SimonS1 flew Qantas Economy, on a A380 (Config. 2) (17/04/2013 11:14)

As all 8 of Emirates flights to London were full yesterday I found myself in need of another option hence used Qantas QF1, codeshare with EK.

Online check in - redirected from Emirates web site with a new code to Qantas site, however check in was relatively pain free. The flight leaves from T3 at Dubai and four desks were open in the premium area at Dubai and through the Egates in about 5 seconds and off to the new Zone A.

The lounge good as always if a little impersonal due to size. Good range of hot and cold food, popcorn, Baskin Robbins, drinks etc. Fairly poor range of magazines though.

5 minutes before the flight nothing was showing on the display, however they suddenly announced final call, bit of a scrum however on reaching the gate boarding had only just started. A minor technical problem it seems and we left an hour late at 3am.

The seat was very uncomfortable, pitch OK but the back of the seat in front has various hard panels which can bang your joints. In flight entertainment excellent and the crew were very efficient led in our area by Alexandra who did not hide at all - backwards and forwards with drinks etc the whole flight.

I skipped the food (as I always do) and got a few hours of patchy sleep.

Slightly irritating that the CSD felt a need to parrot messages from the flight deck about turbulence which were quite clear.

Landed in London about 45 mins late, bags checked as Business were amongst the first off the belt and I was out of the airport within 45 mins. I must say I had forgotten what a dump LHR terminal 3 is, long corridors to UK Border, and another long walk to the train. Usual unsmiling staff at UK Border but at least the queue was short.

Overall I would describe it as an acceptable experience but wouldn't convince me to use Qantas on a more regular basis.

One other thing is that by my recollection my boarding pass was checked 8 times in Dubai - at check in, on entry to border control, at the border control, entrance to lounge, at the gate, entrance to lift from gate to plane, exit from lift from gate to plane, and on boarding. Keeps people in work I guess.

LydiaTripodi flew Qantas Economy, on a A330-300 (08/02/2013 08:42)

We booked seats 23 A @ B first row economy paid extra for the extra leg room, only to have a partition in front of us. Giving no view and less leg room. Not happy jan.

AllisonDey flew Qantas Economy, on a A380-800 (24/01/2013 00:54)

Qantas is a delight to fly. Welcoming. Good quality food. Attentive and frequent service.

Boarding was fast and super efficient. Perfectly comfortable flights to and from the US on the 747. But the economy A380 seats are a disgrace. The backs are thinner making every movement and touch from behind felt immediately. The seats recline beautifully - except the lovely recline means you are lying in someone's lap and someone is probably lying in your lap. This makes sitting up and reading impossible if the person in front of you goes to sleep before you do. The entertainment screen is also too close to see clearly as soon the seat in front of you is reclined. Lucky for me, the gentleman in front of me was asked to raise his seat back so I could eat.

The seats themselves are barely wide enough to sit in. There is less leg room than any other flight I've been on in my life. To eat requires the capacity to keep one's arms glued to one's sides while wielding a fork and knife so one is not elbow jousting with the neighbor. The tray table is so small it barely fits the tiny food tray which is all of about 9 x 5 inches. I believe I actually had more food on the 747 because the food tray was bigger.

The entertainment screen remote is tucked away in the arm between the seats so you have to ask the person next to you to move his arm to retrieve it. Then you have to slam the armrest lid down on the attached cord without breaking it. I just kept the remote out and hanging off the edge of my seat so I didn't have to bother that poor guy again. The armrests also do not raise all the way so if you are fortunate enough to have an empty seat next to you, you can't get rid of it and stretch out a bit more or rest your head against the next seat.

I weigh 100 lbs/about 47 kg. I am thin and not tall. This seat was uncomfortable for me. Now imagine what it is like for any normal human. I will keep flying Qantas, but I will never be booked onto an A380 again unless I win the lottery and can go first class. (um.....probably not going to happen, huh?)

I flew on Qantas QF12 on an A380 from L.A. to Sydney in January 2013.

