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.

Stephen787 flew Qantas Economy (short haul), on a B737-800 (20/02/2012 09:51)

I booked this flight from Sydney to Cairns for a long weekend in the sun as a birthday surprise for my partner. The day was starting well as I checked-in online at home and was lucky to get exit row seats on the 3 hour flight to the tropics. Then it was off to the Kingsford Smith Airport for our trip away. But before boarding there was time for a quick visit to the Qantas Heritage Museum in terminal 2.

Boarding was a few minutes late but given the 3 hour flight time we easily made up the delay. Even in these days of Qantas cost cutting the children on-board were offered colouring packs before take off, and the extra 8-9 inches of legroom in our exit row made a big difference to us, so everyone was happy.

Once airborne the crew set about the drinks service and preparing for lunch while the drop-down video screens played the morning news and then a movie. Lunch consisted of Beef Goulash with mashed potato and beans, bread roll, butter plus a chocolate bar. Given my partner's birthday the purser also provided us with complementary wine from business class for the rest of the flight.

Free water, juice and soft drinks were also available with lunch and throughout the flight. Mid-flight the flight attendants handed out ice-creams to and a further drink run. The seats were comfortable enough for a day flight but I would not want to travel on a red-eye in a 737.

The flight was uneventful but pleasant. Having flown in the US and in Europe on low cost and discounted mainline carriers it really shows how good the Qantas service is on it's longer domestic flights which are often heavily discounted. Overall a great product, carefully planned service and at a good price.

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.

TheHud! flew Qantas First, on a A380-800 (09/02/2012 14:28)

LHR-SIN round trip on the A380.

I found the suite very comfortable but over-engineered. For example, the swivel function appears redundant (BA and VS seats are permanently 'swivelled', why not QF's?) and means you can hardly reach the suite / entertainment controls when facing directly forwards.

The seat / IFE controls necessite navigating seemingly-endless electronic menus: eg you have to press at least four buttons to recline your seat a bit. It struck me as being the result of over-excited product developers (does anybody really use the massage functions?!) rather than catering to the needs of travellers. In this regard, I think Qantas would do well to learn from the easy-to-use but sophisticated elegance of the new BA First.

On the plus side, the suite was brilliant for sleeping and the food & wine on the way out were superb (I slept on the way home). I had an under-attentive flight attendant on the outbound leg, but no doubt he was just having a bad day as all the other crew members were great.

As an aside, I wanted to check out the A380 having not flown on one before - so I took a wander up the stairs at the front of of the plane and then walked the upper deck from front to back.

There is a 'lounge' at the top of the upper deck which had the appearance of a bus stop: half a dozen uncomfortable looking seats running along the side of the plane with no windows behind them and a wall (the outer edge of the stairwell) in front. As this 'lounge' is only accessible to Business Class and First passengers, it was no surprise that it was empty and that people preferred the comfort of their own seats!

TridentGold flew Qantas First, on a A380-800 (17/11/2011 16:03)

First F-Class experience in a QANTAS 380 WAS on this long overnight flight from LAX to SYD.

A superb flight in every respect which compared favourably to EK 380 First (better functionality and less glitz). I used a very early check in 5 hours before departure which was very efficient and got me through to airside at a quiet time. The One World F Lounge at LAX became very busy with QF, CX and BA flights but still worked well and was never overwhelmed.

Boarding was slightly odd in that F class passengers were directed with Y class passengers to the lower deck door which slowed things down a bit. Once on board however a fantastic efficient and enthusiastic crew swung into action and made the journey a pleasure. Everything was "no worries" and served with a smile.

Wine and food selection was extensive, presentation and quality truly outstanding (after 3500 flights it is very very rare for me to comment so favourably about in flight catering).

The swivel seat/ bed was ergonomically spot on and the entertainment system, with a vast array of possibilities delivered flawlessly.

On time arrival, express immigration and rapid baggage handling meant I was groundside 25 minutes after landing, such a refreshing contrast to airports like Los Angeles and Chicago. A thoroughly first class experience.

