QF to Europe returns to the Kangaroo Route (via SIN)

[Pushka]

I avoided Dubai for two reasons. Cultural desert and human rights. I realize others never saw those as issues. And that some of the alternatives are not exactly bastions of human rights either.

I think that tenet can be applied to many countries that we choose not to see. What is a cultural desert? I think many would apply that definition to Australia. The UAE is steeped in cultural history.

There are 2 F lounges in Dubai and one is much more impressive than the other although both are excellent.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

There are 2 F lounges in Dubai and one is much more impressive than the other although both are excellent.

Yes, the lounges might be good, but isn't arriving on time more important? The 'qantas delays/cancellations' thread here on AFF doesn't make for reassuring reading. I'd rather be on my way to London or Australia than stuck for hours extra in a lounge, no matter how good it is.

 

[kpc]

I think that tenet can be applied to many countries that we choose not to see. What is a cultural desert? I think many would apply that definition to Australia. The UAE is steeped in cultural history.

Agree. Singapore has capital punishment and hanged an Australian citizen a few years back!

 

[drron]

Though I don't recall Singapore jailing an Aussie woman because she had been raped.

But back to the numbers.Dubai says it's tourism is booming with 14.9 million visitors in 2016.Australasia contributed 2%.About 300000.
https://www.visitdubai.com/en/tourism-performance-report

But 5.5 million Aussies visited Singapore in 2016.
So if you were CEO of QF just where would you make your stop to Europe?

 

[kpc]

...but Singapore fine you if you bring chewing gum in, don't flush the toilet, jaywalk, and cane you if you spray grafitti....not that I disagee completely ... but we are getting way off topic.

 

[kermatu]

Having seen a bit more detail including flight times I just think overall this is a great change for the traveller. Better choice of times, routes, airliner (EK or QF/OW), aircraft type to same destinations etc.

I too liked the DXB F lounge, but can and will still get my fix if going to somewhere else in Europe other than LHR.

Sadly don't see it happening but one important change I'd like to see is a revamp of the SIN lounge to include a separate F lounge for F and WPs+. The current lounge doesn't cut it when I'm flying J, let alone if I were to fly F.

 

[mviy]

Hopefully QF soon adds some booking options for MEL passengers to fly on the A380 from MEL-SIN and connect to QF1 and similarly connect from QF2 to the A380 from SIN back to MEL. I'd like to see how the pricing and earn rate compares with going via PER.

 

[Pushka]

Yes, the lounges might be good, but isn't arriving on time more important? The 'qantas delays/cancellations' thread here on AFF doesn't make for reassuring reading. I'd rather be on my way to London or Australia than stuck for hours extra in a lounge, no matter how good it is.

Clearly I've been lucky and never arrived late. The fog issues around December - January aren't exactly the airlines problem but maybe Singapore is more reliable weather wise. But I'm a little done with Singapore having been there so many times and I HATE the 6 hour overnight flight home arriving in the morning. On the Emirates flight there's a chance of a sleep and then arrive in the evening.

Given we struggled to find a seat last time we were in Singapore they have to do something better. Food choices were awful and they've 'enhanced' it since it's wonderful opening so that the offerings have been devalued. Kids yelling across the lounge on both recent visits. And wasn't allowed to pour my own sparkling but the attendant grabbed the bottle then proceeded to pour me a glass half full of froth and then hand it to me so I waited until she'd found someone else to pester then filled it properly. It's small stuff but it contributes to the ambience - or lack of.

 

[BD1959]

Are the delays at DXB systematic of DXB (and it's airspace) or the way QF are running it's A380s?

I've been through DXB at least a dozen times this year (mostly on EK metal, QF codeshares) and only had one delay due to congestion.

Regards,

BD

 

[mviy]

QF only has two A380s a day flying to London and two the other direction at the moment. No other QF operated flights go to DXB. At peak times all the A380s are in use so if a plane breaks down very badly and needs extensive emergency maintenance there's no way to say pull a plane out of routine maintenance to cover for it and the loads are very high meaning that not many passengers can get moved to the other A380 service or to the following day's services.

