Time to fly.
Hi.
Welcome to my blog. I document my adventures in travel and hopefully give you ideas on how you can get the best value from your points and miles. Hope you enjoy the flight!
Time to fly.
Welcome to my blog. I document my adventures in travel and hopefully give you ideas on how you can get the best value from your points and miles. Hope you enjoy the flight!
Reward Flying has been busy earning and spending reward points flying different carriers and aircraft types. Aviation technology is constantly evolving. For international travel a number of new aircraft have been introduced in recent years including the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350, complementing the Airbus A380, Airbus A330, Boeing 747-8i and workhorse of long haul flights the Boeing 777. Reward Flying reports attempt to rate these experiences in terms of aircraft, cabin seating (often referred to as the hard product), food service and amenities (soft product), as well as In-Flight Entertainment systems and how well the cabin crew served their customers. The overall experience is simply the average of these individual ratings.
Note: These ratings are my own opinions and the flights taken were not provided by any carrier. Ratings are subjective and are based on the flight itself, meaning a 3 hour domestic flight in first class isn't the same as a 12 hours business class flight. For example a seat rating of 7 on that 3 hour flight in first class does not mean that same seat would get a rating of 7 on the 12 hour business class flight. Even the same seat on the same carrier might rank differently depending on the the flight duration as well as the condition of the seat. When possible consideration is given to how something ranks against another carrier on the same route.
Comparisons are grouped in three categories; First Class International flights of 5 hours or longer, Business Class International flights of 5 hours or longer and First or Business Class flights less that 5 hours.
A rating of 5 is considered average in my view. Tens are hard to come by. Ones are tough as well. Objectivity is the goal.
Note: These ratings are my own opinions and the flights taken were not provided by any carrier. Ratings are subjective and are based on the flight itself, meaning a 3 hour domestic flight in first class isn't the same as a 12 hours business class flight. For example a seat rating of 7 on that 3 hour flight in first class does not mean that same seat would get a rating of 7 on the 12 hour business class flight. Even the same seat on the same carrier might rank differently depending on the the flight duration as well as the condition of the seat. When possible consideration is given to how something ranks against another carrier on the same route.
Comparisons are grouped in three categories; First Class International flights of 5 hours or longer, Business Class International flights of 5 hours or longer and First or Business Class flights less than 5 hours.
A rating of 5 is considered average in my view. Tens are hard to come by. Ones are tough as well. Objectivity is the goal.
The reports posted below are intended to give you a sense of what you can do with Reward Flying. If you are going to travel, getting there and back is a big part of your journey.
My desire is to help you make travel enjoyable by experiencing the best product whether it be a specific airline, aircraft, ground service or inflight service. Enjoy your trip!
As of October 2023 Reward Flying has a number of flights booked for review. Additionally there are about 30 trips taken to be posted over the coming weeks.
Including:
China Airlines A350
Starlux A350 to Narita
Korean Air B747-8i to Atlanta First Class
ANA New Suites to JFK
Etihad B787 to Abu Dhabi First Class
Oman Air B787 to Bangkok First Class
Qantas A380 First and Business LAX route
JAL A350 JFK First Class
Click on the notifications button to be informed when reports are released.
This trip began the European carrier A350 tour. A350’s to be flown over this and two subsequent trips are; Air France, British Airways, Virgin Airways and SAS. And what better way to begin than to tour the Airbus factory!
After a quick breakfast at the Hilton Narita it was off to the airport for one of the best first class experiences you can have, Japan Airlines.
After a power nap at the Dubai International Airport Hotel, which doesn’t require passing immigration, I was back in the First Class Lounge preparing for the 8AM departure to Haneda in the virtual window suite.
a few months later the schedule was changed. The search was on. And the crazy idea to return to the US from Europe going east was born! It’s now my favorite route to fly.
While this post is all about the fantastic dining experience in the signature British Airways lounge, I was very impressed by the service on the 45 minute Club Europe flight.
After the experience flying British Airways 787-9 in first class back in the spring, I was anxious to fly the A380. Would it compare, exceed, disappoint? Unfortunately the later.
This trip went through a million changes as is typical with me. It had settled as an Air France R/T to Europe. Then Lufthansa got in the way.
The plan was to fly Air France on their new 787 to Europe, but a couple days before departure Lufthansa in First Class on their 747-8i opened up, so why not!
This Swiss 777 which was a mere 3 years old would be traveling to Chicago this afternoon.
But it had ticketed when I clicked book, and even after a change with the assistance of an agent. Now the risk was flying to Bangkok to get a boarding pass.
But the purpose of the visit was to fly from Singapore to Bombay to catch Swiss in first. Not a bad way to start flying Singapore in First Class!
This would be my third attempt to fly Singapore Airlines new 787-10. Spoiler alert: fantastic aircraft, unforced error by SQ for avgeeks who love the 787 windows.
