Suggestions for F/J options EUR to AUS

[Doggy]

Hi guys, I'm planning the honeymoon to Europe next year and have decided to travel in F with EY. I'm considering not doing the same back because of the added cost of paying for two awards due to the transit through AUH, so I'm looking for some insight into the quality of the F/J products that could be used for this trip because I've never flown flown F with any airline before.

I have the follow at my disposal for this trip:
~400k AA miles
~150k VA pts
~150k QFF pts

I'll probably use most of the VA pts on one leg of the trip up with EY. I intend to use my AA miles for the rest bc of the horrible return when using QFFP and ridic taxes.

So, what is the best F/J option for travelling home to SYD if I wanted to avoid paying for the stopover in the Middle East? Note: I'll most likely be departing from FCO or ATH but that's negotiable. I'm mainly looking for the best product itself that I'll be able to ticket as one award. My sense is that it'd be wise to aim for something involving QF or CX but I don't really know.

Thanks in advance to all who respond.

 

[Croupier]

You could do what my partner and I are doing in March next year and take CX in F from FRA to HND Tokyo with a near 24hr layover in Hong Kong and get heaps of time to enjoy the CX F lounge and cabanas that's for 140k AA, Then use 128K Qantas miles for 2 x F awards NRT to SYD on JAL.

Subject to availability of course.

 

[Doggy]

You could do what my partner and I are doing in March next year and take CX in F from FRA to HND Tokyo with a near 24hr layover in Hong Kong and get heaps of time to enjoy the CX F lounge and cabanas that's for 140k AA, Then use 128K Qantas miles for 2 x F awards NRT to SYD on JAL.

Subject to availability of course.

Thanks but that's two tickets. It'd be cheaper for me to just take EY in F back. I'll look into getting that itinerary on one ticket. I know many F options go from EU transit through HND or NRT. Cheers.

 

[knasty]

You're still only looking at 400k AA miles for both return on Ey in F so I wouldn't discount EY both ways completely. I have just booked Ey J return and whilst it is a little more than a oneworld airline in the scheme of things 75k vs 60k is still a bargain for excellent availability, and I saw decent F offering on the 777 in particular, but even some guest rewards are opening up on A380. To save some miles on Ey you could mix J and F for a bit of a saving.

 

[Croupier]

Thanks but that's two tickets. It'd be cheaper for me to just take EY in F back. I'll look into getting that itinerary on one ticket. I know many F options go from EU transit through HND or NRT. Cheers.

The AA award booking engine is showing a lot of F availability for March/April/May 2016 for 80k PP

EG: FCO-LHR in J LHR-NRT in F HND-SYD in J

They seem to be breaking their own routing miles rules

 

[Doggy]

The AA award booking engine is showing a lot of F availability for March/April/May 2016 for 80k PP

EG: FCO-LHR in J LHR-NRT in F HND-SYD in J

They seem to be breaking their own routing miles rules

Haha yes indeed. I've seen a lot of that on their engine. But is BA F any good? It appears to be only marginally better than CX J, although I've never been on BA F. Likewise with QF and JL F products. I know they pale in comparison to EY but are they worth it vs some J products out there?

If the pics of BA F are anything to go by, I'd much rather prefer to fire of CX in J and save a tonne of miles and forego the PJs and nice lounge (which appears to be the only difference between BA F and CX J). Maybe I'm wrong...

 

[knasty]

Indeed, and BA have significant fuel surcharges so it would be well down my list of F products.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Haha yes indeed. I've seen a lot of that on their engine. But is BA F any good? It appears to be only marginally better than CX J, although I've never been on BA F. Likewise with QF and JL F products. I know they pale in comparison to EY but are they worth it vs some J products out there?

If the pics of BA F are anything to go by, I'd much rather prefer to fire of CX in J and save a tonne of miles and forego the PJs and nice lounge (which appears to be the only difference between BA F and CX J). Maybe I'm wrong...

BA F doesn't have such a good hard product, but all other aspects are First class... food, wines/champagnes, lounges, crew-to-passenger ratio, passenger-to-WC ratio etc etc. Not that they're the best F class offerings, but they're certainly a marked step up from any business class, CX included.

If you are solely after good sleep and IFE, CX will be the way to go. Fast, efficient meal services and a comfortable bed. Bells and whistles it doesn't have.

 

[Doggy]

BA F doesn't have such a good hard product, but all other aspects are First class... food, wines/champagnes, lounges, crew-to-passenger ratio, passenger-to-WC ratio etc etc. Not that they're the best F class offerings, but they're certainly a marked step up from any business class, CX included.

