Intro Qantas' A380 was one of our main targets when my friend Satchmo and I went on a spotting tour back in October 2011. However, Qantas grounded its entire fleet on our departure day, so we had to rebook and missed the carrier's A380…the report can be found here: QF A380 Grounded, Bags Lost - LHR-SIN, TK A330/340 (by PlaneHunter Jan 30 2012 in Trip Reports)
Qantas not only paid for all our additional expenses and paid a compensation of €600 (EU regulations), but also sent us vouchers worth €190, valid one year - which I decided to use for a new attempt to get on the carrier's A380. May 2012 seemed to be perfect for a trip to Singapore and I checked countless options in order to include as many new airlines as possible.
My friend and legendary user The777Man and I decided to meet in Singapore during that trip - and his main target was the new Biman Bangladesh 777-300ER which he was hoping to get on a short hop to/from Dhaka. However, when searching for flights between Singapore and Europe for myself, I noticed that Biman was offering SIN-DAC-LHR, operated by 737-800 and 777-300ER, for a decent price. I told him about that and it was just a matter of a few days until we agreed on a travel date and booked that combo on the carrier's website. We were really looking forward to our first mission together. Some time after booking, the 737-800 was replaced by an A310-300 which was an additional treat.
Then I booked MUC-LHR-SIN on British Airways and the Qantas A380 on Qantas' website, by using my voucher. At this point of time, I wasn't asked yet to enter my credit card details and was told that Qantas would contact me for that. Two days after booking, the fare fell which I found a bit frustrating. So I called Qantas and asked for a rebooking to get the lower price considering that the ticket hadn't been issued yet - and the friendly agent agreed. Two weeks later, Qantas called me, asked for my credit card details and the ticket was finally issued.
Now it was time to add some more flights. I decided to spend one night in London on the way home and booked Luton-Gdansk on Wizz Air, Gdansk-Warsaw on Eurolot and Warsaw-Munich on LOT. Finally, I decided to make a day trip from Singapore. I had already earmarked Singapore-Bangkok on MAI - Myanmar International, but that flight was suddenly gone. Alternatively, I booked Singapore-Macau-Singapore on Air Macau and Tiger Airways.
This is what the final itinerary looked like, including 6 new airlines, 5 new airports and one new type - well, at least that was the plan:
MUC-LHR on British Airways A320
LHR-SIN on Qantas A380
SIN-MFM on Air Macau A319
MFM-SIN on Tiger Airways A320
SIN-DAC on Biman Bangladesh A310-300
DAC-LHR on Biman Bangladesh 777-300ER
LTN-GDN on Wizz Air A320
GDN-WAW on Eurolot ATR 72-200
WAW-MUC on LOT Embraer 175
My journey started with an eventless flight from Munich to Heathrow on British Airways A320-200 G-EUYE, fortunately a new registration for me. After the on-time arrival at Terminal 5, I had more than four hours left until departure from Terminal 3. Spotting is nearly impossible from there, so I decided to stay in the Terminal 5 gate area for about two hours. I found a good spot from where I could see planes rolling onto runway 09R:
Finally, I took the airside bus to Terminal 3, passed security and made a short stop at a Qantas transfer desk. I had already checked in online and printed my boarding passes on the day before, but I wanted to know whether the flight was on time. "Yes, it is", a rather reserved agent replied. "Last time I came here, the entire fleet was grounded", I couldn't resist to remark. She didn't say anything and I asked whether the flight would be full. "Yes", the lady simply replied...okay, now it was high time to end this dreary conversation.
Fortunately, the gate was announced soon and I didn't have to "wait in lounge" any longer. The QF ground staff members checking boarding passes were much friendlier than the lady at the transfer desk. Before I could proceed, I had to give details about my stay and onward journey - due to Singapore immigration regulations, I was told.
And here's the long-desired Qantas giant - VH-OQG was assigned to QF002 today:
Of course I had been hoping to fly on the famous "Nancy-Bird Walton" (VH-OQA), but that restored bird was operating elsewhere as I had already seen on Flighradar24 on the day before.
VH-OQG, one of 12 A380s in the fleet, is named after Australian pioneer aviator Charles Ulm:
Another giant was parked next to VH-OQG - operating for one of Qantas' former main rivals:
Boarding by zones commenced on time and I had to queue up only shortly. "Welcome, Mr. PlaneHunter", a friendly flight attendant said when I stepped on board - that's what I call a good start!
