Flights to Australia
Discussion
andygo said:
How do you ascertain which aircraft you will be flying on - looking at Singapore Airlines now.
(Thanks for all your help guys BTW)
They usually tell you before you book, or you can check on google flights.(Thanks for all your help guys BTW)
Check out Korean/Asiana too, they are better than singapore for comfort in economy every time.
andygo said:
How do you ascertain which aircraft you will be flying on - looking at Singapore Airlines now.
(Thanks for all your help guys BTW)
Get the flight Number from the online quote and then enter that into SeatGuru, along with the departure date. It'll then bring up recommended seats and typical configurations. (Thanks for all your help guys BTW)
Last time we did longhaul we booked via Netflights.
They were excellent when Etihad changed their schedule meaning our connecting flight home no longer existed - we got a call at home, professional guy talked us over all the options, I made some other suggestions, he looked at those for us too and when we decided, the new tickets and confirmation were sent within ten mins and he even reserved us the same seats on the aircraft, saving us doing it again.
We found Etihad good enough for 25 hours of flying across 4 flights on A330 and 777 aircraft.
They were excellent when Etihad changed their schedule meaning our connecting flight home no longer existed - we got a call at home, professional guy talked us over all the options, I made some other suggestions, he looked at those for us too and when we decided, the new tickets and confirmation were sent within ten mins and he even reserved us the same seats on the aircraft, saving us doing it again.
We found Etihad good enough for 25 hours of flying across 4 flights on A330 and 777 aircraft.
As a matter of interest, and thanks for all your advice chaps, I have booked with Singapore Airlines.
Flight times suited us best with 3 hour layovers. Longer would maybe have been better, but we are on a mission to see our son and daughter in law, lol.
!st leg from LHR to Sing is on a Boeing, with remaining 3 legs (sing >Syd and home is on the upper deck of a A380. Final leg we have booked extra legroom near the back.
Cost was £2731 which seemed OK for August.
Anyway, all done and thanks for your interest chaps.
Flight times suited us best with 3 hour layovers. Longer would maybe have been better, but we are on a mission to see our son and daughter in law, lol.
!st leg from LHR to Sing is on a Boeing, with remaining 3 legs (sing >Syd and home is on the upper deck of a A380. Final leg we have booked extra legroom near the back.
Cost was £2731 which seemed OK for August.
Anyway, all done and thanks for your interest chaps.
I have done it a few times. I've found flying into Manchester to be far cheaper than LHR. It does limit you to Etihad and Cathay pacific. Which are both good airlines.
Economy is not the most comfortable, but I'd prefer an extra 1k in my pocket at the end. I had good luck with Cathay in getting bulkhead seats for extra leg room. Made a huge amount of difference.
Economy is not the most comfortable, but I'd prefer an extra 1k in my pocket at the end. I had good luck with Cathay in getting bulkhead seats for extra leg room. Made a huge amount of difference.
Flew Quantas economy via Dubai into Sydney a couple of weeks ago. Plane was an Airbus A380, leg room was a little tight I thought (6ft) but it was otherwise not too unpleasant. Food/Drink was surprisingly good and plentiful.
For an extra $180, we could have chosen an extra legroom seat which I'd recommend as a compromise over premium economy.
For an extra $180, we could have chosen an extra legroom seat which I'd recommend as a compromise over premium economy.
What a terrible idea!!
There are a few things you can do to combat jet lag and taking sleeping pills really is not one of them unless you are flying directly North or south overnight! Some of the best ways are:
1: Don't drink alcohol before or on the flight
2: Make sure you stay really hydrated on water and orange juice
3: Try not to eat on the flight
4: Don't allow yourself to get too hot on the flight
5: The moment you board the aircraft, set your watch to the time at your destination and start eating, sleeping and waking in that time zone (this is possibly the most important
6: When flying East, choose a flight that gets you in breakfast time local time
7: When flying West, choose one that lands mid / late evening local time
8: whatever you do, for the day you land and the 2 days following, do not go to bed before 2130 or allow yourself to snooze during the afternoon (this is possibly 2nd most important after setting your watch)
I swear by these rules (apart from alcohol, as the bar in an Emirates A380 is always too tempting!) and can generally re-calibrate to the new time within a day (maybe 2 if I've had to go from the Americas to Asia in a single run and take 14 / 15 hour time shift).
