Vhqpa From Australia, joined Jul 2005, 1272 posts, RR: 1 Posted (3 years 2 months 2 weeks 3 hours ago) and read 8272 times:
BACKGROUND
In June 2008 I decided I would travel to Perth in October/November for a variety of reasons including Visiting the west coast again first time in 16 years, visiting family I've haven't seen as long as I can remember, taking a QF 743 for one last time before they are retired at end of December And of course attending the Red Bull Air Race grand final. As QF only fly the 743 between SYD-PER I booked QF over with a breif SYD transit stop however later on my flight changed to a 763 and the fees involved in changing flights just for the sake of getting a 743 would have almost the same as a brand new nonstop fare so I left it as a 763.
SECTOR #1 (BRISBANE-SYDNEY)
Date: 30 October 2008
Flight: QF505
Equipment: Boeing 767-338ER MSN 29118/LN 713 VH-OGU "Byron Bay"
Origin: Brisbane Domestic Terminal, QL AU (BNE/YBBN)
Destination: Sydney Terminal 3, NS AU (SYD/YSSY)
STD: 0555 ATD: approx 0620
STA: 0825 ATA: approx 0850
Duration: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Class of Service: Economy
Seat: 26A
I used Online check in the day before. Qantas operates 3 subfleets of the 763:
1) The Ex BA ZX series aircraft which have RR engines and have a different exit door and seating configuration to the Other 763's
2) The Native OG Domestic series aircraft which have GE engines and feature the Domestic Business Class product
3) The Native OG International series aircraft which are identical to Domestic OG series but feature the Old International Business Class product these aircraft are used primarally on the few International routes which QF still use 767 equipment but due to QF scaling back on International 767 operations these aircraft also regually do domestic operations.
As I checked in I discovered that I was assigned 43A on a ZX series aircraft which is an exit row which was surprising as Im only a Bronze Frequent Flyer (Lowest Tier) and I was booked in O class which is the lowest booking class on QF. I proceeded and selected 43A on the BNE-SYD sector and 55K on the SYD-PER sector. I later discovered that on QF if you check in online with an exit row you are issued with a pass which needs to be exchanged at the airport for a boarding pass however on this occasion I was sent my boarding pass for both sectors which was really strange the only explanation was QF must have had the ZX Seatmap up for a OG operated flight which I would later discover.
PRE FLIGHT
Having arrived at the Airport parking company I use at 0400 I dropped my keys off and before I knew it I was on the shuttle bus going to the Domestic Terminal. On arrival it was very quiet at this hour the line up to the Bag Drop was less then 2 minutes. I passed through Security and after being randomly selected for Secondary Explosives screening I was on my way upstairs to Gate 23 where my flight was departing to discover today I was on VH-OGU to SYD and lost my exit row due to the different configuration. It wasn't a big deal as it was only a 90 minute flight. I walked around the Terminal to see what over aircraft was in. The QF terminal was full with 737's parked in remote stands and even between Gates. I saw a Our Airline 733 and a Alliance Fokker 100 in the common user terminal on charters. I also saw DJ's Embraer 170 which only does a single rotation SYD-BNE late at night then BNE-SYD first thing in the morning. Little did I know I had a friend on this flight who was going down to SYD for the day to pic up his new wife from China who was arriving from MFM on Viva Macau. I went back to my Gate and boarded my flight which was in International configuration with the old blue fabrics. I took my seat in 43A a few minutes later I had two ladies approach me telling me I'm in their seat So we glanced at thier boarding passes and they glanced at mine and sure enough we where both assigned the same seats so I brought it to the Flight Attendents attention who took me to the galley for a few minutes before seating me in 26A. We had a slight delay waiting for a few aircraft behind to depart and a QF 734 to move which was parked between Gate 21 and 22 as well as a ATC delay on Departure due to busy airspace.
INFLIGHT
After quite a lengthy taxi to Runway 1 we took off to the North before turning around towards Sydney. We had a flickering Overhead Projector in our cabin for IFE the Morning news was shown as well as a short film which I was not Interested in Instead I listened to the FMQ Audio channel. Breakfast consisted of a Small Hot Bun, Orange Juice, Water, Just Right Cereal with Milk and a bag of sliced apples. Which was a big improvement from the last time QF served me breakfsat which was just Cereal and OJ.
