Mini-TR on QF & AY in J: SYD-BKK-xHEL-PRG-xHEL-xSIN-SYD on A330s,A340s, A319/320s

[nonpop]

A post script ... a few random shots from the tour whilst on ground vs in the air

1 Oh how nice ... look at that view


2 A cute building


3 A river ... like churches, they seem to be everywhere


4 Another river


5 Fun to hire and just take a city tour


TBC ...

 

[nonpop]

Last lot of random shots

1 Mmmm everyone likes a self serve ham for breakfast (and was warm)


2 Another palace / castle / church ... it's like these things are everywhere in Europe


3 Who doesn't like a river ... oh look I see tables and chairs. Wonder if I can get a beer ... mmm beer



4 Kutná Hora - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


5 See point 4 above


Thanks for watching

 

[nonpop]

Thanks nonpop. As you know from previous threads I lurve AY The new J cabin looks fantastic! I trust they had overhead bins for the middle rows ?

I'm a fan of their glassware - you can buy it in shops in Finland (a well known Finnish designer).

I was intrigued by your comment:



Surprised by this and it may influence my bookings later this year. I've always booked 1 PNR on AY paper, and they codeshare QF from Oz through to Asia. Was the Qantas leg on Qantas paper, or on AY's ?

Were the HEL-PRG-HEL flights 'free' as a result of your flying from Asia, or priced flights?

Re overhead bins ... yes the refurbished A340 did as well as the old A340. I've only ever encountered the no middle bins from HKG.

Re separate PNRs ... QF on QF paper and AY on AY paper booked at separate times. If you go to the post where I list the points / SC earn you'll see that I picked up the status bonus on the QF flight. That indicates a QF flight number. The AY flights don't get the status bonus as I flew AY on AY paper but credited to QF.

Re HEL-PRG-HEL (or any onward EU flight) ... AY have sales on so just keep an eye out for their spam. It was cheaper to connect to PRG vs staying in HEL. So not only was the flight then cheaper, but we got to see PRG and collect more QF points / SCs. Got to like that bonus.

However; I'm happy to book it all code share with AY (using CX, BA or QF metal out of Australia) on an AY ticket or separate subject to financial difference.

The nice thing is even thought you have separate tickets, just make sure you are booking the actual metal the code share would have been on. I see it as 'insurance' that once in the air, if the flight is delayed then the connecting flight will usually wait as there are incoming pax if you know what I mean e.g the QF flight from SIN to SYD was a AY code share being called out and the AY flight from HEL to SIN was also being called as a QF flight code share. Same applies from HKG, BKK etc. But I'm happy to roll the dice and self insure when the price gain is worth it.

 

[boomy]

Mini-TR on QF & AY in J: SYD-BKK-xHEL-PRG-xHEL-xSIN-SYD on A330s,A340s, A319/...

Thanks for the TR nonpop, I always wanted to try AY when flying to Europe and according to the photos and your comments it looks like a decent airline with a good J product.
I assume the new lounge at HEL with shower suites and Finnish sauna is not open yet.

 

[RooFlyer]

Thanks again nonpop. Interesting to see you got F amenity kits on SYD BKK. You think because WP or maybe they just ran out of Js?

Agree with your comment re the FAs on the return leg. I believe all FAs have to undergo a fitness assessment for their duties, so probably no real issue, but reminds me of the FAs I got on United F TPAC. With United, longevity in the job gets you the pick of the routes (and cabins). These two must have honestly been between 60 and 70 and as soon as I saw them, I made extra note of all the safety gear and procedures, deciding that, in the event of an emergency, the pax would be on their own.

I'll make sure my TA looks at all options, but twice I've gotten a free intra-Europe return trip on Ay from HEL on the basis of buying SYD/MEL-Asia-HEL (ie the cost to HEL and stop was the same as the cost to HEL and onwards and back to a European destination.) Not available on-line apparently.

AY the much better way to go to Europe than DXB.

 

[craven morehead]

Fantastic Trip Report thanks heaps !! :mrgreen:

 

[Magpie10]

Thanks nonpop for sharing your TR with us.

 

[PointyEnd]

Awesome photos nonpop, thanks for the TR.

 

[nonpop]

Thanks again nonpop. Interesting to see you got F amenity kits on SYD BKK. You think because WP or maybe they just ran out of Js?

I'll make sure my TA looks at all options, but twice I've gotten a free intra-Europe return trip on Ay from HEL on the basis of buying SYD/MEL-Asia-HEL (ie the cost to HEL and stop was the same as the cost to HEL and onwards and back to a European destination.) Not available on-line apparently.

AY the much better way to go to Europe than DXB.

Re the amenity kits ... for that leg everyone in J got 1st kits. Which was nice, but not real difference if you ask me. Same coughpy toothbrush.

Re free Asian connection ... yes in the past if wanted the 'free' connection then we've done it through the AU call centre. No issues. But our preference is to not stay in Finland as we've been there and done that. So we just use the online tool for onward booking which tends to always come out cheaper than stopping in HEL anyways.

DXB ... yep I'm not a fan of it. Sure it is shorter in time to go via DXB, but I'm sticking with OW carriers for some reason. So CX or AY or RJ or MH or BA just do me fine (yet to try UL) getting out from SE Asia into EU zone. But each to their own. In fact I've started using EK (QF code) from AU to NZ as I prefer the A380 in Y.

In short, with AY they are not a 'premium' carrier, but represent excellent value for money IMHO when considering stretching $$ to J with AY vs Y on most other carriers at peak times is not that much of a stretch for a big jump up in product (and SCs). For now they will continue to get our business based on product vs price.