There are a few things you can do to combat jet lag and taking sleeping pills really is not one of them unless you are flying directly North or south overnight! Some of the best ways are:
1: Don't drink alcohol before or on the flight
2: Make sure you stay really hydrated on water and orange juice
3: Try not to eat on the flight
4: Don't allow yourself to get too hot on the flight
5: The moment you board the aircraft, set your watch to the time at your destination and start eating, sleeping and waking in that time zone (this is possibly the most important
6: When flying East, choose a flight that gets you in breakfast time local time
7: When flying West, choose one that lands mid / late evening local time
8: whatever you do, for the day you land and the 2 days following, do not go to bed before 2130 or allow yourself to snooze during the afternoon (this is possibly 2nd most important after setting your watch)
I swear by these rules (apart from alcohol, as the bar in an Emirates A380 is always too tempting!) and can generally re-calibrate to the new time within a day (maybe 2 if I've had to go from the Americas to Asia in a single run and take 14 / 15 hour time shift).
Edited by schmalex on Saturday 21st January 22:46
I flew to Sydney with Etihad on the A380 in Business (J) and having done that journey in economy previously I can tell you that I felt disgustingly fresh and relaxed when I arrived on this occasion after a three course meal and an 8 hour sleep on the 14hr sector from Abu Dhabi. Etihad's business seat on the A380 is all any passenger would need, spacious, private and comfortable.
Schmalex you lost me at 1.
Good advice though. Personally when travelling west I get a bit drunk and keep it going, no good sobering up as you'll end up asleep. I find the best thing to do is make sure you're a bit hungry when you land, when you get to your hotel go out (fresh air always helps) get a decent meal and a couple of drinks and as Schmalex says don't go to bed too early. In some places this is easier than others but the whole dinner at new dinner time thing sets your clock right.
Good advice though. Personally when travelling west I get a bit drunk and keep it going, no good sobering up as you'll end up asleep. I find the best thing to do is make sure you're a bit hungry when you land, when you get to your hotel go out (fresh air always helps) get a decent meal and a couple of drinks and as Schmalex says don't go to bed too early. In some places this is easier than others but the whole dinner at new dinner time thing sets your clock right.
Edited by djc206 on Saturday 21st January 22:03
schmalex said:
What a terrible idea!!
There are a few things you can do to combat jet lag and taking sleeping pills really is not one of them unless you are flying directly North or south overnight! Some of the best ways are:
1: Don't drink alcohol before or on the flight
2: Make sure you stay really hydrated on water and orange juice
3: Try not to eat on the flight
4: Don't allow yourself to get too hot on the flight
5: set your watch to the time at your destination and start eating, sleeping and waking in that time zone (this is possibly the most important
6: When flying East, choose a flight that gets you in breakfast time local time
7: When flying West, choose one that lands mid / late evening local time
8: whatever you do, for the day you land and the 2 days following, do not go to bed before 2130 or allow yourself to snooze during the afternoon (this is possibly 2nd most important after setting your watch)
I swear by these rules (apart from alcohol, as the bar in an Emirates A380 is always too tempting!) and can generally re-calibrate to the new time within a day (maybe 2 if I've had to go from the Americas to Asia in a single run and take 14 / 15 hour time shift).
