jodo

You'd think after all this flying, we'd know what we're doing, but we're struggling with flight options for our upcoming trip to Asia. As it stands now, we leave Norfolk at noon on Delta to Atlanta...a 3 hour layover there and then Atlanta to SF. Then we have a 4 1/2 hour layover before Singapore Air leaves for Singapore.
Delta has changed some times and we may be able to catch a better flight across country; There's a flight leaving Norfolk to Atlanta late afternoon with a 1 1/2 hour layover in Atlanta....Then in SF we'd have 2 hours before the midnight international connection. Awful lot of time in airports the way it stands now, but we're worried that the other way gives very little leeway for flight delays (we're leaving in Feb...and the Atlanta-SF piece is the last Delta flight out to SF)... We'd like to poll the audience, realizing that air travel is a crap shoot. What would you do, given the options and the conditions?
The planes are about the same, except the first run would be first class big plane vs. regional jet...sometimes the regional jets are more reliable in bad weather. Yikes! Help! (everybody should have such a problem, I know...)
Joyce and Don

rkkwan

That new connection is possible. But what exactly are your options anyways?

Are you flying business class? Are the DL connection flights bought together with the SQ flights?

[Irrelevant, but you could have gotten to SIN with just two flights by flying CO to EWR and then SQ to SIN; now you are taking 4 flights.]

rhkkmk

i like lots of time to be safe....what day of the week also makes a difference---air traffic and full planes..

jodo

ok, Bob....does that mean we stick with the long layovers in airports? We need your wisdom!
J AND D

jodo

...not that it matters, but we are flying across country because we got first class seating on Singapore courtesy of FF miles, so we thought we might as well. It wouldn't do us well to miss the flight.

Cicerone

As you are flying late in the day, I would be pretty sure that your Norfolk flight will take off late, but that may be OK cause your Atlanta flight will probably take off late too. Your Asia flight is of course going to take off on time because the aircraft has been sitting around all day waiting to make the return flight. So you do the math. I agree on going with the longer layovers.

My second question is about flying across the country in "first class." From what you are saying, you are flying Delta on the Atlanta-SF sector and not actually SQ fist class. I am not at all impressed with "first class" on US short-haul aircraft, and so I wouldn't bother wasting miles on it. Seats are not really any bigger, don't fully recline, don't have footrests (my biggest complaint), you don't generally get any boarding preference but have to queue up with everyone else. (Food IMO is not great in any class, so its all the same to me, but on that short a flight you aren't going to be eating that much.) Once you land in SF, I assume you are not going business or first to Asia, so you won't get lounge access in SF, which would be one reason to upgrade for the long layover (you should get to use the lounge in Atlanta assuming you aren't running to catch the next flight). Really, save your miles and use them for something else. If you are taking this flight to "experience" first class, IMO you won't be doing much of it on a Delta flight between Atlanta and SF.

If you are flying via a stop on the west coast rather than via EWR/JFK and a non-stop to Singapore because you got first class seats on Delta, then I really would switch itineraries and go via the best non-stop route you can. IMO the "first class" is so not worth the time and all the changes. It's not even anything close to a business class flight on SQ.

jodo

Obviously wasn't clear on the situation....we're using FF on Delta...first class on Delta in the States...and then first class and business class on SQ from SF to Singapore. Singapore Airlines has the rule that they only have one FF seat per class per flight. The SF to Singapore flight has 3 classes (first/business/economy) so we were able to get one business and one first class ticket using FF miles. Flight to Singapore from Newark only has 2 classes (business and economy)so certainly not worth the FF miles on that. Thus our trip across country to SF to catch the Singapore flight. Certainly agree with you, though, that first class on Delta is no great shakes.

Cicerone

As the EWR SQ flight has removed the first class, I am almost positive that the aircraft will have the new seats in business that are an absolute joy – huge, huge and so comfortable and so well thought out. It's like your own little cabin. It's the only time I am sad to get off an airplane. I honestly don't see a difference between those and the first class seats (OK, you don't get pajamas.) From SF as they have three classes, they are using the older aircraft and the business class seats, while still perfectly comfortable, are not the newest seats. (They may not even be the fully reclining flat beds, you should check.) IMO you are actually better off taking 2 business class seats on the EWR flight. Or one of you who gets the business class seat on the SF flight may not be so happy.

I also don't understand taking 2 flights to get to SF to then have one person sit in a business class seat, when you could take one flight to EWR, with one layover, much less risk of missing the S'pore flight, and door to door you have got to be saving like 10 hours travel time, and you could sit together in really wonderful business class, go non-stop AND use up less miles into the bargain.

rkkwan

SQ's A340-500 has always been just two classes - business and executive economy. There was never first class. And business is the older Spacebed type, not the new cubical ones on the 777-300ER and A380.

Having said that, I'd take CO for ORF-EWR and then the non-stop in business on SQ to SIN, rather than 3 stops via ATL and SFO just to get SQ's F. That is if Skymiles can ticket you that way. Both CO and SQ are partners of DL, but CO and SQ are not partners themselves.

jodo

You're right, Cicerone....going across country to catch the Singapore Air flight (in hindsight) is a little crazy..However, because Singapore's policy is to offer only one FF seat per class, we could not get two business class seats (or first class for that matter) using Frequent Flyer on any Singapore Air flight.....Tricky way to reduce the number of ff seats. It's probably too late to change things, but I'd do it differently if I could. Probably forget Singapore Air altogether.

jodo

Ok, Cicerone...I've changed my mind...After spending an entire day flying across the United States to catch the SA flight...we thought for sure we had made a big mistake. But as soon as we boarded the flight to Singapore, we changed our minds...The trip across was a vacation in itself. Incredible service.....(a little strange with me in business and my husband in first...But on the return, I get the bed!!!)
We really enjoyed Singapore....The St. Regis is a work in progress, but still very accomodating. Thanks for all the input.