OW to the Middle East

[BVT]

I am about to travel to DXB and/or AUH and want to maximise SC's and miles. The best I can do is QF to BOM then Jet Airways. Sadly 9W gives airmiles but no SC's.

CX do not fly to DXB at convenient times and do not start services to AUH until June. RJ is way too difficult.

Does anyone have other options? Any recent experiences on 9W?

Many thanks in advance.

 

[simongr]

9W is perfectly fine - do they have a codeshare? I flew SYD-SIN-DEL on QF/9W on a QF flight number to max SCs.

On the way to Cyprus I have flown CX SYD-HKG, CX HKG-DXB, RJ DXB-AMM... not that much harder than other trips... (e.g. jfk-dfw-lax-jfk-nrt-hkg-syd without a stopover)

 

[docjames]

Not many options.

I wonder if CX to HKG then direct to DXB is any worse than via SIN and BOM (one stop vs two)? But if the times dont work for you, not much choice.

Your alternative on OW would be BA to LHR and then backwards, same with an RJ connection in BKK/SIN then onto AMM and backwards again.


You could book on JAL ex- NRT, KIX or HND - codeshare on EK to DXB - not certain if that will earn OW SCs but should if booked as JAL.

Edit:

NRT dep 2200 arr DXB 0455 (+1)

dep DXB 0250 arr NRT 1720


Flights ex HND go via KIX

dep KIX 2320 arr DXB 0450 (+1)

dep DXB 0300 arr KIX 1710

 

[mannej]

You could book on JAL ex- NRT or KIX - codeshare on EK to DXB - not certain if that will earn OW SCs but should if booked as JAL.

On EK metal that would not earn SC's I would think. It is like CX code on MH metal (HKG-KUL v.v).

It states it in the Airline Earning Chart

*Regardless of flight number if on EK metal

Sent from my iPhone using AFF Mobile

 

[docjames]

On EK metal that would not earn SC's I would think. It is like CX code on MH metal (HKG-KUL v.v).

It states it in the Airline Earning Chart

*Regardless of flight number if on EK metal

Sent from my iPhone using AFF Mobile

Oh well, no SCs on 9W either i guess so not worse, I guess it'll come down to timings.

RJ via AMM or taking the non-preferred CX times will be the options for OW SCs.

I'd comment that a huge % of the "long haul" flights in and out of the middle east are at "terrible" times (typically late/middle of night) so that greatly limits choices of flight times.


Consider also a DONE and go the long way (can sometimes work out cheaper anyway) and you could arrive at a better time into AUH/DXB - without checking current schedule, BA has one flight a day into each of DXB/AUH that dep ~0700 ex-LHR and arr ~1900hrs.

So would work out Aus-LAX-LHR-AUH/DXB-HKG-Aus using QF/BA/CX

 

[browski]

Here are some bolder options.

Option 1: Fly China Eastern from SYD/MEL to Kunming-DXB. QFF pts - Yes; Status Creds - No

Option 2: Fly QF from SYD-BKK or JQ Starclass from MEL-BKK, then fly S7 from BKK-Novosisbursk-DXB. QFF pts - Yes; Status Credits - Yes. . I believe there is even a double status FF point promotion on currently with all S7 flights.

 

[docjames]

Option 2: Fly QF from SYD-BKK or JQ Starclass from MEL-BKK, then fly S7 from BKK-Novosisbursk-DXB. QFF pts - Yes; Status Credits - Yes. . I believe there is even a double status FF point promotion on currently with all S7 flights.

I saw that one, but if RJ via AMM is too hard, then S7 via OVB might also be.....

 

[Boris spatsky]

Do you really want to fly a Russian airline that far though?

 

[BVT]

Many thanks for all the suggestions.

Browski, V intrigued by your suggestion. And it is not just the double SC's! I am almost sure all this travel will be in whY; if it was J, then via Russia, why not?

All my high earning SC and mileage travel is after this planned jaunt to the big sand pit.

 

[browski]

Many thanks for all the suggestions.

Browski, V intrigued by your suggestion. And it is not just the double SC's! I am almost sure all this travel will be in whY; if it was J, then via Russia, why not?

All my high earning SC and mileage travel is after this planned jaunt to the big sand pit.

Just to clarify, I had another look and the S7 Double FF Point offer is until Feb 15. Double Status Credits do not apply.

 

[shearsense]

Flown S7 a few times. For a Russian airline, they aren't too bad and I would fly them again. Best of a bad bunch, I would say. As with most of these mobs, they tend to be fine in the air, but the ground service is terrible. For example, check transit situation in Novosibirsk to make sure you don't need a transit visa. (it can vary incredibly between airport to airport and airline to airline in Russia). Because if something gets complex on the ground, they sure ain't going to help you too much, unless you can argue in Russian! You should be ok, though.

 

[BVT]

Just to get closure:

I eventually went QF to BOM, then 9W to AUH, then drove/was driven to DXB.

9W were fine in whY. I used a "free" priority pass entry to the Clipper Lounge in BOM outbound. Inbound, 9W kindly upgraded me to J and I used whatever the Lounge was in AUH.

I must say the 9W ground staff in BOM, inbound, were exceptional. I had a 6 hour wait for QF052 and arrived from AUH without a boarding card. The 9W staff went to great lengths to get me from the tarmac to "airside" and hence the Clipper Lounge. Just cannot see QF ground staff going to that much effort!

BTW, 5/6 welcomes from the CSM etc. Offers of assistance or "can i get you anything..." 1/6 SIN/BOM the CSM spent the whole flight in the galley gossiping - there was no way you could miss that voice!

On disembarkation, I was actually pushed back by CSM to let the J pax get to the bus first - then we all waited while it filled up with the plebs from whY! What the!