To UK in PE - is it worth it?

[NYCguy]

Budget is $8,000AUD for two.

I see.

You in J, her in Y. Is that gonna work?

I didn't think so.

I did a quick search for Y+ fares from the "Book Flights" button on this website and found a JL fare for AU$2937.20 per person for your approximate dates.

 

[Bang4Buck]

I did a quick search for Y+ fares from the "Book Flights" button on this website and found a JL fare for AU$2937.20 per person for your approximate dates.

I had no idea of the "bf" button; sounds like it suits their circumstances.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I'm a long streak of duck s**t and my legs tend to get aggro in Economy seats. Don't care about food, drink or pretty hosty, but I'd take it if it was on offer


Should I spend the dollars on more leg room for a measly 40-odd hours, or chuck it into nice rooms in UK (I'm told some are pretty dodgy so need to go middle range).

I'd take the exit row option but having no flying miles I have to wait until 7 days before to try to get one on QF. Bummer if you miss out.

What do people think?

Well - there is a much much cheaper option to fix sore legs... and that is a pair of Scholl flight socks.

I used to suffer from aching legs after about an hour or so - and ended up like many passengers doing the 'knees-up' hop in the aisles, or in the bathroom to try and get some circulation back. Worked well for a while but then it would all start again.

Porblem entirely solved with the socks. And you feel just like you have been sitting in a chair at home (pain free wise). The socks are at any pharmac_, about $40.

Couple that with an exit row, if you can, and you'll be fine.

Of course the socks don't buy you the extra recline of premium economy but you save thoudasnds of $.

Perhaps couple your socks with lounge entry in Singapore (you can pay S$15 or $20 or whatever it is) for a nice hot shower and massage chair (if they have them).

Other 'out of the box' things... to increase legroom the most important thing is to be able to sit right back in the seat. The problem with this normally is that your head is unsupported and you have to slide down the seat. This decreases legroom. If you book a seat at the back of the cabin, hard up against the bulkhead wall, you can sit right back in the seat and support your head on the bulkhead wall.

Also remove the magazines from the seat pocket - gives you an extra inch or so.

 

[JohnK]

I have flown premium economy (with economy service) twice on QF and 3 return trips to Asia on BA world traveller plus. Personally I think premium economy is overpriced just for extra legroom and different catering to economy.

It is only ~20 hours each way to LHR and the money would be better spent on accommodation, tours, food etc or even save it and use it towards the next trip. You may even find that you save enough for the budget to include additional trips throughout the year.

 

[Maca44]

I did a quick search for Y+ fares from the "Book Flights" button on this website and found a JL fare for AU$2937.20 per person for your approximate dates.

There is another thread on this fare as I was looking for suggestions for my brother who wanted to go SYD-LHR-SYD, and he book the above fare through Flight Centre for a June 10 departure. I warned him against FC, but now all confirmed so all okay (thus far).

 

[trippin_the_rift]

If you want to know if PE is worth it - sit in Y for 12 hours, then fly the next leg in PE ....... suddently a cple of K is NOTHING compared to the value you get from it.

There are a number of airlines that fly to Europe with business class under $5K. Unless you *NEED* the status credits on QF, I'd stay away from Qantas because you will save a truckload of cash booking with another airline that will more often give you more as well.

 

[smckay]

Thanks guys.

I'm leaning towards the Virgin Atlantic fare for 7 big ones in PE. Or, as Johnk rightly points out, it's only 20 hours in a chair and the saving of some 1,500 pound sterling would be better spent on a decent hotel. So that comes back to my heading - I just do not know if the additional bux for the food and drink service is justified, along with a small amount of extra space (and it leg room I need, not seat width) bearing in mind that for at 12 of the 20 hours I hope to be asleep or some stupid relation to it.

Like the idea of the socks, will suss them out.

I did try the BF button and it's not bad; JL loses points for the total time - 41 hours! EEEK! Haven't looked at the on ground transfer time but thats scary hours in transit.

I have to say as well, this is a very friendly and informative forum. I normally lurk around car ones and there are some tossers going on there, trust me.

