LHR-HKG with CX or QF?

[Homer]

This question is very similar to a question I posted recently: http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/community/your-questions/ba-or-qf-lhr-11188.html#post143553

As part of my first ever DONE4 starting next week I am booked on QF30 from LHR-HKG. There is also availability on CX252 leaving about an hour before. Both flights suit my schedule.

In a reply to my earlier post NM suggested that CX252 would likely have the new, new CX J seats. Here are my two questions:

1. As I have a choice, which would be better in J on this route - CX or QF?

2. I will probably put in an upgrade request. My TA says she can help with the CX upgrade request but that I will likely have more success with a QF upgrade request. Is that right and would that change your answer to question 1?

Thanks for bearing with me on this (and other) questions...

 

[simongr]

In relation to CX vs QF and new vs Old - from a comfort perspective it would depend on your size. I am 6' 2" and find teh CX seats cramped - but the new CX are lie flat so length may not be an issue but I believe if you are of a more generous girth then some WD40 may be needed to get in an out of the seat. In terms of food - CX is a bit hit and miss at the moment - mind you so is QF. In terms of service I do rate CX above QF based on my experience. Finally it would depend if this is a day or night flight - if day with a reasonable likelihood of new CX then I would go CX for the newer bigger screens and reasonable probability of working AVOD. However saying all of that I would be checking loads myself to see if an F upgrade on QF was an option

Just curious - you say you TA thinks you will have a better chance of an upgrade on QF tahn CX - is that upgrade J to F?

 

[NM]

1. As I have a choice, which would be better in J on this route - CX or QF?

That depends on how you personally rate the different aspects of the flight. I would like to try out the new CX business class seats just for curiosity, but you may have other considerations such as:

• If using QF FF program, you will not get the Status bonus on the CX flight, but will on the QF flight
• CX departs from Terminal 3 while QF departs from Terminal 4. T4 FLounge is probably little nicer than T3 CX lounge, but the T4 lounge can get a little busy at times and you need to have an F boarding pass or Oneworld Emerald status to get into the F Lounge at T4.
• CX serves better scotch in J than QF
• QF serves better Muscat (and probably wine) in J than CX
• QF now provides PJs in J on the QF30 LHR-HKG flight, CX does not provide PJs in J
• CX AVOD is likely to work faultlessly for the entire flight, QF's AVOD is ....

2. I will probably put in an upgrade request. My TA says she can help with the CX upgrade request but that I will likely have more success with a QF upgrade request. Is that right and would that change your answer to question 1?

You cannot upgrade the CX flight with QF FF points. So not sure what your TA is suggesting regarding helping with an upgrade request with CX.

 

[Homer]

Just curious - you say you TA thinks you will have a better chance of an upgrade on QF tahn CX - is that upgrade J to F?

Yes I guessed that because I had "status" with QF (a lowly SG until this DONE4 is completed) then I might have a slightly better chance of an upgrade than with CX. However I am not sure how it works. She did say that they (Centurion travel) have an upgrades department specifically to work on upgrades for members with the airlines so I will likely give them a go.

 

[Homer]

• If using QF FF program, you will not get the Status bonus on the CX flight, but will on the QF flight

That only affects mileage and I would forgo those points for a better experience.

• CX departs from Terminal 3 while QF departs from Terminal 4. T4 FLounge is probably little nicer than T3 CX lounge, but the T4 lounge can get a little busy at times and you need to have an F boarding pass or Oneworld Emerald status to get into the F Lounge at T4.

I arrive in T4 on a BA flight so that is another reason to stick with QF.

• CX serves better scotch in J than QF

I don't mind Scotch but I prefer wine.

• QF serves better Muscat (and probably wine) in J than CX

Another tick for QF.

• QF now provides PJs in J on the QF30 LHR-HKG flight, CX does not provide PJs in J

I've never scored QF PJs in J so this is another tick for QF.

• CX AVOD is likely to work faultlessly for the entire flight, QF's AVOD is ....

Touch wood, but I've only had one QF AVOD issue which was fixed by a reboot, but then I've had nowhere near as many long haul sectors as you.

You cannot upgrade the CX flight with QF FF points. So not sure what your TA is suggesting regarding helping with an upgrade request with CX.

I think it might be a Centurion travel thing - I have points with them that aren't QF FF points.

 

[Homer]

AFAIK, BA uses TBIT at LAX.

AA.com - Los Angeles International Airport

They may, but my flight is out of LHR.

 

[NM]

AFAIK, BA uses TBIT at LAX.

AA.com - Los Angeles International Airport

not for flights from CDG, those use T4 (at LHR).

 

[serfty]

They may, but my flight is out of LHR.

Must read better ...

 

[QF WP]

Homer, I'd back NM's discussion points and stick with QF. I'd like your chances of an F seat (notwithstanding not knowing what the loads are like now in J and F on your flight). Trust that you have a decent seat pre-allocated in case you aren't successful.

