Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

[prozac]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - New FF program in *A

I just wanted to say that transiting BOM or DEL isn't bad at all. BOM is brand new and only 6 months old. There's plenty to look at and it feels like you're in a classy art museum. DEL is as modern as any world class modern airport. I certainly wouldn't put either of them on a list of airports I'd avoid.

Video on building the new BOM airport - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ypb7H70V8kI
I don't think I would mind transiting there.

 

[jsoprano]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - New FF program in *A

What's the general opinion on TG F vs. SQ J (both on A380)?

Reason is I am planning a trip to Europe for next year, and want to book a one-way starting in MEL and ending in either FRA or ZRH using Lifemiles. Now TG F is only available from SYD, and to ZRH it's the undesirable old seat in the A346. What's available now to FRA is also mostly the daytime flight BKK-FRA which is also an A346, seems hard to get the overnight flight on the A380. Unless I go to CDG and then backtrack...

So all these issues made me look into other options, including splitting the trip and booking 2 tickets, MEL-SIN and SIN-FRA/ZRH. Points-wise it's both 105k for TG F as well as for 2 tickets SQ J, if SIN-EU booked now for 65k and MEL-SIN booked after 15 Oct for 40k. Would also allow a stopover in SIN.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - New FF program in *A

What's the general opinion on TG F vs. SQ J (both on A380)?

Reason is I am planning a trip to Europe for next year, and want to book a one-way starting in MEL and ending in either FRA or ZRH using Lifemiles. Now TG F is only available from SYD, and to ZRH it's the undesirable old seat in the A346. What's available now to FRA is also mostly the daytime flight BKK-FRA which is also an A346, seems hard to get the overnight flight on the A380. Unless I go to CDG and then backtrack...

So all these issues made me look into other options, including splitting the trip and booking 2 tickets, MEL-SIN and SIN-FRA/ZRH. Points-wise it's both 105k for TG F as well as for 2 tickets SQ J, if SIN-EU booked now for 65k and MEL-SIN booked after 15 Oct for 40k. Would also allow a stopover in SIN.

TG F, even on the A346, is better than SQ J. The ground handling and crew-to-passenger ratio ensure that. In F it is tailored around you.

SQ wins for everything else including service and food. But you cannot compete with a cabin of 50 pax compared to a cabin of 6 or 8.

 

[jsoprano]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - New FF program in *A

TG F, even on the A346, is better than SQ J. The ground handling and crew-to-passenger ratio ensure that. In F it is tailored around you.

SQ wins for everything else including service and food. But you cannot compete with a cabin of 50 pax compared to a cabin of 6 or 8.

Yeah that's a fair summary I guess. I just realised I could also go to MUC instead, they currently fly the 744 there so there is at least a good chance of the new seat. Decisions, decisions...but largely depends on what's available on the days I want. There are worse problems to be had.

 

[RB]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - New FF program in *A

What's the general opinion on TG F vs. SQ J (both on A380)?

Reason is I am planning a trip to Europe for next year, and want to book a one-way starting in MEL and ending in either FRA or ZRH using Lifemiles. Now TG F is only available from SYD, and to ZRH it's the undesirable old seat in the A346. What's available now to FRA is also mostly the daytime flight BKK-FRA which is also an A346, seems hard to get the overnight flight on the A380. Unless I go to CDG and then backtrack...

So all these issues made me look into other options, including splitting the trip and booking 2 tickets, MEL-SIN and SIN-FRA/ZRH. Points-wise it's both 105k for TG F as well as for 2 tickets SQ J, if SIN-EU booked now for 65k and MEL-SIN booked after 15 Oct for 40k. Would also allow a stopover in SIN.

I have done both & would pick the Thai option every time. To me the numbers in a full SQ J are a drawback especially compared to any TG F. I certainly don't agree with Mel Traveller that SQ J food is better than TG F food and I am not sure that the service on a full SQ flight is better than TG F- we all "mark" differently I guess

 

[kpc]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - New FF program in *A

Having recently flown TG F Syd-Bkk on "old" 747, and TG F Bkk-Fra on A380, TG F >> SQ J in most (not all) respects

 

[MEL_Traveller]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - New FF program in *A

I have done both & would pick the Thai option every time. To me the numbers in a full SQ J are a drawback especially compared to any TG F. I certainly don't agree with Mel Traveller that SQ J food is better than TG F food and I am not sure that the service on a full SQ flight is better than TG F- we all "mark" differently I guess

The difficulty is comparing apples with apples.

Food: I can't say I've had anything outstanding on TG F - individual plating or caviar doesn't automatically mean a meal is good. (In fact I've had some pretty bad meals on TG F). But then I haven't had a truly memorable meal on SQ J either. I'd say they are probably about the same. Given however one is an F offering, and one is J - the J meal wins because it is on par with what is being offered in F on TG.

