Silversea Air

[RetiredandTravel]

Silversea is offering 4k business class air to Australia.

 

We are retired in the south east USA.  On a trip this long we would normally stay overnight in LA.  

 

Are the Silversea air tickets from LAX to Sydney direct?  4K is a good price for direct flights, non-direct not so much.

 

What are people's experiences with the Silversea air program?

 

 

[crusinbanjo]

6 hours ago, RetiredandTravel said:

Silversea is offering 4k business class air to Australia.

 

We are retired in the south east USA.  On a trip this long we would normally stay overnight in LA.  

 

Are the Silversea air tickets from LAX to Sydney direct?  4K is a good price for direct flights, non-direct not so much.

 

What are people's experiences with the Silversea air program?

 

 

I would ask the question about if they are direct and also ask about the routing.  In 2019 SS wanted to send us to Tokyo by way of Dubai.  We refused that and ended up Boston to Tokyo direct, a savings of some 15 hours of travel time.  Having said that, ASSUMING the flight is departing from LA, most likely it will be direct.  

[Lois R]

I have never flown that far before but whenever I have gone to Europe I get the upgrade to

Business Class with SS and now I never want to go back to coach😃(not for an International

flight anyway).

[drron29]

If it is a direct flight my guess is that it will be on Delta.

They,UA,AA and QF all fly direct LAX-SYD.I checked prices for mid week Feb 2021 which is the low season.

Delta was just over $4000.

AA ~ $6000

UA and QF ~ $7000.

All in USD.

[nowornever]

If they want to fly you through Seoul or anywhere else in Asia, you might ask your travel agent about finding the direct flights you want, requesting them by paying the nominal air deviation fee (it was $150 pp last time we did that) & if they have a contract with that airline, you will probably get them.  The air deviation fee has also covered arriving a day or two early also - or in your case, spending a night in LA - for us but that was pre-pandemic so who knows now?    By booking your air with Silversea, if they cancel the cruise (God forbid,) there is no muss or fuss dealing with the airline for credit or refund.  It's just automatic.

 

Good luck.

[crusinbanjo]

38 minutes ago, drron29 said:

If it is a direct flight my guess is that it will be on Delta.

They,UA,AA and QF all fly direct LAX-SYD.I checked prices for mid week Feb 2021 which is the low season.

Delta was just over $4000.

AA ~ $6000

UA and QF ~ $7000.

All in USD.

My cousins live in NZ and fly direct from Houston, so Houston to Sydney may be possible as well, but I don’t know for sure.

 

[drron29]

1 hour ago, crusinbanjo said:

My cousins live in NZ and fly direct from Houston, so Houston to Sydney may be possible as well, but I don’t know for sure.

 

But that won't be a direct flight to SYD.As well air NZ isn't listing any Houston flights until 14th March next year.

 

We actually prefer to fly via Japan as we do like the Japanese airlines as well as enjoy Japan for a short stopover.

 

[taxatty]

In non-pandemic times, Qantas flies nonstop DFW-SYD. I went on an A380, an excellent aircraft, but going forward it will likely be a 787-9. A lovely 17 hour + flight.

[drron29]

And the QF 789 Y seats are quite narrow.Was OK on a 1 hour flight Sydney to Melbourne but 17 hours no way.

[RetiredandTravel]

Thanks everyone.

 

I checked a bunch of business class prices in Jan/Feb 2022 around cruise dates from LAX/Dallas to Sydney.  Direct flights on Delta/AA & Qantas were consistently 6K +.  If you connect through Hong Kong, Tokyo, , Seoul, Hawaii 🙂 etc you can find  prices for 4k.  We took ANA business/first a couple years ago to Tokyo and loved it, certainly an option.   Given we stay over in LA (or Dallas) we'd prefer a direct flight.

 

So if Silversea air program is direct and of quality 4k is a good price.  If its going to connect through kimbucktwo 😞 it doesn't.    We've just heard many stories like mentioned above.  London to Tokyo via Dubai & Hong Kong.

 

thanks again

[Ravbo]

Be careful with your airplane flight terminology.

I think everyone here is talking about a non-stop flight which is different from a direct flight.

• "Non-stop flights make no stops. It does not visit another city, and simply takes you from your origin to your destination in one flight. You literally make ‘no stops."’

• "Direct flights are different. Like a non-stop flight that will travel from your origin to your destination, there may be 1 or more stops in between in which other passengers may leave and others board. Most all direct flights, unless otherwise specified, do not have you leaving the plane until you reach your destination.

I learned this the hard way.

 

Safe Travels

Bob (and Terry)

Edited March 30, 2021 by Ravbo

[crusinbanjo]

10 hours ago, Ravbo said:

Be careful with your airplane flight terminology.

I think everyone here is talking about a non-stop flight which is different from a direct flight.

• "Non-stop flights make no stops. It does not visit another city, and simply takes you from your origin to your destination in one flight. You literally make ‘no stops."’