At least with using Singapore with lots of QF flights a day, if a plane breaks down in peak times there's a greater chance QF could get passengers back to Australia on their own metal in a timely manner. With just one flight SIN to LHR a day if you're trying to get to LHR from SIN or get back to SIN from LHR that could be a lot more problematic.

 

[dairyfloss]

What is a cultural desert?

I think it must be one of those real tricky ones that they make them recreate on Masterchef

 

[Happy Trails]

But 5.5 million Aussies visited Singapore in 2016.

Not necessarily disagreeing with your point, but that number seemed a bit high.
Only 1,027,314 according to this:

https://www.stb.gov.sg/statistics-a...vastat_dec_2016 (updated 13apr2017) (002).pdf

 

[mviy]

If planes do break down QF will do everything it can to move most passengers on its own metal. Some very high status and premium passengers could get moved to partner airlines, but it's cheapest for the airline to move passengers on their own metal. Lots of capacity between Australia and Singapore will make things a lot better for QF than going via DXB in the event of major problems with an A380.

 

[cwphoto]

It's been up since 0900 AEST

Was there a post in this thread I missed???

 

[cwphoto]

Agree. Singapore has capital punishment and hung an Australian citizen a few years back!

Hanged, not hung.

 

[dairyfloss]

I'm with all on the Singapore lounge quality concern. If the [up to] 48 F pax and countless WP/P1/CL pax that come through each day have no better than the Jetstar 'booze & buffet club', then it would be a bit of a let down. I guess so long as nothing happens to the EK lounge access rules, then their space does provide real champagne, good food, and some quiet solace away from the QP set. BA's offering is somewhere in between, and if only they were more friendly with QF, we might have even seen something arranged for the mini SIN Concorde Room/Bar to be opened up for QF F pax.

Cheers,
Matt.

 

[drron]

Not necessarily disagreeing with your point, but that number seemed a bit high.
Only 1,027,314 according to this:

https://www.stb.gov.sg/statistics-and-market-insights/marketstatistics/copy%20of%20ivastat_dec_2016%20(updated%2013apr2017)%20(002).pdf

Sorry It was pax flying to SIN.But then it is in Fairfax so most probably quite wrong-

Australia, as The Straits Times points out, remains among Changi Airport's top five markets in passenger traffic terms, with more than 5.5 million passengers travelling between Singapore and Australia annually.

Read more: Qantas moves A380 London stopover from Dubai to Singapore, the city with the world's best airport hub

 

[cwphoto]

Given we struggled to find a seat last time we were in Singapore they have to do something better. Food choices were awful and they've 'enhanced' it since it's wonderful opening so that the offerings have been devalued. Kids yelling across the lounge on both recent visits. And wasn't allowed to pour my own sparkling but the attendant grabbed the bottle then proceeded to pour me a glass half full of froth and then hand it to me so I waited until she'd found someone else to pester then filled it properly. It's small stuff but it contributes to the ambience - or lack of.

Agree; SIN lounge appears to be a favourite for classless FIFO bogans - quite a turn-off.

 

[mviy]

I'm with all on the Singapore lounge quality concern. If the [up to] 48 F pax and countless WP/P1/CL pax that come through each day have no better than the Jetstar 'booze & buffet club', then it would be a bit of a let down. I guess so long as nothing happens to the EK lounge access rules, then their space does provide real champagne, good food, and some quiet solace away from the QP set. BA's offering is somewhere in between, and if only they were more friendly with QF, we might have even seen something arranged for the mini SIN Concorde Room/Bar to be opened up for QF F pax.

I guess I might try the EK lounge if QF offers the routing via SIN from MEL that I'm hoping for. If I have a 6 hour wait in SIN I may be able to do another lounge crawl to try the different options available to a WP. Though I'm not sure when I'll next go to LHR yet after the move back to flying via SIN.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

But 5.5 million Aussies visited Singapore in 2016.
So if you were CEO of QF just where would you make your stop to Europe?

One in 5 Australians visited Singapore? That seems way too high for me.

Even if you include all the Aussies that route through SIN due to flight connections but who do give two hoots if it SIN or any other airport, that figure seems very high.

This source https://auspost.com.au/travel-essentials/how-australians-travel has 3.7% of Australians visting Singapore in 2016, and 8.2 million Aussies travelling overseas in 2016.