JamesT5 flew Qantas Economy, on a A380-800 (19/11/2012 14:08)

Flew from Sydney to Hong Kong in QF Economy in the 'red' or most forward section of ecnonomy. Was really impressed with QF throughout. The cabin is very spacious, and the aircraft incredibly quiet especially on takeoff and landing (my first time on an A380).

I had a window seat, there is quite a gap between your seat and the window, so much so it was difficult to comfortably lean to the side. The seat itself is fantastically designed, I found it very comfortable to sit in and wasn't impacted by passengers around me knocking the seat at all.

The only criticism I have is that Qantas allow the seats to recline far too far back. If the person in front of you reclines right back, the seat is an inch from your face. It is really unfair as it means you can't get the tray table down at all, and you hurt your neck trying to watch the screen. Other than this I really liked the seating.

The service was professional and friendly but I felt it took a bit too long to bring around drinks after take off - over an hour. Food was decent, and bringing hot chocolates after the meal is a nice touch. Entertainment is top-notch on QF, endless options to keep you busy.

I had connected to this flight in Sydney and apparently my bags didn't make it with me, but ground staff arranged for them to be delivered to my hotel later that night, can't really complain about that.

Overall, this is a wonderful aircraft and a joy to fly on but Qantas need to limit the recline in the seats as to make it fair for all passengers.

MalcolmPacey flew Qantas Economy, on a A380 (Config. 2) (03/11/2012 18:41)

QF A380 is the only way to fly. I've just recently done SYD-SIN on a BA 744. What a tired and uncomfortable product that is. I then swapped at SIN to my second QF A380 flight, and it's a pure pleasure to fly that thing. The QF crew is always awesome. Good food, even in economy, constant water services, Snack on Q pack, and a self-serve bar to grab a snack whenever you want.

BryanCleaver flew Qantas Economy, on a B767-300 (Config 2) (09/09/2012 21:37)

Quick commuter flight from Sydney to Melbourne.

Boarding was easy and quick, no major delays except with the self-check luggage system.

Service was fine, newspapers and a drink to relax.

In-flight entertainment was the overhead screens, hard to see from the seat and sound was pretty quiet.

Flight was on-time and baggage was quick to come out in Melbourne. Easy, comfortable and affordable flight!

BryanCleaver flew Qantas Economy, on a B747-400 (Config 3) (08/09/2012 03:25)

The Qantas experience was fantastic. Boarding was seamless, quick and easy, both in Tokyo and in Sydney. The flight attendants were friendly and available, smiling through the whole night. Food was good for economy, both dinner and breakfast including nutritional aspects. Drinks were exactly what to expect again in economy. The Q inflight experience provides ample entertainment for the 9hr flight with good tourism information. The seat was great and comfortable for the class, difficult to sleep of course but able to move around. Flight left on time and was early to Tokyo, having to actually slow down to wait for the airstrip to open for the day. Baggage was expensive leaving Sydney. As a skier for business, it was pricey to bring all of my gear plus my necessary baggage, an extra $130 for just 5kg, although the baggage policy has changed since. Good and versatile frequent flyer program!

TominScotland flew Qantas Economy, on a B767-300 (Config 2) (05/09/2012 04:45)

Took this early flight from Brisbane to Sydney en route to Alice Springs. We arrived at Brisbane in plenty of time to obtain boarding cards and leave bags at the bag drop. Went through light security and headed to the Qantas Lounge to meet up with colleagues. Availed of the continental breakfast there, which was varied and interesting (fruit, yoghurt, cereals, toast).

Boarding is called in the Lounge is the "first and final" call so no good if you miss it!! Headed to gate 8 and the used the priority lane to board. I was seated in 25B, close to the front of Economy. Push back was on time and, after a short taxi, we took off to the south.

A further light breakfast was served soon after take-off but I confined myself to juice and coffee. Service was pleasent and efficient.

We landed after a short hold and disembarked on time into the domestic terminal in Sydney.

