Singapore A350 or Qantas A330

[danielt25]

Hi, thinking of going to Singapore for 2 or 3 nights over Oz day long weekend (one day work related course happens to be on the Saturday in Singapore). Choice of Singapore A350 or Qantas a330. Prices for paid J same when using my P1 discount code. (Approx $4k return). If going Qantas I would go via Sydney to use the F lounge. Haven't tried Singapore Airlines before. Haven't been in Qantas F lounge for about 4 years. Flew a330 Qantas 12 months ago. Not going for P1 this year; QF WP will suffice given I mainly do domestic travel.

Any thoughts between two carriers given price is pretty much the same?

 

[eric2011]

I had the same quandary and although I am a QF person I went for the A350 on SQ for timings reasons. My flights are a month or so away so if you go on SQ please let me know what to expect

 

[davidj]

Any thoughts between two carriers given price is pretty much the same?

Knowing this is a QFA thread, I'll put my flame suit on before I say this...

SIA all the way.

I've flown both. The soft product is miles ahead on SIA, and the hard product not as much but still better.

I keep getting that 'she'll be right' attitude on QFA. Nothing wrong with this casual and informal attitude... But on SIA its more of a formal interaction and keenness to serve you.

Food on SIA business is heaps better too. The amount of food on SIA seems to be more too. I keep getting bland tasting food on QFA, and the last time my first preference was not available (never experienced this on SIA).

In the air QFA feels like you're flying economy with a bigger seat, relatively speaking, if that makes sense?

On the ground (depending on the airport), I feel QFA may win, but only just. QFA lounges have more of a restaurant feel whereas SIA lounges feel more like a waiting area. This is obviously an extreme analogy but I hope I make my point.

 

[danielt25]

Thanks. I might try SIA. If there was a possibility of an P1 op up to F I would chance my luck on QF but it's J vs J.

 

[danielt25]

Still looking at options, how does a flight arriving at 15:40pm into Sydney domestic connect with an international flight departing Sydney at 16:45pm? Wouldn't bag check in be closed?

(Clearly no chance of experiencing the F lounge)

 

[eric2011]

If you're wanting the SQ A350 they also depart from BNE

 

[RooFlyer]

See what AFFers have written and photographed on both here.

 

[boomy]

QF J hard product is better (especially in bed mode) and SQ soft product is better so day flight I’d go with SQ, overnight with QF.

 

[ermen]

I would go QF A330 because

- Food and lounge: Agree that SQ food is good (international menu especially with BTC), but so is QF J (with modern Australian fare). But with QF, you can fill yourself up in the F lounge prior to boarding (I mean what is the point of being QF WP+ if you don't enjoy the F lounge ), so food becomes less of an issue on board

- Seat: admittedly, I have never flown the QF new J seat - but it doesn't look too uncomfortable. I found the SQ A350 J seat to be uncomfortable if you are not in a bulkhead seat (bulkhead is fine as they have a small platform for you to rest your feet), as there is limited room to put your feet facing straight forward (its a little like having a bulkhead in front of you - limited forward stretch room). You will need to sit and put your feet at an angle into the cubby hole, which is really uncomfortable for watching your TV screen which is straight ahead of you

-Service: OK general consensus seems to be that SQ is better. Not sure how it would be though as a QF P1?

For me on SQ, I would actually avoid the SQ A350 J seat and choose the regional J seat over the A350 (unless I can snag a bulkhead seat).

 

[shuuy]

SQ PPS (almost Solitaire last year) and QF P1 here ... I didn’t know there was a P1 discount code??

If you’re not going for P1, I’d take the SQ product
* in flight wifi
* soft product + food preferred (I like Asian food, and book the cook nice)
* bulkhead seats have best leg room so you’re not in a footwell
* better SIN lounge

I’d take the QF product IF
* you’re taller than 185cm and struggle to sleep on planes
* you like Neil Perry
* going for P1
* you can get a spa appointment in the F lounge in MEL/SYD

 

[ermen]

SQ PPS (almost Solitaire last year) and QF P1 here ... I didn’t know there was a P1 discount code??