 

[Melburnian1]

An excellent trip report.

Some of SIN's carpet may have the "RSL look" but it's a lot more comfortable on which to walk than MEL's largely (in domestic terminals) hard surfaces.

Incongruous that you received an F amenity pack while on SYD - MNL - SYD, pyjamas are not given out by QF.

 

[Bindibuys]

Thank you for the insight, I am on these flights next week, QF to BKK, then AY to HEL/LHR, LHR/HEL/HKG CX HKG/SYD. Hope to have the new AY layout for at least one of the legs.

 

[katiebell]

Have AY got showers in the Schengen lounge yet? This was my biggest disappointment when flying AY a few years ago: desperate for a shower after arriving from SIN and before going to my final destination. I was very diasspointed that there was no way to freshen up. This, to me is a really big negativ for HEL tranists (OK if going non-Schengen).
The new cabin looks like a real improvement and I think the food is now comparable withte QF 'plates' menues (which IMHP was much worse than the old menus of dishes).
the shoe bags (do they still have them) are a really nice touch (so much better than someone's dirty shoes on top of my stuff in the luggage bins)
Finally, I do not think much of the amenities: the hand creme is not up to the dry cabin air.

 

[drron]

Great TR.Hope to be on AY again in 2015.
Katiebell If arriving into HEL from Asia have your shower in the Non-Schengen lounge and only head for Schengen terminal closer to departure time.That is what we did.

 

[nonpop]

Shoe bags ... yes still handed out. They are a nice little touch IMHO.

Showers at HEL ... if you come in on a non-Schengen flight connecting to Schengen (and your connection time allows), then as per drron said, go to the international non-Schengen lounge. When done shuffle across to the domestic Schengen lounge. If flying from AU we tend to shower at our embarkation onto the AY long haul flight in BKK, SIN, HKG or NRT due to our HEL connection often being very short. We also wear our QF PJs on-board the AY flight as AY do not hand any out.

The amenities ... yes are average. We tend to travel with our own hand / face cream and not use any of the airlines creams until we can get home and 'test' them. Having had 1 bad reaction to a big brand several years ago, I learnt my lesson. Plus I find I am familiar with the scent of what we carry with us. However; the two best items they have, are the toothbrush and eye shades. The lip balm also seems more spreadable in very cold climates.

The hard product ... now that cabin refreshes are happening, yes the hard product is very nice. The soft product has always been to our liking.

Again, we see it as value for money. A current promo they are running out of AU (with code-share to BKK, SIN or HKG on QF, BA or CX) has some attractive fares in J (though the best value is if you can get to that connection port where AY fly out of, especially BKK which is often the cheapest we finnd)
Business Class offers to Europe | Finnair - Australia

 

[RooFlyer]

<snip>

Again, we see it as value for money. A current promo they are running out of AU (with code-share to BKK, SIN or HKG on QF, BA or CX) has some attractive fares in J (though the best value is if you can get to that connection port where AY fly out of, especially BKK which is often the cheapest we finnd)
Business Class offers to Europe | Finnair - Australia

Ayi! Some great J prices there through to one's European destination. Beats a similar LH/SQ type fare I got recently which was about $6.5K for MEL-SIN-FRA-LED return (had to go Star Alliance as I'm doing a lot of intra Europe which OW isn't that good at and need the long haul *A to get their European AirPass).

Rats. Just checked the T&Cs. Travel between 16 June and 31 August.

Next time!

 

[TomVexille]

Great report. Thanks for taking the time to share.

The new J layout looks pretty good and rather similar to what LX are using these days.

 

[Grooba]

Excellent trip report nonpop thanks for taking the time to put it together.
Agreed with your comments about sticking with OW carriers, something I just instinctively do now.

 

[nonpop]

Thank you for the insight, I am on these flights next week, QF to BKK, then AY to HEL/LHR, LHR/HEL/HKG CX HKG/SYD. Hope to have the new AY layout for at least one of the legs.

If you get the opportunity, I'm sure there are a few of us that would like to see pics of the AY Y product as one-day I may be forced to use it.
My concern in picking a Y product becomes personal space / seat comfort first, then the soft product second. So if I had to fly Y that distance I'd need to re-evaluate choices.
I hope your goes / has gone well.

 

[Paddy55]

Thanks for the TR nonpop, especially as Mrs Paddy and I are looking at an Eastern Europe visit to Prague and other places next year.

I'd heard enough tales about cab drivers ripping off the tourists in Prague, etc to thing we might travel on a tour through Poland, Czech, Hungary instead of travelling independently as we usually do and was wondering if you had any thoughts on that?

 

[nonpop]

Thanks for the TR nonpop, especially as Mrs Paddy and I are looking at an Eastern Europe visit to Prague and other places next year.

I'd heard enough tales about cab drivers ripping off the tourists in Prague, etc to thing we might travel on a tour through Poland, Czech, Hungary instead of travelling independently as we usually do and was wondering if you had any thoughts on that?

We do it all on our own with a bit of research prior.
Never really had any issues. Just make sure meter is on and I always ask "is the meter on?" ... except for Thailand where I prefer to negotiate a price as fares so cheap.
But for EU we review the next days activities over dinner and check what the cab fare should be.
Prague was too easy to get around ... like Rome & Paris etc with great metro, rail and bus. Prague tram & metro was very efficient and cheap. Lots of machines to buy tickets from and 1 ticket allows you to use all public transport within a specific time as many times as you need to.