I had been skeptical about Qantas' choice of cabin colors, but they look actually quite nice in reality. Here's a row in the "red zone":
"Green zone" where I would spend the next 13+ hours:
Here's my row with my seat 76H in the foreground:
Actually I had wanted to sit in the "orange zone" (last section), but all aisle seats in the outer rows were already occupied when I checked the seat map after booking. Reserving a seat in advance meanwhile costs 25 Australian dollars (20 Euro) per sector on international flights. I still paid AUD20 back then.
The dark seatback didn't look bad either in reality:
While I found the 18.1-inch wide seat very comfortable, the 31-inch pitch was not sufficient:
Due to the seatback extending too far down, it was difficult to stretch out - which is really bad on such a long flight. The foot rest was nice, though, and the IFE box didn't take away too much space:
IFE controller:
The amenity kit contained eyeshade and dental care set:
Inflight magazine:
Mistakes anywhere?
Well, they could have added "ER" to "B767-300", specified "B747-400ER" and split up the Dash 8 versions, but these are minor issues…
Shopping guide and safety card:
Welcome!
Main menu:
That's what I was looking for:
Perfect:
Still pointing towards north:
I was very glad when I realized that the middle seat would remain empty. Even though Qantas could enjoy a healthy load, the plane wasn't full in Economy Class, other than earlier suggested by the lady at the transfer desk.
Shortly before the scheduled departure time, the captain made a welcome announcement and informed that a bag had to be offloaded again due to a missing passenger. While the search was going on, tiring strumming music was played and I was glad to hear the captain again 15 minutes later: "The bag has been found, we are closing now."
We left the gate 26 minutes behind schedule and quickly taxied to runway 09R, directly behind the Emirates A380 which had been parking next to us. QF002 cleared for takeoff:
The four RR Trents quietly accelerated the plane which gently lifted off sooner than expected. This was my sixth A380 flight, but by far the longest, so I was a bit surprised about the quick takeoff. The climb out over London's countless lights was simply amazing.
I kept following the flight path for the next hour or so. 12 hours and 21 minutes to go:
Flight path straight over Amsterdam, Berlin and Warsaw:
While I was enjoying the IFE, I overheard a flight attendant asking the man behind me (occupying three seats) whether he would agree to move to another row to make room for a sick passenger. He did so and two minutes later, a young couple showed up, with the lady looking sick indeed. Even though she wasn't coughing or sneezing, I certainly didn't like the fact that she would lie behind me for the next 11 hours. Well, I don't know what she was suffering from, but not even 24 hours later, I would turn sick as well... Coincidence or not? I don't know. More about that to follow in the next part.
Dinner was about to be served, so it was time to have a look at the menu card:
What I found really interesting was the journey planner at the bottom:
Sausages or chicken pie? I wasn't overly impressed by that choice of (very British) dishes:
At least there was ginger ale on the beverage list - and it turned out to be Schweppes!
Finally I decided to try the chicken pie and I was glad that it was still available...I really wouldn't have wanted these sausages. The tray was a bit small, but everything looked okay:
I must admit that the pie didn't taste bad at all and I also liked the salad. However, the strawberry fool tasted strange.
After dinner, I decided to have a hot drink, but the flight attendant with coffee and tea pots was rushing through the aisle so quickly that she missed my request. When she was passing again, I stopped her and she kindly offered various drinks, including hot chocolate and peppermint tea.
Shortly after dinner trays had been recollected, the flight attendants distributed "Refresh" bags...
...including water and snacks for the night - actually a very good idea considering that many passengers cannot access the aisle easily:
After the cabin lights had been dimmed, I went for a walk. The next self serve snack bar was located just a few steps away from my seat, in the galley section between the green and the orange zone:
This is the large snack bar at the rear of the cabin:
The stairway up to more comfortable cabin sections:
Moving around wasn't easy in the darkness:
Now I was trying to get some sleep which wasn't easy due to the noise in the cabin. Yes right, noise! There was a loud snorer just across the aisle and the A380's quietness was a curse rather than a blessing in this case. Anyway, I still managed to snooze for a while.
When I woke up again, we were already cruising over Pakistan...