Crew: SQ J crew are on par or better than TG F crew. If you had the same SQ J crew working a TG F flight, the service would be better. Therefore, they win on each individual crew member's level... but of course TG wins solely on the ratio of crew-to-pax.

 

[Wozz]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - New FF program in *A

F service would almost always beat J service, even though some may think that the TG F hard product may not be as good as SQ J.

We did SYD-BKK and BKK-MXP with TG F and thought the F service was excellent. You have 2-3 FAs taking care of an average 6-8 passengers so the service is more personal.

I actually thought the TG F service was better than QF's F

 

[boomy]

Avianca "Life Miles" - New FF program in *A

Yeah that's a fair summary I guess. I just realised I could also go to MUC instead, they currently fly the 744 there so there is at least a good chance of the new seat. Decisions, decisions...but largely depends on what's available on the days I want. There are worse problems to be had.

Hope you can get the flight to MUC, even the non-refurb B747 is better then A340 so you can't loose.
I also had a similar choice when booking the return from Europe early next year and decided to depart from CDG. As you can see I'm not a big gambler

 

[MEL_Traveller]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - New FF program in *A

Hope you can get the flight to MUC, even the non-refurb B747 is better then A340 so you can't loose.

If TG doesn't change it... like they do with almost every other aircraft on every other route.

 

[boomy]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - New FF program in *A

If TG doesn't change it... like they do with almost every other aircraft on every other route.

Anyway it can't get any worse then A340, unless they change it to an aircraft with no F but considering the winter schedule was finalised already I would say it's a highly unlikely scenario.

 

[tinkybelle]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - New FF program in *A

I dont mind TG F though Ive never had a great meal, as long as the dom is cold Im ok.
Id fly TG F anytime over SQ J.

 

[Alanslegal]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - New FF program in *A

I dont mind TG F though Ive never had a great meal, as long as the dom is cold Im ok.
Id fly TG F anytime over SQ J.

I'm with you there, I'd take TG F over any SQ J. In fact I'd take TG F over any J. Similarly I'd take any long haul TG J over any Y+

 

[anat0l]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - New FF program in *A

I'd definitely go TG F over SQ J, even if it was TG's 346 F seat.

Food may be about par so SQ J wins purely based on class disposition, but I've had my fair share of very ordinary SQ J meals, like really ordinary (using premium ingredients, too, like Berkshire pork). I've heard TG's catering has slid down quite a bit of recent times, however.

I can be a lot more comfortable in TG's F seat rather than SQ's longhaul J seat, though I haven't tried the latter's new longhaul J seat.

Finally, ground service wise TG F does win, even if we disregard the buggy service.

I guess the only real consequences here are that is one prepared to pay extra for TG F when the original comparison wasn't really a fair one to start with.

 

[boomy]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - New FF program in *A

I don't mind the meals on TG F, the caviar is fantastic and lobster is always good. Sure, it's not Flower Drum quality but it's always nice to eat lobster on a plane!

 

[anat0l]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - New FF program in *A

I don't mind the meals on TG F, the caviar is fantastic and lobster is always good. Sure, it's not Flower Drum quality but it's always nice to eat lobster on a plane!

You can preorder Lobster Thermidor on most SQ flights in Business, too.

Caviar is caviar...the hardest part really is being able to offer it, quite difficult to stuff up serving it to your customers, really. I'll admit it tastes great, though suffice to say I don't eat and appreciate it like a purist should (i.e. almost "straight up") so some people would say, "what's the point".

 

[MEL_Traveller]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - New FF program in *A

Caviar is caviar...the hardest part really is being able to offer it, quite difficult to stuff up serving it to your customers, really. I'll admit it tastes great, though suffice to say I don't eat and appreciate it like a purist should (i.e. almost "straight up") so some people would say, "what's the point".

:shock: - like any product - there is ok, better and best when it comes to caviar Otherwise it would be like saying 'champagne is champagne'. While that may be technically true, there are differing qualities and types. And like champagnes, not everyone's taste will be the same. But - you cannot really compare cheaper farmed caviar with something like Beluga.

Many people would be surprised how inexpensive the caviar served on planes can be.

As for serving - many airlines now go for individual tins. But CX somehow manages to serve it kind of warm which detracts a bit. For those using bigger tins, Lufthansa is notable for using plastic utensils to serve it.

 

[boomy]

Avianca "Life Miles" - New FF program in *A

Speaking of caviar, I'm not a big fan of the breakfast on TG F (or any breakfast on any airline for that matter) so I ask for caviar instead and usually given the whole tin

 

[Wozz]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - New FF program in *A

Speaking of caviar, I'm not a big fan of the breakfast on TG F (or any breakfast on any airline for that matter) so I ask for caviar instead and usually given the whole tin

Caviar for breakkie! That is a brilliant idea! I shall try that on my way home!

 

[prozac]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - New FF program in *A

Caviar for breakkie! That is a brilliant idea! I shall try that on my way home!

With champagne...