As we got closer to Sydney I noticed we turned 180 degrees and was heading back North my immeadiate thought was OMG This is my going to be my first Diversion. A few minutes later there was an annoncement that due to Congested Traffic in Sydney we had to hold untill we we cleared to commence our approach into Sydney. Ok so maube not a divertion we turned South again and continued doing circuits over the Hunter Valley untill we headed back south to Sydney. We approached Syney turned over the Tasman Sea and Headed around for a Runway 34R arrival on final approach I noticed there was a Etihad A340-500 on final for Runway 34L flying abean with us. During our Taxi to T3 I saw several Interesting aircraft including a SQ 380 9V-SKC, a VS A340-600, a AR A340-200, BA 744 G-CIVO and 777 G-YMMK and Air Tahiti Nui A340-300 parked next to Qantas 744ER Wunala Dreaming. We Arrived at Gate 3 right next to VH-OGD in gate 2 which is the only 763 to Carry the Revised Livery.
SYDNEY TRANSIT
After disembarking I went to the PIDS screens hoping my flight to Perth would be departing Gate 2. No OGD was going to Melbourne my flight was departing Gate 6 where 763 VH-OGA was waiting which was another International config aircraft. I walked around the terminal and sat down at a restaurant to eat some noodles (Chicken Chow Mein? Can't remember).
After finishing my noodles My flight was called for boarding. As I joined the queue to Board I was approached by an American lady who was connecting from SFO this was her first visit to Australia to visit her husband in Perth. She asked me if there was a Burger King in Perth as she was planning to take her husband out to dinner. Trying my best not to laugh in her face I politely told her Burger King trades as Hungty Jacks in Australia and there are very well established in Australia with many stores in the larger cities. Although it would have been interesting to see how their "romantic dinner" went.
SECTOR #2 (SYDNEY-PERTH)
Date: 30 October 2008
Flight: QF581
Equipment: Boeing 767-338ER MSN 24146/LN 231 VH-OGA "City of Whyalla"
Origin: Sydney Terminal 3, NS AU (SYD/YSSY)
Destination: Perth Terminal 2, WA AU (PER/YPPH)
STD: 1010 ATD: approx 1015
STA: 1305 ATA: approx 1300
Duration: 4 Hours 45 Minutes
Class of Service: Economy
Seat: 55K
Boarding this flight I noticed most of the flight attendants including the csm were on my previous flight from Brisbane. The csm greeted me again and told me it was nice to have on board again. We pushed back more or less on time after waiting for a taxiing 767 behind us and had another long taxi to Runway 34L after holding short for an arriving Jetstar A320 we took off and turned left on what would have offered a good view of the Western Suburbs and the Blue Mountain expect for the fact that it was overcast and all I could see were clouds. The morning news was played again followed by an episode of two and a half men which I wasn't interested in so I tried to listen to FMQ again untill it got to the point where it would go in fast motion for a while then stop so I turned to my ipod. Lunch was served an option of Pasta or Butter Chicken I went for the Pasta which was pretty awlful but I ate it anyway. I also got a chocolate, Water and a Coke. After flying directly over Adelaide through to the Gulf St Vincent and then Spencer Gulf overflying Port Lincoln on the tip on the Eyre Peninsular our inflight movie started which was Baby Mama starring Tina Fey which I watched and turned out quite good.
Dessert was served mid movie which was a chocolate ice cream which was so cold and hard I had to let it sit for 10 minutes before I tried to eat it. I later tried to adjust the wings on me seat which creaked really out when I bent the wings and the wings fell off trying to raise it. After a few minutes I was able to hook the wings back into the seat. We left the Great Australian Bight and made landfall on the Western Australian Coast near Esperance shortly after we began our decent into Perth. at one point the captain came over the intercom with "Qantas 581 Reducing speed to XXX knots" which was obviously intended to acknowledge a ATC direction a little while later we landed on Runway 21 and taxiied back to the Terminal pulling into Gate 2 leaving the aircraft the csm said goodbye and joking asked if I was following him back to Melbourne tonight. From previous experience flying QF sometimes you get really really good crews and sometimes you can get bad crews. I was blessed to have a wonderfull crew for both sectors.
