jacktar Posted April 23, 2014 Share Posted April 23, 2014 Hello my wife and I are planning to fly to Aus on holiday beg. mid. October. From your expierences, which airlines can u recommend resp. those to be avoided. Thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noworriesmate Posted April 23, 2014 Share Posted April 23, 2014 Emirates or Singapore - you wont be disappointed with either! NWM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith and Linda Posted April 23, 2014 Share Posted April 23, 2014 We have flown, Singapore, Malaysia, Cathay, Thai, as direct flights, with a mixture of others on round the world flights, no real problems with any, but all flights can be different even with the same airline. We have flown BA and Qantas direct but avoid these wherever possible. My parents have flown Emirates and Etihad without any problems. We have also flown Virgin via USA, Virgin Australia to Los Angeles was good, Virgin Atlantic LA to London was very disappointing at both airport and in flight. We goggle up all flights and look for the best deal for both price and timings, we are prepared to pay more for better timed flight connections. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted April 23, 2014 Share Posted April 23, 2014 (edited) Hello my wife and I are planning to fly to Aus on holiday beg. mid. October. From your expierences, which airlines can u recommend resp. those to be avoided. Thanks in advance. Here's another vote for Emirates. I also had a lovely flight with Thai airlines. One thing to think about - stopovers. While your instinct might be to do it direct to get it over with, it's not a good idea. I'm ready to kill somebody by the fourteen hour mark, and being able to get out of that plane mid-way makes all the difference to how human I feel at the end of the trip! Now, we always plan our trip so we get several hours' stopover somewhere, and if we can't get a deal from the airline then we'll book the airport hotel (most of them offer bookings by the hour, and offer a wakeup call to get you back to your plane on time). Edited April 23, 2014 by Marisawright Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dave53 Posted April 23, 2014 Share Posted April 23, 2014 Having flown between Sydney and the UK about 20 times , my vote would go to Singapore Airlines .. They offer a better than average service , good flight times and excellent stop over options in Singapore . There are only 3 airlines that offer direct flights , BA, Qantas and Virgin Atlantic , and soon to be only 2 with Virgin Atlantic pulling out of Australia . If you have the option of exit row or extra leg room seats I would advise to take them . It will probably cost you , buts it's money well spent . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 23, 2014 Share Posted April 23, 2014 Singapore airlines gets my vote. Don't like the Dubai route and flight length times. Love Changi airport in Singapore for a few hours stop over, dip in the swimming pool and some fresh air. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith and Linda Posted April 23, 2014 Share Posted April 23, 2014 Here's another vote for Emirates. I also had a lovely flight with Thai airlines. One thing to think about - stopovers. While your instinct might be to do it direct to get it over with, it's not a good idea. I'm ready to kill somebody by the fourteen hour mark, and being able to get out of that plane mid-way makes all the difference to how human I feel at the end of the trip! Now, we always plan our trip so we get several hours' stopover somewhere, and if we can't get a deal from the airline then we'll book the airport hotel (most of them offer bookings by the hour, and offer a wakeup call to get you back to your plane on time). We are the exact opposite, like to get there asap, short changeovers, paying for hotel rooms just puts the cost of the flight up, unless planning a longer stop over as an added holiday, in which case we would go for a two night stay as minimum, due to timings of flights and hotel check-in/out times it gives added hassle for just the 1 night. Agree with Snifter re Changi but with the airline I have been bumped onto different seats/plane types with them, but they also looked after everyone very well on a delayed flight once. Last flight at Xmas was with Malaysia, and it was excellent and easy up there with Singapore, just that KL airport does not give you much to do when an extended layover. time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parley Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 No. Support an Australian or British airline. Qantas or BA. Don't send your money to Asia or the Arabs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dave53 Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 No. Support an Australian or British airline. Qantas or BA. Don't send your money to Asia or the Arabs. Lets remember that if you fly on a Qantas ticket to Europe from any airport other than Sydney or Melbourne , you will be giving your money to the Arabs .. Dave C Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 I fly Emirates every month, but that is because its them or South African. My vote would be Singapore and use there deal for the Singapore Stopover - they subsidise a couple of days in Singapore in a choice of 5 star hotels Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noworriesmate Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 No. Support an Australian or British airline. Qantas or BA. Don't send your money to Asia or the Arabs. Why would I pay BA or Qantas to look after for me for 20hrs of my life when they offer such poor service as compared to other airlines mentioned? BA isn't even British anymore and Qantas flights are generally Emirates provided these days anyway. At least the Asian and Arab airlines are investing in the UK and Australia, bringing much needed employment and also visitors/trade from their nations to help the tourist and other industries. If it wasn't for the asians and arabs buying planes and engines from british manufacturers we would have lost those industries years ago! NWM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dxboz Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 Would choose Emirates every time which I have done for years. Generally find them to be the cheapest also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindor Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 Emirates all the way for me! If you have a long stopover in Dubai they put you up in a Premier Inn type hotel. A bus takes you there from the airport, there's food when you get there and the bus picks you up the next morning after breakfast. They have offers on at the minute for less than £800 for a return flight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith and Linda Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 