TominScotland flew Qantas Economy, on a B747-400 (Config 2) (30/08/2012 00:43)

My second run with QF52 in just over a week, this time in Economy (PE last time round). I transfered from Changi T2 and my connecting flight from KL and checked in at Transfer Desk D. With no checked bags, this was swift and painless. Migrated upstairs to the QF/ BA First Lounge - busy but room to do the work I needed to finish. I checked on seating options (I had pre-selected 44C) and was told that, as the flight was only half full, I would have a free seat next to me, which was great. But no up-grade as had been the case on the way north.

Boarding was announced in the Lounge and I made my way to the Gate some 10 minutes away, cleared security and walked straight on board as they announced Premium passengers as I arrived. Found my seat and was pleased with the amount of legroom in Economy. Overall boarding was quick and we closed doors some 20 minutes early but did not push back for another 15 minutes.

Service commenced soon after take off and the supper options of beef or fish both looked good - I opted for a very tasty beef in rich gravy dish. Then it was straight to sleep for me - no one in front of me so goodly room to stretch out. I woke up as the light breakfast was served some 4.5 hours later.

We landed on time and disembarked into a busy Brisbane International Terminal with Lax and DXB flights arriving at the same time. So the Foreign Passports queue was long but by no means LHR or JFK!! Through in about 20 minutes and up stairs for the airtrain just 35 minutes after landing.

Certainly, one of the better Economy experiences around for long-haul.

SpeedbirdAbz flew Qantas Economy, on a A380-800 (06/07/2012 22:29)

I was dreading my flight Heathrow/Melbourne, but well done Qantas, I did not feel like I had travelled so far!

The A380 is very comfortable in economy, food was just average, but the mostly British crew were top notch, the best I've had on any airline, they really couldn't do enough. I would have preferred a drinks round prior to dinner, but they have bars to go and self-serve, so not a huge gripe.

I didn't use my iPod at all because the entertainment system had absolutely loads to watch and listen to - far more than I had expected.

I would recommend Qantas to anyone travelling to Australia and beyond.

tenacioustins flew Qantas Economy, on a A380-800 (26/02/2012 05:14)

In April of 2011, I took a flight from LAX to MEL (QF94) and then made the return trip in May, which was QF93 from MEL to LAX. I had also taken this route in 2010, but on a 747 and while it was comfortable and food and service were impeccable, there were a few things that really needed to be changed in order for it to be perfect.

Once again, I found the service was amazing. All of the flight attendants, the captain and the first officer were more than polite and warm and welcoming. On my way over, I had taken a flight on a nasty AA jet from Boston to LAX since I live on the east coast. So when I got to LAX, all I wanted to do was board a nice jet and sleep. I had heard good things about the A380 and had done my research...since it only flew on Wednesdays and Fridays on this particular route, I wanted to make sure that this is what I really wanted. I decided to go for it because it probably wouldn't be any worse than the 747.

The first thing I noticed is how bright the cabin was. I didn't feel like I was in an old, dark jet crowded with people squished in like sardines. The height of the ceiling made the 21 foot wide cabin seem even bigger, which really helped. I got seat 77K on purpose because it is a window seat and has the back against a wall. It is in front of a galley, which has the snack bar. Despite being in front of a galley, the noise and light did not bother me at all. I was quite sick on the flight over to MEL, due to bad food choices.

The passenger in my row (I had a seat next to me that was empty) was gracious enough to let me out quite a bit, and at about 5:30 in the morning LAX time, which seemed to be quite dark where we were and everyone was sleeping, the Flight Attendants actually offered me some coffee, and sat and chatted with me about this and that for about half an hour. They also did everything they could to help me feel better and kept checking on me to make sure I was ok. The food I had eaten previous to the flight was what caused my sickness...and the lack of food for so many hours combined with what I ate was what did me in long before the flight started. However, Qantas was understanding and when the food carts came, they made sure I got my food first so that hopefully I would feel better.

