Our Qantas A380-800 having just landed in Sydney

After our short layover at Los Angeles LAX we were back on the plane for our 15 hour flight to Sydney Australia.  This time it would be on the Airbus A380 so I was interested in comparing the Business class product on this to the B787-9 Dreamliner we had just been on.

Airline and Flight #

Qantas QF0012

Aircraft

Airbus Industrie A380-800 Jet

Airport and Terminal

Departure: LAX Airport, Los Angeles CA, USA | Tom Bradley International Terminal

Arrival: Sydney Airport, NSW. Australia |Terminal 1

Waiting for our connecting flight at Tom Bradley Terminal at LAX, Los Angeles

Scheduled Departure Date and Time

Monday 6th May 2019| 22:30 (10:30pm)

Flying Time

15 hours

Luggage Allowance

Qantas being a full service carrier does not charge for checked luggage or carry-on as long as you stay within their restrictions which are pretty generous.  Luggage allowances vary depending on your destination, what class you’re flying and any Qantas frequent flyer status you may have.

International to Australia

Carry-on: Adults and children travelling in business class with a final destination to Australia are allowed the following carry on luggage up to 7kg per piece:

1. 1x115cm bag at 56cm + 36cm + 23cm or
2. 2x105cm bags at 48cm + 34cm + 23cm or
3. 1x105cm bag at 48cm + 34cm + 23cm plus 1x185cm non-rigid garment bag at 60cm + 114cm + 11cm

Infants are not allowed any carry-on bags but food and nappies can be carried on board.

Checked baggage: Adults flying business class to Australia can have the same luggage allowances on domestic legs as international as long as both flights appear on the same ticket or the flights are on the same calendar day.  Allowances are:

• Three pieces  up to 32kg (70lb) each with dimensions not exceeding 270cm (106in) with no single piece exceeding 158cm.  Total dimensions must not exceed 405cm (158in).
• Children are allowed the same checked baggage allowance as adults in addition to two child items up to 32kg each.
• Infants can have one piece up to 10kg (22lb) with a total dimension of up to 115cm (45in) plus three infant items such as a car seat, collapsible stroller or baby capsule.
• Platinum and Platinum One Qantas Frequent Flyers are allowed four pieces up to 32kg (70lb) each.

Fun Facts

• Qantas is the third oldest airline in the world and Australia’s largest airline
• Qantas is an acronym for Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services
• Qantas is the founding member of the Oneworld airline alliance
• Qantas’ main hub is in Sydney, Australia
• This aircraft did its first revenue service on 3rd January 2009 from Sydney to Los Angeles
• Registered VH-OQC, this plane was named Paul McGinness after WW1 Ace and co-founder of Qantas.

Website

The Qantas website is easy to use and provides plenty of useful information to prospective passengers.  If you pay by BPay there are no extra costs incurred.  Once booked you can use Qantas’ Manage Booking to retrieve flight details and select any special dietary requirements, check luggage allowances and purchase additional luggage, select seats and check in and print off your boarding passes.  There is no charge to select Business class seats for domestic or international flights.

Check-in 

Check-in for Qantas flights opens from 24 hours up until 45 minutes prior to departure.  This can be done on-line or at the airport using the self-service kiosk or at the check-in counter.  You can check-in three ways:

1. Mobile check-in – by downloading the Qantas app you can check-in and access your digital boarding pass without the need to print it out.  Other benefits of this method include being alerted to when check-in first opens, access to real time flight data in case of delays and the ability to view any entertainment options prior to your flight.  You can also choose your seats.
2. Desktop check-in – by logging on to the Qantas website http://Qantas.com and clicking on Manage Booking.  Enter your booking reference and last name to bring up your booking.  Select the Checkin/Print Boarding Pass button and remember to take your boarding pass with you to the airport.
3. At the airport – via the self-service kiosks or at the desk in the Departures area prior to passing through security.  Here you can also select your seat, enter your frequent flyer number, upgrade your flight using Qantas points and print out your boarding pass and bag tags so you can drop off any bags at the bag drop.  Otherwise Business class passengers can check in at the counter at the Priority counter.

As we had checked in on-line and issued all our boarding passes in New York, there was no need to check in at LAX. Although we were able to check in on line we had to collect our boarding passes from the airport.

