Which airline to book with...?

[jb747]

I'm looking at booking a trip to NZ. I can book it directly with Emirates, or via Qantas as a code share. I want to actually fly on EK. At the moment, the prices on both booking engines appear to be the same. I don't care about points with either airline.

Is there any particular reason to book via one or the other? For what it's worth, business class for two.

 

[LadyC]

Do you care about credit card points? Can you get bonus credit card points in booking with either of them? What about credit card fees? If not, I can't think of any driving reason to book with one specifically.

 

[jase05]

Don’t really think it matters in your case which way you go. If you book via EK and enter your Skywards number you get free unlimited WiFi but on a flight that length it’s no big issue.

 

[tgh]

I always try to book as directly as possible because it mostly gives a better line of communication if there are any issues.
If you have status you should use it because that will be an advantage to any negotiations.

 

[moa999]

don't care about points with either airline.

The points (and SCs) are always important.
(On a QF code MEL-AKL it's 3000-5000 points each way which most would value at $45-100)

In general I'd say book with the metal carrier
- possibly better seat choice if hard block codeshare
- less issues in the event of disruptions
- in some codeshares may be unable to access online services like meal selection

However QF/EK are pretty close so I'd expect the difference would be less in this case

(The only caveat might be the complimentary internet which I think requires an EK card)

 

[Princess Fiona]

I'm looking at booking a trip to NZ. I can book it directly with Emirates, or via Qantas as a code share. I want to actually fly on EK. At the moment, the prices on both booking engines appear to be the same. I don't care about points with either airline.

Is there any particular reason to book via one or the other? For what it's worth, business class for two.

The only compelling reason to book the codeshare is if points/ status credits are a factor. If not book directly with EK, simpler, cleaner, less likely to get seat shifted and in case of IRROPS, damaged delayed baggage you won’t get punted between the two.

 

[dajop]

and in case of IRROPS, damaged delayed baggage you won’t get punted between the two.

That’s very important factor when transitting DXB, and I’m sure I’ve read multiple cases of this being a problem for such passengers travelling on QF codeshare on EK metal.

However is this going to be such a problem travelling out of SYD or CHC? I’d normally expect better IRROPS handling on a QF ticket out of SYD then EK ticket, given that it is home base, but of course as with anything related to QF customer interface it wouldn’t surprise me if it became difficult to impossible to deal with !

 

[Princess Fiona]

That’s very important factor when transitting DXB, and I’m sure I’ve read multiple cases of this being a problem for such passengers travelling on QF codeshare on EK metal.

However is this going to be such a problem travelling out of SYD or CHC? I’d normally expect better IRROPS handling on a QF ticket out of SYD then EK ticket, given that it is home base, but of course as with anything related to QF customer interface it wouldn’t surprise me if it became difficult to impossible to deal with !

Have direct experience of the damaged baggage issue TT
QF Code / EK Metal. Never did get it resolved in the end.
I’d avoid a codeshare like the plague on any set of airlines unless there was a compelling reason to book one.

 

[Dr Ralph]

Book direct. Easier to deal with if there's a problem.

 

[jb747]

Ok thanks. Now it’s a toss up between Singair to Wellington, or EK to Christchurch. Being able to avoid Sydney is pushing us towards Wellington.

 

[jase05]

Ok thanks. Now it’s a toss up between Singair to Wellington, or EK to Christchurch. Being able to avoid Sydney is pushing us towards Wellington.

I haven’t done the SQ jaunt to WLG but my folks did it in J about 8 months ago and said the aircraft was old and quite ordinary. They weren’t impressed at all and they came home via CHC with EK and said the two flights were like chalk and cheese.
I did see that SQ were changing to the A350 which is a huge upgrade on that route so it would be a good option and going through MEL is always preferable to SYD

 

[jb747]

We flew over to NZ in the Singair 777 early in 2019. Whilst the aircraft had an old cabin fit, it was quite spacious...much more so than their new 380 and 350 fit outs. We’re going to be looking at booking to Europe again soon, and I was considering trying to stay on the older 777s, if I can find routes that use them, and which work for us. I truly despise having my feet in a box, which is how these new business class layouts all seem to be.

 

[Gold Member]

Whichever airline or destination, consider booking two one-way tix. A round trip departing ex-Oz often imposes an ’Australia tax‘, similar to fuel surcharges - cos they can.

 

[jb747]

Whichever airline or destination, consider booking two one-way tix. A round trip departing ex-Oz often imposes an ’Australia tax‘, similar to fuel surcharges - cos they can.

I'm finding that one way, or multi city, bookings mostly increase the overall price, in some cases dramatically.

 

[Captain Halliday]

I'm finding that one way, or multi city, bookings mostly increase the overall price, in some cases dramatically.

Here’s why: How airlines price flights

 

[Gold Member]

I'm finding that one way, or multi city, bookings mostly increase the overall price, in some cases dramatically.

Interesting. Last I checked a year or so ago it worked out cheaper by a hundred bux or so. At least you did check though.

 

[dajop]

I'm finding that one way, or multi city, bookings mostly increase the overall price, in some cases dramatically.

Trans Tasman is generally an exception to this rule, as most airlines price on one way basis like they do domestically. And often will have different prices booking tickets ex-NZ to ex-AU hence AKL-SYD-AKL might be cheaper than SYD-AKL + AKL-SYD which in turn might be cheaper than SYD-AKL-SYD.

Not sure about SQ though.

 

[jb747]

I've been experimenting across a few airlines and routes. I've also moved to an incognito Chrome instance, and I'm moving the VPN to whatever country I want to be seen in. Whilst I've found a few routes that are overall cheaper, the multi city mix and single sectors are both overall more expensive.

We've given up on the idea of the NZ trip in the next couple of months. I can get the flights, but accommodation is proving a bit tricky. We were there in the same time period this year, and the prices are now higher.

For the next Europe run, I've got a bunch of points to use on SQ, which made me look at them first up, but I won't have enough to do things as we did a few months ago, when I used points for two return tickets ex Singapore to Europe, but I will have enough for a single return from Oz. So, whilst last time I purchased two returns from Oz to Singapore, the plan this time was to have one points ticket, and one purchased. But, we've found that we might be able to more conveniently do what we want using Qatar, so perhaps I'll use the SQ points for a boys aviation museum trip to the USA that's been on the back burner for a while.

 

[Quickstatus]

Would you book EK given issues such as EK207, 521 and 407?

 

[jb747]

You’ve forgotten EK131.

They certainly aren’t my first choice, but they’re a long way from the last.