Conclusion

Virgin Atlantic had the wow factor on this trip. The Virgin Clubhouse is amazing and most likely the best lounge I have ever visited and this includes Lufthansa’s First Class Terminal at Frankfurt. The design is a welcome change and I like it from the very first moment. I also like to be served, this gives a more relaxed atmosphere in the lounge. The natural light and the windows add to the nice bright feeling in the lounge. Everything was clean and well maintained. Service on Virgin Atlantic in the air was also good. The seats are comfortable but one noticed that they have been introduced some time ago and the old seats show their age without proper power outlets. Nevertheless the front section of the 747 offers a lot of open space adding to the already airy feeling and the bar is a nice place. Service was okay with a few downs. Nevertheless this was first flight was reason enough to also try them in other classes. I would go for a seat in the front cabin (nose section) of the 747-400.

Virgin America was also great. The service was good, the flight attendant serving First Class good and the product also ahead of its competitors. And my US colleagues might not see this the same way, I liked, that they did not upgrade every elite to First Class. Even if I have no status and not the chance to visit a lounge, I will fly them again.

American Airlines was also quite good and the possibility to pre-order the food is a very good option to secure your choice of food without worrying to not get it on board the plane. The crews are good and I would rate them as friendlier than their colleagues from United in average and I think they match their colleagues from US Airways quite well. The product is good in term of seat pitch and most likely similar to US Airways, though the planes seem to be in better shape. Of course, if you get an older 757 or MD82 could also experience a less updated product with empower outlets and also worn seats and duck taped cabins. But in general, food was better and I very much hope that this will not change after the merger.

Singapore Airlines was a disappointment on this journey. If you are flying in an all business class flight you would expect a very good service but SQ failed in regard to its attitude and also in terms of quality of the food. Some minor details added to the disappointment of this longest nonstop flight. The hardware on this flight was okay, the seats are still comfortable though they had a few scratches and it seems that SQ did not care that much of the maintenance of some parts. However, the intra-Asian flight was okay and service much better and certainly on the level I am used to get on SQ.

Thai Airways new A380 is nice to fly, the Business Class good and comfortable though the seat width might feel a bit narrow. If flying alone I would definitively try to get a seat at the window away from the aisle. Service was like always on TG a bit disorganized and the food had room for improvements. Otherwise the flight was too short to sample everything.

The last new airline on this trip was Cathay Pacific and one I was also looking forward to fly. The seats are comfortable and offer a comfortable place for a long-haul flight. If one is looking for privacy and traveling solo, a window seat would be the best choice. The seats in the middle section offer both privacy and if both seats are moved forward you can easily interact with your seat neighbor with the table between both seats even doubling a working or cocktail table.

Food and service were also good, though I was a bit puzzled to notice that there was not service between the meals, i.e. offering water or beverage and one had to use the call button or go to the galley. This might be a reason in the Asian culture and I am not sure if this was an exception on this flight. The lounges in Hong Kong area also nice and the noodle bar a great place and welcome change from the usual buffet offerings in lounges. The lounges are big but I can imagine that despite their size they can become crowded during peak time.

Overall this was a nice way to use miles for a nice built your own round the world ticket flying on different airlines and also adding some new airlines to the book.

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