Then it was back to the airport to try and convince the First Class Pier Lounge gatekeeper to grant me access.
In no time she returned and had the pilots navigational map of the North Pole to show me!
For years the bloggers would post British Airlines First Class was the best Business Class in the skies. Well they certainly weren’t on this flight. British Airways 787 in First Class for this blogger any day.
So now I would be on a 787-9 with Super Diamond seats, probably my favorite J class seat. It killed my try different things plan but a 787 with a great seat was nothing to pout about.
it was time for another Emirates first class flight where the hope was for a better experience that lived up to their reputation. I will say this flight was far more enjoyable.
Before long I decided to head down to gate 60, only a short walk from the lounge. Such a beautiful view of the Emirates A380 readying for its flight to Dubai.
I did find a steal business class fare on Hong Kong Airlines for $178. And it was on an A350. Sign me up.
Sure it’s only a little over an hour flight so you don’t get the full treatment, but I must say the treatment on an Asian airline for an hour flight is far different from the treatment on an hour long US Domestic flight.
Having flown ANA’s 787 with their regional recliner seat, as well as their 777 with the staggered business class seat, I was anxious to try the newer staggered seat for the 787-9 series.
As any confessed avgeek would do the morning of a highly anticipated flight, they would check for the assigned aircraft to their flight. Todays’ aircraft would be JA789A, Star Wars BB-8!
On October 1st, 2018 United announced the inaugural flight of their new Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner. Without much contemplation I decided I wanted to be on this flight.
The 30 Super Diamond business class seats are all located in the front cabin before door 2.
Nevertheless I’ve wanted to experience the 2 787 models that American flies. This gave me the opportunity to “kill two birds” with one 25,000 saver award ticket.
A Singapore Airlines agent met me at the jetway and escorted me to the combined Singapore First and Business class lounge which was across the hall from our arrival gate.
The day began with an expectation to fly Singapore’s new A380 round trip to Shanghai, business to and first on the return. It didn’t work out.
So I saved at least 10,000 points and got to Chicago in first class with the quickest connection.
On a nice day from the domestic terminal over to international is a 15 minute walk. Today a crowded shuttle would take me there for an anticipated first time on the world renowned airline Emirates.
Before the Emirates flight I took an EK codeshare on Jetstar to Auckland. It was interested to see the differences between the two carriers that fly between Auckland and Wellington.
Finally it was off to Gate 60, just 2 minutes downstairs from the lounge where I met Chip. Chip was standing right in the middle of the boarding area where...
Having flown Thai's 747 last year on a business class ticket sitting in a first class seat, I was anxious to try the real first class experience.
One of the attendants whose name was Angie walked up the jetway to meet me halfway. She introduced herself and escorted me onto the plane.
It's fair to say anticipation was at an extreme for this flight. A year in the making the day finally came.
The first leg of a round the world, 29,950 mile trip (which was scaled back believe it or not) began with a short hop to New York on JetBlue...
UA838 wheels touched SFO's 28R 45 minutes early. AT&T received my login signal immediately. I opened the UA app and....
For avgeek anticipation what could be better than boarding a 3 week old 777-300 flying its 13th international flight with the brand new Polaris Business class seats?
While the seats were subpar (at least compared to the B777 and A350 planes), China Airlines made amends with a fantastic dinner.
The only problem taking Lufthansa to Frankfurt then Asiana to Seoul is my destination was Japan.
A couple years ago I flew 4 international segments on their new 747-8i which only enhanced my affection for the airline. Maybe I was due for a let down.
Yes I had wanted to try Lufthansa in business, especially on the 747-8i in the upper deck. At least I can scratch it off the bucket list.
Two agents sat talking to each other at the counter seemingly with no interest of what was not taking place, boarding.
I was handed a box. I thought it might be something like a box of chocolates where I'd pick one. I had no idea it was dinner!
Tokyo to New Delhi was a day flight, meaning eat and watch movies, so the question I pondered was if this flight would be up to the task.
With December 1, 2016 being D-day for Polaris, I wanted to try it. Star's aligned (pun intended) when I searched for PVG-ORD
Originally intended as an all 747 trip on EVA Air and United back to the US, best laid plans should be broken at times
While in Taiwan, when the opportunity to fly on this aircraft presented itself, I didn't hesitate.
for a fleeting moment I considered changing my flight to one leaving later in the day. Then sensibility cut through the jet lag brain fog.
Hey dummy, tomorrow you're flying on a new Cathay Pacific A350.
A highlight of connecting through Narita on a Japan Airlines flight in premium class is being able to visit the Sakura Lounge.
Fortunately my stomach chose to be hungry this day. It picked the right day to do that. So a few hours after this incredible meal I decided to have another look.
Reward Flying flew Qantas from Melbourne to Perth and Virgin Australia on the return. How did they compare? The results are startling.
