SYD to LAX in J - NAD Air Pacific or direct QF - Price difference worth it?

[Austman]

So flying on FJ for 3600 and saving almost another 3000 (and getting some SC's) seems like the cheapest option

Or even a bit less than that if all bought on the FJ website, SYD-NAN-LAX-NAN-SYD. (Edit: But with 3 separate tickets: SYD-NAN, NAN-LAX-NAN, NAN-SYD)

I've done this trip and know others that have done so too. All happy so far. Row 1 on the FJ 747s is very spacious and private - being in the nose section downstairs. IFE is not so great, the seats are not flat (but are very comfortable) and the journey takes longer with the transits in NAN.

So it's not the best J experience out there but it's still pretty good, great value and has QFF earning. And the FJ staff and service can be very nice.

 

[gumpy]

+1, I glad someone beat me to pointing this out! Also if you are serious about the SCs, book the flights on the NAN SC run which is BNE-MEL-SYD-NAN for $675 and NAN-SYD-MEL-BNE for $512 booked on the AUS/Fiji QF sites, that puts you on 360SC just for getting to Fiji and back!

Dont forget you can do a stopover in SYD - so your journey can stop and start at SYD to go to LAX, you just have a BNE-MEL-SYD J leg to do before the trip and a SYD-MEL-BNE J trip to do after for no extra charge!

how do you get 675 BNE to NAN prices? i got 763 when I did mine...

 

[nonpop]

Update ... the decision has been made. Via Nadi it is. It seems to be a good price vs product mix whilst still picking up SCs (I'd rather not, not get them if you know what I mean especially as I need to get to the US and this will tip me over Gold again). I've ended up using my works corp travel agent - even paying their $150 booking fee - but found they could do the entire trip including some accomodation and transfers for less than I could book via websites. It seems when it comes to J class the corp TAs get better pricing than Joe-Average.

The return trip will be broken up with 3 days in Fiji for a mini break and some off shore fishing and the odd amber drink. Seems like a good excuse to me.

 

[ozmille]

Update ... the decision has been made. Via Nadi it is. It seems to be a good price vs product mix whilst still picking up SCs (I'd rather not, not get them if you know what I mean especially as I need to get to the US and this will tip me over Gold again). I've ended up using my works corp travel agent - even paying their $150 booking fee - but found they could do the entire trip including some accomodation and transfers for less than I could book via websites. It seems when it comes to J class the corp TAs get better pricing than Joe-Average.

The return trip will be broken up with 3 days in Fiji for a mini break and some off shore fishing and the odd amber drink. Seems like a good excuse to me.

Try to get seats in row 1... very enjoyable and loooooooooooooooooots of legroom

 

[fjc]

The return trip will be broken up with 3 days in Fiji for a mini break and some off shore fishing and the odd amber drink. Seems like a good excuse to me.

Glad to hear that you've taken the NAN option - I plan to do the same next year.

One thing to consider in NAN is where you stay. I was there recently and the road to the Denaru resorts is absolutely appalling (to say the least). If you go there, then plan to travel airport to Denaru return only once.

Perhaps stay somewhere between the airport and Nadi. There are lots of hotels very close to the airport.

 

[ozmille]

Glad to hear that you've taken the NAN option - I plan to do the same next year.

One thing to consider in NAN is where you stay. I was there recently and the road to the Denaru resorts is absolutely appalling (to say the least). If you go there, then plan to travel airport to Denaru return only once.

Perhaps stay somewhere between the airport and Nadi. There are lots of hotels very close to the airport.

I stayed in the Novotel last week, they have a free shuttle service between airport and hotel.

 

[pshepvic]

Try to get seats in row 1... very enjoyable and loooooooooooooooooots of legroom

And pray that there is no baby in the bassinet across the aisle!

 

[zeiron]

As far as Im concerned, Skippy has lost touch with the real world.. 9K for a trip to LAX.... Also check JAL. You would be pleasantly surprised, and get status/ points as well. JUst a thought if you insist on staying with QF and being treated like cough.

Skippy lost the plot years ago, and as for being treated like cough... dont get me started. I cant wait to give Virgin Australia a shot. hopefully they are much better than QF.

 

[zeiron]

I also find that the FJ website is cheaper, which I think has something to do with QF fuel surcharges (how they can possibly charge a fuel surcharge on a service for which they do not incur ANY fuel costs is beyond me!!). Secondly, it can often be $1000's cheaper to book OZ-NAN and NAN-US as 2 separate J tickets. have a great trip!