No. Support an Australian or British airline. Qantas or BA. Don't send your money to Asia or the Arabs. We have supported them but they don't seem to appreciate me for doing so, and they have tended to be quite a bit more expensive, but that might be so they can buy the lemons for the air hostess's (sorry flight attendants) to suck on before they fly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 I'm another one for Singapore. Stopover or not, it's a decent choice if you fancy it. We flew back with them last year and they dropped a flight off on the way out that meant a 10 hour stopover. They gave us a room in the airport hotel, there is a pool and bar area on the roof, we had time for a relaxing dip, bite to eat and a snooze in a decent room and it broke up the journey really well. Always found the air hostesses to be nice, great with kids and always pleasant when they are serving you. Also flown with Malaysian Airlines and we enjoyed that too. The airport in KL is fantastic. We had a one night stopover on the way out where they took us to a hotel close to the airport and a longer stopover on the way back. The hotel we got on the way back was one of the best I've ever stayed in. Cheap to eat there too. We stayed over in Singapore last year on Sentoza Island in a nice hotel. Found it really expensive for food and drink. Hotel was nice though and we just wanted to relax by the pool for a couple of days after a hectic few weeks in the UK. It was great for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith and Linda Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 Well to the op, looks like Singapore or Emirates are in the lead. With Singapore if you can get the right flight on an A380 then I would recommend that you try and get on the upper deck, depending on the plane layout they have some which have approx. 60 economy seats upstairs, we have, in the past changed the days of our flights (usually just the one day) to get the right aircraft, the two window seats have a storage hatch at the side, makes the whole seat seem roomier and you have somewhere to put some stuff without using the overhead locker. Emirates planes are, last time I checked, not configured with economy upstairs. We fly overseas every 1to1& half years, if our intent is just to the UK we go as quick possible so as to have more time with family, and we don't need to keep visiting Singapore and the like every time, but if, as we often do, incorporate other holidays with this then that's a whole different ball game of flights and prices, but we have, especially at xmas, had some fares which were cheaper than the UK only flights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jlew Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 Only flown to australia once as a family of 4, and we used Emirates. Great experience. Flown emirates enconomy with work a few times and always been good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacktar Posted April 24, 2014 Author Share Posted April 24, 2014 Here's another vote for Emirates. I also had a lovely flight with Thai airlines. One thing to think about - stopovers. While your instinct might be to do it direct to get it over with, it's not a good idea. I'm ready to kill somebody by the fourteen hour mark, and being able to get out of that plane mid-way makes all the difference to how human I feel at the end of the trip! Now, we always plan our trip so we get several hours' stopover somewhere, and if we can't get a deal from the airline then we'll book the airport hotel (most of them offer bookings by the hour, and offer a wakeup call to get you back to your plane on time). We are looking to do a 2-3 day stopover in Hong Kong on the way out. Not sure abt the return journey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maidensarah Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 Flew out with Cathay Pacific and back with Quantas. Both were fine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABL275 Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 Hello my wife and I are planning to fly to Aus on holiday beg. mid. October. From your expierences, which airlines can u recommend resp. those to be avoided. Thanks in advance. My wife and daughter lew back to the UK On Virgin Atlantic last summer and hated it. Main reasons included: - cheap, lightweight seats that didn't provide proper back support and left my wife with a backache for days afterwards - appalling food for the adults and food that was utterly in edible for the youngsters - no snacks or other refreshments provided unless you went and foraged for them yourself Last time I went back I flew Qantas and sat starring at a blank TV screen for 26 hours so none of them seem to be doing very well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacktar Posted April 24, 2014 Author Share Posted April 24, 2014 Thanks one and all for your input. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bell123321 Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 I have flown Malaysia and royal Brunei no issues with either. Royal Brunei didn't serve alcohol but you could bring your own though drinking on planes doesn't really bother us. As long as the plane gets you there safe and customer service is alright then it doesn't really matter unless you can afford to upgrade your ticket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justin27470 Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 Singapore . Superb for me . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fifi69 Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 To the OP, probably won't concern you, as you haven't mention children in your post. But to others who have small children and plan a stopover in HK, be aware that air pollution can be bad there. back to the original question, I've done Emirates, Cathay Pacific and Qatar and would recommend any of them. Havent seen Qatar mentioned yet, but you can get good deals with them too. I find them similar to Emirates, but Doha airport was at the time undergoing redevelopment, so not sure what that is like for a stopover, I personally find Dubai airport just a bit too big and busy, although if I can stopover there and head to the raffles hotel for a cocktail, I'm a very happy girl:biggrin: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacktar Posted April 24, 2014 Author Share Posted April 24, 2014 I have been looking at Cathay Pacific and their ''new'' Premium Economy'' seats. As we want to stopover in HK and they seem to be the only one flying tnis route. I am 70 and my wife 65 so we are looking for some comfort and decent leg room. We have flown to LA - 11 hrs and from Santiago, Chile, also 11-13 hrs in economy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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