This was our first flight since January 2020 before COVID had really taken off.  So we were excited to be back in the air and at the same time cautious about what to expect.  Was it going to be safe? Were adequate measures in place and what impact would this new way of flying have on our experience?  We were about to find out.

Airline and Flight #

Qantas |QF1764

Aircraft

Boeing 717-200

Airport and Terminal

Departure: Canberra Airport, Canberra ACT, Australia

Arrival: Gold Coast Airport, Coolanagatta QLD, Australia

Scheduled Departure Date and Time

Saturday 5th June 2021 | 13:45 (1:45pm)

Scheduled Flying Time

1 hour 40 minutes

Luggage Allowance

Checked Luggage

Luggage is included in the Qantas fare with limits varying according to travel destination, travel class and frequent flyer status..  Economy passengers flying within Australia are allowed one piece of checked luggage up to 23kg (50lb) whilst higher tiered passengers are given more generous allowances.  As we had Gold status, we were allowed 2 x 32kg (70lb) each.  As we went carry-on only, this extra weight limit was completely wasted on us.  The length + height + depth of any bag cannot exceed 140cm (54in) and bags cannot weigh more than 32kg (70lb) each.

Carry-on 

All classes are allowed 14kg (30lb) with no bag heavier than 10kg (22lb).  This can be in the following combinations:

1 x 115cm (45in) bag = 56cm (22in)+ 36cm (14in)+ 23cm (9in) up to 10kg (22lb).

Or

2 x 105cm (41in) bags = 48cm (19in) + 34cm (13in) + 23cm (9in) with one piece up to 10kgs (22lb); 14kgs (30lb) total.

Or

1 x 105cm (41in) bag = 48cm (19in) + 34cm (13 in) + 23cm (9in) + 1 x 185cm (72lb) non-rigid garment bag = 60cm (23in) + 11cm (4in) + 114cm (44in) with one piece up to 10kg (22lb); 14kgs (30lb) total.

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 a founding member of the Oneworld airline alliance
• Qantas’ main hub is in Sydney, Australia
• Registered VH-NXK, this aircraft was delivered to AWA in August 2001 prior to being acquired by American Airlines before it became part of the Qantas fleet.
• The Boeing 717 was designed and originally marketed by McDonnell Douglas as the MD-95, part of the DC-9 family.

Website

The Qantas website is easy to use and provides plenty of details when booking flights including type of aircraft, flight duration, any meals and snacks, stopovers and even how many frequent flyer points and status credits you will accrue on your chosen flight. If you pay by BPAY there are no extra costs incurred when booking your flight.

Check-in 

Check-in for Qantas domestic flights is from 24 hours (if checking in via the Qantas app or online) up until 30 minutes prior to departure.  This can be done on-line or at the counter inside the airport.  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.  The app also allows you to choose your seats.
2. Desktop check-in – by logging on to the Qantas website http://Qantas.com and entering 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.  Recommended check-in time is 45 minutes prior to departure if you are travelling domestic.

Seating

Layout – The Qantas B717-200 is a narrow bodied twin engine single isle jet.  The one we were flying was a single class aircraft containing 125 Economy seats only.  The seats were in a 2-3 configuration with two seats on the left facing the front and three on the right.  We were  seated on the left in row 8 of 25.  There were plenty of spare seats with entire rows empty.

Qantas B717-200 seat map – All Economy (Source: Qantas.com.)

Seats – The seats were covered in a purple and cream honeycomb patterned cloth.  The headrests were adjustable, sliding up and down with adjustable ends to support your head.  Arm rests were adjustable also, providing you with a bit more space if sitting next to someone you know. Seat pitch was 30 -31 inches (76-79cm) and seat width was 17 inches (43cm). Leg room felt quite decent. This aircraft had no footrests and there was no bottled water,  pillows, blankets or headsets on the seats.

Trays – These were grey, older style trays that weren’t folding with the circular cup indentation on the right hand side.

