Re: Airline recomendations
 

Emirates cheat a little - they have one of the best seat pitches (distance between seats) but they have reduced the width (I think to fit in an extra seat across the way on the Dubai-Oz Boeing flights, Airbus to Dubai). (Emirates definitely not for many Americans). Not a problem for us but if you are umm wide then it could be. Air quality also varies widely between airlines (the poorer the air quality the cheaper for the airline, the better the air quality the more expensive for the airline - but they don't want passengers passing out on them of course).

Having been put on to an Emirates flight when we missed a Singapore Airlines connection in Singapore we always travel Emirates now. We've done the UK-Oz route about 15 times, the last 6 with Emirates. My ranking of the ones we have used would be Emirates, Lauda, Cathay Pacific, Singapore, BA and Qantas. We've always flown economy, apart from an upgrade to business class on CP between Manchester and Hong Kong.

The top 4 in my list are all very good and I'd happily fly with any of them, its just we think Emirates are even better. Touch wood, after 6 trips, no disappearing luggage problems, no ground staff problems, very nice food (don't expect steaks dripping with blood though, mainly fish and chicken!), excellent service, great duty free shopping in Dubai, good take off times in UK and you can go to bed after you land in Oz (Melbourne anyway) and don't have to start a new day after being on the go for over 30 hrs.

OzTennis :)

Re: Airline recomendations
 

Oz Tennis,
Tell me a bit more aboiut the going to bed in Melbourne, as thats where we are going please?

stu

Re: Airline recomendations
 

Rating in order of preference:

Singapore - more leg room, better food, pretty girls :)
Pacific Air - good food and service
BA/Quantas - poor leg room, service mediocre especially Quantas leg

Re: Airline recomendations
 

Stu

Emirates has feeder flights to Dubai from London, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow etc which take off at similar times, to arrive in Dubai at roughly the same time. These flights take off typically at 1.00 or 2.00 pm from UK. We find this very convenient because most other airlines you have to get up at or before 'sparrows fart' (dawn) to get to the airport to allow enough time to check in to get a pre-midday flight. The alternative (for us anyway because we are 2 hours from Glasgow, 3 hours from Manchester) with other airlines is to go the night before and stay in a hotel to catch an early flight.

As a consequence of setting off earlier, the Singapore, BA, Qantas etc flights tend to get you to Melbourne late afternoon/early evening and when you arrive you probably won't be able to go to bed straight away, staying up in the excitement and to be sociable to the rellies and friends!

All these Emirates flights have 2 connections to Melbourne. A new non-stop service from Dubai to Melbourne was introduced this year. As far as I am aware it is more expensive (or at least when we bought for £572 for this June they said it wasn't available at the cheap rate). Problem is that there is a long wait in Dubai for this flight and it arrives in Melbourne about 6.30 am the next morning. This means after your long flight and particularly if you are met by friends/rellies you are going to have to stay up for another day.

The other service which we have taken every time has one stop in Singapore. You get to Dubai just after midnight, have a 3 to 4 hour wait - which is convenient because the duty free shopping is fantastic and then you are off with a one hour touchdown in Singapore and you arrive in Melbourne at 20 minutes after midnight or 20 minutes after 1 in the morning (depends on time of year, daylight saving and all that). This is what I meant by a convenient arrival - just from our perspective that is.

We get met and by the time you get home and have a quick chat it's bedtime for everyone. Even with this, the last couple of times it has been over 37 hours bed in UK to bed in Oz it can be 48 hours or more otherwise (for us). I realise if someone is 10 minutes from Heathrow or whatever that these timings mightn't suit.

Check out flight times etc for Emirates at:

http://www.emirates.com/uk/index.asp

Good luck! Where in Melbourne are you headed for?

OzTennis :)

Re: Airline recomendations
 

Oz Tennis,

Thats brilliant info many thanks

Stu

Re: Airline recomendations
 

Oz Tennis,

We are heading for Melbourne S/E Suburbs, until I find a job, then its where the job takes me., but need to be in striking distance of Mel initally. Any recomendations of good family areas/suburbs are much appreciated

Re: Airline recomendations
 

Glen Waverley - great schools hence expensive
Lysterfield - good, bordering on expensive
Rowville - Crap
Glen Iris - good, expensive
Scorseby - not so good
Narre Warren - too far, not good, Narre Warren North good plot sizes
Ferntree Gully - lots of feral people
Knox - busy
Dandenong and Springvale - avoid like the plague, high crime, drugs, mainly asians (hence poorer and therefore drugs)
I can answer on any suburb, send message

Re: Airline recomendations
 

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.....Cant wait till Bordy sees this!!!! :D

Re: Airline recomendations
 

[QUOTE=Wheresthesense

Ferntree Gully - lots of feral people
[/QUOTE]


Ive been called many things but never Feral until now.

Ahh well I guess Johanne & Smudgo & me are all ferals for living in Ferntree Gully.

I suppose it could be worse, he/she could have called us Bogans. :scared:

Re: Airline recomendations
 

[QUOTE=Bordy]
Ya not quite close enough to Moe for that

Re: Airline recomendations
 

Singapore & Malaysia are probably the top ones for value for money. :D

Re: Airline recomendations
 

Thanks for all your help with these recomendations.
Its a great help.

stu