Emirates Business/First vs Thai First

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Egg

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Hi AFFer's,

I am flying FCO-SYD next week and my options (using points) are to fly TG the whole way in F on a 747 (new F), or to fly EK - in J from FCO-DXB and in F from DXB-SYD - both A380's.

Which would you choose? I'm leaning towards EK as the FCO-DXB is only 6 hours on an afternoon flight so i will be sleeping in F, but on the other hand the TG F seat stats are alot better than EK J.

Thanks in advance.

Egg
 
Good point. One leaves at 2pm and the other at 3:30pm, so it's much of a muchness. The total journey time is 35 mins less on TG so that makes little difference as well...
 
The EK option - is that an afternoon flight to DXB, then a ~11 hour layover followed by a mid-morning flight to SYD the next day?

My instinct is to go on EK, only because I prefer the segment when I land in SYD to be longer (to get a good sleep).

On top of that, although TG makes the at-the-airport experience very line ball (if not marginally better than EK), EK has, IMO, better F service on board, and is a nice way to spend 13 or so hours to Australia (which is also enough time to have a decent meal and have a good sleep).

EK also gives you chauffeur service on both ends (and DXB as necessary).
 
Yes i forgot about the chauffeur - that's a pro.

No, the EK flight involves a 3-hour layover in DXB - from 11pm to 2am (midnight Rome time). The TG flight has a 2.5 hour layover. Like i said above travel time is only half an our better on Thai.

I agree with you that the sleeping leg is the most important.

I haven't flown Thai First before - is it much better than EK J? And is it that much worse than EK F?
 
Actually, the other thing is that the TG flight layover will be from midnight to 2am Rome time which might be a bit harder to deal with... followed by a 9-hour flight which you rightly point out doesn't allow for a good sleep unless i'm out the whole time. The timing seems to be better on EK...
 
Yes i forgot about the chauffeur - that's a pro.

No, the EK flight involves a 3-hour layover in DXB - from 11pm to 2am (midnight Rome time). The TG flight has a 2.5 hour layover. Like i said above travel time is only half an our better on Thai.

I agree with you that the sleeping leg is the most important.

I haven't flown Thai First before - is it much better than EK J? And is it that much worse than EK F?

TG F would surely beat EK J (almost any F would, except maybe UA), but like you said, FCO/DXB is only 6 hours. A shame you couldn't get F on that leg as well, as that would pretty much be open-shut, right?

TG F is not say heaps worse than EK F, but IMO (and people can dispute this) I think EK F looks better than TG F. The hard product itself may be line ball as they are both suites. Maybe some will say TG is new and looks more clean cut compared to EK, where the latter may be spoilt by the bling (what with all the gold and what not). The soft product I would think EK F has it, if anything I expect better meals and bar selection on EK F compared to TG F.

I should qualify that I haven't flown EK premium before, but I have flown TG F before. EK F is definitely on my want-to-experience flying list.

Since you seem to have confirmed both would be booked with points, it seems moot to consider who you have status with, or which FF programme you would credit the flight to.
 
I can only get one F seat on (QFF) points FCO-DXB but there are two of us. I was thinking if we had one in J and one in F, they might upgrade the J at the airport but that's probably just wishful thinking. And yes, if it was F all the way, no-brainer i think.

Yep, status, etc. is not relevant.

Thanks for your helpful input. I think the earlier layover and longer sleeping leg will clinch it in favour of EK. I guess it might seem strange to choose J/F over all-F but 6 hours in EK 380 J is not exactly torture!! #firstworldproblems... :)
 
Keep in mind TG is known to change aircraft type probably more so than others.....on this very route last year this happened to me, there were 6 of us in J and plane was changed to older style 747...big difference...fortunately we only agreed to to board once they upgraded 3 of us to F..


I would stick with EK..

jc
 
TG B747 the NEW new F (9 seats in cabin)
TG747-newf-pana_zpsf1a855ab.jpg


TG B747 the OLD new F (10 seats in cabin)
TG747-oldnewf-pana_zps520229b8.jpg


TG A380 F (just in case they sub with one of these.)
tg380-f-pana_zps89c3c794.jpg
 
The Frequent Flyer Concierge team takes the hard work out of finding reward seat availability. Using their expert knowledge and specialised tools, they'll help you book a great trip that maximises the value for your points.

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F Lounging in transit at BKK

TGFL-BKK-010_zps0ad8d90d.jpg
TGFL-BKK-007_zps5a787aa2.jpg

communal or private lounging - your choice

TGFL-BKK-005_zps0d8409a8.jpg
TGFL-BKK-009_zpsca2e2293.jpg

dining or working sections


(Plus separate massive day spa facility, not pictured - with complimentary 1 hour FULL BODY massages available - 06:00 - 23:30.)
 
Bacon and Eggs on the lounge's all day brekkie menu (iPad ordering pictured)

TGFL-BKK-001_zpsfc8e080b.jpg
 
Keep in mind TG is known to change aircraft type probably more so than others.....on this very route last year this happened to me, there were 6 of us in J and plane was changed to older style 747...big difference...fortunately we only agreed to to board once they upgraded 3 of us to F..

jc

Yes, it says something similar on seatguru - thanks for the heads up.


Thanks for the pics dk4 - they all look pretty comfy. The lounge looks great but i'm not going to get the most out of it when i'm half asleep at 5am...

Did you find their A380 F product much better than the 747? I like the look of it.
 
Did you find their A380 F product much better than the 747? I like the look of it.

I think they're pretty much the same suite (we're talking about the refurbed 747s, of course); they just fit more on an A380 due to width. Also, the A380 has a bar area and little lounge area for F pax.

I think they stock better amenity kits on the A380 rather than the 747 (Rimowa cases rather than Tumi bags). Don't ask....
 
Did you find their A380 F product much better than the 747? I like the look of it.

little or no difference overall. 747 is much more private in terms of cabin ambience. seats on a380 and non-refub 747s still lack any privacy. seat comfort in bed mode is almost the same (a380 is wider), but 747 wins for being softer. a380 has an extra large washroom (useful for a full 5 minutes while you get changed but otherwise no real point). better amenity kit on a380.

service in terms of food etc is identical.

I would not base any travel plans based on the a380 over the 747.
 
Did you find their A380 F product much better than the 747? I like the look of it.
The only thing that I would add to MEL_Traveller's "width vs privacy" observation, is that I prefer the cabin environmentals inside the A380 - I find that the technology advances in pressurisation and humidity lead to a more comfortable flight for me.
 
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