Stephen787 flew Qantas Business, on a B747-400 (Config 1) (27/10/2011 10:03)

BKK to LHR.
Leaving BKK at around midnight after a visit to the shared BA/QF lounge meant that most business passengers were ready for a quiet flight and some sleep on this 12hr flight to London. I was seated upstairs in 18K, one of the favoured window seats with the handy side lockers. These lockers make a huge difference as your hand luggage is at conveniently at hand removing the need to get up mid-flight to access the overhead lockers or to disturb your sleeping companion.

Champagne, water and a nasty tangerine fruit juice was offered before take-off. Given that this was a night flight with an early morning arrival, Qantas has hotel-style breakfast order cards waiting at your seat so you can order in advance leaving more time for sleep. Menus for supper were also handed out along with amenity kits, pyjamas and noise cancelling headphones so that supper could be served straight after take-off into the humid night air.

On this flight the crew were much more friendly than my flight up from Sydney and the female crew members wore smart black pyjama style outfits. As the upper deck cabin was only half full supper was quickly served. There was a small supper menu consisting of a toasted foccacia with goats cheese, eggplant, dried tomato and pesto; Honey Dijon glazed sea bass; a Thai style duck; and a Lamb and red wine pot pie. Followed by Tiramisu, fresh fruit or cheese for afters. The food was of good quality and presentation, a pity the fish was a little bland.

After supper I settled down with the On Q IFE system. Plenty of choices to keep most people entertained for hours. As I usually do, I caught up on a couple of movies I'd missed out on at the cinema. The lie flat seat was not fully flat but when set at 80% it was at a decent angle for sleep.

Waking up over the Caspian sea at sunrise the view was a treat and quite mesmerising. An excellent breakfast of fresh fruit, yoghurt, with corn cakes and bacon followed while we flow over Poland and Germany. Then it was time to freshen up and change before landing at Heathrow.

Arriving at Terminal 3 was like a step back in time. Those low ceilings and narrow walkways give away its age. It appears that BAA are trying to freshen up the terminal in time for the Olympics but I'm not sure how much you can do with that building. Finally getting to immigration with a fast track card I expected to breeze through the barriers, but in fact we were kept waiting longer than passengers in regular lines thanks to the officials controlling the queues. Over 45 mins waiting in the fast track line was ridiculous, but at least the trip was almost over.

Overall a decent business product that ticked most of the boxes. Once they refit the 747's with the fully flat seats to bring them in line with the A380 this will be a much better experience.

roadster55 flew Qantas Business (short haul), on a B737-400 (Config 1) (06/10/2011 14:21)

This just cannot be called business class. These Planes are so dated.

I always try to sit in the back row (usually row 4 because you can lean the seat back far enough - the rest of the rows are crap)

Service is great as always from Qantas staff but please upgrade the fleet.

Stephen787 flew Qantas Business, on a B747-400 (Config 1) (18/09/2011 10:51)

Syd to BKK. Seat 17A Upper deck window.

Great seat with side lockers under the windows which makes accessing your hand luggage during the flight very easy.

Seat comfortable even though it is an angled flat version on this 9hr flight. The cabin is in excellent condition for this 19yo aircraft.

Crew were busy during meal service and could have smiled a lot more to make passengers feel welcome.

Food and wine high quality but food was a bit bland. Great IFE system with noise cancelling headphones. No pre-landing snack after 9hrs but there was a small snack menu available after the main meal.

Overall a quality product that just needs a little sparkle.

pterodactyl flew Qantas First, on a A380-800 (13/09/2011 17:30)

Excellent lounge at Melbourne with great food, massage and service.

Service onboard was very good and seat very comfortable. Lovely pyjamas and toiletry bag and amenities. Eight-course tasting menu (Melbourne to Singapore) was delicious, as were the wines and vintage champagne. Food on Singapore to London leg was not quite as good or lavish. A little underwhelming after the previous flight.

Seat / bed was very comfortable with excellent mattress, duvet and pillow.

Good choice of films and music.

First-class lounge at Singapore is not exciting, but better than the dreary business lounge!

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.

