Bucket List Flight - SYD-LHR

[themanfromoz]

Hey all.

Am looking at a 'bucket list' flight in first class between Sydney and London. My initial thoughts were either Emirates (have done a couple of trans-tasman flights on their A380) and Qantas.

Any other thoughts or recommendations based on experience?

Many thanks.

 

[jrfsp]

QR

 

[AIRwin]

EK for the showers

 

[SYD]

Any of the ME carriers (including EY) could be considered. Many here favour SQ.

EK should provide limo transfer still to start the experience?

EK, QR (and QF or BA) will let you start off in the SYD QF F Lounge.

EK for the inflight shower!

QR or EK for the stopover lounge (although QF F in SIN if travelling QF/BA rates a mention).

 

[RooFlyer]

As much as I'm a fan of QR, I think Emirates, for the in-flight showers. It may seem a flippant thing, but an amazing experience you won't forget!! The service is great and the lounge in Dubai is amazing. Emirates look after First passengers like "First passengers"! As SYD says, you'll also get the Qantas First lounge in Sydney.

Qantas First is rivalling BA First as a good business class.

 

[Forg]

Only thing about EK is the food … only ever flown F twice, on EK, and food & drink weren’t at all a special experience. The booze was chosen based on cost rather than flavour for example, the person who made those choices didn’t have a clue what stuff was supposed to taste like & was only concerned about providing something that appeared to have a high price-tag. QF F lounge food & their “house wine” out of the carafe were much more special-occasion.

 

[SYD]

QF F lounge food was much more special-occasion.

It’s always a nice way to start any trip - especially from lunchtime onwards.

Just make sure you’re not on the 6am EK!

 

[VPS]

I'd go Emirates for the experience of the shower - it is amazing and the private compartments are great too

 

[Scarlett]

Hey all.
Am looking at a 'bucket list' flight in first class between Sydney and London.
Any other thoughts or recommendations based on experience?

I know this probably isn’t the answer you’re after, but personally, I’d do two trips in J rather than one in F.

 

[Matt_01]

Only thing about EK is the food … only ever flown F twice, on EK, and food & drink weren’t at all a special experience. The booze was chosen based on cost rather than flavour for example, the person who made those choices didn’t have a clue what stuff was supposed to taste like & was only concerned about providing something that appeared to have a high price-tag. QF F lounge food & their “house wine” out of the carafe were much more special-occasion.

Have you flown EK F recently? Around August/September this year EK seriously stepped up the wine offering in F. On my last 2 trips, one to the US and another to the UK a highlight was the wine on board was the highlight.

Edited.

 

[Forg]

Have you flown EK F recently? Around August/September this year EK seriously stepped up the wine offering in F. On my last 2 trips, one to the US and another to the UK a highlight was the wine on board was the highlight.

Honestly, no, not at all. The flights mentioned were about 6-7 years ago.
But everything about Emirates does reek of “we are classy because we spend lots”, and that’s what the wine was like (as well as the chintzy gold trim on everything).
They could have since hired some sommeliers that know wine as more than just an RRP label, though!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

For a bucket list I’d take SQ suites to SIN - connecting dependent on availability - to Lufthansa First. This might mean a short intra-asia flight on SQ business.

SQ R arriving into SIN gives Private Room access, even if your connecting flight is in business.

LH F when connecting onward from FRA, would give you access to the amazing LH F lounges, or the Private Terminal complete with car transfer to your connecting flight.

Emirates has the shower, which is great, but overall the other two airlines combined probably have the edge.

Alternatively Air France La Premiere, if you can find a fare and decent connections. Make sure you get an inward connecting from paris so you can enjoy the La Premiere lounge.

 

[SYD]

Alternatively Air France La Premiere, if you can find a fare and decent connections. Make sure you get an inward connecting from paris so you can enjoy the La Premiere lounge.

Which probably restricts to QF F to/from SIN (to connect with AF)? - not that’s necessarily an issue.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Which probably restricts to QF F to/from SIN (to connect with AF)? - not that’s necessarily an issue.

Oh yes. I hadn’t thought of that!

Ive tried to find fares for AF F and pre-covid they were hard to find, usually using CX via HKG. Air France or a travel agent probably has access to connections like QF F.

 

[Matt_01]

Hey all.