...province of Baluchistan, to be precise:
What an amazing tail cam view:
Now it was time to have a closer look at the on-demand IFE system. According to Qantas, there are 1500 options including up to 100 movies, over 500 television programs, 1000 CDs, a selection of audio books, 20 radio channels, 80 games and Lonely Planet interactive destination guides. Entertainment main menu:
Movies:
Features on board:
Cabin overview with lavatory and snack bar guide:
Seat features:
Messaging:
No data uploaded here - I prefer the printed menus anyway:
Qantas' latest IFE system which is available on the A380s and selected 747-400s offers a great selection of options and can keep you entertained for a long time. Of course it still cannot match Emirates' excellent ice digital widescreen entertainment system.
Cabin lighting turned up again before breakfast service:
Little reminder:
I preferred the hot meal over the continental breakfast:
While fruit and pastry were fine, the partly fatty main course was nothing to write home about.
The remaining flight time passed quickly and it was time to switch back to the tail camera view again:
Almost there:
Final approach over countless ships:
We touched down after a flying time of 12 hours and 34 minutes and arrived at our Terminal 1 gate 29 minutes behind schedule:
Now it was a good opportunity to take a cabin shot in daylight:
One last picture of VH-OQG which was now being prepared for its onward journey to Sydney:
After leaving the gate area, I headed straight to the Ambassador Transit Hotel in Terminal 1 where I had booked a room for 10 hours - the plan was to enter Singapore on the next day after my side trip to Macau. Actually I had asked for a room in the hotel's Terminal 2 facility where my Air Macau flight would depart from, but it was already fully booked. The hotel isn't cheap, but you cannot beat its location. My room was functional, but the furnishing was showing its age:
Unfortunately, it wasn't possible to entirely switch off the air conditioning, so I permanently felt an air draft - probably another contribution to the next days' events.
Nice view from the room - Cathay Pacific 777-300, Jetstar A330-200 and Air France 777-300ER F-GZNE in Skyteam colors...
...JAL 767-300ER JA653J and some SIA birds:
As soon as the daylight was gone, it was time to rest considering that I had to leave my room again at 04:30 in the morning. Story to be continued...
PlaneHunter From Germany, joined Mar 2006, 6191 posts, RR: 79 Reply 2, posted (5 months 3 weeks 4 days 18 hours ago) and read 13446 times:
Conclusion
Qantas offers a decent Economy Class product on its A380. But while the seats are very comfortable, the 31-inch pitch is absolutely insufficient. The advanced IFE system keeps you entertained for a long time and the catering (including self service snacks) doesn't leave you hungry. However, the meals couldn't overly impress me. The flight attendants were friendly in general, but I missed a personal touch in many cases. Would I choose Qantas on a long-haul route again? Yes, but I probably wouldn't book a flight which lasts longer than 10 hours.
gabrielchew From United Kingdom, joined Aug 2005, 2512 posts, RR: 13 Reply 3, posted (5 months 3 weeks 4 days 17 hours ago) and read 13174 times:
Great that you finally managed to get a flight on the QF A380....looks like you had a good flight. Shame you got sick though.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): Then I booked MUC-LHR-SIN on British Airways and the Qantas A380 on Qantas' website, by using my voucher. At this point of time, I wasn't asked yet to enter my credit card details and was told that Qantas would contact me for that. Two days after booking, the fare fell which I found a bit frustrating. So I called Qantas and asked for a rebooking to get the lower price considering that the ticket hadn't been issued yet - and the friendly agent agreed. Two weeks later, Qantas called me, asked for my credit card details and the ticket was finally issued.
That sounds pretty round-a-bout. I'm surprised it took so long to get issued.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): Due to the seatback extending too far down, it was difficult to stretch out - which is really bad on such a long flight. The foot rest was nice, though, and the IFE box didn't take away too much space:
Doesn't sound good
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): Sausages or chicken pie? I wasn't overly impressed by that choice of (very British) dishes:
I guess the majority of the pax will be from UK or OZ, so sticking to some old favourites. I'm sure EK would have some more varied options. SQ would have had something Chinese i'm sure.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): she kindly offered various drinks, including hot chocolate and peppermint tea.
I like that QF offers these, as well as the refesh bag...it's the little things!
flightsimboy From Canada, joined Sep 2005, 849 posts, RR: 4 Reply 5, posted (5 months 3 weeks 4 days 16 hours ago) and read 12889 times:
Hey Plane Hunter (How I love that name!!)
