fly a lot and I am very unlucky.

Delayed baggage more times than I care to remember, delayed flights were a weekly occurrence, taking 9 hours to get from home in SYD to apartment in Brisbane via OOL during the wild storms last year. Can't do much about it. It has been quiet recently so hoping that trend continues.

Think that's about as good as any airlines can reimburse you. If you are famous like Ben from One Mile at a Time, they might compensate you more. I was once on a UA flight that was overbooked, so I was forced to go on the next flight. They offered $300 UA credit as a compensation. For me it was useless as the voucher expires in 1 year and I had no plan to fly UA within the next year. I tried to ask for a meal voucher instead of the $300 credit so at least I can have some coffee or food while I wait. No luck. They say either take it or shove it.

That is very disappointing to hear. Aren't they supposed to offer money as compensation in the USA?

 

[VAG newbie]

A bit of both. I fly a lot and I am very unlucky.

Around the same time (early Oct) I was on a trip to Toronto via Tokyo. On my way to Tokyo, it was hit by Typhoon Phanphone, I had to rearrange the flight to a day earlier so I can be sure to be physically in Tokyo to be ready to catch the flight to Toronto. But I was stuck in the hotel for 1 day cuz of typhoon.

I left Toronto a week later, another typhoon (Vongfong) was heading towards Tokyo. The return leg was on AC and NH transiting in LAX. The NH flight departing LAX was put forward because of the typhoon. I only had 2hr layover so I really hoped the AC flight wouldn't delay. Well, it departed on time and we were right on schedule. Then a fellow passenger collapsed in the lavatory and needed urgent medical attention! Fortunately we didn't have to make an emergency landing at an alternative airport but we had to wait for the paramedics to come onboard to escort that passenger before we were allowed to disembark! Thank goodness for the preclearance in YYZ so at least I didn't have to collect my baggage and go through US custom. But the transit was really tight!

I stopped over in Tokyo overnight and was heading back to BNE via SYD on QF! Well, another storm struck SYD so my incoming flight from SYD delayed for 18 hrs!

I guess we all have our runs of bad lucks.

BTW, I've got a ski trip planned to Hakuba this coming Feb, and I just learned Hakuba has been struck by earthquake! Let's hope the damage isn't too big.

That is very disappointing to hear. Aren't they supposed to offer money as compensation in the USA?

well, the did offer the $300 UA credit which was useless to me tho.

 

[JohnK]

I guess we all have our runs of bad lucks.

Some of us have a longer run that others.

well, the did offer the $300 UA credit which was useless to me tho.

I thought it had to be cash. Vouchers would be useless to me as well.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

I was once booked on SQ's A380 in J on an overnight flight from SIN-MEL, when they had to replace the aircraft with an old plane kitted out for short haul regional flights - the J seats were just recliners like QF domestic J

Jack how long ago was this sub? The plane you did fly on - very old blue cloth J seats or the new mustrard coloured leather Weber regional J product?

I'm a huge SQ fan too- all things considered it's my favourite airline. That was the point I was making by mentioning that terrible one-off experience I had with SQ - things go wrong sometimes, even with the best airlines.

YES every airline at some times is faced with the dilemma - sub a plane or cancel / delay flt until original metal can fly.

Jack already commented he got an old 777 regional recliner that's same as QF domestic J to replace A380 fully lie flat. Isn't that inconsistent? Isn't that cough for an international J product?

Disappointing YES - cough maybe NOT - and you are citing one metal sub experience by one pax to classify SQ's J as inconsistent and cough. You don't think that is a bit over the top? Maybe Jack can shed some more light here. I have had subs on SQ where hard product was clearly well below original booking - it can and does happen - anybody with much flying experience knows this can happen to them at anytime.

 

[Jack_OC]

Jack how long ago was this sub? The plane you did fly on - very old blue cloth J seats or the new mustrard coloured leather Weber regional J product?

I think it was 2010 or 2011. The plane I ended up on had very old blue cloth seats.

YES every airline at some times is faced with the dilemma - sub a plane or cancel / delay flt until original metal can fly.Disappointing YES - cough maybe NOT - and you are citing one metal sub experience by one pax to classify SQ's J as inconsistent and cough. You don't think that is a bit over the top? Maybe Jack can shed some more light here. I have had subs on SQ where hard product was clearly well below original booking - it can and does happen - anybody with much flying experience knows this can happen to them at anytime.

Although I didn't actually use the word "cough" to describe my experience, I have to say that would be a fair description! It was an overnight flight, and I had to go straight into work the following morning. As such, it really was very important to me that I had a reasonable chance of getting a decent sleep, and the extremely poor hard product scuppered that. The in flight service was of course up to the usual high standard, but to be quite honest, that was more or less irrelevant to me on that occasion.

Anyway, I wasn't attempting to suggest this was a regular occurrence with SQ or that their J product should be judged on the basis of this experience - quite the opposite actually.

 

[VAG newbie]

Disappointing YES - cough maybe NOT - and you are citing one metal sub experience by one pax to classify SQ's J as inconsistent and cough. You don't think that is a bit over the top? Maybe Jack can shed some more light here. I have had subs on SQ where hard product was clearly well below original booking - it can and does happen - anybody with much flying experience knows this can happen to them at anytime.

I don't know how many times I have to clarify this, unfortunately this is a SQ fan site, and I am afraid I have to keep on clarifying myself because people don't read my comments carefully. I NEVER SAID SQ IS A coughPY AIRLINE, AND I NEVER SAID SQ HAS coughPY SERVICE. I WAS REFERRING TO THE RECLINER BEING A coughPY INTERNATIONAL LONG HAUL J HARD PRODUCT! Any airlines can have this "coughpy" product. I believe this is "coughpy" for international long haul, especially in this day and age and complete lie-flat is the norm, and individual suite is the bench mark for top J product. But the airline itself may still be a great airline.

Of course, everyone is entitled to their opinions, and if you believe the recliner for an 8 hr overnight flight is more than a fine product, I do apologize for using the term "cough" to describe it. But to me, I won't pay $5500 for a Jetstar product. But that's just me, I don't expect everyone to agree with me. Some of my friends believe Jetstar is the best airline in the world and I respect that.

I will repeat once again! SQ is a very fine airline, among the best in the world. The comment is on their business class hard products, which they have 4 types. The term "inconsistent" is referring to the type of business class product they service different Australian ports. If you live outside of SYD/MEL, you will consistently receive the inferior angled lie-flat product, but pay the same or higher price. (And do not start the angle lie-flat is better than the full lie-flat on A380/77W argument. As I said, everyone is entitled to their opinion, some of my friends hates the flip over function on the A380/77W products so they actually prefer the angled lie-flat. But in general amongst the frequent flyers, it is generally agreed that angled lie-flat is inferior to full lie-flat in this day and age.)

 

[serfty]

...


That is very disappointing to hear. Aren't they supposed to offer money as compensation in the USA?

Yes they are, based on a multiple of the fare paid to a maximum - I wonder if this was on an award booking?

 

[VAG newbie]

Yes they are, based on a multiple of the fare paid to a maximum - I wonder if this was on an award booking?

No, it wasn't. It was a paid ticket. If anything, it was one of those USA pass which I could fly to 3 different US cities and it was on Y. But that was back in the late 90's, maybe the law was different back then?