PER-EZE in J route options

[upupandaway]

Anyone have any thoughts/experience/suggestions re:routing for paid travel PER-EZE in J for 2 adults, 1 infant Nov 2015? These are the options as I see it:

1. PER-SYD-SCL (QF), SCL-EZE (LA), direct and quickest routing I can find on OW)
2. PER-SYD (QF), SYD-AKL-SCL-EZE (LA), new B787 for the long haul albeit a short transit in AKL
3. PER-DXB-GIG-EZE (EK), with new fully-flat J A380 for PER-DXB sector
4. PER-DOH-GRU-EZE (QR), keen to check out the newish airport at DOH and never been there...
5. PER-JNB-GRU (SA), GRU-EZE (LA), best and shortest non-OW option
6. PER-AKL-EZE (NZ), launches December 1

I know it is a long way whichever way you look at it, is the Westbound or eastbound option likely to be less brutal for jetlag? Bassinets in J? Unfortunately I am paying so cost also a consideration.
Many thanks for your thoughts

 

[eric2011]

My personal choice would be option 1. I have done the SYD-SCL & also SCL-EZE on QF and LA and found it to be great. The 747 on the SYD-SCL leg was good and comfortable, try to get either rows 1,2,3 in the small private cabin in the nose and the J,K side of the plane for the view of about the last hour of the flight as you fly up the side of the Andes mountains, (looks great with snow), Row 1 I think is the bassinet's.
I found the outbound trip to be the easier and quicker than the return, IIRC its about 45 mins shorter.

 

[RooFlyer]

I recently did SYD-AKL-SCL on LAN (QF codeshare) in J. I liked the cabin and the seat/bed. Some pics of seat, menu and meals here. The LAN metal is still A340, although the 787 is due to begin service ?soon.

The new LAN J lounge at SCL is very good- again, pics and commentary here.

Personally, I'd go the most direct route, either QF or LA to SCL then hop across to EZE. You may get a QF sale; I got one, booking last year for $4K return.

For me, and I think for many, the worst jetlag is going east. The new LA lounge at SCL has a sleeping area

 

[eric2011]

Below is a report I did on the SCL mistral lounge a couple of years ago.

I am currently sitting here in the Mistral lounge, while waiting for our flight to Rio. It is 11.00 am and mrs Eric and I are 2 of only 8 people who are using this lounge. It is a large room, approx 50 meters long by 20 meters wide. It has windows down one side where you can get a bit of a view out to the taxiways etc. It has about 5 booths in it each seating 4 people in very roomy conditions and the leather seats are quite comfortable although I wouldn't like to sit in them for a long period of time. Down the middle of the room there is another 30 or 40 seats plus normal tables and chairs
Contrary to your belief of day beds, I can not see anything of that nature. There is a number of chairs with little ottermans where you could pull them together and make a sort of bed but doubt that they would be real comfortable. The toilet facilities are fairly basic and clean but I cannot see any shower facilities. There is a business lounge and also good quality, free, wifi. Excellent little bar area with a smallish range of beers, wines and soft drinks and food snacks.

That's about it for the Mistral lounge, hope this is helpful. I will try to check out the other lounge in about 10 day (2nd Oct) on my return trip back to SYD.

 

[eric2011]

And this is the report on the other lounge

As promised twoharts, I am currently sitting in the other lounge (the Neruda lounge). This lounge is a long, skinny lounge broken into 2 sections by the lounge reception area. On arrival, at 11.00am for our trip back to SYD, like the other lounge, there are only approx 15-20 people in here. When you arrive at reception, off to the right is seating area for approx 75 people, a large kitchen/ bar area which is well stocked with beer, wines and soft drinks etc. the food selection is ok but not fantastic. In this area there is also the business centre with approx 8 work stations and computers. From reception, to the left, there is another another area which is the same size and seating wise, also with the food and bar service. This area also has the toilet facilities and showers. At the far end is another room glassed off from the lounge which contains 3 day beds, each fitted out with a pillow and blankets. So contrary to what you stated, the Neruda lounge has the day beds, NOT the Mistral.

 

[upupandaway]

Thanks for all your suggestions. The trip report for both the LAN and QF legs look great - they both look like a very solid product. Also keen to explore the new lounge in SCL, last time I was there was just the mistral and neruda lounges, which were a little cramped.

Another issue is catching the SYD-SCL requires a red eye from Perth, most likely in the old J product THis make the EK/QF options all the more appealing. Will let you know which I choose.

 

[Dr_Fliptop]

Thanks for all your suggestions. The trip report for both the LAN and QF legs look great - they both look like a very solid product. Also keen to explore the new lounge in SCL, last time I was there was just the mistral and neruda lounges, which were a little cramped.

Another issue is catching the SYD-SCL requires a red eye from Perth, most likely in the old J product THis make the EK/QF options all the more appealing. Will let you know which I choose.

I live in PER - whenever I have an early flight out of MEL or SYD, I avoid the red eye and take an earlier flight and rest up in a hotel near the airport. That way you're not exhausted before you even start. You have to be happy to pay an extra $200 or so of course...

 

[NoName]

I don't have that much experience so perhaps this is a stupid question but wouldn't the jet lag be much the same regardless of which way you go? You end up in the same place crossing more or less the same number of timezones right?

 

[Dr_Fliptop]

I don't have that much experience so perhaps this is a stupid question but wouldn't the jet lag be much the same regardless of which way you go? You end up in the same place crossing more or less the same number of timezones right?

In theory, yes - if you are flying non-stop to the antipode, it would make no difference.

However, in practice the factors that tend to nail you are:
A) Are you able to get a decent amount of sleep on the flight?
B) Do you have a connection that will be during your normal sleep time? That kills you.
C) Is your flight time conducive to staying up late and sleeping in? I.e. Typically that's an east to west flight. It's much harder to get up earlier than sleep in, because that usually means you have forgone sleep.