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

[dairyfloss]

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.

What I've listed is about it, I'm afraid... until the Cathay lounge is available in T4, but the suggestion is that it might be too complex, if not impossible to access it unless you are departing T4. I'll be watching those developments closely! Cathay's recently fitted spaces are some of the best out there, even if mixed class, and would probably move them to the #1 position for OW/QF elites departing or transiting SIN, if available.

 

[drron]

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.

Already answered.See post 217.

 

[mviy]

Looking at QF's website QF414 (MEL-SYD) connecting to QF81 (SYD-SIN) connecting to QF1 (SIN-LHR) all in J sale fares costs a bit more than QF9 but only earns 160SC and 9,200 points (NB earn rates) according to the flight selection screen. Not that many people would want this selection of flights but it sounds like at this stage they're showing 0 points and 0 SC earn for the SIN-LHR leg. Looks like there's quite a bit for QF to update still to handle the return of SIN-LHR flights.

 

[coriander]

Looking at QF's website QF414 (MEL-SYD) connecting to QF81 (SYD-SIN) connecting to QF1 (SIN-LHR) all in J sale fares costs a bit more than QF9 but only earns 160SC and 9,200 points (NB earn rates).

Looking at QF's SC calc page, for J / Bronze I get

MEL-SYD on QF 1400/40
SYD-SIN on QF 7800/120
SIN-LHR on BA 8125/120 (no QF option ATM)
Total: 17,325 points / 280SC

Just falls short of requalifying for WP (by 80 SC) with one return flight if they have a DSC offer.

Currently MEL-SYD-DXB-LHR on QF returns 33,000 points /320 SC.
I guess the SIN-LHR would probably earn ~160SC on QF metal to give parity with the DXB routing.

 

[mviy]

I guess the SIN-LHR would probably earn ~160SC on QF metal to give parity with the DXB routing.

Yes. They've said the earn rates will be the same going SYD-SIN-LHR as they currently are going via DXB.

 

[dairyfloss]

Looking at QF's SC calc page, for J / Bronze I get

MEL-SYD on QF 1400/40
SYD-SIN on QF 7800/120
SIN-LHR on BA 8125/120 (no QF option ATM)
Total: 17,325 points / 280SC

Just falls short of requalifying for WP (by 80 SC) with one return flight if they have a DSC offer.

Currently MEL-SYD-DXB-LHR on QF returns 33,000 points /320 SC.
I guess the SIN-LHR would probably earn ~160SC on QF metal to give parity with the DXB routing.

I think you're right... from the earn tables (even if the calculator is not yet working for this):

 

[Berlin]

Wow, this is the best news in ages and came out of nowhere! I'm totally ecstatic about the chance to fly Qantas to Singapore on a 'proper' airplane again!

 

[Bilton]

Total: 17,325 points / 280SC

It should classify as an Ultra-long International Flight (6500+ miles), which would earn 24,000/320 in (non-flexible) Business class.

 

[docjames]

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.

Assuming a decent % of their traffic is headed for Aus, if "stuck" in LHR there are EK flights to Aus as well as SIN (via DXB). Notwithstanding heaps of other non-QF metal options LHR-SIN.

 

[mviy]

Looks like the MEL flights can now be booked to connect to QF1/QF2 including the QF35 A380 service. Only marginally more expensive than going via PER in J. Fantastic!

Edit: Hmmm. Can't seem to book discount J for the journey home on the A380 flights at discount J prices unfortunately on the random dates I selected. So could have to book MEL-SIN-LHR-SIN-SYD-MEL or MEL-SIN-LHR-PER-MEL.

Can do MEL-SIN-LHR-SIN-MEL in cheapest F on same dates though (I don't think I'd buy an F fare). Have to be careful not to select the combination that includes a Business flight between MEL and SIN though as that's priced the same as flying F the whole way.

 

[mviy]

Assuming a decent % of their traffic is headed for Aus, if "stuck" in LHR there are EK flights to Aus as well as SIN (via DXB). Notwithstanding heaps of other non-QF metal options LHR-SIN.

