Whether to fly Y or J on QR?

[sinophile888]

I am planning a trip to Europe in October/November this year with my adult daughter. We are still unsure of final dates. My research shows that my best option is to travel with QR, flying with them from SIN -> DOH -> DME and then DXB -> DOH -> SIN. There will also be positioning flights from PER –> SIN and return and some intra Europe flights on KLM and BA, plus a cruise.

I am not sure whether my daughter should buy a Y ticket and I buy a J ticket, or that she buys one Y ticket and I buy 2 Y tickets so we have a spare seat between us. We both like aisle seats if travelling alone or window seats if travelling with family in a 2 or 3 config.

My initial research shows that it would cost me over $4000 for the J option on QR or under $2000 in the Y option. My daughters cost would remain the same.

Which would other AFFers recommend?

 

[cjd600]

Depends how much the $2k difference means to you.
I say if you're willing to put a seat between you, may as well make it a cabin between you

 

[24601]

given that airlines often seem to split people up regardless of the seats they select, I wonder how certain you could be that the spare seat would actually end up next to you and not someone else?

 

[AnnaB]

My gut just says J as its a long flight. But then again, I have never been able to sleep in Y and always end up being awake for a minimum of 36 hours.
But then again, you are travelling with your daughter, perhaps it is nicer to travel together... unless she dont mind, that is.

 

[blu]

I find QR economy is usually always fully sold and feels crowded. Fine for a day sector, not so good overnight. The J product is mostly very good.

 

[sinophile888]

RoseAnna and blu, our itinerary includes only daytime flights, with overnight stops in hotels at or near the airports. I don't fly at night. It will take us 3 days and 2 nights to get to Moscow. So no worries about sleeping on the flights.

24601, I agree that there are issues ensuring we get three seats together. One is 2-4-2 configurations, another is 3 seats in a 4 block. My husband and I flew SQ last year to Hong Kong and the arrangement worked a treat, especially as the only vacant seat in the whole of Y was between us for 3 of the 4 flights.

I guess my main question is whether the increase in cost is balanced by a proportional increase in service and comfort.

 

[bsb]

If you buy J you'll get status credits and points at that level but you'll get nothing for your 'spare' seat and if they oversell the aircraft, your spare seat will definitely disappear. You can also access J lounges and bring your daughter in with you. If you've got the money for J, do it, the spare seat is 99% certain not to eventuate even if you pay for it, oversell or otherwise.

As an alternative, why not look at flying Finnair and for the same combined cost you can both be in J, or if you're not stuck on QFF OW partners, find a different airline altogether. BTW, flying from BKK will give you lots of cheap J options.

Good luck, I hope your daughter knows what an awesome parent you are.

 

[Daver6]

If you both like aisle seats in Y, why not just sit across the aisle from each other and save the money from that 3rd Y seat in the middle?

Not sure how long your layover in DOH would be, but the J lounge there is pretty impressive IMHO. If you could guest your daughter in being a J pax, that might help too.