One of the hardest reward tickets to procure is flying Qantas A380 service across the Pacific. After reserving the reward a year in advance and flying it my question is, why?
After a gloomy day weather and flight wise on the east side of Australia, a new day west brought sunshine and lots of positive surprises.
The trip to Melbourne offered the opportunity to visit Perth as well as a Reward Flying version of an Australian airlines throwdown, pitting Qantas vs Virgin Australia.
Anyone who wouldn't be excited for this experience is either incapable of excitement or has flown it so many times it's commonplace. I'm neither.
Next was Etihad Airways A380 Apartment service to Melbourne. However being in Doha I needed to make the short haul across the Persian Gulf to Abu Dhabi. T
It doesn't get any better than this. At least I can't image a better all around flight for the price. You be the judge.
Would the final 4,272 miles of an 11 flight 32,382 mile around the world adventure be the best of them all? One thing is for sure, it was great to see ORD from above as home would now be only a few miles away.
My dual flights with Swiss, an 11 hour journey on their new 777-300 flagship versus a 2 hour regional A320 flight within Europe had an improbable outcome.
Out of the 6 different carriers on this journey, ANA,Thai, Singapore, Air New Zealand, Swiss and SAS, I was most excited to fly the new highly vaunted Swiss 777-300ER.
After having high expectations for my Singapore Airlines 777 business class flights then being disappointed, and fresh memories of the debacle on Thai's A380 in first class, I was less than enthused about this Thai 747 trip from Singapore to Bangkok
I remember having a choice. The early flight on a 777-300 with 1x2x1 business class seating, or the A330 with 2x2x2 seating later on. The choice was obvious, and wrong.
Yes I was hoping for the first Air New Zealand all black 787, but if not getting it was the biggest disappointment then this was a great flight. Besides, you can't see the outside of the plane from the inside!
A 100+MPH tailwind made this a quick trip across the Tasman Sea on a great airline.with a good business class product except for their...
With much anticipation to fly a long haul flight on Singapore Airlines in business class, would my expectations be exceeded?
The first of 3 flights on Singapore Airlines. This cabin featured the regional business class seat, which ended up being my favorite.
Delayed for 5 hours due to Typhoon Mindulle in Japan, this flight was not worthy of being called first class even if on time.
The first leg of a 32,000 mile 11 flight journey around the world on ANA in the "Square"
I admit being very excited to fly on a 787 for an extended period. I wanted to see how the lower pressurization in the 787 cabin affected me.
While Icheon Airport in Seoul gets all the accolades, their regional airport Gimpo, is amazing as well. Easy to get to with using the subway you walk underground from the subway station to the airport. The terminal itself is fairly small. Typical for a major city’s second regional airport. It’s brand new and empty.
SAS Scandinavian Airlines has recently undergone a complete revamp of their long haul product including business class hard and soft products. They have done a fantastic job.
My second flight on Austrian reaffirmed the fondness I've acquired for this airline. Are they perfect?
From my perspective, Austrian gets top grades in comfort, food service and entertainment. And that's the trifecta when spending 8 plus hours on a plane.
After the main meal a dessert and cheese cart is wheeled out, which can be most dangerous as it was stacked with goodies! Finally the Turkish Coffee cart is brought out with a large selection of coffee and tea as well as a SECOND dessert.
Many might think it odd to fly half way around the world just to fly in a plane for 35 minutes, but the enthusiasts are jealous
This was a great flight on a world class airline. It hits all marks for what you want with international travel. From a beautiful comfortable cabin, to delicious food, great entertainment and courteous friendly flight attendants, ANA scores high on all.
After the disappointments from New York to Seoul, my expectations for this flight were significantly lowered. I wasn't surprised.
Ninety minutes into the 800 minute flight I realized the high mark on this trip was to be Ms. Park, the quiet and duteous flight attendant assigned to 8k
Times have changed. As years go by the service from Chicago to New York gets less business focused and smaller, much smaller in aircraft size.
One would be hard pressed to find a better way to spend 15 hours in the air other than sitting in Cathay Pacific's First Class Suite. Is this in your plan?
A quick trip from Taipei to Hong Kong on the positioning flight back to the US. It did not take long to see Business Class in Asia is a very different than in the USA.
This is my report of EVA Air from CDG to TPE on a Boeing 777 in Business Class. The flight was on one of the EVA Hello Kitty theme jets. If you want to fly a great product, read about this flight. I am anxious to fly EVA again.
Originally I had booked myself on a UA 767-300 in Business Class for the trip to Paris and the connection with EVA on to Taipei. A couple days before departure I was able to snag a little better option with an original Continental Business/First seat out of Newark. So I took the 767 to Newark. I got lucky.
A once in a lifetime expeirence, 20,000 miles in a Lufthansa 747-8i sitting in First Class. Reward Flying can make this possible for you as it did for me.