• "Direct flights are different. Like a non-stop flight that will travel from your origin to your destination, there may be 1 or more stops in between in which other passengers may leave and others board. Most all direct flights, unless otherwise specified, do not have you leaving the plane until you reach your destination.

I learned this the hard way.

 

Safe Travels

Bob (and Terry)

You are correct, and I should have been more clear, when I said direct, I did mean nonstop

 

[Stumblefoot]

17 hours ago, drron29 said:

And the QF 789 Y seats are quite narrow.Was OK on a 1 hour flight Sydney to Melbourne but 17 hours no way.

Same on AA.  I got stuck in a middle seat in their 3x3x3 configuration from ORD-DFW once.  Brutal!  Could not imagine flying anywhere in Y to SYD on that aircraft.

[crusinbanjo]

9 hours ago, Stumblefoot said:

Same on AA.  I got stuck in a middle seat in their 3x3x3 configuration from ORD-DFW once.  Brutal!  Could not imagine flying anywhere in Y to SYD on that aircraft.

Mrs Banjo and I flew LA to Sydney in economy, a 3 seat configuration once, and in the middle of a 5 seat configuration on a flight from Boston to Paris, (when we were much younger), they were brutal.  Now, any flights over 5 hours are either in a 2 seat configuration or Biz class.  Flights more than 9 hours are Biz class only, or it’s a no go.

[RetiredandTravel]

5 hours ago, crusinbanjo said:

Mrs Banjo and I flew LA to Sydney in economy, a 3 seat configuration once, and in the middle of a 5 seat configuration on a flight from Boston to Paris, (when we were much younger), they were brutal.  Now, any flights over 5 hours are either in a 2 seat configuration or Biz class.  Flights more than 9 hours are Biz class only, or it’s a no go.

 

 

+1

 

It sounds pretentious but if we're  flying over seas we are going business class at this point in our lives.  Quite often I can figure out a free ticket or two.   

[Lois R]

Hi, it doesn't sound pretentious at all actually🙂...it sounds like you are being honest.

[A Tucson Guy]

2 hours ago, RetiredandTravel said:

 

 

+1

 

It sounds pretentious but if we're  flying over seas we are going business class at this point in our lives.  Quite often I can figure out a free ticket or two.   

I have over a million miles with United and I have not flow in the back of the plane domestic or international in over 25 years. We all decide how and when we want to spend our money. If I can't fly in the front of the plane, I ain't going!!

[nowornever]

There's a great saying:  "If you don't fly first class, your kids will."  Amen!

[bigmjh]

2 hours ago, nowornever said:

There's a great saying:  "If you don't fly first class, your kids will."  Amen!

👍👏

[RetiredandTravel]

10 hours ago, nowornever said:

There's a great saying:  "If you don't fly first class, your kids will."  Amen!

 

 

Very Funny!!

[silkismom]

My travel agent office had that on a pillow. Finally taking that advice and we don't even have kids, no sense leaving it to our siblings!!!.

[Lois R]

22 minutes ago, silkismom said:

My travel agent office had that on a pillow. Finally taking that advice and we don't even have kids, no sense leaving it to our siblings!!!.

I don't have any kids either😃.....if I cannot do it for myself? Nobody else will do it for me.

[Stickman1990]

On 3/30/2021 at 9:14 PM, drron29 said:

And the QF 789 Y seats are quite narrow.Was OK on a 1 hour flight Sydney to Melbourne but 17 hours no way.

C’mon - they fly the Dreamliner direct from LHR to Perth and from NYC to LA to East Coast of Australia locations such as Brisbane and Sydney (in normal times) - you’re not seriously suggesting the seats on the Dreamliner aren’t ok for a trans Pacific are you?

 

Of course a Y seat is never going to offer the space and comfort as a Premium Economy of Business Class seat - but it offers a considerable saving if that’s important to the traveller 

 

Mind you I’d always opt for J myself on those flights - and I’ve done a lot of them from Australia and NZ over the last 30 years 

 

Edited April 4, 2021 by Stickman1990

[QueSeraSera]

18 hours ago, Stickman1990 said:

you’re not seriously suggesting the seats on the Dreamliner aren’t ok for a trans Pacific are you?

 

well, yes. not to speak for @drron29 ... but only for myself, YES.  But I'm no stickman...

[bohaiboy]

Some destinations are just difficult to get to.  We live nearest to San Antonio airport.  Have to stop somewhere as there are no international flights (except Mexico) out of SAT.  That being said, I quizzed SS on upgrades to biz class.  Was quoted $4000 over and above the cruise fare which also includes a $900 airfare.  Yes Virginia, the free airfares quoted have a values (ai't no such thing as a free lunch) and if you want to save $4900  ea for a San Antonio-Tromso, Reykjavik -San Antonio flight then you need to book your self.   We got the $900 cruise credit and found biz class for less than $3000 ea, so net we paid $2100 for biz class.