Opinions: QF A380 row 32 (Y) vs Y+

[Jack_OC]

Hi all,

I'm currently booked with my wife and two kids from MEL-SIN in Y. It's a daytime flight and we have 4 seats together in Row 32, which I understand are among the best Y seats on the plane. I booked using points during the recent promotion that offered 50% of Y awards.

I'm still happy enough with this, but I now have a fairly large points balance (approaching 7 figures), and it is an option to switch to premium economy. It would cost an extra 148,000 points in total to do that.

As it happens, I have never travelled in premium economy on any airline, and I have never been in Y on a QF A380 either. I have Platinum status with QF, but I'm not sure what difference (if any) that will make to our on-board experience in either cabin.

Also for context, as a result of my points obsession, my wife and kids have become quite accustomed to travelling internationally in J! I can spare the points for Y+, which might limit the whinging (they are aware that the current booking is for Y, so Y+ would be seen as a pleasant surprise). However, I'm not sure if it's worth it, given my complete lack of experience with either of these options.

Any thoughts appreciated!

 

[JRR]

Daytime flight to SIN? Already got decent seats? Best family so the “personal space” issue a bit less of a concern? I’d save the points for J to F upgrades!

 

[cjd600]

Row 32 is pretty good for Y, nice and quiet upstairs.....much better than downstairs (now they've blocked/costed the top shelf Y seats, 80A etc)
Bulkhead in front of Row 32 means nobody reclining back, but does also restrict legroom a little......
Y+ would be much better..... but for the 4x points cost to upgrade, I'd be inclined to keep Row 32 and keep the points....aim to get the balance up to 1.12m and go 4 x J oneworld awards to keep your family flying in the style they are accustomed

 

[Jack_OC]

Row 32 is pretty good for Y, nice and quiet upstairs.....much better than downstairs (now they've blocked/costed the top shelf Y seats, 80A etc)
Bulkhead in front of Row 32 means nobody reclining back, but does also restrict legroom a little......
Y+ would be much better..... but for the 4x points cost to upgrade, I'd be inclined to keep Row 32 and keep the points....aim to get the balance up to 1.12m and go 4 x J oneworld awards to keep your family flying in the style they are accustomed

Thanks for the info. The legroom issue is only relevant to me - wife and kids aren't tall enough for it to matter much! I'm 188cm tall, but I generally find that I like bulkhead seats - I know it means there is no opportunity to stretch your legs out, but I think knee room matters more to me. Nobody reclining back is a big bonus too (for all of us), and a stint in the F Lounge pre-flight might keep my wife relatively happy! And yes the 4 x J OW awards is a good target.

That said I am a bit tempted by Y+, in part just to try it out, but I think on balance it's probably not the best use of points.

 

[Miss Arrrr]

Having flown both row 32 Y regularly and Y+, it's not really worth the points for MEL-SIN imo. Better use of points is upgrading to J. The small Y cabin is very quiet, no bassinets, gets service really quickly.

32D and G can stretch one leg a bit further as the bulkhead doesn't go all the way across the seat (it lines up with the Y+ chairs) but I found I got hit with the curtain a lot in 32D (I'm average height). Not as much of a problem for a day flight but a pain when you're trying to sleep. That side tends to be more of a thoroughfare with the galley and crew rest seats.

 

[kookaburra75]

Having flown both row 32 Y regularly and Y+, it's not really worth the points for MEL-SIN imo. Better use of points is upgrading to J. The small Y cabin is very quiet, no bassinets, gets service really quickly.

32D and G can stretch one leg a bit further as the bulkhead doesn't go all the way across the seat (it lines up with the Y+ chairs) but I found I got hit with the curtain a lot in 32D (I'm average height). Not as much of a problem for a day flight but a pain when you're trying to sleep. That side tends to be more of a thoroughfare with the galley and crew rest seats.

Ditto - the section in the back of the A380's is quite good. I've always found the service is good and they always 'drop off' a nice drink from the PE trolley. In some ways, the Y seats are just as good as the PE seats - but that is me as an aviation geek, as I can watch the view from the Skycam from takeoff through to touchdown.

 

[serfty]

Last month I knocked back an "operational" * upgrade from 36F to last row of PE on QF8.

[36DE (as normal) were vacant]

* Dunno why? As usual, they cannot sell every seat on QF8.

 

[Cossie]

Came back overnight from Singapore to Sydney last Sunday on QF82, We had 32 J and K. Did look at the Y+ seats, but honestly for a shortish flight I don't think it's worth paying the extra, money or points. The seats may be a bit bigger, but you still have the ife in the armrest.

The extra storage space is good as well as late arrivals into the small Y cabin always seem to have nowhere to put their stuff.