QF A380 First or QF 744 First? Preference?

[Gid]

Hi All

I was wondering if anyone can help me with this interesting dilemma; I've booked an award flight SYD to JFK and on the return trip from JFK will be flying F for the very first time (just to blow some hard-earned points!). Currently I'll be flying AA from JFK to LAX and then transfer to QF12 on the A380 (there'll be a 6-7 hour wait at LAX) back to SYD.

Now at the moment I have the option of changing my return flight to JFK - LHR - SYD with the JFK-LHR leg on AA and the LHR-SYD leg being QF2 (a 744 in F). If change to this flight I'll be able to have 4 full days in NYC rather than only 3 days (if I take QF12 back to SYD) and of course I'll have a "longer" F experience. I'm in no great rush to get back home so the extra time is no concern.

So my questions are, is the F Suite experience on the A380 worth spending less time in NYC or should I take the longer journey on what might be considered the lesser F product on the 744? Having never been in F before I would welcome any advice from those who have been in both the A380 suite and the 744 F cabin. Many thanks.

 

[simongr]

What an interesting question. I thought I knew the answer before I read the thread - "Of course the A380 is better".


However personally I think the QF F experience is fantastic - on the 744. I havent yet flown F on the A380 (but am trying for an upgrade) but I would prefer to be in NY longer (I love NY), be on QF metal rather than AA JFK-LAX and have less time on the ground at LAX.

The one question is whether you think you will have a chance to fly F again in the near future? If not then the A380 might just edge it...

 

[Gid]

What an interesting question. I thought I knew the answer before I read the thread - "Of course the A380 is better".


However personally I think the QF F experience is fantastic - on the 744. I havent yet flown F on the A380 (but am trying for an upgrade) but I would prefer to be in NY longer (I love NY), be on QF metal rather than AA JFK-LAX and have less time on the ground at LAX.

The one question is whether you think you will have a chance to fly F again in the near future? If not then the A380 might just edge it...

Thanks for the reply, simongr. Having never been to NY before I'm sorely tempted to stay longer and fly back on the 744 however I may not get another chance in the near or far future to fly the A380 in F. Decisions, decisions!!

 

[docjames]

FWIW those I know who fly F regularly rate the A380 product well ahead of the 744. Mostly being: quieter aircraft, better seats/beds.

Only you can decide if you want quantity or quality.

If you'll never fly F again, go the 744 as you'll never know if the A380 was better, you get a full extra day in NYC. And it'll still be amazing, plus you get more F experience.

If you're likely to redeem again, well, it might end up being on an A380 anyway.

My choice: probably the via LHR route.

 

[djfuzz]

For Gid's benefit (and those of us in the peanut gallery too ), I wonder if anyone who has been on A380 F (or those who are otherwise informed) might be able to point out why they believe it to be better than the 744 F service?

There are some obvious differences in the hard product (seat/suite, aircraft size, onboard lounge) and some minor differences (slightly better IFE and perhaps the in-flight bar).

But I imagine some other things relating to the soft product would be similar - eg food and beverage service, cabin crew service (which some have said is better on the 744), amenities, bathrooms (again, possibly better on the 744?).

So given the relative merits of each, is the A380 still really worth missing out on that extra day in NY?

(From the peanut gallery, I would have gone with the extra day in NY - I certainly didn't feel that the A380 J product was that much better than the 744 J product, despite the horizontal SkyBed Mk II, and probably wouldn't let a choice between the two affect travel plans again - but that's just me. )

 

[samh004]

I’d have thought the idea right now would be whether you have to go straight back to work when you come back, or if you’d be all right with a delay, as reliability is a bit of a sticking point right now.

The A380 F is of course a lot newer, so must be better, but it’ll be more common over time.

I’d go with docjames’ advice.

