J Class Ratings - OW?

[Mrmaxwell]

Can some experienced flyers post their brief ratings on OW airlines and their J class product? Eg BA club world vs QF? CX vs AA, etc.

There are many posts and trip reports on this but having some summaries in the one thread would be great for J class newbies like myself trying to plan trips...

Was unable to find a dedicated thread on this....

 

[v8Statesman]

I personaly have flown QF, CX and BA long haul J.

I personal favorite is BA. I like the flat bed. Personally I feel more comfortable. I am normally an Isle person, but ion BA I prefer the window as Take off and landings are a real treat sitting backwards

CX however has to have the best service I have ever had in J.

 

[Travel Guru]

perhaps check out Airline and Airport Reviews, Airline and Airport Ranking and Market Research - there's a plethora of reviews on there.

TG

 

[Tooner]

I personaly have flown QF, CX and BA long haul J.

I personal favorite is BA. I like the flat bed. Personally I feel more comfortable. I am normally an Isle person, but ion BA I prefer the window as Take off and landings are a real treat sitting backwards

CX however has to have the best service I have ever had in J.

I'd back v8 in the BA v QF at the moment, especially the facing backwards seat, and the ability to choose your seat on-line. I'd be interested in the comparison once BA completes its "new" CW roll-out, and QF completes its flat-J bed roll-out.

Not likely to experience it myself anytime soon.

 

[moa999]

As a 6ft plusser actually preferred the QF bed over BA
Also thinks the all forward position looks neater in the cabin and provides more privacy

 

[Evan]

As another 6ft'er i will also QF.

I have flown QF,BA,CX,JA in J only though so cant compare to AA,IB,LA,KA,RJ,Malev

E

 

[Homer]

In my view it's a close race between QF and BA in J.

The new Club World product is pretty slick - the cabins feel modern and "smart". The alternating seats work well with the automatic privacy screen, though they are a bit narrow and the window seat can be difficult to access for passengers and crew unless you get an exit row. Being able to lay flat is much better than laying at a slight angle.

However...the current (as opposed to new) SkyBeds are pretty good. They aren't fully flat but they are wider and, I think, longer than the BA seats. I think the food on QF is better than BA by a fair margin. I also think QF service is better than BA on a good day though like BA they are inconsistent here.

Because the race is close then I think it comes down to other things such as which one suits your schedule and which one you have status with so you have the chance of an upgrade (if that's important for you).

I have never flown long haul on CX or AA so I can't comment on these products.

 

[Mrmaxwell]

Do all UK-bound BA 747s and US-bound QF 747s have flat beds in J?

The new CX seats in J look like tiny cocoons you need to squeeze into...

 

[dragonman]

For me the winner is QF in J for a few reasons.

1. A Qantas window seat has a great storage locker at floor level. Great for laptops etc

2. The system to plug in said laptop is easy to use and requires no special adapter

3. I find the yin-yang seating on BA very hard to get out of from the window seat.

4. I think the service and food in QF are slightly better.

YMMV

 

[NM]

CX wins hands-down. They have the best scotch of all the OneWorld airlines in business class. BA comes in second, mainly for their generous sized servings of scotch.

 

[straitman]

CX wins hands-down. They have the best scotch of all the OneWorld airlines in business class. BA comes in second, mainly for their generous sized servings of scotch.

.... and if you don't like Scotch or if you take Scotch out of the equation, which is best :?:

 

[simongr]

Methinks we need a spreadsheet...

I actually read this last night before heading out so didn't have time for a repoly - but it would be great if we collate a bunch of differen views and ratings of these - all very subjective of course - might try and populate some info from a few people...

 

[Mrmaxwell]

Methinks we need a spreadsheet...

A good start but wouldn't something online in html be a little better?

A combination of different class info from seatguru, flatseats.com and members here is what's needed to get a nice well rounded list of facts and opinions/pros & cons of each carrier...

 

[simongr]

You might be able to tell that I am an accountant....

 

[NM]

.... and if you don't like Scotch or if you take Scotch out of the equation, which is best :?:

Ahh, I see, a hypothetical question ...

I have yet to experience the BA New New Club World, so can't really comment about that one.

My experience with AVOD has been that CX provided me US$50 in-flight duty-free vouchers when there was no AVOD for a 3 hour flight, so that relates to a nice bottle of scot... oops, sorry, that's out of the equation now ....

I do like the Muscat served by QF, so will vote for them.

As you can see, its all about the in-flight "experience" .

 

[straitman]

Ahh, I see, a hypothetical question ...

I have yet to experience the BA New New Club World, so can't really comment about that one.

My experience with AVOD has been that CX provided me US$50 in-flight duty-free vouchers when there was no AVOD for a 3 hour flight, so that relates to a nice bottle of scot... oops, sorry, that's out of the equation now ....

I do like the Muscat served by QF, so will vote for them.

As you can see, its all about the in-flight "experience" .

I got a really great hot chocolate when travelling the not so new Club World.

 

[Keith009]

Of the OW carriers I've tried in J:
1) QF
2) BA
3) CX
4) JL
5) AA

QF because they have the most personable and engaging crews of all, as well as very comfy seats despite not being totally flat - I can't sleep on most airline seats whether totally flat or not anyway so that cancels out BA's advantage. I've also not yet experienced the infamously indifferent QF crews that people get on bad days. Finally - 2 kinds of champagne in J!

BA - pretty charming crews at times but I've had less consistency with BA than QF. Great champagne when it's CH, nasty when it's Monopoo. NGCW feels rather anti social...

It was actually hard for me CX vs JL - I do not feel comfortable with the service on both airlines. I do not like the CX Identikits that often seem cold and terse (at least SQ crews let down their guard when you engage them in a convo), nor the overwhelmingly formal service on JL. However CX wins out over JL with better champagne on their regionals (Billecart Salmon), and comfier seats.

And AA, well, I've only been on the old J seats.... Food isn't great either. I do prefer AA crews on a good day to CX's or JL's though.

 

[Mrmaxwell]

Of the OW carriers I've tried in J:
1) QF
2) BA
3) CX
4) JL
5) AA

Thanks for the info...I've enjoyed your TRs too - plenty of good info in them (pics of meals is a plus!)

 

[Keith009]

Thanks for the info...I've enjoyed your TRs too - plenty of good info in them (pics of meals is a plus!)

You might want to consult simongr for a radically different assessment of what makes a good carrier though.

 

[simongr]

Assessments tomorrow...

As a starting point - the less interaction with staff and other pax the better - so comfort and space is the key for me