Which Is The Best Airline Of This Group?

Scott · Post by **Scott** » Thu Aug 21, 2008 5:45 pm

My bonus mileage allows me a ticket to New Zealand from SFO on any of the following three airlines: Cathay Pacific, Korean Air, and Qantas.

Can any of you recommend one of these three airlines over the others in terms of general service and, especially, the cost to bring along boards?
I've flown Korean Air once and their service was excellent, but it was not a surf trip.

Thanks.

albert · Post by **albert** » Thu Aug 21, 2008 6:03 pm

Quantas all the way... they never charge for boards as long as you dont have any more than 2 bags (one board bag and one other bag) per passenger.

Mike Fernandez · Post by **Mike Fernandez** » Fri Aug 22, 2008 3:32 am

Agree with Albert, and Quantas I believe is famous for never having crashed.

griz · Post by **griz** » Fri Aug 22, 2008 4:16 am

I agree with Mike on this one although Qantas has been dodging a few bullets recently.I will suggest not touching Cathay as they will give you a dam good financial rogering should you decide to take along a couple of boards.

RMcKnee · Post by **RMcKnee** » Fri Aug 22, 2008 6:20 am

a dam good financial rogering

You euphemist you!

Doc Turbo · Post by **Doc Turbo** » Fri Aug 22, 2008 8:32 am

Cathay all the way, they have fine looking stewardesses

Jerry · Post by **Jerry** » Fri Aug 22, 2008 2:50 pm

Fine looking indeed

And in 9 trips to the Philippines I've never had to pay extra for my boards on Cathay. And all the scotch you can drink,for free

That said, they charge the most for air fair. I'm going to try Korean this coming Feb. because the tickets are $400 less than Cathey

Jimbo · Post by **Jimbo** » Fri Aug 22, 2008 10:29 pm

Hot stewardesses and free scotch? Well worth the extra $400......

southpeakbrad · Post by **southpeakbrad** » Sat Aug 23, 2008 1:40 pm

Scott,

I flew Qantas to AUS. Excellent travel, service, food (for airlines) and free boards

How many miles does it cost??

Brad

Scott · Post by **Scott** » Sun Aug 24, 2008 6:40 pm

Brad, it's about 80,000 miles for the free ticket.

Thanks for all the suggestions from all of you--very helpful. Big article in today's San Jose Mercury News about how surfers everywhere are getting nailed by the exhorbitant fees (or, as Griz puts it, "getting a rogering"). Here are some highlites from the article:

The fees, among the highest of airline charges, are grounding some surfers and have created an unusual uproar among an otherwise mellow surf community. Fees for bicycles, skies and other sports equipment also have been rising but not as much as surfboards.

Surfers note that most airlines don't charge for golf bags, while surfers are paying up to $300 per board for international flights. That's nearly as much as a new board costs. Avid surfers take up to four boards in a bag, which can mean a $1,200 bill, or $2,400 for a round trip.

"Why are we being singled out?" asked Evan Slater, a surfer and editor-in-chief of California-based Surfing magazine. "It's not like we're carrying nuclear weapons, and these surfboards aren't much heavier than a carry-on."

The charges have gotten so gnarly that some professional surfers are calling for a boycott of airlines that have high fees and are putting out their own personal lists of surfer-friendly carriers that wave riders should patronize. One of the hottest surfing Web sites is now a guide to airline fees.

He said he has been telling his fans to avoid Delta Air Lines, Continental Airlines and United Airlines. All of them charge more than $150 per board depending on the destination. He recommends JetBlue Airways, which charges $50 a board, and international carriers such as Qantas Airways and Air New Zealand, which don't charge for surfboards.

The surfboard fees are high because the boards require special care and extra handling, Delta said. They don't go through the normal baggage carousel but must be carried on special elevators to the claims area.

"There are handling costs associated with surfboards that we have to account for," Delta spokesman Kent Landers said. The hike in charges also reflects a general increase in fees to "cover and reflect the unprecedented increase in fuel costs," he added.

surfhorn · Post by **surfhorn** » Mon Aug 25, 2008 7:23 am

I've addressed this issue many years ago while working for Surfrider and I compared surfboards to golf clubs. It wasn't so much the width/length and special handling of surfboards but the weight as compared to golf clubs.

The cost to airlines is the aircraft load weight and how much extra fuel it takes to haul around golf clubs.

Greg Little · Post by **Greg Little** » Mon Aug 25, 2008 9:02 am

Scott, Being a stewardess fo over 20 years and flying all over the world on many different carriers, I would go with Cathay Pacific. By far the best airline out there. I'm not knocking Quantas, we do have a code share with them and they are good. But if these are my choices, I would go Cathay, quantas, then Korean... I do have the smallest bit of knowledge on this, and I hope this helps...
Greg...

C.P.Odom · Post by **C.P.Odom** » Mon Aug 25, 2008 12:10 pm

I fly Cathay Business Class when traveling to China for work. It is one outstanding airline. The food and service is outstanding and the stewardesses are much cuter than the ones I surf with.

griz · Post by **griz** » Mon Aug 25, 2008 4:33 pm

My issue is not with the Cathay stewerdesses,free grog or comfy chairs.If you like I was were going surfing overseas, and in my case it was from Oz to Indo return,and you have in your company a minimum of 3 boards,you like I was will get seriously bent over..........both ways!

RMcKnee · Post by **RMcKnee** » Mon Aug 25, 2008 4:51 pm

Qantas every time.
1. No D.G.F.R.
2. All the Vegemite you can eat.
3. All the cabin crew speak Strine.