Scampiboy flew Qantas Business, on a A380-800 (26/08/2011 11:15)

JenniferStraus flew Qantas Premium Economy, on a B747-400 (Config 1) (25/07/2011 12:45)

We recently flew Dallas/Brisbane on Qantas Premium Economy and was extremely disappointed with the seat. It hardly reclined and there was not near enough cushioning. There was a curtain that separated our section from Business but it was left open with a bright light shining into my husband's eyes as he was on the aisle. 2 Lavatories did not have any soap. I asked for an extra cushion and was told it was a full flight period. I have flown Qantas many times over a lot of years but I will shop for an alternative when I come back to Australia next year.

Francophileonthemove flew Qantas Business, on a B747-400 (Config 1) (18/07/2011 04:56)

I flew Qantas from Melbourne - Hong Kong - London Heathrow in seat 17A (upper deck). I usually use BA and this flight was indeed a code share but using Qantas aircraft. The seating is dreadful! They are billed as flat bed but aren't! When seated, my seat was impossibly hard and too upright. When lying down, you end up on a slope with your feet wedged under the seat in front. Again, the seat is impossibly hard. The constant buzzing of seat mechanisms as passengers attempted to get comfortable was really irritating. Because the seats are so ugly, grey and large the cabin looks smaller, darker and more old fashioned than other airline's business class products. Apart from that the amenity kit, pillow and blanket were great and much better than BA. However, the food service was odd.

On boarding in Melbourne we had an ultra quick and very minimal 'supper'. Before landing in Hong Kong we had breakfast
(1) which was basic but acceptable; we were then offered breakfast
(2) in the lounge and on boarding for London we were offered breakfast
(3). How many breakfast's does a guy need!

During the flight there was the offer of some spectacularly unhealthy sandwiches and chocolate bars but nothing vaguely healthy. We finally had a rather rushed but very good lunch 2 hours before landing.

QF food was generally very good. The wine list and the offer of an inflight sommelier and highly trained cabin crew (in relation to wine) is the classic marketing mistake of overpromising and underdelivering.

The crew on the first sector didn't have a clue even which champagne they were serving! All in all a mixed experience. The marginally better food, blanket and amenity kit than BA don't make up for the back breaking seating and the crew do need some training and supervision. They lack polish, decorum and knowledge. I would choose BA on this route next time.

EugeneChan flew Qantas Business, on a A330-200 (International) (08/06/2011 07:35)

I recently flew Business Class between Auckland and Sydney on QF114, which was operated by an A330-200 aircraft.

Check-in was very efficient. There was a designated lounge area dedicated for Business Class passengers. An immigration officer was present in the check-in area to pre-clear Business Class passengers and there were lounge seats for us to fill out our departure cards etc.

The Qantas Lounge was nice - there was a large variety of breakfast and lunch food, as well as both complimentary alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Since I had just arrived from a 14 hour flight from Vancouver earlier that day, I was happy to be able to have a shower in the Lounge to refresh myself.

As expected, I was one of the first to board the aircraft. The Business Class cabin had a welcoming feel to it and ambience - the seats were arranged 2 x 2 x 2.

The seat was a Skybed seat which reclined almost horizontally, but I think there was a very slight angle to the seat. Apart from that, it was very comfortable particularly after I placed a below under my head to watch the TV in front. The seat was spacious with ample legroom not only for my legs to put some of the bags and coats. However, I had the window seat and it was slightly awkward having to go to the toilet because the passenger next to me was sleeping flat. I either had to wake him up and request him to sit upright or walk across his legs. I chose the latter and that was a bad choice because I underestimated the difficulty of it and sort of tripped over his ankle. Very embarrassing.

There was a pre-drinks service. My lunch meal was delicious and it was ready within 40 mins after taking-off. From memory, for entree, I had either beef or lamb carpaccio; for main, salmon, and I do not remember what I had for dessert. I was excited to learn that the cutlery, china and glassware were designed by some industrial designer or someone to that effect. There was a large selection of wines on offer.

Service was excellent. The cabin crew were attentive and ensured that all passengers were happy and satisfied.

We arrived about 15 minutes early into Sydney. There were quite a few other international flights that arrived at the same time but luckily, I received a priority immigration and custom card, which meant that I could go skip to the front of both the immigration and custom lines, probably saving 20 minutes in total. And as expected, my luggage was one of the first to come out.