 

[Homer]

I've done both and the 380 F experience is better than the 744 (I'll explain a few reasons below) but, to cut a long story short, if you've never flown F before then you'll love the 744 in F anyway so I wouldn't be cutting short my time in NYC. And by doing F in the 744 then at least you can look forward to doing F in the 380 on a future flight.

Why do I rate the 380 F above the 744? Well it's really all about the hard product. The seat or "suite" is obviously a far grander affair than the 744 F seat. But it is more than that. The whole cabin has a real "wow" factor - particularly while the planes are new I guess - which includes the width and height - the sense of space. The seat itself is very up-to-date; lots of buttons to press, and gadgets to play with. I loved the remote controlled blinds on the windows, the large screen, even the tray table. It just felt a whole lot newer and more "fun" than F on the 744 which is now looking pretty dated. Still, as I said, if it's your first time in F then you should still be pretty blown away by the 744.

 

[Gid]

I’d have thought the idea right now would be whether you have to go straight back to work when you come back, or if you’d be all right with a delay, as reliability is a bit of a sticking point right now.

The A380 F is of course a lot newer, so must be better, but it’ll be more common over time.

I’d go with docjames’ advice.

Thanks sam. I'll be on leave so definitely won't be going straight back to work. JFK - LHR - SYD trip will get me back on a Sat while the JFK-LAX - SYD trip will get back on a Fri.

 

[jamesatfish]

Although there's no denying that F in the 380 is a better hard product than F in the 747, for me part of the appeal of First is the soft product which is the same for both aircraft.

The First experience - from the time the First concierge calls you the day before your flight to make spa reservations at the lounge, to the quality of the food and booze (especially the latter), the sleeper service (quilt, doona, PJs etc), the quietness of the cabin and so on - is the same on the 747 as it is on the 380, and for me that's what makes First special.

You don't mention whether you are travelling alone - in my case I'm usually flying with my wife so the 747 is nicer than the 380 as we can sit in the E/F seats and enjoy each other's company rather than in the 380 where each person is segregated from the rest of the cabin.

In your case I'd definitely take the 747 option - spend an additional day in NYC (which I also love) and enjoy First on an international config AA 777 JFK-LHR which will be far better than First on the JFK-LAX AA trans-con, even the 777.

I should also have added that the BA First lounge in T3 LHR that you'll have access to is much better than the QF First lounge in TBIT LAX, so your transit time will be more enjoyable with the 747 routing.

 

[Gid]

Thanks for your very helpful comments, james. I'll be travelling alone.

 

[Gid]

Just to add also that I'll be travelling to NYC in PE. Only the return flight is in F.

 

[NM]

Also be aware that a scheduled A380 service can morph into a 744 service without notice, which could be very disappointing if you have made specific timing/routing decisions based on the operating aircraft type.

I would choose the date/time/routing that suited my desires at the destination rather than the choice between 744 and A380. Now if it was a choice between a 737 business class and A380 First, then its a different story.

 

[anat0l]

If it were up to me, the 388 F is much better than 744 F. I flew the former before the latter, and admittedly the 388 F was a short 8 hr vs. the 744 F was a 13 hr (albeit sleeper) flight, but I still give the 388 F more credit due to better hard product. It's not completely enclosed cabins like other F or 388 F for that matter around the world, but the privacy is good enough and the space is absolutely excellent. Quiet cabin.

I'm going to go against the trend here and recommend 3 days in NYC then 388 F to go home. It's not just the product, but:

