To UK in PE - is it worth it?

[trippin_the_rift]

You have an overnight stay in Narita, and I believe JAL put you up in a hotel for the night which is included in that fare. From memory again, you arrive at 5pm and depart the next day about midday. Others with more knowledge on this will correct me.

Correct ^^. I did this a few months ago in JAL Business. Very comfortable trip and would definately do it again. The hotel is right near the airport (5min bus) and is owned by JAL I think. Meals/transfers included.

Don't discount royal brunei either, for $4k total, you can snag business class seats. Adds only a few extra hours ontop of what QF takes.

 

[drewbles]

Correct ^^. I did this a few months ago in JAL Business. Very comfortable trip and would definately do it again. The hotel is right near the airport (5min bus) and is owned by JAL I think. Meals/transfers included.

Don't discount royal brunei either, for $4k total, you can snag business class seats. Adds only a few extra hours ontop of what QF takes.

Forget the booze though, as they're a "dry" airline.

Not a problem for those who don't drink, but for those of us who liked to be slightly numb for the long haul it's a little annoying (short of serving the BYO duty free).

 

[notzac]

..but for those of us who liked to be slightly numb for the long haul it's a little annoying (short of serving the BYO duty free).

Which I believe they're happy to do. Choose your own champagne!

 

[JohnK]

If we had the luxury of more time, we'd go Y.

It is quite interesting how we all have different priorities in life.

Most people I know would rather fly economy (quite happy to put up with long-haul economy trips) and save the money for another day. Whether that be to have another trip or to spend on something else is not that important. The important thing is to keep the cost of the airfares down as much as possible and spend on the holiday itself.

Me, I am cash poor and time rich. I could easily have 6 weeks holiday a year at my current job and that means 3 possible trips to Thailand a year. There is no way I could spend 6 weeks in Thailand at once. At the moment the trip planned for June (including status runs and 9 games of golf) is going to cost ~AUD4000.

Why would I waste money for a little more (perceived) comfort on what is potentially a 9 hour flight each way? By the time you go to sleep and wake up again the flight has been forgotten. In fact most times the flight has been forgotten well before going to sleep.

 

[docjames]

It is quite interesting how we all have different priorities in life.

Most people I know would rather fly economy (quite happy to put up with long-haul economy trips) .

Why would I waste money for a little more (perceived) comfort on what is potentially a 9 hour flight each way? By the time you go to sleep and wake up again the flight has been forgotten. In fact most times the flight has been forgotten well before going to sleep.

As you're quoting me, i'm not sure if you're (politely?) having a go at me John or commenting in general??

Two things:
There's a significant difference (to me and mrsdoc at least :-|, perhaps not to yourself ) between 9hrs to BKK (or 7 to SIN) or 21hrs (7+14 / 9+12) to LHR (or in our case, to CDG which means +1hr +transit time so say 24hrs+).

Indeed, when travelling to anywhere in SE Asia, we go Y (less timezone shift, even if sleep quality is poor) as we suffer far less jet lag afterwards.

I agree with saving $$$ for holiday spend / more holidays, but in this case we have accepted if we want to have a good holiday (who donesnt), the ledger falls to spending a little more on airfares. As it turns out, we will have little accomodation costs anyway on this particular trip.

You will recall we did a LONE4 last year (and were fortunate to be upgraded on QF by the QF-gods) but the remainder on BA/CX was Y. We looked at DONEs but couldnt justify the cost to ourselves. As we were away longer, and with no formal functions to attend, it was an ok outcome if we ended up in Y on the QF flights.

 

[dajop]

Most people I know would rather fly economy (quite happy to put up with long-haul economy trips) and save the money for another day. Whether that be to have another trip or to spend on something else is not that important. The important thing is to keep the cost of the airfares down as much as possible and spend on the holiday itself.

I think there's another factor apart from time and money (cost) and that's value. I was happy to spend approx $1300 AUD for return flights in NZ Y+ HKG-LHR when economy was selling for about $900 AUD. I thought that was good value.

But unless one could only get economy for say $3K or more, paying $4.5K on QF for return from Australia to LHR in Y+ IMHO is pouring money down the drain - a complete waste of money. If I was willing to fork out that much I'd pay the few dollars extra and go all the way in J on another carrier - or indeed pay less and go in Y to Asia and J from there. Or paying $2K + $320 for exit rows in other completely adequate option as well.