Glad to see the rewards from the cancellation of your previous QF flights come to fruition finally.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): Of course I had been hoping to fly on the famous "Nancy-Bird Walton" (VH-OQA), but that restored bird was operating elsewhere as I had already seen on Flighradar24 on the day before.
Would have been nice to fly on Nancy-Bird Walton, but you have a similiar aviation pioneer having the honour of carrying you on your first Qantas flight!!
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): Another giant was parked next to VH-OQG - operating for one of Qantas' former main rivals:
What a great flight to commemorate the new partnership between Qantas and Emirates. Oh yes, they were rivals previously. Strange how even in life sometimes enemies become friends!!
I guess that dark seatback is standard across all three cabins as opposed to the front covers of red, green and orange...the colours I guess do help in helping those not too accquainted with walking between cabins to get their bearings instantly by identifying the colours.
Nice they have the online version link printed at the bottom.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): Well, they could have added "ER" to "B767-300", specified "B747-400ER" and split up the Dash 8 versions, but these are minor issues…
Yes minor issues, which only you PH could have identified!!
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): I was very glad when I realized that the middle seat would remain empty
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): Shortly before the scheduled departure time, the captain made a welcome announcement and informed that a bag had to be offloaded again due to a missing passenger
Perhaps your middle seat occupant went missing lol
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): The climb out over London's countless lights was simply amazing.
Were these the views on the cam? I noticed you had an aisle seat.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): While I was enjoying the IFE, I overheard a flight attendant asking the man behind me (occupying three seats) whether he would agree to move to another row to make room for a sick passenger. He did so and two minutes later, a young couple showed up, with the lady looking sick indeed. Even though she wasn't coughing or sneezing, I certainly didn't like the fact that she would lie behind me for the next 11 hours. Well, I don't know what she was suffering from, but not even 24 hours later, I would turn sick as well... Coincidence or not? I don't know. More about that to follow in the next part.
That is not very nice, could have been far worse if the sick person was sitting next to you.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): What I found really interesting was the journey planner at the bottom:
That is a great feature.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): At least there was ginger ale on the beverage list - and it turned out to be Schweppes!
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): After dinner, I decided to have a hot drink, but the flight attendant with coffee and tea pots was rushing through the aisle so quickly that she missed my request. When she was passing again, I stopped her and she kindly offered various drinks, including hot chocolate and peppermint tea.
Shortly after dinner trays had been recollected, the flight attendants distributed "Refresh" bags...
So they have changed the Snack on Q bag to "Refresh"....I prefer the Snack on Q better. Here is a pic from my own Qantas flight in 2008, with the yummy hot chocolate with marshallows pic included.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): The next self serve snack bar was located just a few steps away from my seat, in the galley section between the green and the orange zone:
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): Now I was trying to get some sleep which wasn't easy due to the noise in the cabin. Yes right, noise! There was a loud snorer just across the aisle and the A380's quietness was a curse rather than a blessing in this case. Anyway, I still managed to snooze for a while.
I wonder what it would sound like with not too happy babies or children running around in the cabin. Noise cancelilng headphones seem to be the solution when travelling on the A380 lol
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): Now it was time to have a closer look at the on-demand IFE system. According to Qantas, there are 1500 options including up to 100 movies, over 500 television programs, 1000 CDs, a selection of audio books, 20 radio channels, 80 games and Lonely Planet interactive destination guides. Entertainment main menu:
Look how eerily similar our breakfasts look like, except yours seems to have come with yougurt. Have to remember to order the hot breakfast next time and not make a mistake saying Continental like on my last trip lol
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): Unfortunately, it wasn't possible to entirely switch off the air conditioning, so I permanently felt an air draft - probably another contribution to the next days' events.
That is a shame, with this also happening in Dubai. Stayed at a friend's place and actually had to shut the AC off in order not to be cold....and I am so used to the cold here in Toronto.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): Nice view from the room - Cathay Pacific 777-300, Jetstar A330-200 and Air France 777-300ER F-GZNE in Skyteam colors...
Really looking forward to seeing your trips on the Biman Bangladesh 777-300ER!! Sorry PH but you know I'm not too fond of the smaller bugs lol
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): My friend and legendary user The777Man and I decided to meet in Singapore during that trip - and his main target was the new Biman Bangladesh 777-300ER which he was hoping to get on a short hop to/from Dhaka. However, when searching for flights between Singapore and Europe for myself, I noticed that Biman was offering SIN-DAC-LHR, operated by 737-800 and 777-300ER, for a decent price. I told him about that and it was just a matter of a few days until we agreed on a travel date and booked that combo on the carrier's website. We were really looking forward to our first mission together. Some time after booking, the 737-800 was replaced by an A310-300 which was an additional treat.
