Which is the best Airline to fly to Europe with.

[Dalescott]

They say all thing must change, and they do. So I thought that I would start a thread, where we can all give our thoughts on which airline is the best to fly to Europe with.What are the factor that govern our choice. Are they Comfort, Attention to service, attention to detail, types of planes used and flown, and of course cost.
There may be other things that govern our choice of who we fly with. Lets all put our opinion forward.

 

[ANstar]

What travel class as that makes a difference.

 

[Flashback]

If wanting to fly somewhere outside of LHR/FRA then EK is often a good option as can be done with the need for only 1 connection.

 

[Dalescott]

What travel class as that makes a difference.

All class, as this is just a general discussion.

 

[odysseus]

So many different reasons you might choose. Aside from the above, there's also alliance benefits, directness and coverage/route network (and baggage allowance as someone recently pointed out!).

Because of this, there can't be a best, and even preferences may depend on the specifics of each situation.

 

[ANstar]

In Economy I rate NZ and MH quite well. Friends have raved about etihad and said they were pretty good.

In Premium Eco then QF or Virgin Atlantic are also good.

Business I really enjoyed Virgin Atlantic UPPER but have also really enjoyed Qantas J and TG J on the route. I didnt really rate BA club as the food and wine was not as good and business class FA's are not that great IMHO.

 

[QF029]

So many different reasons you might choose. Aside from the above, there's also alliance benefits, directness and coverage/route network (and baggage allowance as someone recently pointed out!).

Because of this, there can't be a best, and even preferences may depend on the specifics of each situation.

So what's YOUR preference.

Mine is Qantas primarily for the status benefits. On my last trip I had 2 op ups so to me it's worth the premium.

If I didn't have status I'd choose the best aircraft (preferably a380).

 

[JetLagged]

So what's YOUR preference.

Mine is Qantas primarily for the status benefits. On my last trip I had 2 op ups so to me it's worth the premium.

If I didn't have status I'd choose the best aircraft (preferably a380).

Hmm, maybe I'm making a mistake applying for a points upgrade each time - haven't given QF the opportunity to grant me an op-up.

I agree with you QF029 - haveing flown both Boeing and Airbus A380s to Europe - nowadays, the A380 is by far my aircraft of choice!

 

[albatross710]

Factors which I put into the Albatross710 flight selection engine include:

No of hops: From BNE now I expect to be able to get to my European destination in 1 hop.
Flight departure: I like to leave on the afternoon flight. I avoid the late night BNE departures which put me at a sleep disadvantage on the first leg. Even departing at midnight flight means not really 'sleeping' until ~2am ish.
Overall transit time: I want to achieve the minimum overall transit time from BNE to destination. Layover in SIN, BKK or DBX needs to be minimised.
Competitive Price: Accept that the more direct flight will cost me more.

Alby

 

[QF029]

Hmm, maybe I'm making a mistake applying for a points upgrade each time - haven't given QF the opportunity to grant me an op-up.

I think it varies greatly by route. I think MEL/SYD to LA or LHR (via SIN) are the least likely to score an op up as they sell well in premium cabins.

 

[odysseus]

So what's YOUR preference.

I answered above - I don't have a single preference. It depends on my destination, what my itinerary is and the choices/connections available, and prices, as well as loyalty programs and safety records. From the selection list, I choose one.

Basically, unless it's the same destination/itinerary, the answer will be different. If you always travel to the same destination (or the question was for one in particular), giving a preference would be more straightforward. But the simple answer to "Europe in general" is that it depends on a lot of factors and there is no single preference.

 

[stuartfaz]

Flew to LHR via AUH with Etihad and thought it was great.

Now they've hooked up with VA I'll be doing all my Europe flying with V ArabEmirates.

 

[BensAdventures]

Having only just returned 72 hours ago from Europe, this tread is timely. I was given the option of PE with QF or find a competitive J fare. I ended up booking J with AY and was very impressed. I flew CX from MEL-HKG, then AY onwards to HEL then onto FRA. On the way back it was AY to HEL-BKK, then BA to SYD. Considering I spend about $6K return with access to OW lounges, status credits etc, I thought it was great.

BTW, the service & food on the AY flight was wonderful. I was in the A340, so it was their slightly older style seat, but I still slept best on the AY legs.

So if I was to look again tomorrow, it would be hard to look past a OW-AY fare if the same type of specials were available!

 

[maureeng]

I like Emirates on the A380 especially in J class They have a great selection in entertainment and the bar at the back is quirky.

Have also flown in economy and found it one of the better economy flights to europe.

 

[dezza]

I like Emirates on the A380 especially in J class They have a great selection in entertainment and the bar at the back is quirky.

Have also flown in economy and found it one of the better economy flights to europe.

Yes i've flown both J and Y on Emirates and i've always found the service a bit "hit and Miss" also depending on the FA's.

 

[lmere12]

I really enjoyed my business class flight with Cathay all the way from Cns - London and then back with Singapore airlines and didn't enjoy that as much. Seats were more comfortable, entertainment was better.

 

[PineappleSkip]

In Y I would probably rate in order SQ, CX, MH, QF, BI. Surprised myself to put QF almost last but I think my last tawdry ride in Y SIN-PER sealed the rating. BI were OK apart from the drinks selection

I haven't plugged value for money into those ratings, if I did MH would leap up the rankings

Have only done BA and QF in Y+ and QF wins that one hands down (especially since BA are now charging just as much as QF)

Might get to rate J sometime if someone pays my way, or I win the lottery, or something

Cheers skip

 

[blu]

it's JL for me with a stopover in Tokyo (although not that often).

 

[Centurionman]

I fly BNE to LHR three times a year at least and am fortunate enough to fly J or F.

My choice in F is Emirates. Proper suites, limo service and good connections.

My choice in J is Virgin Atlantic to LHR . Decent beds and the club house in London and other check in facilities are great. If not flying from SYD then you have to suffer a DJ flight though to connect. Switched to VS Flying Club this year as was so easy to get gold and benefits are great if you fly DJ domestically.

Or have flown the long way round on J Air NZ which is very good also.

Don't like QF and BA to LHR. QF J class is ok, BA J is not compared to VS.

I ditched SQ gold last year as they are just too much a mixed bag and Kris Flyer is now a joke on redemption points needed. Malaysian and Thai I find too old in the hard product stakes although the TG lounge at BKK is hard to beat.

As to flying whY, long haul, I must admit to rather staying at home

 

[SeaWolf]

Earlier this year I flew SQ to Europe in Y. Went PER-SIN-MUC-MAN and back MUC-SIN-PER. Got to say that their Economy product is very nice on the right aircraft. A330 on the PER<->SIN legs and 777-300ER to Europe. Nice seats and with powerpoints all the way, which is great for a techy like me who wants to keep his laptop powered the whole trip. Good staff too, very professional and always right there when you need them.

I like that SQ offer a range of airports in Europe, not just LHR and FRA. They've also got a lot of codeshare agreements that don't involve trying to change planes and terminal at LHR, which is a major shortcoming of QF.