[openfly]

As of the timetables changed last weekend, BA has withdrawn the 747 from LHR-SIN-SYD and replaced it with a 777 service. Such a shame. But with other operators offering the A380 at least there is a choice. I think people prefer big aircraft on very long routes.

This is the fewest seats that BA has offered to Oz since the late 60s. Yes, a gradual run-down of the route seems to be apparent. Maybe that is why Qantas has moved into bed with Emirates. They saw the lack of enthusiasm from BA. They saw a dynamic enthusiastic operator in Emirates and made a very wise decision.

[tarisingh]

does the 777 have the “new” First?

[BeckyBoop]

Yes – 777-300

[tarisingh]

thanks – also which are the better seats in Club – have reserved row 10 J and K out and 2A and 3A rtn – as we have to pay to reserve the seats might as well have the best!!

[EU_Flyer]

And most importantly, the new World Traveller and World Traveller Plus seating which makes the BA hard product on these aircraft very competitive indeed.

If only they slightly upped the food and beverage in Y+ to include real glasswear and hot towels, they’d be a real competitor to QF on the route.

[travelworld]

Whislt it’s all very sad that BA may well leave Aus, the short point is that the vast majority of passengers who want to go there for whom Heathrow is not their “home” airport would rather fly with one stop in Dubai than two, first at Heathrow and then Bangkok or Singapore. Many say that BA service is superior to Qantas and Emirates (although many don’t) but even if it is it’s not vastly so (especially in non premium cabins) and the short point is that for most Europeans Emirates/Qantas provides shorter total journey time and less hassle.

[Flyboy18]

Alexupgrade77…. As standard in WTplus you should be getting a hot towel, Club hot main meal with real cutlery a wine glass and a menu…. If you don’t ask the crew why your not getting them!

[MarcusUK]

One issue flying from The Emirates on any Airline, is that to Sydney it is at least 15 hrs + on board. That is quite an ultra long haul flight. Whatever class you travel in, it is still a hard slog for the body.
In Business or First, this is fine, but in Economy or even PE, i would not want to spend 15 +hrs

Via The Far East it is 11-13hrs then a mere 6-8 hrs to Sydney.
I generally stay at least overnight if longer in Asia, as there are far more beach and island options to break up a journey, and much more varied and diverse cultural activity, than DXB, AUH, or DOH alone.

I think this gives the Asian Carriers an advantage for those on leisure in all cabins, and there are many self paying customers in premium cabins on the Oceania routes. BA clearly have lost business and the costs are very high to run such a service now the Qantas partnership is ceased.

I wonder how many Airlines are losing customers to Oceania, with European travellers now using the Emirate States as gateways into Australia?

I see on BT Asia, that EK and QF FFP’s are not equally aligned,, and it appears more of a partnership arrangement, code-shares etc. It certainly is not mile for mile equal, so QF FF’s are losing out much more flying Emirates, or spending miles with them. If they fly Pure EK, they earn NO status miles for the QF program?

Not much of a partnership of equality after all?

[BigDog.]

No Pork or Alcohol on Qantas flights within Europe

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2304476/Pigs-CANT-fly-Qantas-pork-alcohol-menu-European-routes-deal-Emirates.html

[JohnPhelanAustralia]

MarcusUK – QF frequent flyers get both FF miles and status credits when flying on either QF or EK metal – provided that they are travelling on the QF flight number. So the short answer is that, if you are travelling on an EK aircraft, you need to book the QF codeshare. Codeshares are available on almost every EK-operated flight to Europe, Middle East and northern Africa, as well as SIN, BKK and KUL.

If you are flying on EK to somewhere else (e.g. JNB. LAX) then you get the full number of frequent flyer points, but no status credits.

[JohnPhelanAustralia]

BigDog – you’ve missed one fairly significant thing – it’s no alcohol as an INGREDIENT in MEALS (e.g. white wine sauce). There is most certainly still alcohol to drink – just as there is on EK flights.

(In fact, on the inaugural flight last Sunday, QF ran out of champagne and certain spirits with a few hours to go until landing, because the alcohol consumption on board was running at a much higher rate than usual !)

QF has long had the same rule about food on flights to and from Indonesia, given that it is also a Muslim country. So the same rule is being applied on flights to and from Dubai. Virgin Australia does the same on its flights to and from Abu Dhabi.

[SergeantMajor]

It will be interetsing to see what alternatives are offered should the service cease.

The move towards a more local carrier offering the onward hop to Sydney makes total sense, and now other airlines have upgraded their products to flat beds (pioneered by BA over 15 years ago) there is less of an issue flying on another airline.

Personally, I’d keep a close eye on Qatar. 😉

[AMcWhirter]

Hello SergeantMajor

I wouldn’t call the onward sector from Hong Kong to be a “hop.” Let’s face it, in terms of flying time Hong Kong-Sydney equates to London-Chicago.

Singapore-Sydney is actually farther than London-New York, hence that lengthy Forum thread a couple of years ago re the differences (at that time) in SIA’s business class products, about which I wrote a detailed piece for Business Traveller.

So all the more reason for the onward carrier to offer the right product otherwise passengers stepping off a BA A380 will feel “downgraded.”

[IanFromHKG]

If there is any truth in the rumours to the effect that BA will transfer passengers onto a CX codeshare, Alex, I would have thought they might feel significantly “upgraded”, at least in business or premium economy. It will be interesting to see if, in this event, CX introduce first class on the Australia routes, in which case that will be quite an upgrade too.

I think there is less of a distinction in economy, but then again I wouldn’t know 🙂

[AMcWhirter]

Hello Ian

I was comparing a J, Y+ or Y seat on the A380’s upper deck to Y+ or Y on CX’s A330 which would over the wings. An A380 flight has so far eluded me but feedback suggests the ambience on its upper deck is superior to the A330 or even B777 experience.

In any case, I thought BA had made some improvements to its latest Y+ seating ?

http://www.businesstraveller.com/tried-and-tested/airlines/british-airways/british-airways-b787-world-traveller-plus-(prem

[Author]

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