SYD-LHR; JAL or VA? (Y+)

[smckay]

Anybody advise whats the best option for this trip? Price is $1,000 difference but we're concerned about food offered on both (VA don't list a specific menu and JAL is not promising on the main or snack options) and the seat situation.
JAL have a moving bottom squab only; VA appear to have a traditional reclining seat.
Does VA have the open bar where it is self serve?

 

[Travel Guru]

VA's product in Y+ is excellent, their seat is really comfortable and similar to the QF Domestic Business Class almost (best comparison I can draw).

They do have a bar, but dont get too excited, its nothing that fantastic.

The thing to consider with your comparison is that the VA flight goes via LAX and from LAX-LHR vv. its on Virgin Atlantic which is a totally different product to VA (and in my opinion not as good as VA's)

I've seen JL's seats, but having only flown J with them, i cant really offer any assistance there, but the service, food and seat on VA is outstanding, and i'd fly them to LA anyday.

TG

 

[smckay]

Whoops. Meant Virgin Atlantic, not Virgin America....

 

[Jeffrey O'Neill]

Another big thumbs up for VA Y+. Food is the best I've had on a plane, esp on the way home with the pan cakes :mrgreen:

Service was good, IFE very easy to use since it's touch screen.

I'd gladly fly them again if I get the money together for another holiday to the states.

I suppose the other issue for you would be flying time. Not sure which would be faster???

 

[smckay]

This is our dilemma. JAL have a 'free' stopover in Narita overnight. 18 hours to have a beak at the local area, abeit quickly.
That needs to be balanced off the good reports we see for VS.

 

[anat0l]

This is our dilemma. JAL have a 'free' stopover in Narita overnight. 18 hours to have a beak at the local area, abeit quickly.
That needs to be balanced off the good reports we see for VS.

18 hrs in Narita? Quickly? You bet!

There is a sizable amount of time required (and money, AFAICT) to get from Narita to Tokyo proper. Sure, you could poke around the area of Narita itself, but I'm assuming this 18 hrs is an overnighter. That's probably a sign for you to get some sleep and what not, practically evaporating your 18 hrs to poke around anyway. Although it is rather noble of JL to 'offer' that overnight to you with the ticket.

VS will take you through HKG, not a bad airport to be in and stretch your legs. If you had status with DJ/VS then you could relax in The Clubhouse in HKG airport, which is open air and looks very nice from the outside (I'm sure just as good on the inside), but if you don't, it's still a nice airport to stretch the legs. I'm sure you didn't come 1/4 around the world to laze in an airport, but I guess you make the call as to whether you want a quick (VS) or slow (JL) approach to LHR.

I don't know about VS Y+ but I flew VS J from LHR-HKG and the food isn't anything to write home about. Definitely ranks as one of the worst meals I've had in a premium class, although I don't have a huge amount of said travel to speak for. I'm prepared to bet that the food on VS isn't as good as that on VA, although I haven't flown VA and I'd expect that to happen anyway. Another forum member here has flown VS and said the food and seat were not bad at all - they were in Y or Y+, can't remember.... I don't know about the food on JL - it seems to have a mixed reputation; so I guess the conclusion is that you probably won't get slop on either airline, but don't get too excited either - as long as it is mildly satisfying, add some salt and/or pepper and don't starve; wash down with copious amounts of alcohol.

Besides, which choice is $1,000 more expensive? If JL is the more expensive one, then I think there's no choice - fly VS. If VS is $1,000 more expensive, we may have a dilemma....

 

[Travel Guru]

The JL is usually $1000 cheaper, though theres a special out until 28 Feb making it a further $200 cheaper over VS.


As ANAT0l said, don't get too excited about the stop in Narita, I did it recently flying JL in J to PAR and while its great to get some sleep to break the journey up, there's little time for sightseeing in Narita town let alone Tokyo itself.

I did JL in Y to the states 10 yrs ago and did manage to do some sightseeing the next morning but given LON is a 12pm service, you'll need to leave the hotel around 9am making it almost impossible to do any sightseeing.

The hotel whilst nice definately wasnt as good as I remembered from a decade earlier, and the modern fitout of the rooms was fairly adverage, though clean.

Whilst I havent flown Virgin Atlantic in Y+ (only V Australia), I don't think much of it based on the reviews i've read, so wouldnt be spending an extra $1200pp to fly them over JL...given the price of $2205 plus taxes on sale to 28 Feb, go with them.

TG