Hey nice to meet The777Man...quite a legend himself!!
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): Reserving a seat in advance meanwhile costs 25 Australian dollars (20 Euro) per sector on international flights.
Quoting flightsimboy (Reply 5): Glad to see the rewards from the cancellation of your previous QF flights come to fruition finally.
Yes, finally.
Quoting flightsimboy (Reply 5): Would have been nice to fly on Nancy-Bird Walton, but you have a similiar aviation pioneer having the honour of carrying you on your first Qantas flight!!
That's true. I read about Charles Ulm when working on this report, really interesting.
Quoting flightsimboy (Reply 5): Strange how even in life sometimes enemies become friends!!
Let's wait and see if they become real friends...
Quoting flightsimboy (Reply 5): Nice they have the online version link printed at the bottom.
Quoting flightsimboy (Reply 5): Yes minor issues, which only you PH could have identified!!
Well, who knows.
Quoting flightsimboy (Reply 5): Perhaps your middle seat occupant went missing lol
Good point. But there were numerous empty seats around.
Quoting flightsimboy (Reply 5): That is not very nice, could have been far worse if the sick person was sitting next to you.
Even worse? Who knows. Wait until you see part II.
Quoting flightsimboy (Reply 5): So they have changed the Snack on Q bag to "Refresh"....I prefer the Snack on Q better. Here is a pic from my own Qantas flight in 2008, with the yummy hot chocolate with marshallows pic included.
Thanks for posting your pics!
Quoting flightsimboy (Reply 5): Doesn't look to be raided lol...unless they have a good method of keeping restocked all the time
I took these pictures not long after dinner service.
Quoting flightsimboy (Reply 5): More like over the province of Punjab, but could be in between the two of them....but great of you to be precise!!
I checked some maps to find it out, it wasn't easy to determine.
Quoting flightsimboy (Reply 5): I wonder what it would sound like with not too happy babies or children running around in the cabin. Noise cancelilng headphones seem to be the solution when travelling on the A380 lol
Some people need them on the 777, others need them on the A380...
Quoting flightsimboy (Reply 5):
Look how eerily similar our breakfasts look like, except yours seems to have come with yougurt. Have to remember to order the hot breakfast next time and not make a mistake saying Continental like on my last trip lol
Yours looks much better than mine!
Quoting flightsimboy (Reply 5): That is a shame, with this also happening in Dubai.
It hasn't happened yet in Dubai, fortunately...
Quoting flightsimboy (Reply 5): Really looking forward to seeing your trips on the Biman Bangladesh 777-300ER!! Sorry PH but you know I'm not too fond of the smaller bugs
I'm sorry to disappoint you, but there won't be a BG 77W report from me, unfortunately...I was not able to take the Biman flights. Unfit to fly.
Quoting flightsimboy (Reply 5): Hey nice to meet The777Man...quite a legend himself!!
flightsimboy From Canada, joined Sep 2005, 849 posts, RR: 4 Reply 7, posted (5 months 3 weeks 4 days 16 hours ago) and read 12715 times:
Quoting PlaneHunter (Reply 6): I'm sorry to disappoint you, but there won't be a BG 77W report from me, unfortunately...I was not able to take the Biman flights. Unfit to fly.
Oh that is just terrible!! Sorry if my eagerness to see that report actually led to giving part of the plot away!! Very sorry though to hear you got sick.
PlaneHunter From Germany, joined Mar 2006, 6191 posts, RR: 79 Reply 8, posted (5 months 3 weeks 4 days 15 hours ago) and read 12676 times:
Quoting flightsimboy (Reply 7): Oh that is just terrible!! Sorry if my eagerness to see that report actually led to giving part of the plot away!! Very sorry though to hear you got sick.
Yes, it was indeed terrible and most challenging. Interestingly, I ended up on another 77W and another A380 on the way home, operated by one of my favorite airlines...but I would have preferred BG.
Quoting flightsimboy (Reply 7): Something to keep in mind when flying with Qantas. However for me it would be on the LAX-SYD-LAX sectors so just two for me.
