VA or Qantas to LA?

[HKGNZL]

Go with the cheapest - extra cash in pocket is the safest. You may not need extra luggage allowance. You can buy lounge passes at some LAX lounges if you need to. Seat choice is good but they likely to sit all four of you together anyway. Priority check in is not a big thing if you have time. Your priority is different from many of the FFs who fly every week on tight schedule and alone (and may need to work in lounge or on flight).
You cannot predict the crew you get on a particular plane or flight delay or what people sit around you etc etc. save the money first - it is the only guaranteed advantage.

 

[elan]

As a Qantas Club member, I have been able to get my wife and 3 children into lounges both in OZ and in the US without any issues.

 

[Pinktommy]

I still can't decide!

However I can seem the benefits of Qantas with hubby's status.

Add to the mix a airfare found with Air NZ this morning for $3600 return which would enable a few days in NZ as never been, plus break the trip for the kids. We could also pay the extra for skycouch for the kids.

sorry to drag this out...any thought?

 

[HKGNZL]

Air NZ best of the three airlines.

 

[ausi ski bum]

I recently went through the same excercise as a Qantas Gold member flying to Dubai. I have the points to get two PE tickets with Qantas but they jusst wer not being made available and the best seats were filling. I looked at Virgin and their PE product was not a lot cheaper and you have to do the last bit from Abu Dahbi on a bus.

I then did a search on Zuji and Etihad came up spme 1200 cheaper each in PE and the flight is on VA anyway. So for a $2400 saving I booked and was able to allocate us the last two seats near a window in PE. We still get lounge access and 30kg baggage each so it ended up being a no brainer really.

Looking forward to the VA experience.

 

[Noob]

Australian airline safety standards are very high, and it's much the same flying on either of VA or QF in terms of safety and crew experience.

In flight, as others have said Economy is very similar on any airline apart from little details of difference.

- Both Qantas & Virgin have almost brand new aircraft on the route, both of which are spacious.
- They both have almost brand new In Flight Entertainment with ipod connectivity etc.
- They both offer all inclusive food and beverages & inclusive alcoholic beverages
- They both have self serve snack bars for Economy
- They both have pillows/blankets & mini amenity kits
- They're both 4 star airlines on Skytrax (doesn't necessarily mean much, but once again supports their similarity)

 

[JessicaTam]

If you choose to go with NZ then you can still credit the flight to DJ for the family pooling benefits.

Don't forget that if your whole family is with QFF then they can gift their points to Mr pinktommy to use on a JASA if he is getting close to glod. You can only do the gifting once a year, though.

 

[serfty]

Air NZ best of the three airlines.

You have to be kidding!!!

10 across on a 773 ... [-](so is VA I guess)[/-] - no FF earn (airpoints for non NZ residents basically sucks) I guess you can pool to velocity - however, as of early this month you now have to pay for seat selection if you have no status with Air NZ/*A.

 

[MadFairlane]

You have to be kidding!!!

10 across on a 773 ... (so is VA I guess) - no FF earn (airpoints for non NZ residents basically sucks) I guess you can pool to velocity - however, as of early this month you now have to pay for seat selection if you have no status with Air NZ/*A.

VA is 9 across...

 

[ozbeachbabe]

VA is 9 across...

EK is 10 across on the 773 although they don't fly to the US via the Pacific.

 

[HKGNZL]

Air NZ voted best airline of the region ahead of QF every yr in recent yrs.
has a designated person to entertain pax on longhaul last time I flew AKL to LaX.
Service more consistently good standard compared with QF IMHO as must be by other voters.

 

[mannej]

You have to be kidding!!!

10 across on a 773 ... [-](so is VA I guess)[/-] - no FF earn (airpoints for non NZ residents basically sucks) I guess you can pool to velocity - however, as of early this month you now have to pay for seat selection if you have no status with Air NZ/*A.

For a family of 4 that wouldn't be an issue - better than 9 across.

 

[Sprucegoose]

has a designated person to entertain pax on longhaul last time I flew AKL to LaX. .

Who was that?

Rolf Harris?

 

[HKGNZL]

Not sure what the person's official title is. He did describe his job as to help answer questions and create activities to keep pax entertained.
He organized a game of guessing the final Aust vs NZL rugby match. Every pax enters a prediction. I came third in the entire plane and won a big bottle of champagne.
I was asleep in J most of the trip so didn't know what he did for the rest of the journey.

I have not tried their skyboard system (3 economy seats made into a bed for price of about two seats) but sounds interesting.

 

[Jousams]

Air NZ voted best airline of the region ahead of QF every yr in recent yrs. .

Didn't VA win this one for 2012?

 

[serfty]

Air NZ voted best airline of the region ahead of QF every yr in recent yrs.
has a designated person to entertain pax on longhaul last time I flew AKL to LaX.
Service more consistently good standard compared with QF IMHO as must be by other voters.

Those rating relate to the turn of the decade, not recently.

Having had over 100 flights with AirNZ in the last six years I feel I am qualified to Judge.

Yes, in January 2010 I would have rated them that highly as well. However, things change.

I have been Gold Elite with AirNZ for 5 years and for the last two they have been going cut, cut, cut.

What was a world leading service just 23 months ago is back to the pack and falling behind others.

(Now don't get me start on the desolation that "airpoints" has become these days.)

Not sure what the person's official title is. He did describe his job as to help answer questions and create activities to keep pax entertained.
He organized a game of guessing the final Aust vs NZL rugby match. Every pax enters a prediction. I came third in the entire plane and won a big bottle of champagne.
I was asleep in J most of the trip so didn't know what he did for the rest of the journey.

I have not tried their skyboard system (3 economy seats made into a bed for price of about two seats) but sounds interesting.

"Inflight Concierge".

Gold Elites get an email/text in the hours before the flight from them introducing themselves. They can assist with advice and guidance about what to do at airport such as LAX, LHR, SFO YVR etc where NZ fly to. In genernal they are quite nice and helpful.