Message I received upon on-line check-in

Seating

Seat layout of Qantas’ A380-800

Layout – The Qantas A380 is a wide bodied jet with a whopping 484 seats.  These are made up of 14 First class seats, 64 Business class seats, 35 Premium Economy class seats and 371 Economy class seats.  Business is set out in a 2-2-2 configuration meaning the seats by the window don’t get direct isle access but all the others do. There are 11 rows of Business class seats with the first three rows up the front and usually reserved for higher tiered passengers.  A galley and toilets separate this section from the main business class cabin which contain the remaining 8 rows.  We were seated in row 21 which was second from the back of Business class. The first row of Business class seats is row 11. The cabin interiors are designed by Australian born and bred Marc Newson.

All ready for our long flight home on Qantas’ A380-800

Seats – The business class second generation Skybeds on Qantas’ A380 offer a good amount of privacy although not quite as much as on the Qantas Dreamliner.  They felt closer together too which is good if you’re travelling as a couple and I liked that we could sit by the window which on the Qantas Dreamliner is reserved for one person only. The seats on the A380 are made from maroon cloth and recline into fully flat beds where 100% cotton mattresses and duvets are provided along with European pillows.  Each Business class seat is equipped with a sash belt for takeoff and landing. One of the first things I noticed was the generous amount of leg room. At our seats was a set of noise cancelling head phones, a dinner and breakfast menu and a Qantas pen. Cabin crew handed out bottled water, pyjamas and amenity kits a bit later. Seat pitch is 198cm (78 inches) and seat width is 55cm (21.5 inches).  So comparing this with the Qantas Dreamliner, leg room on the A380 is more generous but the seats are not as wide.  Qantas are in the process of converting the seats on their A380’s to the same as the suites on their B787 Dreamliners.

Business class seats on Qantas’ A380-800

Foot rests attached to the end of the seat on the Qantas Business class seats in the A380

A view of the backs of theBusiness class seats on the Qantas A380-800

The second generation Skybed in its lie flat position on the Qantas A380-800

Tray tables – These are tucked into the armrest beside you and fold out into a full or half tray.  Unfortunately mine hadn’t been cleaned very well and had grease marks still on it from the previous passenger.  There is also a flat surface between the two seats that can be used for drinks and snacks or as further storage.

Tray tables are foldable so you can fold it in half if you don’t need the whole tray

Storage – If you are seated beside the window as I was, there is a nice deep storage bin which I used for storing my clothes in after changing into my Qantas pyjamas.  You can use the surface on top for storing extra items.  The seat next to me however did not have a lot of room for storing belongings.  There is the fairly narrow arm rest between the two seats and two slim document holders, one on the back of the seat in front and another right beside you.  Otherwise you will need to make use of the generous amount of room on the floor in front of you or the large overhead luggage compartments. Both the screen and tray table are stored in the arm rest of the seat.

These deep storage bins under the window offer window seat passengers some additional storage.

Right beside the seat is a document compartment where you can store magazines or papers.

Amenity Kit – Qantas has chosen 16 Australian artists to showcase their designs in the amenity kits on offer with two designs being offered each month up to April 2019 so we were lucky to just get in before the promotion finished. Inside the bags you will find ASPAR travel products which included a 5ml sweet orange and shea hand cream, a 5ml ultra hydrating face moisturiser and a 5ml sweet orange lip balm. As well as this is a pair of socks, an eye mask, a pair of earplugs and a mini toothbrush and toothpaste.  And to go with it was a set of grey pyjamas with Qantas’ kangaroo logo on the front.

Qantas amenity kit designed by Melbourne based couple Bonnie and Neil

Cabin Comfort

• The combination of a generous amount of legroom with lie flat seats and comfortable bedding made this flight extremely comfortable.
• A massage function is built into each Business class seat although mine was unfortunately not working.
• Seated on the top deck made this a very quiet flight
• Qantas issue Pyjamas to every passenger in Business class as well as amenity kits
• Nice food eaten with metal utensils, tablecloths, and proper glasses and crockery made for a more pleasurable dining experience.
• Meals are timed in such a way as to reduce jet lag
• Big overhead bins make finding room to store your luggage easier
• The Qantas A380 has a lounge on the top deck for Business class passengers with  comfortable leather sofas, self-service bar, magazine rack and a large video monitor.
• The tall ceilings give the feeling of spaciousness and alleviate any feelings of claustrophobia.
• Mood LED lighting provides an aesthetically pleasing ambience as well as having the ability to mimic natural sunrise and sunset, and hence reduce the effects of jet-lag.

