Which is better? QF A380 Y or BA 777 Y (with allocated exit row)

[adrian]

I have to fly to London on Friday, and an amending the return leg of an existing Qantas ticket to do so.

It is a cheap economy ticket, and I have a choice between the A380 on QF, and an older BA 777.

However, as AA EXP, BA will allow me to preallocate a bulkhead seat (there is availability), but with QF I am put in the general mix.

I think that both flights are fairly empty. I flew LHR-SYD last Friday in the BA exit row, and actually managed 9 hrs sleep on one sector (normally that is impossible for me), despite being next to the bassinet area with crying babies.

I haven't yet flown the A380, so any advice is appreciated.

 

[NM]

If IFE is important to you, then QF is likely to be better. BA is only partly through their AVOD roll-out, which from memory is starting with their 744 fleet ahead of the 777 fleet.

 

[serfty]

Certainly better IFE on the 388.

As far as exit row seating goes, you can call Qantas and ask for a request to be placed into your PNR for an exit seat and for your oneworld emerald status to be taken into consideration.

Note that 66A/K > 66C/H > 79B/J > 66B/J.

Avoid 79C/H as people keep tend to keep walking into you through a curtain.

Of course, 80A/K are the best seats for a single traveller but they are unlikely to be available as they are not designated as exit seats.

 

[milehighclub]

The Qantas flight is pretty full - about 3 spare seats.

 

[adrian]

Certainly better IFE on the 388.

As far as exit row seating goes, you can call Qantas and ask for a request to be placed into your PNR for an exit seat and for your oneworld emerald status to be taken into consideration.

Note that 66A/K > 66C/H > 79B/J > 66B/J.

Avoid 79C/H as people keep tend to keep walking into you through a curtain.

Of course, 80A/K are the best seats for a single traveller but they are unlikely to be available as they are not designated as exit seats.

Qantas weren't that helpful. She said that the seating had closed for the flight, that my emerald status wouldn't help me, and that they don't allocate exit rows until checkin anyway. Maybe I got a grumpy one.....

 

[serfty]

I think you 'got a grumpy one'!

Seat pre allocation closes for most around 80 hours before a flight.

Since you are not QF WP, I was suggesting a call to request a note to be placed into your booking requesting an exit seat - not to be actually allocated one.

Other than that; check in early!

 

[Dave Noble]

BA with an exit seat would win every time for me. Comfort more important than IFE

Dave

 

[adrian]

BA with an exit seat would win every time for me. Comfort more important than IFE

Dave

I agree. I hardly ever watch the IFE. I was just curious about the A380 (I had a SYD-LAX in J booked for last month, but the substituted the aircraft one me).

So I ended up booking BA. Just have to call up now and get them to preassign (for some reason when QF enter the AA number, it doesn't automatically give me seat map choice on BA, but BA let me preassign it by phone on the way over, so it should be fine)

I also noticed that when I changed my flight (over the phone with QF, as it didn't work with the online tool - kept getting an error message), it seems that they changed the fare category from O to Q (I booked BA on a QF flight number, expecting 50% x 2 miles, instead of 25% x 1 on the BA flight number, and paid a bit extra for it), but I guess I will just get them to credit the points to QF instead on AA when I checkin, after I have my seat ticket...

Thanks for all your replies.

 

[Evan]

On BA (or QF) crediting to QF because SYD-LSIN-LHR is a JSA route you get 100% miles regardless of class.