The thing is when QF2(?) was stuck in Dubai it was a couple of days before QF got an EK plane to take those passengers home. QF will try to get people back on their own metal if at all possible.

 

[justinbrett]

Yep, BNE is up too (obviously they've just uploaded the SIN-LHR leg standalone so all connections should work).

Flying time, SIN is quicker by 35 minutes outbound, 30 minutes inbound. Total time though is a 55 minutes quicker via PER outbound, 45 minutes quicker via SIN.

You'd have to consider the time saving of doing customs & immigration in PER - but then that's offset by flying in a domestic 737 trans-Australia.

If/When the 787 connection from BNE is realised this isn't a bad option, but I'm assuming most BNE flyers will elect to fly via SIN.

 

[mviy]

Hopefully soon they'll fix the booking engine so that the correct points and status credits show.

I'll have to decide whether to spend an extra ~$1k for a smooth connection to SIN-MEL A380 coming back from LHR, or to go via SYD or PER. Will be an interesting decision. I may end up doing MEL-SIN-LHR-PER-MEL to visit both SIN and PER for the first time.

 

[Chalkie]

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.

Some of us certainly have done whatever they can to avoid DXB for the human rights reasons. I've not had a perfect record and have had no choice on several occasions, but I've certainly avoided DXB when it's been possible to do so.

 

[tm.smile]

Singapore is certainly better than Dubai when it comes to human rights, but if you have issues with Dubai over it, you probably should with Singapore too...

 

[TheInsider]

If/When the 787 connection from BNE is realised this isn't a bad option, but I'm assuming most BNE flyers will elect to fly via SIN.

You assuming is incorrect, most passengers don't know or care where their transit port is, let alone what aircraft they are on. They just want to get to their destination. Budget conscience passengers don't even care what carrier they are flying on. If it saves them $100 to have a 10hr transit and then to fly a LCC, they will purchase that, no matter how bad they are.

 

[MrJetset]

Singapore is certainly better than Dubai when it comes to human rights, but if you have issues with Dubai over it, you probably should with Singapore too...

Except for LGBTQI rights and death penalty, but sure :s

If you're going to start using human rights as a reason not to travel somewhere, you'll soon find most of the World off limits, including our own backyard.

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif]

You assuming is incorrect, most passengers don't know or care where their transit port is, let alone what aircraft they are on. They just want to get to their destination. Budget conscience passengers don't even care what carrier they are flying on. If it saves them $100 to have a 10hr transit and then to fly a LCC, they will purchase that, no matter how bad they are.

[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif]I was told by my contacts at EY if the difference between them and EK is $4, pax will book the cheapest option.[/FONT]

 

[offshore171]

Singapore is certainly better than Dubai when it comes to human rights, but if you have issues with Dubai over it, you probably should with Singapore too...

Not really comparable. For example, some gay and Jewish travellers had avoided Dubai.

However both groups can quite comfortably travel through Singapore without being overly concerned. There's also the fact that Dubai has had several instances of the police prosecuting female rape victims who had reported the incident to the police. It got to the appalling point where advice was being issued that women should not report rape in Dubai.

UK charity warns tourists in Dubai not to report rape after woman who was 'gang raped' arrested | The Independent

Singapore hardly compares to this.

 

[Himeno]

You assuming is incorrect, most passengers don't know or care where their transit port is, let alone what aircraft they are on. They just want to get to their destination. Budget conscience passengers don't even care what carrier they are flying on. If it saves them $100 to have a 10hr transit and then to fly a LCC, they will purchase that, no matter how bad they are.

I've had other pax ask me what type of plane they were sitting on, even when holding the safety card which says that, or just after the video/PA announcement which also said it.

 

[kody]

Excellent news if the Emirates network is retained fully in terms of points and award availability.

Last year we flew SYD-SIN-DXB-CDG QF/EK/EK with the first leg economy on points. From recollection the EK flight left Singapore about 12:30am. This would be a perfect itiinerary with A380 on first leg flying to secondary European city whilst avoiding LHR.

Is it just me or has anyone else noticed award availability with EK between LHR -DXB and DXB and Australia is non existent for July next year.... Does this have anything to do with this announcement?