QANTAS Vs Singapore Airlines - Long Haul
 

Hi All,

I'm going to be flying Long Haul (Dublin to Brisbane) and I have a choice between QANTAS and singapore airlines. I've only ever flown short-medium haul with QANTAS so I don't really know what to expect from them. I've flown singapore airlines many times.

The QANTAS route would be dublin-heathrow-singapore changi-Brisbane

There a possibility of taking QANTAS via Frankfurt but I have a nagging feeling they'd be palming me off to Luftansa (a horrible horrible airline to fly long haul with).

First of all, if I fly QANTAS on the former route will I actually be flying with QANTAS or will they be palming me off to another airline?

Secondly, can I expect QANTAS to have all the same cool gizmos that Singapore Airlines have in economy class? ie. on demand films, games and my own tv screen.

Thanks,

AZG

I have not flown Singapore Airlines, but after flying London to Cairns on Qantas last year, I might be tempted to try them.

It is not that the Australians were bad, it was just that the flight was a code share between 3 airlines, and very full. There was a problem with some of the seats not reclining , and one of the younger passengers became quite irate after initially trying organise alternative seating. The crew were initially not interested, and later became very officious and threatened the man with restraint.

I thought it was inapproprate overkill on behalf of the airline as although voices had become raised, no violence or intimdation occurred.

Hi Australia-

I have flown to Australia several times from NY/Washington DC. Not the same route, but the same 24 hours :) In any case, have never taken Singapore though I hear its wonderful. QANTAS was great - just like you said, in-seat entertainment that is "on demand" - big difference from in-seat but having to wait for movies to restart! A bunch of tv/movie/game options...food was good, though obviously not special. Free drinks, verryy friendly service which on that distance is important to me. You should be able to see on the ticket before purchase if the connection would put you on Lufthansa...if not its probably worth a call!

Thanks for the response. My experience with Singapore is that the flight crew are extremely profesional. I can think of nothing bad to say of them in fact.... only that i've flown so many times with them that I'd wanted to try a new airline. Having heard your experience, I think I will stick to Singapore for this trip.

Hi RachelNYC04,

Thanks for relaying your experience too. I do recall that in the QANTAS short haul flights it was completely pot luck if you get a dingy old air craft or a shiney new one. Given the differences in the two posts so far I'm guessing it's the same for their long haul flights.

Thanks again,

AZG

Agree that Singapore is a terrific airline. Changi is a great airport as well..one that you probably not mind having some time to explore..

I have flown a few times Europe to Brisbane and always went with Singapore Airlines except one time I got dumped onto a BA flight between Singapore and Australia, and it was real comedown after Air Singapore.

Have flown long haul from Australia with both Singapore Airlines and Qantas and Singapore is much better. Service is better (friendlier for a start)and food is better.

You may end up code sharing with British Airways and be on a BA plane, though you should be able to find out before you book. We've found BA planes to be less comfortable than Singapore or Qantas, which on a long flight is very important.

Something else you may want to check if you haven't already - all the connection times. You don't want a long layover somewhere.

Kay

You won't get put on a Lufthansa flight on a Qantas ticket - competitors, not partners.

You probably want the Qantas flight that leaves London around 10 PM; you'll connect at Singapore to another Qantas flight. Other departure times from London may indeed involve a "code share" with British Airways.

Qantas also has seatback on-demand video. They also have one inch less of legroom than Singapore does in coach.

Like you, I've flown Singapore Airlines to Brisbane (from London) and Qantas for short haul internal flights. My layover at Changai was long enough for me to qualify for the free Singapore tour, an added bonus. I've also flown Malaysia Airlines to Sydney via KL. Both were good experiences.

Singapore is a Star Alliance airline, and one of the airlines with which it code-shares is Lufthansa. I've flown from Australia to Frankfurt many times with Singapore, but have never been placed on a Lufthansa plane. However, the Singapore planes are normally very full.I've also flown Qantas, and the service on Singapore is much better. Emirates at the moment is probably better than either of the above.

My Australian friend has always said that Qantas is terrible and Singapore Airlines is fantastic.

My son recently flew Sydney/Dubai/London with Emirates and thought it was wonderful - especially the entertainment.

I'f flown to Perth via Frankfurt and it was qantas from Frankfurt to changi and changi to Perth.

I would imagine the frankfurt to changi leg would be the same flight so yes it wil be Qantas all the way

Singapore - I will admit to never having flown with them but many friends have and rave about them.

I dislike Qantas - and BA - intensely. Have flown Qantas/BA codeshare Australia - UK return a few times and has always been really really awful. Why did I keep doing it - the memories faded and they had the best fares! But never again.

Qantas staff are incredibly rude, unhelpful and unfriendly. Service is virtually non existant. And if you have a problem - like light not working, problems with the entertainment etc - do not expect them to do anything about it - or care.

You're right to ask what airline you're really flying with, since neither Qantas nor Singapore fly to Dublin. If you really are on one or 'tother, it comes down to personal choice. Both are conpetent, safe and generally packed with technology, though both are updating their fleet - especially on the (I imagine) London -Asia bit - so what toys you get depends on the plane on the day.

Me, I'd go for Qantas/BA. They both understand the importance of keeping you pissed better than the rather more controlling Singaporeans, and you can chat to the flight staff: banter is something they send you to jail for in Singapore. But others may differ.

What you should check, though, is:
- routing IN DETAIL. Either routing probably involves Heathrow: there are professional Heathrowphobes (they clearly weren't trying to get into JFK last Saturday night, or they'd understand real horror), and from March next year all connection arrangements at Heathrow change. Check IN DETAIL what terminals you will be coming into and out of. NOT would be today, but will be when you're flying. If you're a Heathrowphobe, look at alternatives via Manchester or Amsterdam, both of which have direct (mostly, I think, nonstop) flights to Singapore.


- The airline. The only way I know to check what plane you're actually on is:
to look at the numerical bit of the flight number. Four digits means they're lying. Three means it's probably theirs.
then go to www.nonrev.net, input the route concerned, look at the different codeshares quoted and see whose carries three digits.
There's bound to be a better way, but, that should get you started.

Chances are, though, it's a choice between:
"Qantas": Aer Lingus to Heathrow: Qantas to Singapore to Brisbane
"Singapore": BMI to Heathrow: Singapore to Singapore to Brisbane.
Neither Qantas nor Singapore really want to sell you flights with their codeshare "partners" (or as we call them in English, "deadly competitors") on one of their most profitable routes.

Hi AZG

SINGAPORE SINGAPORE SINGAPORE.
Qantas have dropped the ball a bit and my brother in law is an engineer at Melbourne airport for Qantas, he is not happy with their maintenance turnaround.

Singapore have always been terrific with their service never had a problem

Good Luck Deb

Oh by the way he is still flying with them. Cheap flights! So it can't be that bad.

>You're right to ask what airline you're really flying with, since neither Qantas nor Singapore fly to Dublin.

Actually there are no airlines what so ever that fly to anywhere in south asia directly from Dublin. I inveriably have to take 3 flights to get there. Singapore take me through changi, Luftansa took me through Frankfurt. Other routes take you via Paris, Amsterdam and Dubai. the Dubai flight goes direct to sydney where I still need a 3rd flight to get me to Brisbane.

>If you're a Heathrowphobe

I absolutely hate heathrow as an airport. It is filthy, disorganised and the staff treat you like you murdered their pets. Frankfurt isn't much better. Changi of course is heaven!

I wouldn't go out of my way to avoid it though. It's only a few hours or so.