Keith T

Now if only they have a late night flight to KUL so that I can do a same day connection to KUL after landing in SIN on QF9. Especially now given that it is possible to earn QFF points and status credits on Jetstar. Lounge access not an issue at KUL with Priority Pass (i get it free from AMEX). I agree that v little seperates the different carriers on such a short route, unless you're connecting to a long haul service at SIN in which case it's better to fly the carriers with interlining agreements to the long haul operator, ie SQ/MI/MH/3K.

Adding to this list: Asiana. Lovely airline!

I have actually found the quality of food declined on SQ of late - the last 2 flights (MEL-SIN in F and SIN-LHR in J) I flew on SQ had v nice food, but before that I had a series of SQ flights that featured rather mediocre food. I quite like Qantas (in J and F) and Lufthansa food (in F) but it's not for everyone. They're often criticised for trying to over-complicate things, but personally I quite like the creativity and flair displayed. Qantas usually serves up some v nice Asian fusion which is rather typical of modern Australian cooking, and LH has v nice contemporary European cuisine. Wine lists on both are also spot on everytime - but again that's subjective. BA's food is a hit or miss - I guess this writer tried BA on a day when it's a 'hit.' I like British comfort food, but the quality on BA varies wildly. But the "afternoon tea" they serve in Club World as a refreshment on flights as long as LHR-LAX is absolutely pathetic and embarassing - think M&S sandwiches still wrapped in their plastic wrappers, some scones and dessert. CX is also another one that's hit/miss. Once upon a time I quite enjoyed their food and thought it was one of the best in the skies, despite rather poor presentation in JCL. But lately, sadly there have been more misses than hits. They also have possibly one of the worst champagnes in JCL - Deutz Cuvee which can also double up as a paint stripper. They do have a nice champagne on Regional flights though, Billecart-Salmon which is one of my faves so hopefully they will offer this on long haul flights too.

Depends on what you like doing? I've been to Dubai and Muscat and IMO: For shopping and nightlife - go Dubai. If you're a culture vulture - go to Muscat. There are also some nice beaches in Muscat, and you could even surf sand dunes in a 4WD ("Wadi Bashing"). May I also recommend the Shangri La if you end up in Muscat - it's a bit off centre but everything's so far apart in Muscat anyway. The Shang has an awesome beach and some stunning views. I have Doha on my next DONE4 - to check out the new W Hotel there.

Indeed, the other half and I are traveling HKG-MEL in JCL this July but have pre-allocated seats in FCL.

Frequent Flyer Program for me. I think all the other factors cited are also rather important - however FFP affiliation is the deal breaker for me. Last time I flew outside of oneworld or *A was an involuntary rebooking on to Czech after Malev cancelled my flight - subsequently I was able to argue with AA for miles anyway based on 'original ticketed booking' credit. There are also advantages of an FFP beyond a 'free ticket' - things you can't buy like avoiding long queues in whY, lounge access, priority boarding, priority luggage tags, priority seating, priority assistance during IRROPS etc. It's this intangible aspect of an FFP that makes travel just that bit more pleasurable. If two or more airlines have the same FFP affliation (eg QF vs BA vs CX), then that's where cabin crew and seating come into consideration. And wine list of course.

http://blogs.theage.com.au/travel/archives...er_cliches.html Go the boozers! Hmm then again I don't drink all that much beer (wine, bubbles and cocktails thanks) unless there's a huge price difference or beer is the only drinkable item, and neither do I watch much football. I'd also add one more category: The Shopper (whose idea of a good holiday is cleaning out boutiques of all local niche brands they can find, and whose aim is to shop at Prada/[insert favourite label] on at least 3 continents)! I probably fit somewhere in between Shopper and Boozer. I'm also guilty of some 'box ticking' sometimes (eg in Rome I sped through the Sistine Chapel in 20 mins, if even that, just to say I've 'been there done that') then again despite having been to HKG heaps I've not visited the Big Buddha till the last time I was there when the other half insisted on seeing it.

