Best connections in Europe?

[mhh]

EK is closing its First cabin into ADL next month. That kills the only direct F service into Europe for Adelaide flyers. One option is to downgrade to J of course but another solution is to go out through Melbourne and stay in F. Any thoughts on the best airline for schedule allowing for an ADL connection at each end? I’d rather not arrive in London at 6am. EK was so civilised with its lunchtime arrivals...

 

[Forg]

While I thought F was nice, I'm not sure how much I'd be willing to extend my trip by another get-off/wait/get-on just to travel in it over J … what's the practical attraction?

 

[Must...Fly!]

EK is closing its First cabin into ADL next month. That kills the only direct F service into Europe for Adelaide flyers. One option is to downgrade to J of course but another solution is to go out through Melbourne and stay in F. Any thoughts on the best airline for schedule allowing for an ADL connection at each end? I’d rather not arrive in London at 6am. EK was so civilised with its lunchtime arrivals...

Probably either of EK or EY through SYD - both have late evening departures. It does mean a terminal bus or train connection from your QF or VA connection. MEL is an option for EK & QR, and it's a seamless transfer.

You could theoretically avoid the terminal transfer by connecting VA->QR in Perth too as they run the A380 out on late evening departures. As do EK, however you will then have the terminal transfer QF->EK.

 

[davidj]

While I thought F was nice, I'm not sure how much I'd be willing to extend my trip by another get-off/wait/get-on just to travel in it over J … what's the practical attraction?

Careful now, you may hit a few nerves with that comment.

I've read a few people travel from Perth to Sydney just to fly First to Singapore (scenic route).

 

[Forg]

Careful now, you may hit a few nerves with that comment.

I've read a few people travel from Perth to Sydney just to fly First to Singapore (scenic route).

I can understand doing it once in a while, or just to give it a go - I would!
But I was looking for the attraction of doing it regularly, because the positive of getting there 2hrs early would outweigh the alternate positives of having more room I didn't use & meals that are better but not great (EK is the only 1st I've tried so I can comment on the food pretty safely).
Wait … the shower … there's something that I could use in EK F that you don't get otherwise, OK now I've thought of a reason to do it regularly!

 

[dajop]

There’s also SQ out of MEL and CBR late evenings that get into LHR at 3pm (also out of SYD - via CBR).

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I think the connection and flight timings would determine if F was worthwhile. Flying to MEL to connect with the non-stop to DXB is prolly ok. Flying to MEL to catch SQ F to SIN is probably not the best use of time or worth the frustration. By the time you’ve flown business (or economy) to MEL you’re half way to SIN.

 

[dajop]

Flying to MEL to connect with the non-stop to DXB is prolly ok. Flying to MEL to catch SQ F to SIN is probably not the best use of time or worth the frustration. By the time you’ve flown business (or economy) to MEL you’re half way to SIN.

I don’t understand the logic here! Bother have 7 + 14 hr sectors. Surely it’s the overall travel time that counts (both about the same, at the moment I think EK is about 45 mins quicker and gets in earlier ... but need to depart ADL at 6pm vs SQ at 8:30pm). But EK might be better due to long overnight vs short overnight on SQ. But then again that leaves a nice long day flight to enjoy SQ F.

 

[Forg]

I don’t understand the logic here! Bother have 7 + 14 hr sectors. Surely it’s the overall travel time that counts (both about the same, at the moment I think EK is about 45 mins quicker and gets in earlier ... but need to depart ADL at 6pm vs SQ at 8:30pm). But EK might be better due to long overnight vs short overnight on SQ. But then again that leaves a nice long day flight to enjoy SQ F.

Could you do return to DXB in J, then return DXB to Europe in F? Have the not-enjoying-it-and-just-sleeping overnight leg in J, yet without all the extra pfaffing-about of changing aircraft & going from domestic-international at MEL etc?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I don’t understand the logic here! Bother have 7 + 14 hr sectors. Surely it’s the overall travel time that counts (both about the same, at the moment I think EK is about 45 mins quicker and gets in earlier ... but need to depart ADL at 6pm vs SQ at 8:30pm). But EK might be better due to long overnight vs short overnight on SQ. But then again that leaves a nice long day flight to enjoy SQ F.

I find AU-SIN to be too short to get any sleep. So what’s the point flying all the way to MEL when you could already be halfway to SIN? And then sleep on the SIN-europe.

Flying non-stop to DXB is long enough to sleep, so potentially worth the tag via MEL

 

[dajop]

I find AU-SIN to be too short to get any sleep. So what’s the point flying all the way to MEL when you could already be halfway to SIN? And then sleep on the SIN-europe.

Flying non-stop to DXB is long enough to sleep, so potentially worth the tag via MEL

I actually find MEL-SIN ok for sleeping, it’s often 7.5hrs. The other direction though forget it!

 

[mhh]

Thanks for your thoughts all.