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

[tallie]

Thanks for the info on the Air Pacific flights in J to LAX. I am flying there in October (then NYC) and had a few questions.

1. Is J via NAN ever on sale or is it best to book and pay now to guarantee the seat and price?
2. I have read about double SC deals in various threads, are these available often and to all FF status levels, as I have never seen it before?
3. It sounds like FJ is a very roomy J class after reading Wunala Dreaming's TR. I am 6'10" and wondering if I do not get row A, if FJ J class has more leg room than a QF or VA exit row seat in Y?
4. Further more how would FJ J class compare to VA wY+? I only consider this because they are all around the $2.5-3.5k for FJ J, VA wY+ and QF Y.

 

[markis10]

Thanks for the info on the Air Pacific flights in J to LAX. I am flying there in October (then NYC) and had a few questions.

1. Is J via NAN ever on sale or is it best to book and pay now to guarantee the seat and price?

Book it as two/three tickets, one to NAN and the other ex NAN to USA then one NAN back to Aus.

2. I have read about double SC deals in various threads, are these available often and to all FF status levels, as I have never seen it before?

Selected participants have been offered these in the past but generally they are rare and random in nature.

 

[JohnPhelan]

Thanks for the info on the Air Pacific flights in J to LAX. I am flying there in October (then NYC) and had a few questions.

1. Is J via NAN ever on sale or is it best to book and pay now to guarantee the seat and price?
2. I have read about double SC deals in various threads, are these available often and to all FF status levels, as I have never seen it before?
3. It sounds like FJ is a very roomy J class after reading Wunala Dreaming's TR. I am 6'10" and wondering if I do not get row A, if FJ J class has more leg room than a QF or VA exit row seat in Y?
4. Further more how would FJ J class compare to VA wY+? I only consider this because they are all around the $2.5-3.5k for FJ J, VA wY+ and QF Y.

If you're travelling on the FJ 747s, then J class is virtually identical to QF's First class of the late 1980s-early 1990s. It is much more roomy then Y+ on any airline.

Be aware, though, that the seats are recliners - they do not convert into beds (but then, neither do the other airlines' Y+).

There's heaps of pitch in all rows; the centre block of two seats in row 4 is very good, as well as any in row 1.

 

[docjames]

If you're travelling on the FJ 747s, then J class is virtually identical to QF's First class of the late 1980s-early 1990s. It is much more roomy then Y+ on any airline.

Be aware, though, that the seats are recliners - they do not convert into beds (but then, neither do the other airlines' Y+).

There's heaps of pitch in all rows; the centre block of two seats in row 4 is very good, as well as any in row 1.

Sorry to semi-thread hijack, but you answered the first half of my question (row 1 on the 744). note I'm traveling with mrsdoc and minidoc. Is there any difference a/b vs j/k?

I also have the same qn about row one on FJ's 737-700?

 

[JohnPhelan]

Sorry to semi-thread hijack, but you answered the first half of my question (row 1 on the 744). note I'm traveling with mrsdoc and minidoc. Is there any difference a/b vs j/k?

I also have the same qn about row one on FJ's 737-700?

There's no difference between taking the A/B seats or the J/K seats; of course, in Row 1, the sets are closer together, but as you move back from the nose, they separate. By Row 4, you also have a middle block (D/E) though these are set slightly further back than the other seats in the row.

Seat pitch in J on the 747 is 57 inches, but only 48 inches on the 737, so that's not nearly as good. Do bear in mind that the FJ seats recline, so if there's someone in front of you, they push back into your space. Hence why I like Row 1 or 4D/E on the FJ 747 - no one in front!

 

[docjames]

Many thanks. Both sides have bassinet so happy with row 1 then!

 

[Oneworldplus2]

I got an e-mail from Thai the other day with big savings, so that might be also worth a look if your interested in Thai/Star option....

 

[tallie]

Book it as two/three tickets, one to NAN and the other ex NAN to USA then one NAN back to Aus.

That was the plan, my question was more around, do QF/FJ ever to a red e deal type sale on J fares? Hence might it get cheaper through a one off sale. Otherwise if J never goes on sale then I should book as early as possible, guess it is 100% refundable so shouldn't matter either way. Would you agree?

I got an e-mail from Thai the other day with big savings, so that might be also worth a look if your interested in Thai/Star option....

Thanks that'd be great well worth it if it saves $$$, although Qantas marketing has increased my loyalty to using the flying kangaroo.

 

[fjc]

If you look at the FJ website, and choose to fly x NAN, some good fares to USA are displayed eg NAN-JFK or NAN-ATL for just over FJD$4400 return. The USA airlines used seem to be either AA or US

My interpretation of the QF SC site is that SC and points only for the NAN-LAX sector.

 

[connieguy]

If you look at the FJ website, and choose to fly x NAN, some good fares to USA are displayed eg NAN-JFK or NAN-ATL for just over FJD$4400 return. The USA airlines used seem to be either AA or US

My interpretation of the QF SC site is that SC and points only for the NAN-LAX sector.

As long as you fly FJ J and / or with a OW code share J (AA flights which will be F for domestic US) you should get QF J / F miles and SCs for the sectors.

 

[travelislife]

Hi,

I am looking at doing this for a ski trip in February next year MEL-NAN-LAX-NAN-MEL with a flight probably from LAX-SLC-LAX.

Now a couple of questions, annoyingly the connection time between the MEL-NAN flight and NAN-LAX is over 10 hours so I was looking at flying with another airline (prob Virgin) then linking in with Air Pacific. The only annoying thing with this is not being able to get cheap J seats! Has anyone had any problems booking all these tickets seperately (to get around $3000 return in J) with connections or delays? Is it possible to put them all on the same PNR after booking?

Also if you book a J class ticket on Air Pacific's website including a connecting US sector, is the US sector in First/J?

It seems great value at only twice the price of an economy ticket for J, even if older style.

 

[flyinghightoday]

Try and find the MEL-SYD-NAN and return via SYD as it offers better connection times with the LAX flight.

 

[travelislife]

You are right about the connection times, unfortunately it doesn't provide Biz Saver fares when you look at these ones.

 

[pshepvic]

You are right about the connection times, unfortunately it doesn't provide Biz Saver fares when you look at these ones.

It does, but it depends on availability on the dates you want. I've got this booked for September, but someone else tried a few days after me and it was gone (I possibly snagged the last biz saver fares on that date).