If you’re not going for P1, I’d take the SQ product
* in flight wifi
* soft product + food preferred (I like Asian food, and book the cook nice)
* bulkhead seats have best leg room so you’re not in a footwell
* better SIN lounge

I’d take the QF product IF
* you’re taller than 185cm and struggle to sleep on planes
* you like Neil Perry
* going for P1
* you can get a spa appointment in the F lounge in MEL/SYD

Disagree on the SIN SQ J lounge. it is quite "meh" for a premium airline's home port lounge (though must admit that the QF SYD J lounge is also a disgrace for a home port J lounge). I actually prefer the QF J/F lounge over SQ's J lounge in SIN.

Need to snag a SQ A350 bulkhead J seat at a minimum.

 

[boomy]

-Service: OK general consensus seems to be that SQ is better. Not sure how it would be though as a QF P1?

Apart from personal greeting upon boarding I never got any special treatment onboard QF as P1. In fact I got better treatment on SQ as basic KF member!

 

[mannej]

View attachment 114546 Still looking at options, how does a flight arriving at 15:40pm into Sydney domestic connect with an international flight departing Sydney at 16:45pm? Wouldn't bag check in be closed?

(Clearly no chance of experiencing the F lounge)

Your bags will be through-checked. You don’t need to worry about them until SIN.

 

[cgichard]

Personally, I'd go for the SQ direct flight from BNE. No worries then about either you or your bags connecting in Sydney.

 

[whughes3]

I would point out that the question posed by the OP is meaningless: there is no such thing as a "Qantas A330". There are Qantas A330-300's whicjh IMHO are pretty good and arguably superior to the SQ A350. And there are Qantas A330-200's which are configured primarily for domestic service and are consequently very much second-best on internation routes, much inferior to the SQ A350 (most notably the lack of toilets and nasty plasticky set upholstery in J). Qantas is naturally keen for people to overlook the differences and clearly they are succeeding!

 

[cambriamarsh]

View attachment 114546 Still looking at options, how does a flight arriving at 15:40pm into Sydney domestic connect with an international flight departing Sydney at 16:45pm? Wouldn't bag check in be closed?

(Clearly no chance of experiencing the F lounge)

An hour and 5 mins to connect in Sydney? What is current MCT Syd Dom to Int?

 

[docjames]

I would point out that the question posed by the OP is meaningless: there is no such thing as a "Qantas A330". There are Qantas A330-300's whicjh IMHO are pretty good and arguably superior to the SQ A350. And there are Qantas A330-200's which are configured primarily for domestic service and are consequently very much second-best on internation routes, much inferior to the SQ A350 (most notably the lack of toilets and nasty plasticky set upholstery in J). Qantas is naturally keen for people to overlook the differences and clearly they are succeeding!

Per the QF website,

There are 2 "international" -200s that still have 2-2-2 J seating (-EBG and -EBL)
https://www.qantas.com/content/dam/...t-maps/qantas-seatmap-330-200-332-36J199Y.pdf

The remaining are all listed as fitted with 1-2-1 ("new") J (both -300 and -200s). Difference largely seems to be cabin crew rest area allocation (? plus one J seat).

https://www.qantas.com/content/dam/...t/seat-maps/qantas-seat-map-332-28J243Yv2.pdf

https://www.qantas.com/content/dam/...ort/seat-maps/qantas-seat-map-332-28J243Y.pdf

https://www.qantas.com/content/dam/...t-maps/qantas-seatmap-330-200-332-36J199Y.pdf

https://www.qantas.com/content/dam/...at-maps/qantas-seatmap-airbus-333-28J269Y.pdf

So odds are low of the "primarily domestic" (which ironically are listed as international), however agree it's a far inferior product.

 

[whughes3]

So odds are low of the "primarily domestic" (which ironically are listed as international), however agree it's a far inferior product.

Unfortunately, the odds are not low at all; eg. all recent MEL-SIN flights (QF35/37) have been 332's, along with all SYD-MNL and many others.

 

[TomVexille]

An hour and 5 mins to connect in Sydney? What is current MCT Syd Dom to Int?

Pretty sure that it's 65 minutes.

As for the OPs question, I haven't flown any SQ J seat, but I do think the new QF J seat is pretty average to sit on,. I haven't tried sleeping yet so can't comment there either.

 

[docjames]

Unfortunately, the odds are not low at all; eg. all recent MEL-SIN flights (QF35/37) have been 332's, along with all SYD-MNL and many others.

The OP is flying to SIN, not MNL.