qantas vs. air nz?

Timbo · Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2004 5:15 am Post subject:

We have flown with Brittania twice on long haul to carribean and were very impressed all round. We were completely unbiased though, as it was a case of first & second time lucky. Have since used JAL to Aus. This was on a package deal and the flight was superb in all respects. Was not very taken with crew in particular on air NZ, but flight was O.K.
All things considered, we would go out of our way to use JAL again, even though the Japan>Aus. and Aus.>Japan legs were with Quantas. I think it is hilarious that you are not allowed so much as a metal toothpick in your hand luggage, yet as soon as you get on with Quantas, they give you a full set of metal cuttelry and a wine glass. Kind of defeats the object a bit.

Bill B · Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2004 5:16 am Post subject: Turbulence & booze

Timbo · Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2004 5:18 am Post subject:

Minimum ammount means different things depending on whether you are a brit or a kiwi.

michelle · Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2004 5:28 am Post subject:

Drink a glass of water every half an hour, best bet is to buy a large bottle before boarding and keep sipping it, you will be in the toilet queue a lot more but that way you are doing your exercises.

Timbo, glad your flight was OK with Britannia. I still believe that we are the best charter airline and there was a time when we gave most of the schedules a run for their money but sadly those days are gone. We used to do Aus and NZ and I thought our service was spot on, will wait for others to disagree! We loved the flights because we were away for a month and only worked 6 days ahhh......

Strange that Qantas are still using metal cutlery I thought that had been banned. Sad thing is whatever they do it will probably never stop a determined nutter.

Shellie

Raeven · Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2004 7:18 am Post subject:

Hi, Sesame,

Not sure I'd be considered a 'seasoned' traveler, but I've done a fair number of overseas flights, lots of domestic flights and used to have a senior pilot for a father-in-law... so for what it's worth, I have these things to share:

It is a fact that air travel is 5 times safer than driving your car, so even though when you're going through those whoopsie-daisy desert thermals during takeoff or landing and it feels like the plane is going to shake out of the sky, it's not! Those big planes are built to take turbulence the likes of which I hope you or I never, ever see. There are redundancies upon redundancies for every system on the plane, so if something fails, a back-up system can kick right in and take over. The planes are mostly flown by computers these days, so except for takeoff and landing, the pilots are precluded from putting the plane into too steep an attitude or doing some other boneheaded pilot thing. The big planes, like 747s and DC10s, can fly on one engine alone. Once, when I was made to circle an airport because it had fogged in and we were waiting for a seeding plane to poke a hole in the muck so we could land, I asked my ex-father-in-law how much visibility he needed to land his DC10. He told me 600 feet -- which is mind-boggling, if you think about how big those planes are! Bottom line, it's one of the safest modes of travel around.

That said, I must say that I hate flying. I am sure that the plane will drop out of the sky like a pregnant elephant if I relax my vigilance even momentarily and go to sleep. I've heard that jet lag is mostly just dehydration, so I follow Michelle's advice religiously and drink tons of water. I learned the hard way to ask for an aisle seat so I don't disturb my fellow passengers with all my bathroom pursuits as much as for the legroom! It seems to be true about the jet lag.. I don't suffer from it at all. Just the flying! On a trip over the Equator, you're bound to hit turbulence because it's winter somewhere along the route, right? I just stay strapped in the whole time and become extremely fatalistic. My mantra: It's safer than driving, it's safer than driving, it's safer than driving! Just watch the movies, read a good book (preferably not one involving plane crashes), try and doze.. before you know it, you'll be there!

Anyway, this probably wasn't much help. A friend of mine who suffered horribly from a fear of flying went to see a hypnotist and it helped a great deal. Avenue of last resort...?

Up, up and away! - Rae

sesame · Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2004 3:20 pm Post subject:

(does anyone else ever type for 20 minutes and then accidently lose the whole thing!? Nutcase

)
so, here again - i guess now a much shorter version ....

shellie and bill b - thank you for mentioning the water factor - didn't realize the importance and appreciate that knowledge immensely!
rae, as usual, i loved your narration! i, too, think i have to hold the darn plane up with my staying awake (alertness), and intention! Rolling Eyes

every little move feels like a potential drop to me .....
now i'll be holding a child in my arms.... and i'm going to get through that flight, period.

once on a transatlantic flight we hit heavy, heavy turbulence. everyone was pale as a sheet except for one polynesian man 'dancing' in the aisle. he later told us that he had been 'dancing' in his boat on the river ... made a big impression on me - i'll attempt to use that (for me) mental technique if needed - with the panic factor though - it's a little trickier to manoever my mind... but i can do it, i can do it...
again, thanks to ALL of us for your generous responses.... Yes

sesame~
ps: thanks rae, but i had a horrible experience with a hypnotherapist during my pregnancy ....so that's not a possiblity; i do plan on working with my homeopath ...

sesame · Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2004 4:00 pm Post subject:

kiwi! i'm so happy you can (soon) finally fly directly to disneyland Razz

if you're ever lonely and bored Rolling Eyes

- i'd LOVE to know what grows in nz - i'm such a grower and cook at heart - and really don't know who better to ask.... :)
unless you a processed foods freak Laughing

- well then, it's not my lucky day!

sesame~

kiwi · Valued Member Joined: 02 Apr 2004 Posts: 126

You are asking the wrong person! I buy my fruit and veg from various farm shops on the side of the road...I guess they are the things we grow here!! ha ha.

Down here we dont have the things auckland can grow as too cold, although we do good brussels!! (as in mini cabbages...and we do great corn on the cob during the autumn, 10 for 2 bucks bargain!)

Apples seem the be everywhere (orchards) and lots of people have veg gardens still...just not me (although my potato peelings that I threw straight into the garden, gave us great spuds last year..does that make me a gardener?)

I am off to disneyland...see ya!
Nic

Moorf · Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2004 4:13 am Post subject:

Well, as promised, keeping you up to date with airline / ticket search.

Found good business class fare from London to Auckland - 2091UK£ which includes a flexible return for FREE - i.e. once we have departed UK we can change return date for no charge as long as it is over 2 weeks from date of leaving UK! Nice One

That's a result!

HOWEVER - and this is something I wasn't aware of until today - if you book business class long haul you could find yourself back in economy on part of the flight - with NO compensation!! Confused

This is because some other carriers are often used other than the main airline you travel with and these other airlines may not offer business class - but instead of upgrading you (seeing as you have paid almost triple economy fare) they DOWNGRADE you to economy! Nutcase

If you make sure you verbalise this concern when booking you will be told of any possible downgrades - if you don't ask then they are unlikely to bother telling you (and that's from the mouth of an unusually honest call centre lady I spoke to earlier today!).

Cheers
Moorf

Bill B · Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2004 5:01 am Post subject:

Moorf · Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2004 6:36 am Post subject:

Doh - sorry - airline = Malaysian Airlines.

I used to live in Kuala Lumpur and all journeys I had with Malaysian Airlines were superb (they even used to run a smoking route on Thursdays from KL to London!!) BUT of course I won't be needing that since we are GIVING UP before we get there....!!! Eek

Gave up for a year from Jan 03 to Dec 03 but bad news put us off course Sad

Loved the freedom so need to start stopping again (does that make sense?!!) Confused

Moorf

sesame · Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2004 8:29 am Post subject:

one more question please! Yes

anyone ever flown air tahiti nui? flights are sooo cheapfrom the states compared to anyone else..... (that i've found sofar..)

thanks!

sesame~