Unfortunately, it didn't make me feel better, but it had nothing to do with Qantas's food and everything to do with the crazy long journey I was on and the bad food choices before taking off.

The food on board was great. There are always two options and there's always plenty of food. I have found that some of the delicacies such as the cookies in the "Q" snack bag are fabulous. The fruit served in the morning is always fresh and the food served did in general seem quite appetizing and not bad for economy level food.

The flight itself was SMOOTH and quiet. I absolutely loved how smooth and quiet the A380 was. When we took off, I barely felt the runway or the speed and once in the air, it didn't even feel like we were moving. They were careful to announce when we might hit some turbulence, but that was very rare since we flew so high up. Landing on both flights was smooth and seamless...I didn't even know we had landed...it was that smooth. I was very impressed by the pilot's skill and care, and the smoothness of the jet itself.

As for the seats...well, it's economy so what do you expect. I'm an average 5'4" girl with a solid build and a little extra fluff but not a lot. I have pretty wide hips though lol. I found the width of the seat to be a little limiting and I didn't like the armrests being so solid, although understandably if they weren't, people's legs would splay and hit other people's legs. But at 18.2 inches wide, that's not very wide. But...it's economy. I found the leg room to be pretty nice. There is a little net for your feet and I used that quite a bit when sleeping and I have to say it was fairly comfortable and did make it feel less burdensome than having my feet on the floor.

Being that I was against a wall, I threw my laptop bag behind my seat as there was lots of room, and I probably shouldn't have, but I did just to open up some leg room. It was awkward to get it afterwards, but hey it's a 15 hour flight and people do lots of awkward things when they're done lol.

The bottom of the seat slid forward so it was more like reclining than just the seat going back. I found that to be much nicer than the seats in the 747...but some people don't like it. Not sure why. The elbow room (literal elbow room, between my elbow and the window) was excellent. Maybe too good. Everyone had so much room between their seat and the window, that the pillows, blankets and whatever else they'd propped on the window to help them sleep ended up falling out behind them...several times I caught a pillow or blanket from the person in front of me. I of course didn't have this issue as there was no one behind me.

In flight entertainment...downright GOOD. So much selection! I love music and I wanted music to help me sleep so I found the perfect stuff and it put me right to sleep. Yes, SLEEP. Even when I was sick, I finally got some sleep. When I felt like watching something, there was an excellent variety of TV shows and movies to choose from. If that didn't satisfy me, there were games to play...but I wanted to be polite to the person in front of me so I didn't play them as some of them required touching the screen a lot. Overall, I couldn't have asked for better IFE.

The only issue I faced is that the IFE system offers in flight internet and in flight texting for a fee. Because I was bored and I wanted to try it, I decided to try to send a text to my friend who was picking me up. The system doesn't work yet, so when I slid my card (yes, there is a place to slide your credit card, in the remote I believe) it didn't do anything, and thus, I couldn't send the text, or get internet for that matter. I asked the flight attendants about it, and they responded that when it came out initially, they had some issues with it, and had to renegotiate terms so it would be unavailable for a while. From what I have heard, in flight internet is returning to select flights in Business and First, but not yet to Economy or Premium Economy. Aside from those issues, I had no other issues with the IFE.

Let's see...what else can I think of? Oh yes, the ceiling height was enough that I could fully stand up where I was seated without bumping my head on a bin. Also, the aisles were wide enough that even when a cart was going through, there was ample room. Two people could easily pass each other in the aisle and I never bumped anyone. The flight was smooth enough that I didn't need to hold on to any seats either, which was a problem I had had on the 747.

The lavs were about as expected. Usually they were pretty clean and didn't look like 500 other people were on the same flight. There were enough of them that it was not crowded in the morning before landing and I had adequate space and time to freshen up.

The snack bar was a definite improvement to nothing on the 747. It had small drinks, fresh fruit, and various snacks all available throughout the flight, free of charge and fully accessible. Although the "Snack on Q" bag was good, a 15 hour flight calls for a fair amount of fluid as well as a snack here and there to keep going...and the snack bar did just that.