[Having said that, I've had a 2 from 3 upgrade history from CX on flights from Y>J as a Plat member - the only one I missed was due to travelling with Mrs LW. My only other flight with CX was in F.]

Looking forward to hearing about your DONE4 experience and hearing you have a newly minted Plat card arriving in the mail...

 

[Homer]

Thanks Lindsay. I have just cancelled the CX waitlist so I'll stick with QF where I have a confirmed seat. SeatCounter is showing the wrong number of seats on this (and other) flights according to both my TA and Travel Guru so I won't worry too much about availability just yet.

On the Plat card, interestingly I received a letter today from QF renewing my SG status even though my anniversary isn't until 30 November and I actually am still a couple of flights short of requalifying for SG. This actually happened to me a couple of years ago and I remember reading about it on this forum as well. I rang them as I was curious and they said that it was based on averaging the past 3 year's flights and their assumption that I would re-qualify.

I told the QF rep that I actually intended to hit WP and he said that their system would not be including forward bookings in its "complimentary" SG card reissue calculation so it is definitely based just on the previous years flights.

 

[NM]

Thanks Lindsay. I have just cancelled the CX waitlist so I'll stick with QF where I have a confirmed seat. SeatCounter is showing the wrong number of seats on this (and other) flights according to both my TA and Travel Guru so I won't worry too much about availability just yet.

The difference in seat availability may be due to the Point of Sale as seen by Seatcounter (I assume being North America somewhere) and an Australian TA. Airlines can show different availability to different markets.

On the Plat card, interestingly I received a letter today from QF renewing my SG status even though my anniversary isn't until 30 November and I actually am still a couple of flights short of requalifying for SG. This actually happened to me a couple of years ago and I remember reading about it on this forum as well. I rang them as I was curious and they said that it was based on averaging the past 3 year's flights and their assumption that I would re-qualify.

Note that if you hit Platinum status during the trip before you hit LHR, you may want to carry woth you some form of evidence that you have reached the status other than just relying on what is printed on the boarding pass. BA's lounge agents are very strict on enforcing the lounge entry policy and require you to present your FF card to prove your entitlement for lounge access based on status (i.e. F lounge for OneWorld Emerald). So if you have not received your card in the mail due to being on the road), be prepared for a "discussion" of sorts with the lounge agent. They often claim they cannot see the status through their system and they do not trust what is printed on the BP. Perhaps a printout of an email from QFF or similar may help. Or be prepared to phone QF FF from the lounge foyer and had it over to the BA agent to confirm with QF directly.

 

[sr81]

Note that if you hit Platinum status during the trip before you hit LHR, you may want to carry woth you some form of evidence that you have reached the status other than just relying on what is printed on the boarding pass. BA's lounge agents are very strict on enforcing the lounge entry policy and require you to present your FF card to prove your entitlement for lounge access based on status (i.e. F lounge for OneWorld Emerald). So if you have not received your card in the mail due to being on the road), be prepared for a "discussion" of sorts with the lounge agent. They often claim they cannot see the status through their system and they do not trust what is printed on the BP. Perhaps a printout of an email from QFF or similar may help. Or be prepared to phone QF FF from the lounge foyer and had it over to the BA agent to confirm with QF directly.

Thanks NM I am happily expecting to encounter the same senario when I come to fly home from LHR T4 after my DONE4 in late Nov. I think that the email from QF should be effective though will have the QF customer service number at hand in case of dragons.

HOMER enjoy and report back. Hope it all goes well.

 

[Homer]

Thanks sr81 and NM. Regrettably I won't reach WP status during the trip...I need to complete the domestic sectors a week after I get back in order to hit WP (unless a big-ish domestic trip comes up next week unexpectedly).

Still if I happen to get the F upgrade then I will be sure to take advantage of the F lounge. And if I don't then I will have a new experience to look forward to next year thanks to my new WP card...

 

[QF WP]

On the Plat card, interestingly I received a letter today from QF renewing my SG status even though my anniversary isn't until 30 November and I actually am still a couple of flights short of requalifying for SG. This actually happened to me a couple of years ago and I remember reading about it on this forum as well. I rang them as I was curious and they said that it was based on averaging the past 3 year's flights and their assumption that I would re-qualify.

I told the QF rep that I actually intended to hit WP and he said that their system would not be including forward bookings in its "complimentary" SG card reissue calculation so it is definitely based just on the previous years flights.

That was also my experience when I went from Gold to Plat in 2002. In my first year ending 28 Feb 03, I obtained 2,365 SC's and the next year I was re-qual'ed early (about 890 SC's IIRC). I ended up getting the 1,200 SC's by Feb 04. The next year (Feb 05) I achieved 1,000 SC's so under the 3 year average I was still well ahead and they re-qual'ed me.

So you'd better make the first WP year a good one Homer, so your averages stack up.