Overall, I was very satisfied with the Qantas Business Class product and service. I will certainly travel with them again in the future. I also recently flew from Sydney to JFK via LAX with Qantas in Economy - that was also very good.

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.

BMBettesworth flew Qantas Business, on a A380-800 (18/05/2011 14:16)

Flew LHR/ Singapore/LHR in the new A380. Seated in the middle of the centre cabin on top deck in row 19.

Qantas have really upped their game with this aircraft. Seats were very comfortable, with massage facillity and 180 lie flat capability. The cabin was spacious, entertainment 1st class (although had to be reset on outward journey).

I was amazed by the quietness of the cabin. The food was excellent, particularly Duck Shepherd's Pie on return journey.

The plane has a larger than normal bathroom which is great for changing etc. The cabin service was personal and pleasant, I didn't like the wine on offer so the attendant went down to first clas to fetch the bottle of my choice. All in all, most impressive.

SamWardill flew Qantas Business, on a A380-800 (18/04/2011 20:39)

Check In

I checked in online and printed my boarding pass. However this didn’t yield me much benefit as there is not much to choose between the seats (according to the various online reviews). On arrival in Singapore airport I had forgotten that business check-in was all in a separate plush area so I went to the economy check in. As there was no queue I dropped off my bags there.

Lounge

The Qantas/BA lounge at Singapore is pretty basic. There is not a great choice of food, drink or newspapers. The ambiance is nothing special. I went off to find the airport food court for a last hit of Singapore hawker centre style food before departure.

Boarding

Boarding is where an A380 business class comes into its own. You are guaranteed a dedicated business class ramp. This was my second ever flight on an A380. The first had been a few days earlier with SQ in economy from HKG. It was good to be on the upper deck this time! When I got on to the plane the stewardess was very welcoming and even searched the plane (to no avail) for a copy of Business Traveller magazine for me.

Seat

The seat is comfortable to sit in with its massage function. I didn’t find it particularly comfortable to sleep in. It didn’t quite feel like a flat bed. It felt more like a lie-flat seat. There was, however, lots of space. There was also a bar area up front where passengers could chill out. However I didn’t see anybody really using it.

IFE

Because I didn’t find the seat that comfortable for sleeping, I was glad that there was a good selection of films to watch. I managed to get through four films and did not get bored. The supplied headset was good quality so much so that I left my own Audio Technica noise reducing cans in the bag.

Food

The evening meal was very light. I assume that this was partly because the flight departed SG so late and partly because many passengers had already eaten a large meal on departure from Sydney. The food did also seem to take an age to be served which wasn’t ideal for a very late evening departure. The breakfast order was a la carte with the order taken on departure on a hotel door knob style breakfast menu. It was one of the best flight breakfasts that I had ever had and clearly was the main event on this route.
Arrival
Arrival in London was very smooth. My bag appeared quickly and I was on my way home.

Summary

I had been anticipating my first A380 flight for some time. I am a bit of a flight nerd and I wanted to see what it had to offer. My experience with the Qantas A380 was good but it did not wow me. I think that next time I would choose to fly BA on this route. You can’t beat the cosiness of the upper deck on a 747 and I prefer the BA seat for sleeping.

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!

wmorgan2035 flew Qantas Premium Economy, on a B747-400 (Config 1) (15/01/2011 03:13)

From the time I checked in at Sydney Kingsford Smith to boarding Qantas looked after me all the way. I used points for this flight so was not expecting much..... was I surprised! Premium Economy was placed between J and E class on the main cabin of this 747. 32 seats available and there were only 9 in PE class - we had two dedicated cabin crew who assisted with every detail. Pre departure drinks, IFE advice and good usable headsets. The wine list was amazing and the food choice very tasty. Attentive crew were not so busy so we were spoiled - drinks at our whim and nibbles for in-between meals. Arrived a little early and sadly I was set adrift. Premium Economy was ideal for day flights Qantas..... thanks for including this standard on most of your flights.