 

[flyinghightoday]

I also find that the FJ website is cheaper, which I think has something to do with QF fuel surcharges (how they can possibly charge a fuel surcharge on a service for which they do not incur ANY fuel costs is beyond me!!). Secondly, it can often be $1000's cheaper to book OZ-NAN and NAN-US as 2 separate J tickets. have a great trip!

I posted a question a little further up in regards to booking on the FJ website.

If you are booked with all FJ codes you are still eligible to receive the same amount of points and status credits as if it was booked with a QF code? Minus the status level you are at.

 

[markis10]

I also find that the FJ website is cheaper, which I think has something to do with QF fuel surcharges (how they can possibly charge a fuel surcharge on a service for which they do not incur ANY fuel costs is beyond me!!). Secondly, it can often be $1000's cheaper to book OZ-NAN and NAN-US as 2 separate J tickets. have a great trip!

QF own 46% of FJ, so they certainly have fuel costs!

 

[nonpop]

Yes it looks as though I have unique bookings for each leg of the journey.
But with our corp TA the nice thing is I don't have to pay (have the CC charged) until a few days before the flight. So that was even better.

 

[pshepvic]

Yes it looks as though I have unique bookings for each leg of the journey.
But with our corp TA the nice thing is I don't have to pay (have the CC charged) until a few days before the flight. So that was even better.

That's prett much the same with QF though - I've booked J flights to NAN in Sept, and only have to pay for them about 5 days before with the "Book now pay later" functionality - just had to pay a $50 holding deposit for each booking.

 

[zeiron]

QF own 46% of FJ, so they certainly have fuel costs!

That may be the case, but FJ, as i understand it, operate as a separate entity and in this case have chosen not to implement a fuel surcharge, and if they have its not as high as that imposed by QF. Why QF can impose their surcharge on a FJ operated flight that for all intents and purposes has nothing directly to do with QF, except for being code shared as a QF service is beyond me. You could bet your last $ that QF would not be passing on this surcharge to FJ.
I actually had this very problem, and i wrote an email to QF questioning how they could charge in excess of $300 more than the equivalent FJ fare for exactly the same flights. I was told, that QF price their fares to provide customers with choice and feel that their fares offer great "value" for their passengers. Needless to say, I booked the FJ code.
This is a similar situation to paying a QF fare for a JQ operated service (with no IFE or meals). would any person who has a slight clue do it? Unlikely. That is why, if you are on a QF coded JQ service, you get the the inflight meal kits or whatever rubbish they dish out to Y pax, because you can imagine the flood of complaints they would get from customers.

 

[zeiron]

I posted a question a little further up in regards to booking on the FJ website.

If you are booked with all FJ codes you are still eligible to receive the same amount of points and status credits as if it was booked with a QF code? Minus the status level you are at.

That would be why I stated that I "also" find the FJ website cheaper.....

 

[ozmille]

That's prett much the same with QF though - I've booked J flights to NAN in Sept, and only have to pay for them about 5 days before with the "Book now pay later" functionality - just had to pay a $50 holding deposit for each booking.

But quite some people got stung last year when QF decided to up the fares. I had a NAN run on hold with QF and the price went up almost 300 or 400 dollars...

 

[pshepvic]

But quite some people got stung last year when QF decided to up the fares. I had a NAN run on hold with QF and the price went up almost 300 or 400 dollars...

Owch! I thought it was just the taxes fees and surcharges that could change and that it locked in the actual base fare? If so, that's a huge increase in taxes etc!

I've paid for it anyway though so won't have that issue. The only downside would be if the fare drops, but I'm sure that's unlikely!

Out of interest, would it still then be possible for the fare to change with the travel agent too for the same reason? Or is the price locked for them, even if it hasn't be paid yet?

 

[markis10]

A fare is never locked in until it is ticketed, regardless of the channel used for booking, unlike some other products you normally get some notice of changes, at least the TAs do.

 

[Durin's Bane]

If you don't mind an old aircraft with poor IFE with good food and great service go Air Pacific via Nadi. The SC earning is great for the price!!

 

[pshepvic]

A fare is never locked in until it is ticketed, regardless of the channel used for booking, unlike some other products you normally get some notice of changes, at least the TAs do.

Thanks for that - wasn't sure about the TA scenario but that's good to know.