Brendan Hughes

Hoping to go to Tokyo in April. Anyone in the know consider if one of these two is vastly better than the other? We'll be travelling with a little one, would like to make it as painless as possible.

Thanks

FlightMan

If it was me, I'd go Lufhansa without a doubt. Is your choice down to cost, as BA ( if they're flying! ) and Virgin would be above LH in my pecking order. Singapore and Emirates are recommended as well.

Brendan Hughes

Thanks. Thought I'd stick with my airmiles club, which means the above two, but I'll add your others to the list just in case (Singapore is Star Alliance too, I think) I was also toying with the idea of something like ANA premium economy, but don't have a price yet.

Freak

From the two, LH, no question

Personally BA every time....
re: premium economy- it is a good idea as it makes it a hell of a lot nicer than economy, and actually rather pleasant in some cases.
Is there any way of converting points from whatever scheme you are in to another? Could be more useful for you that way. There are some good deals to be had from laundering points from scheme to scheme (speaking from personal experience here )

singapore is *Alliance yes

Brendan Hughes

I've done BA WTPlus (when it was still business class) and that's fine by me. The curious thing is we want 3 seats, 1 for daughter, and the nice seats only come in pairs!

Points - grrr I've a card for TAP with points, and a card for Lufthansa with points, both *A, and now when I fly either I can choose which card the points go on; but I can't transfer existing balance from one to the other According to the 3 staff I asked, anyway. If you know more, do tell! TBreallyH, I don't have enough FOR this trip, I'd just like to get a bit more FROM this trip onto the balance.

As I usually buy dirt-cheap tickets for holidays and thus never get any miles anyway, I don't mind ditching *A if I forfeit the points but get a nicer 12+12hrs travel, if you all say BA better than LH.

Reffro

ANA have a economy plus cabin, which is well rated.

Read reviews here of ANA and then look for Lufthansa.

ANA All Nippon Airways Passenger Opinions about ANA All Nippon Airways product and service standards

Brendan Hughes

Sheesh - says the opposite of the guys above!

Suresh

I flew ANA Tokyo - Singapore last year. Business class was very comfortable, in flight entertainment and service excellent,but the Jap food menu was vomit worthy.

j4ckos mate

i would go on lh

Brit_in_Japan

Have flown both Lufthansa and ANA. Nothing to choose between them frankly. Have also flown Austrian Airlines, Air France, BA and Singapore. Singapore was nice, but the extra flying time via Singapore plus the 8 hour stopover means I wouldn't do that again. Out of the rest BA was best. Will be going with SAS next month so can report back what they're like.

Brendan Hughes

BIJ - I'm guessing all your experience was business class, rather than cattle?

I think BA have just lost my money with the action announced today, I can't take that risk.

Reffro

Brendan have you read the review site which I posted the link for? One read of the reviews for Lufthansa tells you to avoid them like the plague for economy long haul travel.

Plus ANA have just won an award.... ATW: <i>ATW</i> names ANA Airline of the Year, Horizon takes Regional honors

KiwiGTI

I think Lufthansa may have upraded their economy class product but you'd have to check what routes.

I've heard the Japanese cabin crew can favour their own kind over Westerners though.

Brendan Hughes

Reffro, I did thanks, it was brilliant - and as I said, great reviews for ANA and pretty awful for LH, unlike NSR's views! Very hot and cold for BA too, and thoroughly disappointed for Singapore.

Kiwi, my wife isn't Japanese, but she's at least oriental. (But so are the Koreans, and I know how they are treated in Japan...). Anyway, we have a secret weapon - the world's most attractive baby!

Brit_in_Japan

No I'm talking cattle class. I'd say Virgin would be worth investigating too, always liked then trans-Atlantic, but never flown with them to Tokyo.

Interesting about ANA. No complaints about their service, but can't say there's anything exceptional about it either. Certainly no reason to stay away.

I guess it's worth checking out the seat pitch for long haul, that can be a big factor affecting comfort. Luckily I've got economy class legs so seat pitch has never been an issue for me.

Brendan Hughes

Just looked on the websites today. Can get 2 adults and a child for £1000 return (yes, total) with BA!! (£3k for WT+). Lufthansa wanted £2500!

I can't find a decent description of the seats they have in WT though, that's annoying.

I think it'll have to be BA at that price, together with a comprehensive travel insurance...

KiwiGTI

I think BA is 31" seat pitch, which isn't great. But they don't seem to be blighted with what the under seat boxes for IFE systems - which is a lot worse.

It's largely psychological in my opinion, if you can relax it's OK. Plus you should be able to get the seats together so it's not as bad as travelling alone and getting stuck next to a fatty.

Freak

er... 'economy' sums it up nicely. 31" pitch, and chicken or beef.
With a child you will get preassigned seats together, and possibly in the front row (bassinet) of economy, which should help.
3-4-3 layout in the back of 747, or 3-3-3 in a 777.

Not many of the fleet have been refit with the new club cabin and AVOD entertainment throughout yet (3 planes at present) but by the time you go there should be loads of them that have been done.

I have only ever flown BA econ once, and that was enough for me- now WT+ is the absolute minimum I use, and club now about 75% of the time on my monthly jaunts across the pond.
I don't have any pics of WT handy... but there are some on BA.com.
They are ok I suppose- just a bit of a pain in the *** (and leg) if you are of the taller variety. Certainly better than virgin in econ, primarily because in comparison the cabin crew are usually excellent.

If you are a BA exec club member, you could burn some miles to upgrade to WT+... but then you have to play the award seat availability game