Even though it's not cheap, I would reserve seats on these long sectors.
Sultanils From Belgium, joined Mar 2010, 1188 posts, RR: 29 Reply 9, posted (5 months 3 weeks 4 days 15 hours ago) and read 12671 times:
Hello PH,
Thanks for this excellent piece once again! Good to see you were at last able to get on that 'postponed' QF A380. Your experience mirrors very well the one that fellow a.netter and video blogger RvXKaZ had no too long ago. While the flight itself was certainly not bad, I find the lack of legroom on longhaul flights a serious issue...
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): So I called Qantas and asked for a rebooking to get the lower price considering that the ticket hadn't been issued yet - and the friendly agent agreed.
Good to hear that. I probably wouldn't think of that but indeed, if the ticket was not issued yet you had every right to change it.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Reply 1): now it was high time to end this dreary conversation.
She apparently wasn't in the best of 'customer service' offering mood.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): What I found really interesting was the journey planner at the bottom
That's indeed quite smart so that people know more or less what to expect at what time during the flight.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): ...including water and snacks for the night - actually a very good idea considering that many passengers cannot access the aisle easily
While it's a great idea, I do believe that it can be a waste as well. Wouldn't it be better to let people stand up and go to the galley to help themselves (especially the food items)? I think the cleaning staff will find quite some unused (food) items after the flight...
PlaneHunter From Germany, joined Mar 2006, 6191 posts, RR: 79 Reply 10, posted (5 months 3 weeks 4 days 15 hours ago) and read 12563 times:
Quoting Sultanils (Reply 9): Thanks for this excellent piece once again!
Hi Nils, many thanks for your nice comments!
Quoting Sultanils (Reply 9): Good to see you were at last able to get on that 'postponed' QF A380.
Yes, I'm glad I finally made it onto that bird...I hope it won't be as difficult to add the next A380 carrier to my log.
Quoting Sultanils (Reply 9): While the flight itself was certainly not bad, I find the lack of legroom on longhaul flights a serious issue...
Absolutely.
Quoting Sultanils (Reply 9): Good to hear that. I probably wouldn't think of that but indeed, if the ticket was not issued yet you had every right to change it.
Yes, I was prepared for a longer discussion, but the friendly agent accepted my request immediately.
Quoting Sultanils (Reply 9):
She apparently wasn't in the best of 'customer service' offering mood.
Well, who knows...maybe she had to deal with many outraged passengers back in October 2011...
Quoting Sultanils (Reply 9): So can you maybe say that this is due to the bad seat design? Still, 31-inch is not much but quite standard.
It's not necessarily a bad design, but one inch more would make a difference. It's the same in LH's case. In contrast, AF, EK, and SQ offer 32" of pitch in Y Class, KE even 34".
Quoting Sultanils (Reply 9): The ones that you mentioned were not really mistakes pur sang. Only some minor details that were lacking
Well, that's a matter of opinion.
Quoting Sultanils (Reply 9): Those tailcam views are really great, I agre.
The best feature on the A380 IMO.
Quoting Sultanils (Reply 9): That's indeed quite smart so that people know more or less what to expect at what time during the flight.
Quoting Sultanils (Reply 9): While it's a great idea, I do believe that it can be a waste as well. Wouldn't it be better to let people stand up and go to the galley to help themselves (especially the food items)? I think the cleaning staff will find quite some unused (food) items after the flight...
The problem is that many people cannot access the aisle easily in a 3-4-3 configuration, especially on night flights. Would be interesting to know how many passengers do consume the items.
817Dreamliiner From Montserrat, joined Jul 2008, 1408 posts, RR: 1 Reply 11, posted (5 months 3 weeks 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 12427 times:
Another Great Report!
Though in Y class this time, was still an enjoyable read! Loved the pics with the tail camera, I wish all aircraft had this! Thanks for sharing your report again, looking forward to more in the future
Blast Reality, Burst it into shreds! Banishment, This World!
thegoldenargosy From United States of America, joined Sep 2010, 223 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (5 months 3 weeks 4 days 3 hours ago) and read 11255 times:
Quoting PlaneHunter (Reply 1): "Last time I came here, the entire fleet was grounded", I couldn't resist to remark. She didn't say anything and I asked whether the flight would be full. "Yes", the lady simply replied...okay, now it was high time to end this dreary conversation
That is the quickest way to end a conversation with an airline employee. She most likely went through hell with the grounding and the last thing she needs is a cute comment about it.