Plenty of leg room on the Qantas A380 in Business class

In-flight Entertainment

Electronic devices

• Electronic devices can be used whilst boarding using the aerobridge but not if you’re using the tarmac to board.
• Once doors on the plane have closed you need to then switch your device to flight mode.

Communication

• No phone calls can be made on board this Qantas flight
• Seat chat allows you to communicate with other passengers on board your flight from your seat.

Power

All Business class passengers have access to a PC power port at 110V AC (60Hz) and a USB port beside each seat for charging devices such as phones and laptops as well as a headphone socket.

In the Seat Pocket

On the left of the screen is a storage section where you can find the following items:

• Qantas Spirit of Australia magazine
• Safety card
• Air sickness bag

Qantas reading material is the same in Business class as in Economy

WiFi

• WiFi is not available on this flight.  Qantas has decided not to offer inflight internet as a result of a trial it conducted back in 2012 where less than five percent of passengers took up the service.  The demand for internet on international flights is a lot lower than domestic flights given the majority of international flights are overnight and most passengers prefer to sleep or use the in-flight entertainment system.

Entertainment System

• Business class passengers have a personal 12.1 inch (30.7 cm) touchscreen to view or listen to the inflight Panasonic eX2 entertainment system.  The screen can be stowed in the armrest and released with the press of a button.  This allows you to have the screen closer to you as the seat in front is a long way forward.
• There is up 1500 audio CD’s as well as a selection of audio books, language tutorials, destination information, business education and radio channels.
• There are over 100 on demand movies to watch and over 500 TV shows. Unfortunately there are at least three ads prior to each movie and the same ones play for every movie.
• The moving map has the option of displaying in full screen and in 3D.
• The screen also has a Flight Path allowing you to see details including where you are, the time and distance to your destination, air temperature and speed you are travelling at.  A camera situated outside the aircraft enables live views from outside the plane.

Panasonic eX2 Entertainment system on Qantas’ A380

Safety Demonstration

The safety demo is done by cabin crew whilst the safety video plays on your screen in front of you.  The video is quite long at seven minutes but I think they have done a really good job with it.  Some can be quite tacky and over the top but this isn’t one of them.  The video jumps to some of the various locations which Qantas flies to and someone there will relate something in that location to one of the safety do’s or don’ts on the aircraft .  For example a man in Kruger National park puts out his campfire before talking about smoking in the aircraft and a woman on safari drops her phone out of the jeep beside an elephant and the tour guide tells her not to  retrieve it as he will.  She then talks about not retrieving mobile phones if they fall between the seats in the aircraft and to call a crew member to retrieve it as there’s less chance of it getting damaged.  The video is quite clever and there’s even some humour too.  Throughout the video they sing parts of the song “I still call Australia Home” which would bring out the patriotism in any Aussie.

Catering

Menus

• Qantas’ menus contain new lighter and healthier options designed by Neil Perry.  This is to allow you to have a more comfortable flight and sleep better.
• Qantas allows passengers in all classes on select flights such as this to preselect their meal in order to ensure you get your first choice.  This service called Menu Select is open seven days to 12 hours prior to departure.
• The menus looked attractive showcasing Australia’s beautiful and diverse environment through stunning aerial photographs. This one was of Tasmania’s Bay of Fires.
• As you open the main menu you’ll see the food options inside with the beverages on the back. As this was a late night flight there were a couple of food choices marked with an asterisk meaning these choices would be served sooner so you could sleep sooner if you chose to.  Also, given it was a late flight entree was not served, just a main and a dessert.  There were a choice of four mains, plus a soup and cheese plate.a Each main came accompanied by a green leaf salad with Neil’s vinaigrette and bread and butter.
• Dessert was a choice of a pudding, cheese platter, ice-cream, seasonal fruit or chocolates whilst there was a range of snacks and drinks available throughout the flight at the self-service snack bar, at the inflight lounge or on request.
• Mid-flight snack options were a bacon and egg tart or toasted panini sandwich

Prior to take-off, crew took our orders and asked passengers to fill out their breakfast menus for the morning.  This time the crew seemed aware of our on-line order The Breakfast menu consisted of:

