LHR - Beijing: LH or KLM?

[Innominate]

My wife has to go to Beijing in February - direct flights are too expensive, so she has the choice of going via Frankfurt or Schiphol.

Given that both journeys are effectively the same length, and both on 747s, does either airline have an advantage over the other - ease of transfer at the hub airports (just over an hour at either airport), food (she's gluten-intolerant) or some other factor?

We'd be grateful for suggestions.

[Phileas Fogg]

Try 'Swiss' from either LHR, LCY or BHX, circa GBP470 (return) with PDQ connections in ZRH and an excellent cabin service

[Metro man]

Any reason for limiting your choice to just these two ?

Be careful with Lufthansa in case they have a strike on and your flights get cancelled.

[safelife]

Let's see, KLM is a vintage 744 Combi while LH is a brand new 748...

[TURIN]

Wait a couple of months and go via MAN direct with Hainan. A330.

[ATNotts]

Wait a couple of months and go via MAN direct with Hainan. A330.

Don't imagine that "Mrs Innominate's" employer or business partner who be too happy about her telling them she couldn't make it because Hainan Airlines don't start serving Manchester till March! :D

For ease of transfer I'd agree with ZRH as being a good option.

[alserire]

Zurich good for transfers. I know others don't agree but I think FRA is fine and I'm a fan of LH as well No experience of KLM. LH for me if I were travelling.

[ExXB]

Schiphol and Frankfurt are both huge airports. Even at the best of times they feel crowded and busy. Non-Schengen to non-schengen, should be easy though.

I personally would avoid a combi, if I had a choice. KL into KUL on a combo we had to wait until they off-loaded a couple of pallets from the main deck.

Zürich, on the other hand, isn't huge. A 45 minute connection, even between the furthest gates, is easy - and the bags make it too.

On the way back she can shop 'duty free'. (Swiss prices tend to be higher than the ROE (rest of Europe), but without duty and VAT should be a lot lower than UK high street prices. I don't know how these prices compare to BJS though.

[Innominate]

Thanks for these thoughts. To answer some of your points:

KLM and LH were the options offered by the agent the company uses.

Swiss looks good, but having tried their website the fare comes in significantly more expensive than the other two options.

The dates (14/21 February) are pretty much fixed, and we're a lot closer to London than Manchester.

So, it seems to boil down to a choice between a relatively new aircraft and the possibility of a strike at LH - unless anyone has further suggestions or views...

[Espada III]

I regularly transfer at AMS, FRA and ZRH. Agreed that ZRH is the easiest. AMS is effectively one very large terminal with a huge amount of walking if you are unlucky. FRA (transferring LH to LH) is pretty easy. You can sometimes get caught out with a long walk, but recent experience is that if the flight into FRA is late they meet you at the door and transfer you directly to the next plane.

A new 748 is likely to be more comfortable than an old 744C.

[Phileas Fogg]

How do flyuia dot com (Ukraine International) from/to LGW come out on price at USD1,203.27 for 14-21 February?

And don't laugh or choke, I've flown with them many a time, they're fine, let them know that you like Ukrainian beer or wine then they tend to be so complimented they're not shy about serving it :)

[Mr Mac]

Innominate
Would have to agree with Espada 3, Lufty all the way, never had a problem yet with them, with easy FRA transfer and new metal as well. KLM ok but not what they were years back, although I think you still get little Delph pottery houses I believe, with Gin in as a present in Business. My wife built up a veritable street in her office through flying to Vancouver on a regular basis in MD11.


Regards
Mr Mac

[Sultan Ismail]

And then there's Aeroflot, shortest journey time and in 777.
Just a thought 😊

[Mr Mac]

Phileas / Sultan
I think the posters company may have travel bars on the carriers you mention due to their own insurance policy for their employees especially if they have a lot of staff travelling worldwide. My own company has such a policy and there are carriers we are not allowed to use unless under exceptional circumstances / no alternative, and I do not think the route to Beijing from Europe would fall under that ruling in my case, if not the posters wife company as well. As previous post Lufty all the way would still be my selection, and indeed have done this route earlier last year in a new 747, although your selections do have both merit, and are a little more off the wall shall we say.


Regards
Mr Mac

[Doors to Automatic]

There is also Air France or Turkish or Finnair