GavinBaker flew Qantas Premium Economy (16/10/2010 23:27)

Booked Qantas Auckland -London-Johannesburg- Auckland. This entails flying Auckland Sydney on the way out and the reverse on the way homeand these two legs are by Business class -a most welcome and unexpected bonus from Qntas. We were advised at time of booking that Sydney - London would be on BA codeshare because of our schedule and thought nothing of it. WHAT A MISTAKE TO MAKE! Auckland to Sydney was by Business class which allows one easy check in and use of Quantas Lounge at Auckland. . Thank you Qantas. On the flight over the Cabin Attendant advised that BA Premium Economy was "Not so Flash" -the understatement of the year as it turned out. See my review and those by others under BA World Traveller Plus. Because of our schedules and routes we only had Qantas Premium Economy from Johannesburg to Sydney- the other two legs we suffered at the hands of BA I have nothing but praise for Qantas Premium Economy and cannot fault the flight ,the cheerful welcoming service ,excellent entertainment system and generally good ameneties. The 4 hour stop over on the return flight was spent in the Qantas lounge at Sydney - good food and lovely showers and a comfortable business class trip home to Auckland. To summarise I would say that if you can do the whole trip on Qantas the it is worth the extra fare. If for some reason you have to code share on a BA flight -forget it it is not worth it . Nothing but buquets to Qantas and nothing but bickbats(with Knobs on) to BA

PhillDanze flew Qantas Economy (short haul), on a B737-800 (22/09/2010 10:37)

I have flown the short haul SYD-BNE route many times and my ratings in this review reflect my experience today. I have not rated baggage as I rarely check in baggage on short haul, domestic business trips. The narrative below however could apply to most Qantas "CityFlyer" routes, being the product offering Qantas offers on flights between the Australian capital cities. In particular, the east coast, short haul routes (i.e. between SYD, CBR, BNE, MEL), as the experience is quite vanilla, having flown them countless times over several years.

Aimed at the business traveller market these are full service flights. However, if you fly outside of the peak business traveller hours then the full service is scaled back (you at least get a hot or cold beverage and a snack). Full service features at the time of writing are: * Newspapers from 6am to 9am weekdays * Complimentary beer and wine from 4pm on weekdays (Perth CityFlyer services from 12pm daily) * Dinners served between 6pm and 8pm (excl CBR-SYD city pair) * Breakfast served until 8.30am

Domestic check is easy with online and mobile check in available. There are plenty of flights throughout the day so if you are travelling on a flexible fare then it is easy to change your flight on the day if needed; good if your meetings finish early. A tip is to take a cheaper non-flexible fare on the outbound and a flexible fare on the return.

The aircraft used on the east coast CityFlyer flights are typically B737s and B767s. The 767s take longer to board so although the 737 is smaller, it is a faster on/off experience. I am over 6ft. and leg room is OK given the short haul nature however if the passenger in front reclines their seat, it is a tight space to be in.

Flights tend to run to schedule however I recommend that you factor about 30 mins of delays into your business travel plans be it flight delay related or ground transport related. I find that about 50% of the time there delays of some nature.

Cabin crew service is satisfactory and consistent - these are "milk run" type flights so once you're up in the air the crew have limited time to feed passengers so they just get on with it.

In flight entertainment is offered with complimentary headsets. A news service is aired followed by a short documentary style programme, depending on flight duration. Flights over a couple of hours may have a film. The inflight magazine "The Australian Way" generally contains good quality articles to accompany the usual in flight magazine content of fleet size, route map, entertainment guide, health and safety etc. It is only updated once a month however so after two flights, you are done with it!

One criticism is that the script that Qantas use on arrival at the destination is too long; it just feels never ending and simple messages are relayed using a lot of words. After you have flown a couple of times, it can become a little irritating.

Overall, for the business traveller travelling early in the morning and then returning later in the day, the CityFlyer service is a quality package and superior to the other domestic airlines.

ciaraoreilly flew Qantas (12/08/2010 14:16)

HI flew with Qantas to Australia. I was dreading the flight as it so long but i have to say Qantas made it as comfortable as its going to be. They had great movies a choice for everyone, the food was nice I ate everything and I slept on the plane which normally I cant. Any long haul flight I take in future will be with Qantas :)

doctorjosh flew Qantas Business, on a B747-400 (Config 3) (25/07/2010 12:56)