Overall, an A+ experience considering it is after all economy seating. I couldn't have asked for better service, food, or IFE. Of course I wanted more room. But who in economy doesn't? I understand that when I take economy, I'm going to be limited by the space I'm given and I feel bad for anyone who is larger or taller. But aside from the space, everything was amazing on both flights, and I am leaving in 10 days to do it all over again, same seat, same jet, same routes. I wouldn't consider taking any other airline on this route.

TominScotland flew Qantas Economy, on a B767-300 (Config 1) (14/02/2012 13:07)

This review relates to the 3'40" flight from Melbourne to Perth, on a relatively tired 767. I travelled in Economy - apologies to those readers who find Economy reviews inappropriate on this site.

I arrived at Tullamarine at 07.20 for my 8.30 flight having checked in earlier and printed my boarding pass. Self-service baggage drop was simplicity itself and I was through security within 5 minutes of arrival. With no Lounge access, I took out a second mortgage in order to purchase a coffee and breakfast snack in the spacious departures area.

Boarding was relaxed as the flight was by no means full. The interior of the aircraft was very tired and the seats in need of a major refurb. Legroom was good but the seating fabric tatty. IFE was not seatback in Economy with central monitors showing children's entertainment, appropriate, I guess, for a weekend flight.

Take off was on time, despite an almighty rain storm. Service was efficient and friendly - a somewhat unusual but tasty breakfast of eggs, chorizo sausage, potatoes and greens, complemented by OJ, coffee, yoghurt and a muffin. Certainly a good effort for a domestic flight!! Water was served at regular intervals and a breakfast bar was available close to arrival in Perth.

We landed some 15 minutes early and even though luggage took a little while, I was away in my hire car within 30 minutes of arrival.

Notwithstanding the aircraft, as good a domestic service as you'll get anywhere these days and better than most.

LeeBfromOz flew Qantas Economy, on a A380-800 (02/09/2011 14:15)

Flew from Melbourne to Heathrow via Singapore in economy.

Inside the plane felt bright and airy, but putting touch screens on the back of seats has to be the single most stupid thing ever conceived. Why you would want to encourage anyone to bash the seat in front with their fingers is beyond me. Believe me, after 22 hours of it, you feel like (I can't say).

The seats were reasonably comfortable for my 6ft height, with room to stretch my legs under the seat in front, but a bit narrow so I had to have both my arms squashed in between my armrests (one on the left was being used by the other passenger as their remote control is stored in it and one on the right had to be tucked in so as not to be bashed by the catering trollies). That's another stupid thing, why store the remote in the actual armrest, so it has to be opened (thus removing the person's arm next to you off it) to get to the remote.

The seat backs are extremely weak, unfortunately the gentleman behind me could not get out his chair without grabbing it and bending it back to almost breaking point then letting go. It also flexes lots when people hold on to it whilst walking by. The touch screen only requires the lightest of touches to operate it, however due to it's slow response people (like the one behind me) take to hitting it harder and harder until it responds.

On the second (13 hour) leg of the flight, after having my water taken off me before boarding the plane, depsite being given it on the same plane and getting back on the same plane, water did not come round for a good 2 hours so I was parched. I did try the attendant button but it was ignored, so got water out of the toilet tap instead. I also a case of everyone being asked to put their seat backs up for dinner, except the person in front of me who had his fully reclined, but was too busy complaining about the person in front of him who was sleeping with it reclined. The poor fella had to be woken up. I then respectfully asked for the seat in front of me to be put up after he had finished complaining!

For my return journey I've booked a seat with a wall behind and against the window to try and avoid these issues, although it's near the toilet, so I'm hoping it's not too noisy.

asimeou flew Qantas Economy, on a A380-800 (05/06/2011 02:25)

Awful. I will avoid flying with Qantas after my first experience with them from Heathrow to Singapore. About the only thing good about my experience was the in-flight entertainment.