 

[Maca44]

JL loses points for the total time - 41 hours! EEEK! Haven't looked at the on ground transfer time but thats scary hours in transit.

You have an overnight stay in Narita, and I believe JAL put you up in a hotel for the night which is included in that fare. From memory again, you arrive at 5pm and depart the next day about midday. Others with more knowledge on this will correct me.

 

[smckay]

You have an overnight stay in Narita, and I believe JAL put you up in a hotel for the night which is included in that fare. From memory again, you arrive at 5pm and depart the next day about midday. Others with more knowledge on this will correct me.

I like the sound of that. I am furiously tapping dates into booking engines now :mrgreen:

 

[ChrisBNE]

JAL PE allows lounge access too IIRC.

 

[simongr]

It is only ~20 hours each way to LHR and the money would be better spent on accommodation, tours, food etc or even save it and use it towards the next trip. You may even find that you save enough for the budget to include additional trips throughout the year.

The other perspective for some people is that being able to afford extra trips in the year is no use if you don't have the time for extra trips - cash rich and time poor. Personally I would go with PE over Y or forgo the trip potentially.

The flight is pert of the trip for me and PE or J affords me a relaxing start to the trip rather than a stressful 21 hours of hell and pain...

 

[smckay]

I see.

You in J, her in Y. Is that gonna work?

I didn't think so.

I did a quick search for Y+ fares from the "Book Flights" button on this website and found a JL fare for AU$2937.20 per person for your approximate dates.

Will work if I don't tell her until i stop in pointy bit and she is shoved back down to the blunt bit.

Where did you get this fare? I've tried but only see $10K fares

 

[VirginiaF]

fwit - monocle's december 09/january 10 issue features the travel top 50 supplement - their annual round up of the best, and it nominates jl pe on the b777 ... "warm colour palette (not helpful for extra length legs, conceded) and cosy-looking shell style seat".

may give it a try myself

 

[ChrisBNE]

Will work if I don't tell her until i stop in pointy bit and she is shoved back down to the blunt bit.

Where did you get this fare? I've tried but only see $10K fares

What are your dates?

Can do the following on JAL PE:

JL 772 E 10MAY 1 SYDNRT DK1 0815 1705 10MAY E 0 777 MS
JL 401 E 11MAY 2 NRTLHR DK1 1200 1635 11MAY E 0 773 MM
JL 402 E 10JUN 4 LHRNRT DK1 1915 1500 11JUN E 0 773 MM
JL 771 E 11JUN 5 NRTSYD DK1 2000 0635 12JUN E 0 777 MS


AUD 2761.10

 

[smckay]

September/October this year

 

[ChrisBNE]

September/October this year

Yep, doesnt seem to be quoting in the GDS for anything pas June for some reason. There is a fare loaded, but it's not quoting.

 

[docjames]

The flight is pert of the trip for me and PE or J affords me a relaxing start to the trip rather than a stressful 21 hours of hell and pain...

Whilst far from "cash rich" we are time poor with our upcoming trip, hence the choice of Y+. Idea being we are more likely to be in decent shape on arrival.

We are away exactly two weeks, and have a black tie dinner the day after arrival. We need to be in good shape for that and not jet lagged to hell. Similarly, stragiht back to work on return.

If we had the luxury of more time, we'd go Y.

Y+ has it's market.

 

[VirginiaF]

tried for a 28/9 departure, 6/10 return and got a fare of aud2937.30.

vs fare is aud3514.30

sk/qf combo is aud3554.10 and

ba is aud3657.40

all fares inclusive of fees and taxes.

 

[Mr Somerset]

Very interested in this thread as my wife & I need to go back to the UK in November for a few weeks. I've only ever flown economy (SQ by choice), but she did QF Business on her own last year.

Her view is that she'll now never fly anything other than business, but mine (and my bank manager's) is the 2 x Business class returns to the UK just isn't going to happen. So I'm looking very seriously at Atlantic's Premium Economy too.

Somerset

 

[smckay]

I think's I'll be on Virgin PE unless QF matches the price. Only coz I have some QFF points...

My only concern is some other threads with Virgin Atlantic regarding pre-booked seats no heppening, bad servcie etc. But that's a whole new thread! :shock: