SQ Y Fare v Qantas PE

[cocaman]

Hi all,

I am student studying in Melbourne, Aussie.

The current price for Qantas Premium Economy is only $1248 (got to transit in Sydney then to Melbourne) versus SQ Y fare at $1457

The Pros vs Cons:

+
Better seats at cheaper price
Slightly better quality
More luggage allowance

-
My miles issues
Change date = got to topup/pay. SQ don't need

All my CC points are mostly channelled to Krisflyer for future redemption. My current Kfly miles= 6.2k.. Lost my SQ *G alrd..

Would it be better that I take SQ (pay more, normal seats) and put my miles into A3?

I am confused with regard to which option to choose over SQ Y or Qantas Y+, the prices are almost similar.. Just the mileage and transit..


What would you guys do/suggest for a student studying in Aussie for the next 5 years? Stick to SQ always???

[kapitan]

how many times a year do you fly and is it that important that you qualify *G if you do not fly so often?

Of course go for the cheaper and better ....

[coffeeblack]

how many times a year do you fly and is it that important that you qualify *G if you do not fly so often?

Of course go for the cheaper and better ....

I agree with Kapitan + the fact that you can earn miles on QF anyway means you might as well take the cheaper fare and better seat.

[Kyo]

Sounds like QF is more suitable for you. Occasionally the Jetstar flights will come into play also for domestic (and even some international) routes, if every cent counts.

[Sethor]

I would definitely go for the QF PE fare.

[inix]

If the $200+ isn't that big an issue, I would take SQ not because I love SQ, but because SQ is direct.

But having said that, both Emirates and QF fly direct from SG to MEL, why don't you do that?

[stargold]

For me personally, absolute no brainer - go QF. I don't mind reasonable transits if there is a big difference in product quality, and in this case there certainly is one. And it's cheaper!

[SQ228]

I think transit is the key issue here. With SQ you have no transit but with QF you will. This transit will most likely involve transferring from SYD international to SYD domestic. This is something Australian travellers complain about constantly. Not sure specifically why, because I refuse to do it and always fly direct.

Check the details on how great QF PE actually is- a friend of mine once told me there's very little difference between SQ Y seat pitch and QF Y+

If you want to accumulate points, all domestic flights in Aust on VA accrue KF points.

I'd rather take the day flight SQ217 from SIN-MEL than have to take an overnighter to SYD and then transfer to a morning flight to MEL after a terminal change, but then most Melburnians are biased- we just like to avoid SYD

[cocaman]

how many times a year do you fly and is it that important that you qualify *G if you do not fly so often?

Of course go for the cheaper and better ....

I guess I will only be returning 2 or 3 times per year.

Qualifying *G is only good after I graduate (which will be 4 years later) :/ and having the lounge visit isn't really that bad

[yflyer]

Qantas Premium Y is actually quite good. Possibly the best premium Y product in the industry. Have a look at this TR about QF A380 Premium Y.

The QF 744's they use for SIN-SYD are old, but they should all have the new Premium Y product which is similar to the A380.

I would go for the QF premium Y product if the price is lower than SQ Y. You are getting very good bang for the buck. And your chance of an op-up is higher than Y, I believe.

Food is very good, and the seat is noticeably larger and reclines more than Y. If it is a red-eye, and if you have not tried QF premium Y, it should be a no brainer to go for QF if you can spare the time to connect in Sydney.

[a340-313x]

The QF 744's they use for SIN-SYD are old, but they should all have the new Premium Y product which is similar to the A380.

Actually not all of them - most recently the newer 744s have been making periodic appearances on QF5/6 (albeit not as consistently as on QF51/52 via BNE).

You can tell if it's a newer 744 by looking at the seatmap on EF - if Zone A has 3 rows of J, and if the PE section looks like a L-shape, then it's the newer config with the Panasonic eX2 IFE (which imo, has a much better selection than KrisWorld).

The connection is not really a problem anyway - all you do when you get into SYD is pass through customs, head towards the Qantas Domestic Connections Centre (through a walkway connected to the International Terminal) where you'll go through security and board a bus that will take you to the airside portion of the domestic terminal.

[jammed]

... This transit will most likely involve transferring from SYD international to SYD domestic. This is something Australian travellers complain about constantly. Not sure specifically why, because I refuse to do it and always fly direct.:

SYD International Terminal and Domestic Terminals (there are 2, one for QF and one for rest like VA) are physically apart and transfers btwn international and domestic involve a bus ride which can be tedious and time consuming

[SQflyergirl]

SYD International Terminal and Domestic Terminals (there are 2, one for QF and one for rest like VA) are physically apart and transfers btwn international and domestic involve a bus ride which can be tedious and time consuming

One SQTalker's meat is another's poison. For the plane nut - it's a FANTASTIC bus ride where you get to look at a lot of planes very close up.

Personally I find the transfer reasonably pleasant. There are worse transfers to make!

[ek&sq]

I was recently in the same boat as you, having to choose between SQ Y and QF Y+ to fly me to Sydney to begin university. No regrets picking QF. While the flight isn't very long, it does feel nice to be in a smaller, more exclusive cabin, and those extra perks like priority check in and a higher baggage allowance make a difference.

If you plan to fly back 2-3 roundtrips a year, I would fly QF, and stick to them. It'll only be a matter of time until you achieve Silver status, which will give you access to their great lounges in SYD, SIN (and MEL). You will still earn Krisflyer points on your credit card.

[cscs1956]

Any time, QF PE. Value for money.