• Going via LHR and SIN, both are going Eastwards, which may increase the chance of jetlag. Sure you'll be in F - makes things a lot easier, but LHR-SIN is a night-afternoon flight, and SIN-SYD is a night-early morning flight (very short for sleeping!!). Essentially you're getting one flight almost the same as QF12, and another tack-on flight which is uncomfortable enough to fly due to the timing and you've only got a little respite on the unpleasantness due to being in F. QF12 is a night-morning flight of very generous length, allowing you to get a decent sleep on a bigger bed!
• I'm sure LHR T3 has a better lounge than whatever lounge you can access at LAX (don't know which terminal and which lounge), but that's a minor detail IMO. SIN BA/QF F Lounge isn't anything to write home about either.
• If you're carrying liquids out of the US (i.e. after passing through sterile checks into airside), at least with QF12 you will be able to do this; going via LHR to QF2 means transiting in SIN and unless you have the special "tough bags" your liquids will be confiscated. Of course, I'm not sure whether you are allowed to buy liquids in the sterile area of US international airports for carriage on international flights, so happy to be corrected here. Also have no idea if you'd like to carry or purchase any liquids...
• NYC will always be there, and flights to the US aren't inordinately expensive like they used to be. Sure, you may not be able to fly F every time, but 388 F is hard enough to get a handle on unless you are paying in Any Seat awards points (!!!) or in cash. As a WP, I found it hard enough to get my hands on 744 F in Classic Awards.
• With 1 less day in NYC, this will really make you maximise your time in NYC! I know there may be a lot to see, but I like shorter stays with busy days. Mightn't be your style, but I find it helps keeps your days interesting. Feel free to set up a new topic on this forum like "How to see the most NYC in 72 hours" - we'll be happy to help (although please do a search first if there are any similar topics).

Even with the caveat from NM about equipment changes, I'd probably still try for the 388 F. Bad luck if it does change from it...on the other hand, you might just have enough time to switch if that does happen.

Some people will probably cry "blasphemy" for telling you to enjoy a shorter ride in F, especially if you don't fly it that often (I certainly don't!). But here I am....

 

[jamesatfish]

Sure, you may not be able to fly F every time, but 388 F is hard enough to get a handle on unless you are paying in Any Seat awards points (!!!) or in cash. As a WP, I found it hard enough to get my hands on 744 F in Classic Awards.

Good point.

I've yet to be able to book a Classic Awards seat on the 388 in F - the only flights I've had so far on the 388 were when paying cash for the ticket. I'm not sure whether this is because of demand for the A380 flights, because QF aren't releasing First Classic Award seats on the 380, or a combination of the two.

My wife & daughter have one Classic Awards F seat booked on the 380 in June (SIN-LHR) but only because QF changed the equipment after we made our booking.

For future redemptions it's probably going to be easier to score an F awards seat on the 380 than the 747, certainly once the remaining 380s come online and the 747 begins to be phased away from the 4-class routes - but if you're keen to try both the A380 and the 747 in First in the next few years without paying cash or anyseat awards then it might be worth taking this A380 flight whilst you have the chance as they're pretty hard to come by otherwise.

 

[notzac]

[*]I'm sure LHR T3 has a better lounge than whatever lounge you can access at LAX (don't know which terminal and which lounge), but that's a minor detail IMO. SIN BA/QF F Lounge isn't anything to write home about either.

That was actually the point I was going to make - the ground experience is likely to be far nicer at LHR T3 than at LAX T4->TBIT. As nice as the oneworld lounge is at LAX, it's no Galleries First (which the OP would have access to at LHR T3).

Of course, I'm not sure whether you are allowed to buy liquids in the sterile area of US international airports for carriage on international flights, so happy to be corrected here. Also have no idea if you'd like to carry or purchase any liquids...

You can, but duty free shopping at LAX is rubbish and I wouldn't waste my time. Best to prepay and pick anything up on arrival in to SYD.

As for myself, I'd go to LHR and then home from there. An extra day in New York is always an attractive proposition! To the OP - can you change your fare to fly with BA across the pond instead of AA? Would likely be a better experience if you can.

 

[Gid]

That was actually the point I was going to make - the ground experience is likely to be far nicer at LHR T3 than at LAX T4->TBIT. As nice as the oneworld lounge is at LAX, it's no Galleries First (which the OP would have access to at LHR T3).



You can, but duty free shopping at LAX is rubbish and I wouldn't waste my time. Best to prepay and pick anything up on arrival in to SYD.

