bcworld

Emirates? Look the cancellation fee is £100. Name change is often not allowed...if it is it may well cost more than that. e.g. http://www.emirates.com/english/help/faq/664147/how-should-i-enter-the-passenger-names-and-can-i-change-them-afterwards

If these are the kinds of incidents (the emergency / precautionary landings) you think constitute being 'on thin ice'...then I'm not sure what airline in the world is not on thin ice? These are routine events that happen somewhere in the world every day, multiple times most likely.

China actually doesn't have a bad safety record. They certainly had a problem at one time but have definitely turned that around. Their aviation sector is actually now regarded as one of the safest out there.

Be aware that if you book QF10 LHR-MEL than have a connecting domestic flight to SYD that you will have to clear customs in Melbourne. So you will have to pick bags up off the belt, go through customs and then recheck them with QF. Bags will not be checked through to SYD.

Emirates are an airline that hubs out of Dubai...there is no way and no reason they would do non stop UK to Australia flights. Plus I suspect they would never be allowed to as no agreement exists for them to do so, and likely never will. The only airlines that will be operating non stops between the UK and Perth will be British or Australian ones.

BA and Qantas do charge for seat selection though...quite excessively in the case of BA! For Qantas I think you'd be looking at $30 each direction if booking a sale fare so would certainly add up.

Here's a previous thread on Bali: http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/flights-holidays/216448-bali-holiday-has-anyone-been.html Looking at the location of Medewi Bay it's a long way from the rowdiness of the south. It also looks nothing like a timeshare resort...a bit too basic for that.

Well there is a major difference when it comes to the 777. Etihad - 10 seats per row, same as their A380, but the A380 main cabin is over 2 feet wider! Emirates - 10 seats per row, same as their A380 Singapore - 9 seats per row

It's probably simply a case that the more popular flights are operated by the A380, and being popular the cheaper fare classes are sold out. For example, with SQ...the SIN-LHR that departs around midnight is one of the busiest flights on the network...it's often sold out or more expensive than the daytime departures.

It's not necessarily that bad. As they do operate Jakarta to Gatwick - which does have a technical stop in Amsterdam. Still, SYD - LGW is 28 hours, so not outrageous. Looks to me like a lot of those flights are sold out around Xmas though and the routes available are very convoluted marathons via Denpasar first.

No. Only Singapore Airlines really offers this, and you will not find the info documented anywhere on their website, so you must confirm it with them in advance as essentially it's a goodwill gesture. The best way to do this would probably be to put a booking on hold and have them update the baggage allowance to 40kg before ticketing. Otherwise, get something in writing. Other airlines offer 'migrant fares' which when you do the maths often just seem to be the standard cost plus the cost of an extra bag! I think some have had success with this: http://www.iomaustralia.org/projects_selfpayers.htm# ...but shop around.

For those who love sitting upstairs on the A380, Thai starts A380 service on LHR-BKK today...and there in an upper economy section. No A380s onward to Australia though.

Well it will probably be worse (the 787). Most carriers are fitting it out 3-3-3, the same as many 777s...except the 787 cabin is 40cm narrower so...

Well Qatar flies the 787 to Edinburgh if you want the latest product.

Great circle doesn't really come into it if you are comparing SYD-SIN-LHR on BA and SYD-SIN-LHR on SQ! The latter seems 10 mins longer at its shortest, presumably because the arrival time into LHR is at a busier time of day. For LHR-SYD it seems that MH offers the shortest flight time for dates I looked at...in reality the minimum connecting time (MCT) and frequency at airline at transit airports is probably a greater factor than great circle.