• A selection of juices, tea, coffee and hot chocolate
• Fruit salad
• Yoghurt
• Brook farm macadamia toasted muesli with cranberries
• Pear and pistachio danish
• Croissant
• Toast and spreads
• Open basil and spinach omelette with ricotta, chorizo and slow roasted cherry tomato salsa
• Fried egg and bacon panini with cheddar and Neil’s barbecue sauce
• Breakfast bowl with poached eggs, roast farro, kale, pistachios and yoghurt dressing

Business class menu on the Qantas A380-800

Menu meal options in Business class on the Qantas A380-800

Beverage options in Business class on the Qantas A380-800

Food/Drinks

Qantas has a new range of Noritake crokery and cutlery designed by Australian David Caon in consultation with Rockpool’s Neil Perry.  The glasses, fine bone china and brush finished stainless steel cutlery weigh less than the previous product due to a reduction in the number of pieces and minimising the weight of each piece.

22:00 Pre-departure drinks were served.  I opted for a water this time.

23:15 Hot face washers were handed out followed by bottles of water

00:15 The meal service commenced with a Green leaf salad with Neil’s vinaigrette, sourdough bread and butter. The butter was too cold to spread but the dressing made the salad leaves tasty and the bread was good too.

00:30 I had the Seared salmon with Paris mash, green beans and sauce vierge.  I found the salmon a bit dry and not that flavoursome.  I tasted hubby’s meal which was the Beef fillet with skordalia, snow peas and port wine sauce and that was tasty.

01:00 For dessert I had the Orange, coconut and almond pudding with orange marmalade and double cream along with the Strawberry Haagen-Dazs ice cream.  Both were very nice.

The snack bar was rather poorly stocked but the Qantas A380 has a lounge on board and the snack bar there was much better.  It had orange juice, champagne, fruit, oatmeal and raisin cookies, chocolates, sea-salt and cracked pepper chips and chocolate bars.  The chips were delicious.

05:00 (Sydney time) For breakfast I chose the Open basil and spinach omelette with ricotta, chorizo and slow roasted cherry tomato salsa, a pear and pistachio danish, a bowl of fruit and a glass of apple juice.  It was all quite delicious and made for quite a substantial breakfast.

A very satisfying breakfast in Business class on the Qantas A380

Restroom

On the top deck where Business class is located there are two toilets right behind the first mini Business class cabin, both with baby change facilities.  There are another two right behind the main Business class cabin, with one of them being wheelchair accessible and another one at the rear of the cabin with baby change facilities.   Hand soap and moisturiser by ASPAR were located beside the sink and hand towels were thicker than those in the Economy restrooms.  Although not clean at the start of the flight, staff did manage to do a good job keeping the restrooms clean throughout the flight.

Service

This was the first flight of our journey where staff handed out hot face washers before the meal was served which is what you would expect in Business class.  Staff were friendly and professional on this flight.

Scheduling

Scheduled Departure: 10pm | Actual Departure 22:34 (10:34pm)

Scheduled Arrival: 06:30 am (Sydney time) | Actual Arrival 06:25 am

Pros

• Other than the salmon, the food was very tasty
• Lie flat seats with comfortable mattress topper, duvet and European pillow
• Couples can sit near the window on this 2-2-2 configuration
• A good range of movies and TV shows to watch
• There was plenty of leg room
• Pyjamas and amenity kits are issued to all passengers in Business class
• There is a lounge on board the Qantas A380

Cons

• The massage function on my seat wasn’t working
• The seats on the A380 were older than on the newer Qantas Dreamliners
• The seats by the aisle didn’t have a lot of storage
• The tray table and around the seat was quite dirty

Conclusion

It was nice being able to sit beside the window on this flight which you can’t do if you want to sit together on the Qantas Dreamliner.  The seats were comfortable although a little narrower than the ones on the Dreamliner and It was a pity the massage function on my seat was not working.  The bedding supplied by Qantas made sleeping on the fully flat seats very comfortable and a big thumbs up to Qantas for issuing pyjamas on their long haul business class flights,  At the moment I prefer the Boeing Dreamliner over the A380 however Qantas are soon refitting their A380’s and making their inflight lounge larger so I would be very interested to see what their new product is like.  I enjoyed most of the food on this flight and found the service to be friendly.