As for myself, I'd go to LHR and then home from there. An extra day in New York is always an attractive proposition! To the OP - can you change your fare to fly with BA across the pond instead of AA? Would likely be a better experience if you can.

Thanks a lot for all of your advice and suggestions. Well I've decided to change to the JFK - LHR - SYD route and the main thing swaying me in that direction was the thought of waiting 7 hours in LAX before QF12 takes off. That 7+ hours would probably be better used exploring NY for that extra day! I should have enough Q points for another long-haul F trip at some stage this year so hopefully I can get on the A380 eventually. The next challenge for me this year is to retain WP!

To notzac, as it's an award booking I don't think I can change to BA for the JFK-LHR leg. In any case I'm curious to find out what AA's "Flagship" service is like. Cheers

 

[Maca44]

The First experience - from the time the First concierge calls you the day before your flight to make spa reservations at the lounge, to the quality of the food and booze (especially the latter), the sleeper service (quilt, doona, PJs etc), the quietness of the cabin and so on - is the same on the 747 as it is on the 380, and for me that's what makes First special.

I have flown F from SYD-SFO on several occasions with UA on one occasion and QF on two occasions with my next trip being on the A380 in August. It was great to received the call the day prior to departure as described above, however, I have not flown F class from the USA back to Australia so I was wondering if you do receive a call from QF; if there is a spa treatment available at JFK etc. I agree going via LHR as the flight from LAX-SYD is overnight; you are mainly sleeping and don't really get the true appreciation of F class travel.

 

[hayden]

I'm yet to fly on in F on a A380, however recently did my first trip in F on a 744 from SYD-LAX. The trip was planned around me leaving on a day with a A380 flight, however as people have mentioned previously, the aircraft do change and in my case I was bumped to a 744.

I did some hunting around on if it was worth changing or not to another day and flight, however in the end decided not worry about it as I didnt have anything to compare it to as it was my first time in F - I was more than happy with the product offered and probably wouldnt be too worried again in the future if I were bumped to a 744 again. The cabin crew were absolutely fantastic to me and I believe this made the flight so much better.. I guess you wont know about the crew until you board your flight though!

 

[Dyslexic traveler]

I think you will find that the service on the 380 is the same as the 747 - the bar, but I can call the steward for as many glasses of Dom as I can drink and he will bring them,
I have travelled on both and the found that the 747 has just that little more legroom or should I say length when the bed is made up than the 380.
As for staff the older First class has the more experienced staff as they did not want to change to the new 380 less pay, I was told by the steward on the 747 before the 380 arrived .
the 380 is quieter but and new the 747 has a style all its own, you will enjoy First from the arrival at the club to the touchdown , but be warned once you have travelled First class it's hard to go back
one other thing why fly with AA you can get a flight from JFK to LA with QF 108 so you get to fly first all the way home.
O and a day more in NY is worth a lot more than the 380 trip.
have a great time at the point

 

[Gid]

I think you will find that the service on the 380 is the same as the 747 - the bar, but I can call the steward for as many glasses of Dom as I can drink and he will bring them,
I have travelled on both and the found that the 747 has just that little more legroom or should I say length when the bed is made up than the 380.
As for staff the older First class has the more experienced staff as they did not want to change to the new 380 less pay, I was told by the steward on the 747 before the 380 arrived .
the 380 is quieter but and new the 747 has a style all its own, you will enjoy First from the arrival at the club to the touchdown , but be warned once you have travelled First class it's hard to go back
one other thing why fly with AA you can get a flight from JFK to LA with QF 108 so you get to fly first all the way home.
O and a day more in NY is worth a lot more than the 380 trip.
have a great time at the point

Thanks Wayne. It's a shame I'm not a champagne aficionado as many are in this forum!

I wasn't able to get an award flight on QF108 in F otherwise I may gone that way. The only options I had were JFK - LAX - SYD or JFK - LHR - BKK - SYD.