Storage – The storage bins above your head fill up quickly so it’s good to board the plane before this happens and you’re faced with having to stow your bag in another part of the plane.  There is a pocket in the seat in front to store personal belongings although you need to make sure you don’t forget to retrieve these items at the end of the flight.

Cabin Comfort

• Seats were comfortable enough on this relatively short flight
• Individual air vents above your seat allow passengers to control the amount of air flow that suits them and a reading light provides extra brightness.
•  With the engines located at the rear of this aircraft, seats towards the back can be a bit noisier.
•  Qantas offers complimentary snacks and drinks which is always appreciated

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

Power

No power outlets or charging ports were fitted on this older plane for passengers to use.

In the Seat Pocket

As a result of COVID, the seat pockets contained no reading material.  Qantas has made their Spirit of Australia magazine available to read online whenever you have WiFi or on the plane if you have already downloaded it.  Lounge members can also take a selection of magazines with them on board and take them with them when they leave the aircraft.  Otherwise the only things in the seat pocket were the safety card, which was laminated for easy wiping down and an air sickness bag.

WiFi

There was no Wi-Fi available on this flight.

Entertainment System

There was no in-flight entertainment on this aircraft, and with no WiFi you could not connect to the Qantas entertainment network even on your own device.  So it is definitely bring your own entertainment if you think you need it.  On this short flight however, I found pleasure in simply looking out the window on the plane’s ascent and descent and unwrapping and consuming my food and cup of tea.

Catering

Menus

No menus were required for this short one and three quarter hour flight.  A complimentary snack and drinks were handed out.

Food/Drinks

Once the seat-belt signs were turned off, cabin crew began their task of handing out a snack and drinks to passengers.  The snack was an On The Go Snack Box Bites and Dip by Charlie’s Fine Food Co.  This contained a pack of two mini bush finger lime shortbread bikkie bites, a bigger pack of mini cheese bites and a pot of caramelised onion dip.  It all tasted quite good and it was nice to have a mix of sweet and savoury items.  Cold drinks and tea and coffee were also served.

Restrooms

The two restrooms were located at the rear of the aircraft and were  fairly typical of any found on a smallish sized plane.  There wasn’t a lot of room inside. The bottle of hand soap that’s usually on this type of aircraft must have been hiding as I could not see it.  On this flight, the room looked clean but smelled of urine.

Service

The staff on board were pleasant although not overly friendly with the exception of a male crew member who brought me a wipe for cleaning the tray and was apologetic over the job not having been done properly by the cleaner.  It was good to see mask wearing mandatory both onboard and inside the airport.  Fly Well Packs were available to all passengers boarding the flight and contained wipes and a disposable face mask.  Passengers who weren’t travelling together were well spread out with quite a few empty seats.  It was obvious however my tray had not been properly cleaned as there were crumbs still on it from the last passenger.

Pros

• I liked that there was a choice of two or three seats together on the plane
• The snack was tasty and snacks and drinks were complimentary
• I liked being able to walk up to the plane to board instead of via the aerobridge
• The flight left on time
• Other than my tray table not being cleaned properly, sufficient measures were in place to stop the spread of COVID.

Cons

• No in-flight entertainment on this flight
• No WiFi
• No footrests
• I couldn’t locate the soap in the restroom
• This was an older aircraft
• Passengers seated towards the rear of the plane might find it a bit noisy due to the location of the engines.

Conclusion

I would happily recommend this aircraft with Qantas for shorter flights where it is typically used but would opt for a larger aircraft with WiFi and in-flight entertainment for anything longer.  The Qantas staff could try a little harder to be happier, but they are never not nice.  The snack was tasty and I liked the idea of having the choice between sitting in a row of  two or three seats with the two seats being great for couples.  I recommend sitting towards the front of the aircraft for a quieter ride.  Apart from my tray not being properly cleaned, I was happy with the COVID measures in place to protect passengers and aside from having to wear a mask and not having a Qantas magazine to browse, my flight was not adversely affected by this.