"Dubai route faster than Singapore: Qantas"

[Wezza]

So how much time do we save from BNE to LHR or FRA, Qantas? If you can also tell me how a 10 across 777 is going to be comfortable in economy, that would be much appreciated .

Not to fear, I hear EK435 is going A380 from October 2.

EDIT: It's EK433 which is going A380 actually.

 

[drewbles]

The real advantage is if you're going anywhere other than London!

Which may end up adding over 8 hours to your transit time via DXB. QF to EK is not that crash hot for many EU destinations (of course, they're claiming 30 minutes less to LHR via DXB as they're making the previous 120 minute layover via SIN, 90 in DXB).

 

[rtyuiop]

It's EK433 which is going A380 actually.

I hadn't heard - that's excellent news! Going via Singapore, or direct after the switchover?

Danny

 

[Wezza]

I hadn't heard - that's excellent news! Going via Singapore, or direct after the switchover?

Danny

Still via Singapore AFAIK. Perth was due to get the A380 this year just before Brisbane but because the airport is not even close to being ready for it, Brisbane will be first to get A380.

 

[IGetAround]

I recall I have flown BOM-SYD non-stop on a Qantas A330. Would that distance have been possible? I'm nearly certain it wasn't a 747

It was nonstop in both directions when operated by the A332 but had a tech stop at DRW westbound when operated by the A333.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Indeed I also love stopping over in Singapore but have no interest in ever visiting Dubai again so it helps me little. It's looking like SQ and CX for me most of the time.

And there is nothing wrong with that .....an old fav of mine

 

[Wezza]

Not to fear, I hear EK435 is going A380 from October 2.

EDIT: It's EK433 which is going A380 actually.

Well I was originally right when I said EK435!

 

[WeeGraeme]

We can save a whole 30 minutes on a trip that is something like 20 hours of flying time plus another two in transit at the airport. What a phenomenal saving!!

I realise this is an oldish thread. What they didn't add in was that if you want to fly on a Qantas aircraft to LHR from BNE, you have to factor in the connecting flight to Sydney or Melbourne. No Qantas aircraft fly from Brisbane to UK anymore. I'm not sure how the other capitals compare to before the alliance, but you can't fly direct from them now either.

 

[browski]

I realise this is an oldish thread. What they didn't add in was that if you want to fly on a Qantas aircraft to LHR from BNE, you have to factor in the connecting flight to Sydney or Melbourne. No Qantas aircraft fly from Brisbane to UK anymore. I'm not sure how the other capitals compare to before the alliance, but you can't fly direct from them now either.

I think the plan was that once people flew Emirates metal, then they wouldn't want to fly QF metal anymore.

 

[samiam]

I just lost the 30 minutes I can save as a result of reading this thread!

 

[eosphoros]

Well my first booking under the alliance has not saved me much time. I asked for my MXP-SYD-MXP flight to be routed through LHR and DXB instead of DXB alone. Why you might ask? Because the 7 hour EK flights from MXP-DXB in the middle of the night had only recliners in J! I don't think recliners are an appropriate product to have in a J cabin for flights of that length and not to mention at those times!

Luckily the QF ticket allows routing through London. Was placed onto QF2/QF1 respectively although I might request a transfer to EK metal at DXB just to get the extra 80 SCs...

 

[browski]

Well my first booking under the alliance has not saved me much time. I asked for my MXP-SYD-MXP flight to be routed through LHR and DXB instead of DXB alone. Why you might ask? Because the 7 hour EK flights from MXP-DXB in the middle of the night had only recliners in J! I don't think recliners are an appropriate product to have in a J cabin for flights of that length and not to mention at those times!

Luckily the QF ticket allows routing through London. Was placed onto QF2/QF1 respectively although I might request a transfer to EK metal at DXB just to get the extra 80 SCs...

Wouldn't CX have been the better choice for your 2 city pairs? Lie flat seats in J, no back-tracking through LHR, One World partner and one-stop to SYD.
If heading to MEL instead, then from October, Qatar Airways would also be another option.

 

[clifford]

Because the 7 hour EK flights from MXP-DXB in the middle of the night had only recliners in J! I don't think recliners are an appropriate product to have in a J cabin for flights of that length and not to mention at those times!

Recliners in J? Can you please elaborate? Haven't heard of these for many a long while.

 

[ozmille]

Recliners in J? Can you please elaborate? Haven't heard of these for many a long while.

Colleague of mine "scored" them on a MEL-KUL-DXB leg... was not impressed at all!

 

[dajop]

So how is the route going, is it achieving the 30 min in time saving? I ask this as my two and only flights into or out of DXB on EK (one arriving at ~1am, the other departing ~3am) were both delayed due to congestion. We were an hour late arriving as we circled the desert for a while before final approach, and coming back we sat at the gate for 40mins awaiting ATC, and then had a long taxi. Not that SIN is immune to this, I have experienced similar inbound and outbound delays here, but probably half the duration.

 

[eosphoros]

Wouldn't CX have been the better choice for your 2 city pairs? Lie flat seats in J, no back-tracking through LHR, One World partner and one-stop to SYD.
If heading to MEL instead, then from October, Qatar Airways would also be another option.

CX is my usual for this city pair but I wanted to change things up this time. First, I want to check out the DXB terminal and F lounge; second, I need the stopover in LHR on the way back; third, possibility of points upgrade to F; and fourth, I actually prefer the QF J product to CX J: I can get quite claustrophobic and will happily sacrifice the privacy of CX J for the spaciousness and openness of QF J.

Recliners in J? Can you please elaborate? Haven't heard of these for many a long while.

For at least one of the overnight MXP-DXB legs I was booked into, EK use an A332. If you want to know what product this is, you need only to look to VA's first 2 A332s which they got from EK (and then re-upholstered). Were it a day flight, I could live with it; it is not, however, good enough from a carrier like EK to use this product on a 7 hour overnight flight.

The other flight was on a 77W. Some of them also have recliners; others sport angled lie flat. Given that A332 is used on this route, I would say that it is likely that the 77Ws used are also recliner versions. Either way, going via LHR will give me a fully-flat.