Am looking at a 'bucket list' flight in first class between Sydney and London. My initial thoughts were either Emirates (have done a couple of trans-tasman flights on their A380) and Qantas.

Any other thoughts or recommendations based on experience?

Many thanks.

As the community is putting forward ideas for your travel F AU-UK are you willing to share any more detail. Will this be a revenue flight or rewards, are you looking to travel all sectors in F or just 1, are you open to an extra stop. Just asking as it may change the advice/ suggestions that some may put forward.

 

[themanfromoz]

As the community is putting forward ideas for your travel F AU-UK are you willing to share any more detail. Will this be a revenue flight or rewards, are you looking to travel all sectors in F or just 1, are you open to an extra stop. Just asking as it may change the advice/ suggestions that some may put forward.

Thanks for that and also many thanks for the responses so far.

I'll be paying for this trip using cash (not enough QFF points) and not bound to QF status/points. I will be travelling solo also. Open to mix of F and/or J. I did like the LH option (saw a couple of YouTube reviews) and also potential 'round the world' but that would be in J due to budget.

The inflight food/service is probably my highest priority. Seat/bed comfort also - e.g. J on EK is rather snug width-wise and I tend to sleep on side so foot well needs to be larger. IFE (like EK) as I do tend to watch movies/TV quite abit.

Not really a wine-buff so that aspect doesn't really apply. A good vodka/scotch is fine with me. Lounge access/comfort also high on the list of 'wants'. Have done QF F lounge (when F across the ditch with EK) which was quite nice for 5am.

 

[RooFlyer]

I’d still go Emirates as first choice, SQ suites as second choice.

 

[Forg]

Looking at what people are recommending, I wonder if there’s value in adding the components of the premium-flight experience that you’re after? Because different airlines are better at different things, eg. Emirates do their wines based on price rather than quality, from what I’ve read Air France take the food+drink part really seriously, some are much more private and/or the suites are massive, if you’re wanting to use the IFE some are a lot worse than others (dunno if Singapore still takes to TV & movies with a chainsaw so as Not To Offend), some of the beds are more comfy than others, some lounges are better than others (not to mention access to whichever lounges are relevant for the routes that may be relevant), etc etc.

 

[BCons]

Guess its whats culture/style you are used to, what time of day you fly, and what you want to do onboard. Have done EK and SQ both ways to LHR this year in F, at different times of the day.

EK first back in May, and apart from QF F lounge before late eve departure, and the shower (a most invigorating experience after a night of sleep on the long Mel/Dxb leg), we were a bit underwhelmed by the food and drink onboard the A380 - good but not terrific. The seat/bed wasnt a patch on SQ suites, and the F cabin was big enough to feel like J. Nice to be met at the gate in Dubai and escorted up thru and around to the F lounge, which was only half-open. Thought the F lounge was too big and sterile, but the whole terminal was like that, and half-empty as flights were only then ramping up. Limo service at Lhr is an easy walk - EK hv dedicated limo lounge just behind arrivals. Return trip was OK, combined F/J lounge in LHR, same empty feel to Dxb lounge, onboard service/food was fine, but by the time we got back to Mel we both felt a bit meh. Again I'd say impersonal.

Compare and contrast to Sept with SQ - only J seats to Sin, and no TPR visit because of a short connection time, but the personality of the crew in the cosy 4-seat F cabin, more space around the seat, and a bit of comfort food before bed made Sin/Lhr a satisfying leg. No Limo, so its DIY 'find the hand-held sign' on arrival Lhr.. Return was from Zrh, again on 777, with Swiss F lounge a delight on a nice morning. Lovely crew, a nice long lunch followed by a decent sleep, so arrivd Sin feeling pretty good. But if there's one downside to SQ in F (or J, for that matter) its the short night flight back to Mel or Syd that usually begins with late eve/early morng departure from Sin. Crew let us sleep until last minute followed by a well-coordinated get up, pack away bed, change clothes, grab a cuppa and then land. Crew/pax ratio and 2 loos for 4 pax makes all that a very personal experience, something that also applies to SQ's A380 suites, but really cant be said for EK crew serving 14 pax.

 

[scaredeycat]

I reckon you would have a much better experience paying for J and then booking a really posh restaurant in London - Core by Claire Smith for example...