SYD-NRT and BKK-SYD on B747-400 in Business. Both flights were on time. There was no Business class check-in lane at SYD, which was very strange. Business lounge at SYD was large, comfortable and offered a good selection of food (both hot and cold) and beverages. Business lounge in BKK was reasonably sized with a good selection of food and beverages. The shower facilities were excellent. However, the BKK lounge becomes very crowded because both a QF and BA flight (who shares the lounge) arrive and depart at the same time. Priority boarding was honoured on both sectors. The seats are reasonably comfortable for sitting but not so good for sleeping, as they are angled lie-flat and are quite hard. The seat feels narrow and the pitch seems restricted when in the recline position, which also makes it harder to sleep well. IFE was good with AVOD. On-board catering was generally quite good but the lack of a hot breakfast on the BKK-SYD sector was disappointing.

A nice amenity kit is provided and "designer" pyjamas on overnight flights is a very nice touch as are the face towels in the lavatories. Flight attendants were very friendly and helpful. I was seated in the front section of the lower deck on the SYD-NRT sector. The cabin felt private but not crowded. On the BKK-SYD sector, I was seated in the upper deck. The cabin felt private but a little claustrophobic, which I think is due to the bulky feel and design of the seats. However, the side storage area makes up for it. The Express card on departure and arrival in SYD (for immigration and security) is very welcome and appreciated during busy times. Overall, a good product which I'd be happy to use again as long the price is reasonable.

Heleigh flew Qantas First, on a A380-800 (10/07/2010 07:10)

Have flown on A380 twice (2009 and 2010) SYD to LAX, both occasion have sat in row A seats 2 and 3. Both seats were private (as long as the privacy screen is up on the middle row of seating). Food and berverage were excellent. The inflight new movies were not to my liking this year but it is relevant to what is currently out. And when you are ready for bed they make it ready.

PhillDanze flew Qantas Business, on a B747-400 (Config 3) (12/06/2010 09:05)

I have flown business class on QF's Australia - US route many times with Qantas. The product is reliable time and time again with comfortable, private seats, high quality food, and excellent, up to date in flight entertainment.

Whist the cabin crew are friendly enough, they always seem to be in a hurry and thud up and down the aisles - it is quite annoying and it happens on most flights. The seating arrangement too is a little old fashioned with all seats facing forward with some rows having three seats next to each other meaning the person in the middle needs to step over their neighbour to get out.

QF's frequent flyer program is also very good with excellent lounges where all food and beverage is complimentary.

Arriving into Australia QF baggage tends to take a while to come out, much slower than at international airports; they have never lost a bag of mine though in over 10 years of business travel.

Stephen787 flew Qantas Economy (short haul), on a B737-800 (11/04/2010 10:39)

After much bagging of Qantas by the Australian media recently, it was refreshing to have 2 perfect flights on Qantas: Sydney-Adelaide-Sydney. Both on 737-800.

Leaving Sydney on Friday night on time at 18:05. The flight was almost full. Only 2 spare seats and one was next to me. Qantas Citiflyer service provides free beer, wine and soft drinks after 4pm. Dinner was great - perfectly cooked linguini with tomato and zuccini sauce with veal meatballs, cheese & biscuits, and a Toblerone chocolate. Very good wine served with dinner - Primo Estate. Entertainment - TV and radio worked well.

The return flight on Sunday lunchtime was great as well. I could could overhear other passengers saying "why would anyone fly with Virgin Blue or Tiger". I can only agree.

frustratedflyer flew Qantas Premium Economy, on a A380-800 (21/02/2010 12:24)

Probably the best Premium Economy product I have tried. Was in seat 34B at the front of the cabin - a good seat. If you prefer windows 34A has a locker similar to but smaller than the ones found upstairs on a B747. Probably the best seats are in row 38 as they have more legroom than row 34 with the bulkhead. 38J & K have the emergency exit in front and 38D,E & F have also got a lot of space in front of them to allow access to the emergency exits. Service was good, food superb for a premium economy class and the IFE one of the best around although some people had a few problems mine worked throughout.

claire715 flew Qantas Business, on a A330-300 (19/11/2009 06:32)

Stylish cabin, efficient service. More than 100 kinds of wine you can choose. A lot of good Australian wines selection.

