To Sleep or not to Sleep?

[Blue Max]

This question has probably been asked innumerable times but there seems to be some ambiguity as to what upgrades in A380 seating the long hail B747s have received.
The question is simple enough.
Johannesburg/Sydney/Johannesburg in March, private booking, personal payment.
Discounting the food and drink, which is unimportant to me, is it worth shelling the extra $s to fly Business Class over Economy Comfort? The price of BC is nearly twice that of EC so the question is really not so much, how good is BC but rather, how bad is EC.
I should add that the lady has a bad back and I am quite old and fairly tall for a Polynesian.
Thanks one and all and a very splendid and thoughtful Christmas to you all.

 

[RooFlyer]

I think the best question for you to ask yourself is - do you have an alternative use for the points. If yes, go EC (or maybe send the missus in J ??). if no, go the upgrade.

 

[eric2011]

I think the best question for you to ask yourself is - do you have an alternative use for the points. If yes, go EC (or maybe send the missus in J ??). if no, go the upgrade.

I don't think the OP is talking about using points or trying for upgrades. He does mention the following..."Johannesburg/Sydney/Johannesburg in March, private booking, personal payment."

OP, if I am correct, IMO if I had the money to do it I would certainly go for the Business class product. More comfort, better? service, lounge access etc. In other words "treat yourselves, you deserve it"

 

[RooFlyer]

Oops, sorry Memo to self: don’t breakfast and post!

 

[Denali]

.....I should add that the lady has a bad back and I am quite old and fairly tall for a Polynesian.l.

Im team yes because nothing is worse than going somewhere and being miserable and landing in a worse condition than what you departed with.

You (hopefully) can always make more money to pay the bills, afford the flight but your ill health and bad comfort reduces your enjoyment.

Also, paying for J = earning more points to benefit your next flight at a improved cost.

But thats me, everyone is different. Could another alternative be to buy a comfort seat so you have the row to yourselves. Still not the same but an option.

 

[Steady]

Oops, sorry Memo to self: don’t breakfast and post!

Maybe it was the Frogmore breakfast...

 

[Mattg]

Qantas premium economy is pretty good, and I think you would be quite comfortable on the daytime Sydney-Johannesburg flight. You can grab a pair of seats on the left side and enjoy the views of the icebergs mid-way through the flight. But those seats are not lie-flat beds, so I'd probably book business class for (at least) the overnight JNB-SYD flight.

 

[Blue Max]

Thank you one and all for the rapid replies. It's good advice all round and I think that a telephone call to the Qantas ticket office is necessary. It seems impossible to book different classes for separate legs on the internet.
I believe that some of the 747s have recently been kitted out with Airbus seats and I wondered if that had made a difference to Premium Economy. I have to say that the last time I went we flew Business Class and the difference on arrival between the sleep factor and what we would have been like had we flown economy was staggering. We were not and that was the difference of course.

 

[trooper]

I was looking at a mixed J/PE booking to JNB in July...but as you found - could not do that online. Before I even tried to call, QF announced the current specials...and I couldn't resist J both ways for < $4k.... Still curious as to how much the mixed booking would have been.....

 

[JohnPhelan]

Thank you one and all for the rapid replies. It's good advice all round and I think that a telephone call to the Qantas ticket office is necessary. It seems impossible to book different classes for separate legs on the internet.
I believe that some of the 747s have recently been kitted out with Airbus seats and I wondered if that had made a difference to Premium Economy. I have to say that the last time I went we flew Business Class and the difference on arrival between the sleep factor and what we would have been like had we flown economy was staggering. We were not and that was the difference of course.

There is now only one B747 in the Qantas fleet that does NOT have the A380 style seats. Unfortunately, JNB is a route it seems to pop up on quite regularly.