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I suppose it depends on your priorities, budget, convenience, quality, number of transits.

If it were me, I'd use CX (from ZRH). SU have some low fares and can be good, can also be dire, it's pot luck. If you're an AF fan and don't mind the transit at CDG, that would be a good option, and I'm told that CDG transits are better than they used to be, which wouldn't be difficult.

BA are cheap too.

There are more options in business class.

Finnair via Helsinki are a popular way of getting to the Far East.

Woody wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 31, 2019 8:17 pm

Finnair via Helsinki are a popular way of getting to the Far East.

The last time I was SLF in a Caravelle was with Finnair.

Dates me, doesn't it?

Beat you, Ian. My first Air India flight, LDN to FFaM, was in a 707. Food was superb.

OFSO,

my MBA thesis supervisor was doing his PhD in an aviation related subject and while we were discussing aviation matters he mentioned having lentil soup for breakfast on an Air India flight from London to Rome. Well really avant garde.

My first long haul flight was London to Bahrein in 1957 and we dined when we stopped. Dinner was either Zurich or Rome but i think Zurich. Breakfast was at Cairo and Lunch was at Bahrein but I got off there. Cairo and Bahrein were sand runways, the airline was Air Ceylon and the aircraft was a Constellation. The flight was crewed by KLM, we left LHR about 1600 and arrived at BAH about 1330 the next day, I think..The flight then went on to Karachi and Bombay before arriving at Colombo.. I clearly remember the glow of the exhaust pipes from the engines during the night..
Another thing i remember was that all the men wore jacket and tie.The chap sat next to me was a Bank Manager being transferred to Karachi for two years and i remember he took his tie off when we arrived at Bahrein and another passenger asked him if he realised that he wasn't wearing his tie!
How times have changed..

Just checked my list, and it seems I have flown on 78 different airlines, beginning in 1955.

Sad to say, over half of the ones at the top of the list no longer exist, from Mohawk and Eastern to Pan Am and TWA.

Remembering early flights is also depressing, as there seems to be a linear curve showing declining enjoyment with every passing year.

Sometimes, a unique experience of one kind or another will color my opinion of an airline. LanChile invited me to the cockpit to watch the landing in Lima, whereas, on a brand new Air Malaysia 767, I was seated next to a strikingly beautiful woman who stank so bad that every time she moved, my eyes watered. The Stewardess didn't need to ask me why I wanted to change seats, but sadly nothing was available.

FWIW, I wish someone had posted a list explaining the abbreviations at the top of this topic.

As for Asia, I went on EVA Air, which was a new one for me (NY to Taipei) but it was a stunningly lovely flight. IMO worth checking out.

Hope your trip was successful and enjoyable Octopussy. Any feedback on what airline you flew with and how the 'experience' was?

I will be travelling UK to Taiwan and back several times in the coming months and it looks like I will be using China airlines from LGW. I would prefer to go NOR, AMS, TPE but cannot get Premium Economy on the route. Means I have to get to LGW from Norfolk which is a bit of a pain. Anyone have an opinion on China airlines?

Hi Smeagol, sorry haven't been on this thread for a while. I ended up on BA via LHR at the suggestion of my travel department - which I went with because it's one of the 2 airlines I'm collecting airmiles with. Premium Economy was....ok. It was a 777 I think. Actually, it wasn't that ok. The seats were uncomfortable to try and sleep in, the food wasn't special, there was just enough booze and the entertainment was pathetic - I just assumed there would be the kind of selection you get on Emirates, but there wasn't and it seemed old-fashioned and clunky. So - bearable but nothing special.

Oh and you don't get a pillow, just an uncomfortable, inadequate cushion, which didn't help with the sleeping.

If you need to go again Octo it could be worth checking Finnair business, the price may compare with Cathay's premium economy.
On quality in business, we usually go to Oz most years and Swiss have been competitive on price. It is usually MAN-ZRH- HKG-MEL on the way out and MEL-SIN-ZRH-MAN on the way back. The outward journey is Swiss and Cathay and Singapore Airlines and Swiss on the way back. I rate the quality Cathay, Swiss and Singapore in that order but all very good..At ZRH the connection is quite tight,55 mins, and we missed it coming home last time. Swiss changed us to Lufthansa and we left ZRH 30 minutes later to FRA and then MAN arriving about 90 minutes later than we should have. Very good service..

Thanks IDC, I'll bear that in mind for next time.

I have just completed another trip to South Africa on Austrian and Swiss daylight flights in both direction,s premium economy and business class and I am convinced that Swiss in particular is one of the best products in the air and on the ground due to the excellence of Zurich Airport.

Capetonian wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 30, 2019 2:46 pm

I have just completed another trip to South Africa on Austrian and Swiss daylight flights in both direction,s premium economy and business class and I am convinced that Swiss in particular is one of the best products in the air and on the ground due to the excellence of Zurich Airport.

Cape
Lets have the details.

My last work trip to Europe was on a Swissair DC10, complete with stop in Nairobi. Age's me doesn't it?

Where did Austrian fit in?

We flew Austrian daylight from Vienna non-stop to Cape Town in premium economy which was excellent. VIE is a lovely easy airport and we spent the previous night at a hotel 3 minutes walk from the terminal.

Then I came back on my own on Swiss daylight flight Cape Town non-stop to Zurich in business class which was outstanding.

You get to Zurich too late for most connections but as I wanted to stop there it suited me.

Capetonian wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 30, 2019 3:19 pm

We flew Austrian daylight from Vienna non-stop to Cape Town in premium economy which was excellent. VIE is a lovely easy airport and we spent the previous night at a hotel 3 minutes walk from the terminal.

Then I came back on my own on Swiss daylight flight Cape Town non-stop to Zurich in business class which was outstanding.

You get to Zurich too late for most connections but as I wanted to stop there it suited me.

Thanks, I wasn't aware that Austrian flew to CT. I've only used them in Europe.

It's a relatively new service and I think it is seasonal.

My latest find, in my perennial search for a stress free trip to Melbourne, is that Air Mauritius fly from Durban on a Saturday with a connecting flight to Perth.

Haven't found a route back yet.

Capetonian wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 30, 2019 2:46 pm

I have just completed another trip to South Africa on Austrian and Swiss daylight flights in both direction,s premium economy and business class and I am convinced that Swiss in particular is one of the best products in the air and on the ground due to the excellence of Zurich Airport.

How do you find daytime flights from CPT to Europe, Cape tried it once, didn’t really enjoy the experience. BA have just dropped their day flight from JNB to LHR.

Woody wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 30, 2019 5:24 pm

How do you find daytime flights from CPT to Europe, Cape tried it once, didn’t really enjoy the experience. BA have just dropped their day flight from JNB to LHR.

Woody,

Years ago SABENA did a daylight flight from JHB to BRU, with a stop in Brazzaville, it was popular with business travellers as it got you there fit to work on the next morning.

I also know the KLM southbound daylight flight was popular with people starting there journey in N. England and Scotland. A friend used Teesside to AMS and then onto JHB quite regularly.

As far as I know the only daylight flight Cape Town to Europe is the Swiss/Edelweiss one which is seasonal.