Prepared sleeping gowns for guests is really a thoughtful idea,makes me comfortable in the cabin.

The only complaint is that my seat's power supply is broken, but the biz class is full so can't change seat for me...

MarkLeung flew Qantas (10/11/2009 21:40)

The ground staff at Brisbane Domestic Airport was helpful: we were taking a connecting to Sydney to catch an international flight to Hong Kong and my passport had some water damage over the years and he was concerned that customs at Sydney International Airport could make life difficult. He gave me the address of the passport to have it checked when I return from this trip. I didn't have any hassles, but it is good to know. We were travelling with a toddler (21 months) and had a spare seat between us. Seats were comfortable. Didn't bother reclining.

TiffanyLaw flew Qantas Business, on a A380-800 (06/11/2009 15:30)

I flew Business class on Qantas new A380 from LAX to Melbourne. The aircraft was very impressive the bathroom was the size of a large dressing room that you can actually change your clothes without touching the walls, the storage for my carry-ons around my seating was much larger than the 747's and A330's and the reclinding pod seats folded flat with plenty of leg room. What a beautiful plane and I'll always choose this aircraft to fly if it's available.

Stephen787 flew Qantas First, on a B747-400 (Config 1) (21/07/2009 18:06)

QF 128. HKG - SYD Seat 2A The First cabin much more spacious than BA but downside of this is the lack of privacy as the seats are aligned to the fuselage and not pointed in such as BA. Cabin crew were excellent, very friendly and nothing was too much trouble. They also ensured that the pyjamas were the right size and along with the amenity kits were much better designed and thought out than BA.

The seat is showing it's age and needs a larger screen and some storage as the blankets and pillows are piled at the foot of the seat. . Fine for sitting but could be better for sleeping.

Food and wine were excellent, and the service was like a flying 5star restaurant. Innovative and flexible menu - order what and how you like it. Dine on demand really is that. I was able to choose from the full menu again after eating dinner 2hrs earlier. QF entertainment options great as always and comparable with SQ or EK. Would definitely travel again with QF.

terminalfive flew Qantas Business, on a B747-400 (Config 1) (08/06/2009 19:17)

Good service - decent seat but not flat so sleeping not all that easy on a long twelve hour flight

Colingeorge flew Qantas Premium Economy (05/03/2009 04:11)

Pleasantly surprised by the Premium Economy. Was moved up and enjoyed the greater flexibility and service.

EdmundCarew flew Qantas Economy (short haul), on a B737-300 (Config 1) (15/02/2009 08:48)

Showing its age. Tatty.

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.

austline flew Qantas Business, on a A380-800 (27/01/2009 05:51)

Fantastic much better than SQ as you do not get the feeling of claustrophobia. Overalls service and standard of food and wine much better. SQ are on the decline.

RobertWillett flew Qantas Business (short haul), on a A330-200 (Domestic) (23/01/2009 12:24)

Very Qantas, very Australian, she'll be right mate, when it's not, poor poor qantas, getting left behind the pack, bad service, old aircraft, service with attitude, food cold wouldn't recommend to anyone

AnthonyVWood flew Qantas First, on a A380-800 (26/12/2008 03:58)

Not as good as Singapore Airlines A380 suites

WoodySabran 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.

FlyingDoc flew Qantas First, on a B747-400 (Config 5) (06/12/2008 19:48)

Excellent service !

davidbell flew Qantas Premium Economy, on a B747-400 (Config 1) (20/11/2008 12:05)

Very good. Much better than the BA product. You get priority check-in and boarding, drink on take off (including real champagne), better meals, business class wines and better service.

loneflyer flew Qantas Premium Economy, on a B747-400 (Config 1) (15/10/2008 14:37)

A nice modern product. Good service. Despite not being business class I found it quite easy to sleep. I have not experienced all the premium economy products on the market but this is one of the best.

firstclassboi flew Qantas First, on a B747-400 (Config 1) (02/10/2008 11:01)

When the Qantas crew are good, they are amazing and you truly have the best flight. 1 in 3 flights are fabulous. 1 in 3 are good. 1 in 3 are average. Great food and superb Oz wines. Seat the same as BA (that's good!) but with a dash less privacy. Good product and great lounge in Sydney.