Honeymoon in South Africa, flight choice Etihad or Qatar Airways in First Class? Looking for some help re these two airlines.

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Honeymoon in South Africa, flight choice Etihad or Qatar Airways in First Class? Looking for some help re these two airlines, Etihad seam to offer flat beds in first, but I am not sure if it would be on all the legs - Qatar sounds great but depending if it is an old or new plane it could be hit and miss? Both flights will start out AT LHR and end in JNB, with a stop in AUH for Etihad and DOH for Qatar - any help appreciated.

You need to check if they have First class between the Middle East and S Africa, as they may only offer Business and Economy. Qatar is certainly able to offer better levels of service and consistency. Gulf Air aircraft are tatty at best - the newer fitted A330 seats in First Class are okay and food is good. BUT service onboard very patchy, and pretty awful in Bahrain where you get NO priority service or assistance. Visited the Qatar new Premium Terminal in Doha - quite simply it has the WOW factor, and would recommend you take this option. Have also used S African in their Business class - a direct flight and great product with proper flatbed seating.

Having flown both airlines, I can assure you that they're both very good. Etihad does not have a first class cabin on the AUH-JNB route, however they do have fully flat beds in business class and at 6'4 I found these very comfortable. Much cheaper than first class on Qatar, and the same level of comfort (if not better). They do have a very nice first class cabin on LHR-AUH (with own minibar at seat). The individual tv screens on Etihad are very large (15") and entertainment system good. If you do choose Etihad, I would recommend you ask for the two seats together in the centre, as these are very cozy, especially on your honeymoon. The spacing of the other seats in the cabin would mean that you are sitting in front of or behind your travel companion.

Both Etihad and Qatar airways are good choices in terms of cabin comfort and service. The pros and cons lie upon several other issues. Transiting in Qatar airport using the new premium class terminal is far better than in Abu Dhabi. The other point would be the loyalty program / FFPs as Qatar as has larger tie up with Lufthansa, United etc whereas Etihad has only its own affiliation. Etihad has the newer aircrafts on the JNB route. It would be worthwhile just checking out the seat plans beforehand to know if the new configuration is used or not.

You might want to consider Emirates as they fly first class to South Africa. It depends on where you want to stay in the middle east, if at all. Try SAA or BA direct from London to Johannesburg or Cape Town. Most flights have first class and those that do not (SAA at some times of the year to Cape Town) have lie-flat business

Both Etihad and Qatar offer amazing first product, but you should check to make sure that that Etihad offer their updated first from AUH to JNB. Connecting in Qatar is better that at Abu Dhabi due to the new lounge in Doha. This will all change when Abu Dhabi opens their new facilities. In the end, both are fantastic, you cant go wrong. However if they are the same price I might go for Qatar, although Etihad gets better and better by the month

Qatar Airways is an excellent choice, although there is no F class service on the Doha-Johannesburg route. The Premium Terminal in Doha is amazing, so too is the service. The inclined 'flat beds' are not the best in the industry though.

Between Etihad and Qatar, my vote goes to Qatar for their excellent catering. While Etihad is not bad by any means, Qatar tends to be better and more consistent. Is there a SAA flight available? If so, I have never been let down by SAA on any flight

We have just flown Qatar from Manchester/Doha to Cape Town in business. There is no First class on this route. Food and service are exceptional. All aircraft on all routes were very clean and new. A330-300 MAN route and A330-200 on African routes. Seats are flat but slightly inclined so are not as comfortable as fully flat but we still got at least 5 hours sleep on each leg. Although with the food, it is worth staying awake! On demand IFE is very good.

Qatar Airways would be the way to go. Personally, the fact that they have a decent frequent flyer program in place ie. the tie-up with LH Miles and More is definitely a bonus for me. Hope this aspect helps

I'd choose Qatar for this trip. Firstly it's within the 4 airlines that have won the 5 star award in the Skytrax! Their service is great, and since you'll be making a stop in Doha, you have the advantage of using the premium terminal which offers great services for the 1st or business class travellers. As far as the aircaft are concerned, although the A330 are used the average age of the whole fleet is 2.5 yrs old.

Qatar Airways anytime. Having used both Etihad and Qatar I would always choose Qatar. The service is second to none, you have the new Premium terminal at Doh, which is n experience in itself.