Ticket to CDG July 2018

[MEL_Traveller]

Looking at going to CDG in July 2018. The current QF sale J fare is $7171 from MEL, however that fare is only available on EK metal.

Thanks

Do you have a specific reason for QF? VietNam airlines has business class for $4300. Giving you $3000 in your pocket. Full flats all the way.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Vic, you can play around MEL - SYD - DXB - CDG, in one tix, the time to transit SYD might be quite short.
Granted it earns more Qpoints and QF SC, and the price difference might not be that much, but if you love lounge visits as I do, I find those connected flights do leave the lounge time available quite limited.
Indeed, I might be talking bull, and that there might be flights leaving MEL at 10am, all for the time same price in Sale J to get to SYD in time to meet the departure of that EK flight to DXB.
Personally, I have found ADL - SYD - NZ in Sale J might be bearable, but the lounge time in the QFi SYD J is quite short, so a lot of the time, I transit SYD overnight, ADL - SYD in red E fare, and then J across to NZ on the EK plane, either to CHC, or EK SYD - AKL before that flight that has now been cancelled.
Ok, I will now leave this post, as is, having put my point forward to avoid LHR if at all possible, Gbp150 in J for that APD! Ouch.

 

[RichardMEL]

Not everyone is obsessed with lounge time, specially for some of the J lounges

and additionally UK APD does not apply when in transit - so going XYZ-LHR-CDG as a transit will not attract APD unless a stopover is made in London.

If one was to stopover in the UK, then APD can be avoided by a) crossing the channel by train to CDG or heading to Ireland to depart, or a short haul flight to say AMS to get out of the UK that way.

 

[texter]

Do you have a specific reason for QF? VietNam airlines has business class for $4300. Giving you $3000 in your pocket. Full flats all the way.

Difficult to ignore the difference, isn't it?

Is it a bit like why some people drive a Toyota and some drive a Merc?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Difficult to ignore the difference, isn't it?

Is it a bit like why some people drive a Toyota and some drive a Merc?

Haha, good point! Yes, I guess I hadn't thought about it that way. But then... this isn't a Russian Tupolev v European Airbus. In this case it's all Western jets (A380 on QF v A350/787 on VN), both carriers offering hardware and flat flat beds made by the same limited bunch of seat makers and aircraft interior fitters.

Maybe in this case the difference between an entry level Merc and a slightly better model merc? (Although QF can't guarantee full flat beds on their A380s)

 

[texter]

Haha, good point! Yes, I guess I hadn't thought about it that way. But then... this isn't a Russian Tupolev v European Airbus. In this case it's all Western jets (A380 on QF v A350/787 on VN), both carriers offering hardware and flat flat beds made by the same limited bunch of seat makers and aircraft interior fitters.

Maybe in this case the difference between an entry level Merc and a slightly better model merc? (Although QF can't guarantee full flat beds on their A380s)

You're right - both airlines will get you there safely, just a matter of whether you wanted the brand name or not?

 

[ALH]

Think outside the box and look at other one world carriers. we flew BNE - MEL - HKG - HEL - CDG (return) all in J in April this year and used a fellow Aff'r (TA) to do the bookings, we got a really good fare and 720 Sc's. for around $5 k as I recall. a mix of QF and AY

Ours was ~ $ 4,600 each, but I've seen deals recently for ~ $ 4,300

The meals ex HKG were pretty ordinary, but ex HEL the food was stunning. My lovely FA insisted I try a bite of everything, and he said the J meals coming out of HEL are always better than any other J meals he's seen in 15 years of flying.

The last 2 window seats in J, either Port or Starboard are the most private and quiet

 

[ALH]

I couldn't say what "Emerald City" qualifications were required

I just asked Alicia Clark (TA) for the seats we wanted. Both of us are WP, so that may have made a difference

 

[texter]

Think outside the box and look at other one world carriers. we flew BNE - MEL - HKG - HEL - CDG (return) all in J in April this year and used a fellow Aff'r (TA) to do the bookings, we got a really good fare and 720 Sc's. for around $5 k as I recall. a mix of QF and AY

I did a dummy booking on the AY website and the QF metal flights are all AY coded so I'd imagine such an itinerary would not earn 720SCs.
I'd presume you need a TA to book an itinerary with both QF and AY codes right?

 

[ALH]

I did a dummy booking on the AY website and the QF metal flights are all AY coded so I'd imagine such an itinerary would not earn 720SCs.
I'd presume you need a TA to book an itinerary with both QF and AY codes right?

Yes. We used Alicia Clarke to book for us. Pm me for details if you want her number

 

[RichardMEL]

Correct. a TA can book the QF metal sectors though last year when I did this the QF# was a lil more expensive than the AY codeshare (I did it anyway!)