If you are solely after good sleep and IFE, CX will be the way to go. Fast, efficient meal services and a comfortable bed. Bells and whistles it doesn't have.

Perfect, the kind of thing I was wondering about most. Thanks.

 

[kezzakawasaki]

We are in a similar boat with 500K AA points, 100K VA points and 180K QF points and planning a trip to Europe in 2016. I think a good option is to use EY to the Middle East (45K or 60K) and then use VA or QF points for the much shorter distance based award into Europe. QF opens the option of EK flights too. Taxes seem to be more reasonable with this option too - just a thought!

 

[knasty]

Good point. I booked J Lca-Auh-Bne on AA miles and in hindsight Lca -auh would have been a better use of Vff than Aa.

 

[Doggy]

Very true. I looked it up a while ago. In this instance: ~140k VA pts used on two F AUH-LHR saves you 80k AA miles. Whereas ~140k VA pts for one F SYD-AUH would save you 60k AA miles. Definitely in my plans on the way up.

I'm starting to think I'll just bite the bullet and take EY the whole way through.

 

[Flippantflyer]

I only recently cancelled two F/J flights CDG-HND-SYD for the end of May (managed to nab EY A380 F seats LHR-AUH so went with Etihad instead). JAL F CDG-HND and QF J HND-SYD with a full afternoon/evening in Tokyo - if that sort of routing is of interest. 80K AA miles each and less than $200 AUD in taxes as I recall.

Perfect, the kind of thing I was wondering about most. Thanks.

 

[k_sheep]

For what it's worth, I made a list of Asia - Europe routes from the oneworld route map to help when I was planning! May not be 100% accurate but it helped me.

BKK - LHR, HEL
HKG - CDG, MXP, FCO, ZRH, AMS, DUS, FRA, HEL
KUL - LHR, CDG, AMS, IST
CMB - LHR, CDG, FRA, FCO
SIN - LHR, HEL
NRT - CDG, LHR, FRA, HEL
ICN - LHR, HEL
SGN - HEL
ITM - HEL

 

[MEL_Traveller]

There's also Shanghai, Beijing, and other cities in China.

If you include 1 stop from Asia, Qatar opens up a range of additional destinations (and origins).

 

[grussellt]

For what it's worth, I made a list of Asia - Europe routes from the oneworld route map to help when I was planning! May not be 100% accurate but it helped me.

BKK - LHR, HEL
HKG - CDG, MXP, FCO, ZRH, AMS, DUS, FRA, HEL
KUL - LHR, CDG, AMS, IST
CMB - LHR, CDG, FRA, FCO
SIN - LHR, HEL
NRT - CDG, LHR, FRA, HEL
ICN - LHR, HEL
SGN - HEL
ITM - HEL

Very useful for planning. Osaka (ITM) also shows up under KIX, which you have to use if searching on QFF. I'd love to hear of any successful AAdvantage award bookings from OZ to Europe via ICN or SGN.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Very useful for planning. Osaka (ITM) also shows up under KIX, which you have to use if searching on QFF. I'd love to hear of any successful AAdvantage award bookings from OZ to Europe via ICN or SGN.

AA will ticket anything! Just you might have to pay for two awards (or more) rather than one!

With QR/RJ/UL and others operating - you can basically fly from anywhere in Asia to anywhere in Europe. K_sheep's list is useful if you are only interested in non-stops.

 

[grussellt]

Yes I am interested in which routes via Asia will ticket as one award. AA now often shows SYD-PVG-LHR as acceptable and I've travelled via NRT on JL/BA which is great except for the fuel fines on BA - but I decided it was worth it after great service in J.

 

[Flippantflyer]

Cathay or Cathay/QF via HKG tickets as one award and JAL or JAL/QF does too via either NRT or HND. If looking to avoid BA though on the way home look for JAL flights from FRA or CDG (or HEL but I think that might be a JAL plane with angle flat seats in J?)

Yes I am interested in which routes via Asia will ticket as one award. AA now often shows SYD-PVG-LHR as acceptable and I've travelled via NRT on JL/BA which is great except for the fuel fines on BA - but I decided it was worth it after great service in J.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Yes I am interested in which routes via Asia will ticket as one award. AA now often shows SYD-PVG-LHR as acceptable and I've travelled via NRT on JL/BA which is great except for the fuel fines on BA - but I decided it was worth it after great service in J.

PVG should be good for a transit/connecting point. I notice QF is starting to put some of their refurbished 330s on the route.

Not sure if CMB comes under one award or two.