You can call it terrible but having done the UK to Oz flight dozens of time this way it's bloody brilliant if you're in Economy -the flight just doesn't exist and then I just book out a free day when I arrive to relax and get the routine back. There are a few things you can do to combat jet lag and taking sleeping pills really is not one of them unless you are flying directly North or south overnight! Some of the best ways are:
1: Don't drink alcohol before or on the flight
2: Make sure you stay really hydrated on water and orange juice
3: Try not to eat on the flight
4: Don't allow yourself to get too hot on the flight
5: set your watch to the time at your destination and start eating, sleeping and waking in that time zone (this is possibly the most important
6: When flying East, choose a flight that gets you in breakfast time local time
7: When flying West, choose one that lands mid / late evening local time
8: whatever you do, for the day you land and the 2 days following, do not go to bed before 2130 or allow yourself to snooze during the afternoon (this is possibly 2nd most important after setting your watch)
I swear by these rules (apart from alcohol, as the bar in an Emirates A380 is always too tempting!) and can generally re-calibrate to the new time within a day (maybe 2 if I've had to go from the Americas to Asia in a single run and take 14 / 15 hour time shift).
Edited by schmalex on Saturday 21st January 21:56
You also arrive having slept so much that timing it to arrive in the morning means I'm rested and need to sleep at night therefore getting straight into the time zone for correct sleep.
For the OP, you are going to arrive in Oz with massive jet lag if you're not used to it so do t fret - just don't book much for the first 2 or 3 days.
Definitely have a day or twos holiday stopover break on both way over and back - it really does break up the flights a treat. I recommend Singapore as the travel time from Airport to City Centre is 20 mins or so whereas KL is 45mins and same with Bangkok i think.
Don't prat about bringing in food or restricted goods - none of that keeping stuff you kept off the plane malarkey. The customs officer are in my experience decent and pragmatic and if you declare things they're ok but don't try and get through with stuff - in the UK it felt like the Green Channel was easy and unmanned but in Oz they're staffed and ready to pull you to one side.
Edited by Pommygranite on Saturday 21st January 22:58
schmalex said:
What a terrible idea!!
There are a few things you can do to combat jet lag and taking sleeping pills really is not one of them unless you are flying directly North or south overnight! Some of the best ways are:
1: Don't drink alcohol before or on the flight
2: Make sure you stay really hydrated on water and orange juice
3: Try not to eat on the flight
4: Don't allow yourself to get too hot on the flight
5: The moment you board the aircraft, set your watch to the time at your destination and start eating, sleeping and waking in that time zone (this is possibly the most important
6: When flying East, choose a flight that gets you in breakfast time local time
7: When flying West, choose one that lands mid / late evening local time
8: whatever you do, for the day you land and the 2 days following, do not go to bed before 2130 or allow yourself to snooze during the afternoon (this is possibly 2nd most important after setting your watch)
I swear by these rules (apart from alcohol, as the bar in an Emirates A380 is always too tempting!) and can generally re-calibrate to the new time within a day (maybe 2 if I've had to go from the Americas to Asia in a single run and take 14 / 15 hour time shift).
Absolutely spot on..... however I only normally follow No.5!!There are a few things you can do to combat jet lag and taking sleeping pills really is not one of them unless you are flying directly North or south overnight! Some of the best ways are:
1: Don't drink alcohol before or on the flight
2: Make sure you stay really hydrated on water and orange juice
3: Try not to eat on the flight
4: Don't allow yourself to get too hot on the flight
5: The moment you board the aircraft, set your watch to the time at your destination and start eating, sleeping and waking in that time zone (this is possibly the most important
6: When flying East, choose a flight that gets you in breakfast time local time
7: When flying West, choose one that lands mid / late evening local time
8: whatever you do, for the day you land and the 2 days following, do not go to bed before 2130 or allow yourself to snooze during the afternoon (this is possibly 2nd most important after setting your watch)
I swear by these rules (apart from alcohol, as the bar in an Emirates A380 is always too tempting!) and can generally re-calibrate to the new time within a day (maybe 2 if I've had to go from the Americas to Asia in a single run and take 14 / 15 hour time shift).
Edited by schmalex on Saturday 21st January 22:46
As long as I can get 7/8 hrs sleep in somewhere I'm normally OK.
Flying to Oz a couple of years back had no problems at all with the jet lag seemed to slot straight in. Got my 8hrs on the flight to Singapore, then was fine. The flights that are the worst are the ones I take into the Gulf 5 1/2hrs max overnight. Even flying Club get a max 4hrs sleep, go straight in the office & I'm usually wrecked until the 1st weekend!
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