Originally posted by easygoingeezer
I know VA do Australia now, but I am planning a trip there probably two years ahead, its goin to be a big once in a lifetime thing and I am considering trying 1st Class and sod the expense, do any of you have any experience of 1st Class on airlines that fly to Oz and which is the swankiest and very best. Or should I just be satisfied with UCS with VA.
I have done Oz in FC half a dozen times with BA, QF, EK and NZ. In J I have done it with KL twice and VS once.
Of course, NZ doesn't do FC anymore, but it was a great experience despite the seats being the old lay-z-boy style.
QF and BA were good but this was about five+ years ago now. I preferred QF because they were doing deeply discounted F fares via CDG, FRA and FCO in those days, as the loads in F were well down so on the segments between Europe and SIN you had at least one flight attendent each pax. They have dropped CDG/FCO and I don't think they do FC to FRA anymore. The seats in QF FC and BA FC are very similar, although the BA seats I feel are slightly more private.
EK has been my carrier of choice on this route in FC on the past two occasions with a brief sojourn to VS UC in between. This is primarily based on price together with unlimited Dom Perignon. I also chose EK because it fitted my itinerary better, allowing stopovers in Oz as well as NZ.
VS UC is OK but the immigration delays at SYD at 7am when everyone else arrives too is just awful. Choosing a carrier that arrives outside of the morning rush hour is to be recommended after a 24 hour flight. Taking a spare set of clothes and using the showers in the CH at HKG is my top tip if you do it in one hop!
Next time, if I have no need to be in NZ too, I will be going either SQ or CX. I had such a great journey on SQ in April I will have to try them again. One benefit of SQ is that you get to use the VS lounge in LHR. CX is in there because I have yet to give them a go and their reputation precedes them.
Have a good one whichever you choose.
Cheers, Howard