And *A is aiming to increase its numbers to 50! I think they might need to create sub-alliances within *A.

You build your own burger at the Counter, so if you want you can have an entirely vegie-free burger should you so choose.

A must-try for burgers - The Counter, in Santa Monica.

If it's the same fare, UA segments will be booked in Q. MI/SQ in K. But best to seek clarification from your TA to be sure.

The UA Visa only applies to US residents I believe, IIRC issued by CHASE (US bank). You can accrue miles from UA and SQ (but not MI as they're not *A) flights on TG ROP indeed. UA economy booked in W, S, T, L classes will not earn miles, all other fares will earn at least 100% mileage. SQ economy booked in V, T, G, N, Q will not earn any TG miles, booked in W you'd earn 50%. All other economy classes earn at least 100% mileage.

I'll be in the US in July, heading to Korea and Hong Kong straight after. I'm more afraid of the hassle with security/quarintine etc than actually catching swine flu. Friends who've been to North Asia in recent days have reported some of the rather OTT security measures taken there; I suspect the paranoia is largely due to their experience with SARS.

I'm glad you've got something sorted out. Safe trip! Who told you that?? Lots of people dash out to town whilst in transit at Changi.

There's still plenty of availability on the MI flight you're looking for. I'd echo Andi's advice to approach UA's GSA directly, and they might be able to work out a better deal for you. Perhaps also CX/AA's offices or their appointed local TAs.

Q class is one of the cheaper discount economy fare classes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IATA_class_codes This fare requires you to use Q on the UA segments, and K on the MI flight. So when looking for availability, these fare classes must be available to take advantage of that fare. Hmm, I will have a look when I get home, but from what I saw last night there was still lots of availability on that MI flight. Yes you do have to overnight in SIN on this fare, but i think the cost of overnight accomodation is offset by the amount of money saved with the cheaper fare. Otherwise, you could always try CX as they usually have great deals through local TAs.

For instance, I managed to get the following for USD724 total: 1 MI 357K 15AUG J PENSIN SS1 915P 1040P /DCMI /E 2 UA 896Q 16AUG S SINHKG SS1 640A 1025A /DCUA /E 3 UA 862Q 16AUG S HKGSFO SS1 1145A 910A /DCUA /E 4 UA 292Q 16AUG S SFOMCO SS1 130P 1005P /DCUA /E The tax amount goes up when you break up the segments like that, but the base fare is the same.

Great advice. You can use any UA flight between SIN and MCO so long as there's availability in Q class.

That's the seasonality rule. It means you're only permitted to purchase this particular fare if your first intercontinental segment between Asia and North America (so in this instance that'd be the SIN-MCO segment) departs within the timeframes mentioned. So in a more complex itinerary such as PEN-SIN-HKG-ORD-MCO with multiple flight numbers, it doesn't matter what dates your intra Asian or intra North American segments are, your segment between Asia and the US (HKG-ORD) has to be within those timeframes mentioned in the rule. In your case you're fine as all your segments will be flown on the 15th or the 16th AUG. You can also get 1 stopover on this fare for MYR140, but I'm not sure about the restrictions on this.

I meant the ticket has to be issued by 16JUL.

I'm getting the UA fare for USD700.80 total. Departing on the 15th. Routing: PEN-SIN MI357 SIN-MCO UA804 (plane changes in NRT and IAD though flight number remains the same) edited to add: fare only valid till 16JUL.

Was on SQ211 SIN-MEL last Dec, and saw special services staff escort a rather important looking person back to JCL. According to the IFS, the Premier of Johor was onboard.

It's heaps easier doing an international-domestic transfer at MEL than BNE. At MEL you can simply walk from one terminal to the other, whilst at BNE you'd require the Air Train. Of course the easiest would be ADL which is simply one terminal for all flights, but the ex-SIN options are even more limited there than to MEL or SYD!

Food for sure. Mmmm beef noodle soup on Taoyuan St. From a recent visit:

Oops left one out....