The Qantas A380-800 flight had a great choice of movies and music. Other than that, I had a terrible time trying to sleep and get comfortable.

The seats are just far too small. I'm not a big person, but slightly taller than average. I'm only 13 stone and 6ft2inches tall. Legroom is ok if you're prepared to keep your legs under the seat in front of you and one thing I quite like is the elimination of those clunky foot rests. But the seats are just far too narrow and the pitch is too short, particularly if the person in front reclines their seat.

Before I boarded, I had read the seats were designed by some famous designer and were supposed to be state of the art. What a load of rubbish. The seats are awful. Plain and simple. They've eliminated everything on the seats including any ruggedness and functionality. You can feel every little tap from the person behind pressing on the touch screen and kicking the seat with their knees. And for some reason, the seats seem to amplify the vibrations so it's near impossible to rest if you're a person like me that can't stand sudden jolts of movement. The seat width is too small. Not the smallest I've seen, but then again, seats that I have experienced that are narrower have been on very short haul flights. I didn't expect that from a long haul, especially after an excruciating 13 hour flight. And to make matters worse (some industrial designer needs to get sacked for this one), the earphone socket points towards your leg so when you plug in the earphones, you have even less room and often jolt the plug out when you move. The arm rests only fold back three quarters of the way and mine refused to stay up.

Dreadful and inhumanely uncomfortable seating aside, the food served was also not great. The first meal had chicken which tasted as if it had been soaked in detergent and the trays are just too small. Cutlery is plastic, cheap and nasty. There is nowhere to put your cups (most other airlines I've flown with have cup holders on the seats so you can put the tray table away).

I wish I could find something good to say about the seating, but I can't - honestly. The service from the cabin crew was ok though and they did their best to ensure everyone was as comfortable as possible - they probably know how bad the seating is. In comparison to other long-haul flights I've had with British Airways, Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific, Qantas is definitely (by far) the worst out of the bunch. I certainly will not be flying with them again.

TravelBuggy flew Qantas Economy, on a A380-800 (21/02/2011 07:22)

I flew on the Qantas A380 from Singapore-London-Singapore.

After hearing such great reports on the A380, I was excited and looking forward to travelling on one. However, my experience on a Qantas A380 was not what I expected.

The seats were cramped, not enough leg room (mind you I am only 5ft 4") and the seating was not all that wide. I can understand this configuration for a short haul flight, but you're talking about a 14.5-hour flight long haul!

I was sure as hell disappointed with the A380. To make matters worse, the in-flight entertainment kept playing up, the sound system was not good and the crew kept announcing how the system had to be re-booted and would take a while. I am one who always follows the flight path and have to say I was very disappointed that the system did not work at times and was not updated.

First experiences are always "lasting" experiences and sadly...my experience on an A380 was deplorable, uncomfortable and not at all memorable! I overheard passengers on the return flight (London-Singapore) complain this was not the kind of seating and comfort they expected from an A380. So come on Qantas - you NEED to do something about your seating configuration to make people's journeys more comfortable in Economy on an A380.

Btw, I just travelled on a Singapore Airlines B777-200 from Manila to Singapore and was pleasantly surprised. The seats were wider with more leg room then the Qantas A380 - and this was just a 3h 15 min fight!

EdmundCarew flew Qantas Economy, on a B767-300 (Config 1) (15/02/2009 08:47)

Terrible. No IFE at seat. 21 years old and showing it. Avoid.

WoodySabran101 flew Qantas Economy, on a B747-400 (Config 5) (11/12/2008 17:27)

I flew Qantas for the first time two weeks ago from LHR to MEL... a 24 hour flight stopping in Hong Kong to refuel. This was my first experience of a long haul flight, I had no idea what to expect.

Generally I found the staff to be helpful, the in-flight entertainment was reasonable, when it worked, and the food was actually not too bad - the only real issue I had was with regards to the toilets and leg room. The toilets were quite dirty and there was a definite lack of leg room at the back of the plane.