Which airline would you choose?

[klfrodo]

Thinking of a South Pacific cruise.

Air travel would be FF mileage awards.

 

AS miles are good for Air France, Cathay Pacific, KLM to the area.

Flying Business or First Class, which would you choose based on airline and service only. Dates, times, and layovers are another matter.

[paul929207]

Cathay Pacific.

[ab0si]

Cathy Pacific.

 

If given a chance to fly CP (or Singapore), there is no reason to look further.

[scottbee]

Thinking of a South Pacific cruise.

Air travel would be FF mileage awards.

 

AS miles are good for Air France, Cathay Pacific, KLM to the area.

Flying Business or First Class, which would you choose based on airline and service only. Dates, times, and layovers are another matter.

 

First, you'll want to start here.

http://www.alaskaair.com/as/mileageplan/AwardsAustralia.asp

Secondly call the friendly AS partner desk at 1-800-307-6912 and ask them, they're bound to have way more information that most of us here

 

I think these would be your options;

CO(Continental). Continental/Continental Micronesia offer an extensive route network in the South Pacific.

 

AF(Air France) offer a LAX-PPT(Papete, Tahiti) flight

 

KE(Korean) offer service to NAN(Nadi,Fiji) from Seoul, so SEA-ICN-NAN is a possibility

 

 

 

I doubt any of these would work for various reasons;

KL(KLM aka Royal Dutch Airlines); I don't believe you can do a redemption to AsiaPac, so that rules them out. (as it would be the 'long way' around).

 

CX(Cathay Pacific); fly to HKG (via SFO, LAX and YVR) but I don't think they serve anything in the 'South Pacific' in terms of where the cruise would start (Tahiti), just destinations in Indonesia/Philippines/Thailand/Vietnam

 

QF(Qantas); not sure you can fly all the way to SYD/MEL and then backtrack.

[Gardyloo]

Right - Alaska doesn't allow combining partner airlines on the same itinerary, so you would need to pick a partner that goes where you want to start your cruise. If it's Oz/NZ then you have several choices - Qantas, Cathay, Korean or Delta (starting this summer.) If it's Tahiti, then Air France; if Fiji I don't know if any of Alaska's partners fly there - not Qantas as they only codeshare on Air Pathetic equipment.

 

Of those, I don't happen to like Cathay's business class seats as much as I like Qantas' - can't speak to Korean or Air France.

[Keith1010]

In reality I doubt you will have all of these choices as many times even finding one to use miles for can be a challenge. So, you might want to see which one has availability. If they all did and they all served this area for me it would be Cathay Pacific without a doubt.

 

Keith

[scottbee]

Or you could fly Air Pacific (effective today)

 

 

 

Air Pacific Becomes Alaska Airlines Codeshare and Mileage Plan Partner

SEATTLE, May 26, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- Fiji-based Air Pacific and Alaska Airlines announced they have entered into a new codeshare agreement and expanded frequent-flier partnership. The new partnership allows members to earn and redeem miles on Air Pacific flights to the South Pacific and beyond. The airlines also announced they have established a codeshare agreement for service between Fiji and Vancouver, British Columbia, via Los Angeles on Alaska-operated flights.

 

Customers can now book travel from Fiji and receive boarding passes for travel on Alaska Airlines, as well as seamless handling of through-checked baggage. Connections at Los Angeles International Airport also will be easier as the Air Pacific and Alaska Airlines terminals are adjoining. The full international baggage allowance is applicable to codeshare flights.

 

"Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air welcome Air Pacific as our newest partner," said Steve Jarvis, Alaska Airlines' vice president of marketing, sales and customer experience. "This relationship gives frequent fliers more travel options to exotic and unique destinations, and offers easier connections for customers traveling between the United States, Canada and Fiji."

 

"We are delighted to reach agreement with Alaska Airlines for codeshare flights and to partner in its award-winning Mileage Plan," said John Campbell, managing director and CEO of Air Pacific. "The ability to provide seamless and comfortable travel between Vancouver and Fiji is important to Air Pacific and our customers, and I am confident that the high standards of Alaska Airlines complement those of Air Pacific."

 

Air Pacific's six weekly Boeing 747 flights to Los Angeles provide more convenient, comfortable and competitive travel options than the twice-weekly Boeing 737 flights via Honolulu that this codeshare replaces.

 

Customers can now book codeshare flights between Nadi, Fiji, and Vancouver on the Air Pacific Web site at www.airpacific.com.

[ottergal]

Or you could fly Air Pacific (effective today)

 

 

 

Air Pacific Becomes Alaska Airlines Codeshare and Mileage Plan Partner

SEATTLE, May 26, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- Fiji-based Air Pacific and Alaska Airlines announced they have entered into a new codeshare agreement and expanded frequent-flier partnership. The new partnership allows members to earn and redeem miles on Air Pacific flights to the South Pacific and beyond. The airlines also announced they have established a codeshare agreement for service between Fiji and Vancouver, British Columbia, via Los Angeles on Alaska-operated flights.

 

Customers can now book travel from Fiji and receive boarding passes for travel on Alaska Airlines, as well as seamless handling of through-checked baggage. Connections at Los Angeles International Airport also will be easier as the Air Pacific and Alaska Airlines terminals are adjoining. The full international baggage allowance is applicable to codeshare flights.

 

"Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air welcome Air Pacific as our newest partner," said Steve Jarvis, Alaska Airlines' vice president of marketing, sales and customer experience. "This relationship gives frequent fliers more travel options to exotic and unique destinations, and offers easier connections for customers traveling between the United States, Canada and Fiji."

 

"We are delighted to reach agreement with Alaska Airlines for codeshare flights and to partner in its award-winning Mileage Plan," said John Campbell, managing director and CEO of Air Pacific. "The ability to provide seamless and comfortable travel between Vancouver and Fiji is important to Air Pacific and our customers, and I am confident that the high standards of Alaska Airlines complement those of Air Pacific."

 

Air Pacific's six weekly Boeing 747 flights to Los Angeles provide more convenient, comfortable and competitive travel options than the twice-weekly Boeing 737 flights via Honolulu that this codeshare replaces.

 

Customers can now book codeshare flights between Nadi, Fiji, and Vancouver on the Air Pacific Web site at www.airpacific.com.

 

Having flown Air Pacific, I wouldn't recommend them. My friend and I did a LAX -Brisbane via Nadi a couple of years ago in coach, and while the crew was friendly enough (but not overly friendly, honestly) their planes were a bit run down. On BOTH flights there and back my entertainment center didn't work - and on a 10 hour flight it would have been nice to watch more than parts of "Happy Feet" in black and white with static and skipping. :)

 

Sure, they got us there, and I can't speak for their business class... but they are a bit more budget than the others and I, personally, wouldn't spend my award miles with them.

 

I'm going to second, or third, the call Alaska and see what they have recommendation. I booked great flights Seattle to Rome via Paris on Air France a couple of months ago and they said I got the last seats. I was booking for August, so that shows how fast they can go! I called them today to see if I could change, and sure enough I could - but now I'm flying Seattle to LA to Paris to Rome. They are really great at finding a route, but these partner airlines don't always offer much.

 

Just a couple more thoughts. :)

[jetwet1]

Just to note, the Air Pacific 744's just went through a D check, so fingers crossed they should be good as new right now, however, they are also wet leasing a UA 744, which if your in coach, is pretty close to be seated in hell.

[chipmaster]

If you really have a choice its a no brainer Cathay of course!