I also think $2.9 on JAL represents much better value than the ridiculously overpriced $4.5K that QF charge.

 

[smckay]

tried for a 28/9 departure, 6/10 return and got a fare of aud2937.30.

vs fare is aud3514.30

sk/qf combo is aud3554.10 and

ba is aud3657.40

all fares inclusive of fees and taxes.

Who is this with and what website did you get it on? I can't find anything like that at all

 

[NYCguy]

Who is this with and what website did you get it on? I can't find anything like that at all

Go to the top of this page.

Under the word "community" there are several red boxes with words written in white capitals.

Click on the box that says "BOOK FLIGHTS".

The online agent that you are redirected to is where I found the JAL fare I quoted earlier.

 

[JohnK]

As you're quoting me, i'm not sure if you're (politely?) having a go at me John or commenting in general??

No, not having a go in any way. You mentioned that if you were not time poor you would go in economy. I can understand why you are going premium economy on this trip.

For me, and most people I know, it makes no difference whether the trip is 9 hours or 20+ hours we would still travel in economy. I am planning another RTW in economy for next year so I must be a sucker for punishment. I prefer to travel regularly than wait to have one trip in premium cabins every 2-3 years. Or if I had the money to throw away....

I think there's another factor apart from time and money (cost) and that's value. I was happy to spend approx $1300 AUD for return flights in NZ Y+ HKG-LHR when economy was selling for about $900 AUD. I thought that was good value.

That is good value and it makes logical sense to do it that way. I used to book BA world traveller Plus from BKK and SIN when the difference in price between WT+ and economy was ~$400-$500. At the moment the BA product is more than double the price of economy and QF premium economy is ~$3,000 or more than 3 times the price of economy.

 

[smckay]

Well I found the JAL fare for $6,278 return, Y+, with a stopover each leg in September.
I'd be keen to take this; now I need to find a thread on the +/- of JAL.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Why would I waste money for a little more (perceived) comfort on what is potentially a 9 hour flight each way?

Ummm... because First class is a lifestyle concept rather than about value for money :mrgreen:

 

[dajop]

I'd be keen to take this; now I need to find a thread on the +/- of JAL.

Had a single trip on Y+ from NRT to earlier this year that I did a quick report on here. It was quite good, better than economy. Although Air NZ's Y+ is better service wise!

You may want to trawl through flyertalk to see if you can find anything as well.

 

[simongr]

Ummm... because First class is a lifestyle concept rather than about value for money :mrgreen:

A bit like golf is a nice walk interrupted with green fees...

 

[JohnK]

Ummm... because First class is a lifestyle concept rather than about value for money :mrgreen:

That lifestyle concept does not suit me anyway. I am much better off down the back with the normal people.

A bit like golf is a nice walk interrupted with green fees...

Or is it more like the "golf usually spoils a nice walk"?

 

[freofan]

'Normal People'? Jeez I'd prefer not to be 'normal', normal people rarely do anything interesting or outstanding. Look at all of the leaders of history/importance.

 

[possum FF]

I have done UK-Melb-UK in PE. It was surprisingly acceptable. Sure, you can't recline & get a good sleep, but the wider (marginally) seat is noticeable & the service is better than cattle class.
I'm trying Emirates economy next trip - I hear that it is comparable to GF PE.

 

[drewbles]

Which I believe they're happy to do. Choose your own champagne!

I know they have a fridge full of bubbles in SYD and MEL on arrivals DF. Do they have similar for departures? or could you request?

You'd want your dry airline to at least serve your drinks cold pretty quickly

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Well I found the JAL fare for $6,278 return, Y+, with a stopover each leg in September.
I'd be keen to take this; now I need to find a thread on the +/- of JAL.

6.2k for Y+?

I got SYD-LHR on JAL in J for 5.5 ... (first class upgrade NRT-LHR)

 

[smckay]

My 6.2 is for 2 pax; your 5.5 is 1 pax???

 

[Bang4Buck]

Well I found the JAL fare for $6,278 return, Y+, with a stopover each leg in September.
I'd be keen to take this; now I need to find a thread on the +/- of JAL.

It seems good value relative to the other fares quoted in this thread. Note the (free?) JAL hotel is very perfunctionary; you can't swing a cat in there. But the area is (potentially) charming; if you have time go for drinks on the cobble stone road and visit the temple thing the next morning.