My last three trip reports must give one the idea I am such a papprazi when on a flight trying to get pics of cabin crew members. Not so really, it's just that Etihad Airways seemed like such a nice friendly crew, that one was drawn to photograph them. Now don't get me wrong when you find that this trip report which has not one cabin crew pic, means that the service levels were terrible. It's just that I feel a lot more comfortable taking pics on Middle Eastern carriers than I am on say Lufthansa or Qantas. However, Lufthansa's cabin crew were equally top notch, and though not on the same level as my number one favourite, Malaysia Airlines, they do rate themselves as number one in terms of my European Airlines. But then again besides Swiss & British Airways I have not that many European airlines to compare them with.

Well this trip report is actually about my flights on Qantas. I had been wanting to fly Qantas since the first time I got to Sydney in 1988 and saw the famous Kangaroo tail logo for the first time there. However, I had to wait almost 20 years to fly with them and that day saw it's fruition in September last year. I had Aeroplan points on Air Canada to fly to Los Angeles from where I would connect to one of the many daily flights out of the US to Australia, in this case the most famous stretch of them all the long run across the Pacific from Los Angeles to Sydney.

Date: Sept 12, 2008
Airline: Qantas
Flight: QF 12
Route: Los Angeles to Sydney
Dep: 2230 (10:30pm)
Arr: 0605 (6:05am)
Aircraft: Boeing 747-400
Registration: VH-OJT
Seat: 70A

I got to Los Angeles in the late afternoon, and like my other stops there enroute to other destinations in the past across the Pacific, I was happy to be able to spend some hours there. It also gave me ample room to go from the Air Canada terminal to the Qantas terminal which was in Terminal 4, instead of the Tom Bradley International terminal. I was travelling with just one pull along suitcase, and a hand carry bag, so the dreadful task of taking a cart with you or having to take the shuttle bus between terminals was avoided. However by the time I got to the Qantas counter, I could barely feel my right elbow from the suitcase I had been pulling behind me on it's back wheels. I checked in my bag and proceeded to the security check in. There was a line up, and had I to have a quicker connection I might have panicked. Some American Airline flight deck crew were behind me and I could sense their urgency so I let them go ahead. Shoes and other items deposited in the tray that went through the security scanner, I walked with my socks across the metal detector and passed to the other side with no alarming bells. Items collected I made my way to the inside of the terminal from where I tried to spot some of the aircraft movements. However some gate areas were heavy with passengers so getting to the big windows was impossible. I settled in a corner away from the crowds and watched the world pass by. Something light to eat later, I then made my way to our gate. There was an hour delay with the flight as the air conditioning on board was malfunctioning. The gate area started to grow with people and as the delay was prolonged and announced, some made their way to the terminal to get some walkaround, after all we had over 13 hours and more of flying time Down Under.

Finally the announcement call was made and boarding was made by seat number. I had the fourth last row on the Boeing 747-400 and I was thrilled to finally be boarding this magnificient bird on my fourth trip to Australia. The last time I had gone was with Air New Zealand when they flew the Los Angeles to Sydney route in 2001. It was also eight years later I was going back to Sydney for a holiday. We got on board and I was in the seating configuration of 2-4-2 just in the seat behind where the 3-4-3 configuration ends. I had a young person sitting at the side of me and from the looks of it she had pretty much planned to sleep for the trip, as her eye shades out of the amenity kit and the blanket taken out and spread over herself. I just wondered how I would have to disturb her later in the flight to use the washroom. It also pretty much set the mood for the rest of the flight, where I found my keeping the overhead light on to photograph things would disturb her so I didn't land up taking too many pics. Besides taking pics of your food, etc comes with some explanation to the person at the side of you. The crew on the Qantas flight were all very senior staff and had most probably been with Qantas for a long time now. What struck me is that they seemed quite laid back, and if I can use the word mediocre and I was expecting much more out of an airline like Qantas. After all this was Australia's own airline flying on a route back home. Or had this route become something to the equivalent of a domestic shuttle, considering how many runs take place in a day. Hopefully the next time I go I will opt for the A380, which happened to actually fly a month after this flight.

















I can't recall too much about the flight in general, but some things that I think I will always remember. The first was after I had disturbed my neighbour to go to the washroom I decided to stand around the back and just stretch my legs. Now with the 2-4-2 seats at the back there are just four rows with these and the distance between the window from the first row in front gradually decreases as the aircraft curvature meets the last seat.(I had decided on the way back to ask for that last seat as I had to bend forward to see out of the window). Coming back to the funny incident I was about to mention, the old couple behind me had also gone to use the washroom and I seized the opportunity to slink in from their seats and then use the space between my own and the window to slip back into my own seat. I tried to be as quiet as possible and my neighbour stirred, lifted the eye shade and said "How did you do that" while smiling slightly. I told her I slinked in from behind and she seemed grateful not having to get up from her seat to let me in, and went back to sleep.

I continued to watch the movies which I found having a smaller choice made choosing so much easier as opposed to Emirates wide selection where one does not go past two movies. I actually watched a couple of movies on this flight but watched the most on the return. The next memorable thing was later after she had awoken, I asked to go to the front to get some water. I took my glass and walked in the dark cabin towards the galley, the light from which showed through the crack in the curtain that was fully drawn. I opened the curtain and the two Qantas FAs in there jumped out of their skin like I suddenly appeared out of nowhere. "You startled us" one said while the other walked towards me seeing my extended hand with the plastic glass, while I whispered "I'd like some water"."Did you want more than a glass" she asked while I nodded in agreement "Then get me your bottle" she said and I left to get it. Bottles of water had been left on each seat prior to take off, and I came back with the empty bottle. She filled it and I thanked her and then she said in the most Aussie accent I could ever want to hear "Nah Warries" Ah, I have heard that expression so many times in Australia, but nothing quite hit it so beautifully than on board a Qantas jet by a Qantas FA, in a setting that could be more Australian than this gorgeous Qantas aircraft.

Dawn began to break across the horizon and by the time the smell of breakfast filled the air, the sun was shining brightly through the windows. My nocturnal neighbour had risen, freshened up and was in a more alert and rested state than me, who had not had a wink of sleep. The FA on our side asked if I wanted the Cereal breakfast or the Continental breakfast. I clearly said I wanted the latter, and when I saw him hand the tray to me and saw the cereal box, I lifted it back to him as soon as he had put it down. "I asked for the Continental breakfast" I said while I looked at him with my sleep derpived eyes. "Oh I thought you meant, cereal" he said and handed me the option I wanted. I found that to be quite annoying considering I had quite audibly mentioned my choice.















Breakfast trays cleared and we began our descent into Sydney. On my last trip we had come in over Manly beach and landed from the North on Rwy 16R, with the most glorious views of downtown Sydney from the port side of the plane. Even though it was early morning at the time, the city lights shone against the almost dawn skies in the East. My two peering neighbours on that flight on a 3-4-3 configuration even stared out in amazement at the view, while I pressed my face back in my window seat to allow them to look outside. On this trip I would not have to endure that being pushed back in my seat position to allow my neighbour to look out, as we were going to come in to land from the sea over Botany Bay. It was a bright sunny morning, and something I wish could have been the same way when I left. Also the number of times I've been to Sydney I've never had the chance to experience the take off to the North via Rwy 34L, and we had actually taken off that way on the trip back with Air New Zealand but I was on the port side of the aircraft. Before long we were on finals and soon touched down on a beautiful September morning into Sydney. Already running late and knowing my cousin had to get to work no sooner he picked me up, I was actually wanting to be the first one out of the aircraft instead of usually being the last.