POST FLIGHT
Disembarking I noticed in Perth there were anouncements about Quarantine restrictions and sniffer dogs patroling the baggage carosel arriving into Western Australia which is not the only Australian state IIRC both Queensland and South Australia have similar restrictions but neither really polices the laws. We were not the only arrival into Perth!. There were 2 other 763 arrivals from Brisbane and Melbourne as well as a 737 from Adelaide and 2 717's one from Darwin via Alice Springs and the other from Karratha there were literay potentially over 1000 passengers crouding the baggage carosels. On second thought thank god I didn't get a 743 I could have really done without another 200 passengers. After I finally got my bag I procedded outside to the Bus stop and going into the CBD.
SECTOR #3 (PERTH-BRISBANE)
Date: 04 November 2008
Flight: DJ639
Equipment: Boeing 737-8FE MSN 33801/LN 1504 VH-VOT "Butterfly Blue"
Origin: Perth Terminal 3, WA AU (PER/YPPH)
Destination: Brisbane Domestic Terminal, AL AU (BNE/YBBN)
STD: 0905 ATD: 0920
STA: 1430 ATA: 1415
Duration: 4 Hours 5 Minutes
Class of Service: Economy Class
Seat: 15A
As I paid for Blue Zone I was assigned an Emergency exit so I wasn't able to check in online. I was offered a ride in by my Aunty and Uncle as my Aunties sister was heading back to Brisbane on the same flight as me. We arrived The the Domestic terminal we ate breakfast before passing through security and upstairs boarding after a short delay I boarded VH-VOT and the csm greeted me by name he was really cute too. We soon departed for Brisbane from Runway 21 I brought a coke, chicken caeser roll and chesse and crackers which was really good. I listened to my ipod I coudn't justify paying $10 to use Live2air for what was on offer so I watched the flight Track the whole way. We took a southerly routing over the Great Australian Bight towards Adelaide before making left turn before we hit Port Lincoln and flew in a direct line over North West NSW and Brisbane.
For lunch I brought noodles and another coke. From our southerly routing we got a really nice tailwind we had a groundspeed of 580 knots at one point at FL380 as a result we got in 15 minutes early despite leaving 5 minutes late. after a sort taxi we arrived at Gate 40 and I went downstairs collected my bag and was on my way home.
Vhqpa From Australia, joined Jul 2005, 1272 posts, RR: 1 Reply 1, posted (3 years 2 months 1 week 6 days 7 hours ago) and read 7329 times:
As promised here are the rest of the the images. (Im afraid I'm not the best photographer some images are a little blury however I left the worst ones out.)
BRISBANE-SYDNEY-PERTH
Qantas Terminal at Brisbane just before Boarding
The Economy Cabin on QF505 BNE-SYD
Singapore A380 9V-SKC
Air Tahiti Nui next to Qantas VH-OEJ "Wunala Dreaming"
Qantas 767 VH-OGD's Revised Tail
Qantas 767 VH-OGD's Revised Titles
British Airways 747-436 G-CIVO with 777-236ER G-YMMK
A small airport I flew over on the SYD-PER sector this picture was taked earlier on a OOL-MEL flight if anyone can identify the airport It would be appreciated.
Adelaide's Parafield Airport which primarily handles General Aviation movements.
Cabin of VH-OGA Perth Bound
IN AND AROUND PERTH
Fremantle
Fremantle Sunset #1
Fremantle Sunset #2
Rottnest Island #1
Rottnest Island #2 This was the western most point of Rottnest last piece of land untill South Africa!
Rottnest #3
The Illusive Quokka I rode 40km around the Island without seeing a single quokka. Then I saw 3 in the last 30 minutes I spent on the island
BA319-131 From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2001, 7749 posts, RR: 57 Reply 3, posted (3 years 2 months 2 days 21 hours ago) and read 5989 times:
Good report and pictures, enjoyed, thanks.
Such a shame the 743 replaced by a 763, they are far too common!
Quoting Vhqpa (Thread starter): I was approached by an American lady who was connecting from SFO this was her first visit to Australia to visit her husband in Perth. She asked me if there was a Burger King in Perth as she was planning to take her husband out to dinner. Trying my best not to laugh in her face I politely told her Burger King trades as Hungty Jacks in Australia and there are very well established in Australia with many stores in the larger cities. Although it would have been interesting to see how their "romantic dinner" went.
- How wierd, and who would take their other half out to dinner at Burger King??
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