PlaneHunter From Germany, joined Mar 2006, 6191 posts, RR: 79 Reply 14, posted (5 months 3 weeks 4 days 2 hours ago) and read 11225 times:
Quoting thegoldenargosy (Reply 13): That is the quickest way to end a conversation with an airline employee. She most likely went through hell with the grounding and the last thing she needs is a cute comment about it.
I wasn't in an overly comfortable situation either when QF left me stranded without any assistance back then. And I wouldn't have made that remark if she had been a bit more friendly initially. It's the customers who secure her job, nobody else.
lychemsa From United States of America, joined Oct 2009, 905 posts, RR: 3 Reply 15, posted (5 months 3 weeks 3 days 23 hours ago) and read 10781 times:
I agree that 31 inches is insufficient. Unfortunately there are not too many European airlines or US that offer at least 32 inches anymore.
I flew Qantas in 1986 from Los Angeles to Sydney and the legroom was great and the meals were very generous. The cake was huge.
PlaneHunter From Germany, joined Mar 2006, 6191 posts, RR: 79 Reply 16, posted (5 months 3 weeks 3 days 23 hours ago) and read 10751 times:
Quoting lychemsa (Reply 15): I agree that 31 inches is insufficient.
Quoting lychemsa (Reply 15): Unfortunately there are not too many European airlines or US that offer at least 32 inches anymore.
There are still some carriers offering at least 32", e.g. AA (777 only), AF, AY, AZ (777 only), IB, LH (A343 only), LX, SK, TK and TP. Some others offer something between 31" and 33".
Quoting lychemsa (Reply 15): I flew Qantas in 1986 from Los Angeles to Sydney and the legroom was great and the meals were very generous. The cake was huge.
Widebodyroga From United States of America, joined Sep 2008, 473 posts, RR: 4 Reply 17, posted (5 months 3 weeks 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 10570 times:
Hey PlaneHunter. Nice first installment. Judging by your full-itinerary map there are many more exciting installments to come!
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): Qantas not only paid for all our additional expenses and paid a compensation of €600 (EU regulations), but also sent us vouchers worth €190, valid one year - which I decided to use for a new attempt to get on the carrier's A380.
That's pretty sweet. Sometimes it kinda makes you wonder whether you want your flight to go ahead or not. As long as I'm not in a hurry I wouldn't mind such a "deal".
Thank you Qantas (or Airbus). This is how it should be!
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): Well, they could have added "ER" to "B767-300", specified "B747-400ER" and split up the Dash 8 versions, but these are minor issues…
You Germans. Always in pursuit of perfection .
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): other than earlier suggested by the lady at the transfer desk.
She probably wasn't even listening to you then. That's a shame.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): certainly didn't like the fact that she would lie behind me for the next 11 hours. Well, I don't know what she was suffering from, but not even 24 hours later, I would turn sick as well...
Oh my. That's unfortunate. Most contagious diseases require a 48+ hour incubation period though. Unless this was something of a special nature...? I hope this did not ruin your vacation.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): There was a loud snorer just across the aisle and the A380's quietness was a curse rather than a blessing in this case.
Quoting Widebodyroga (Reply 17): Judging by your full-itinerary map there are many more exciting installments to come!
Unfortunately not...I could take two more flights and then I was grounded at SIN. It was a major screw-up, details to follow in part II.
Quoting Widebodyroga (Reply 17): That's pretty sweet. Sometimes it kinda makes you wonder whether you want your flight to go ahead or not. As long as I'm not in a hurry I wouldn't mind such a "deal".
Yes, the outcome was nice. But being left stranded without any assistance is very bad to begin with - we were just lucky that TK could fly us to SIN so quickly and for a decent fare. Not to talk about the lost bags. It would have been a nightmare for inexperienced travellers. And after the trip, it was a hassle to send all required documents to QF (mail box limitations etc). And we only got the €600 compensation because an EU airport was involved.
Quoting Widebodyroga (Reply 17): Thank you Qantas (or Airbus). This is how it should be!
EK has even better ones on the A380 (and newer 777s):
Quoting Widebodyroga (Reply 17): She probably wasn't even listening to you then. That's a shame.
Quoting Widebodyroga (Reply 17):
Oh my. That's unfortunate. Most contagious diseases require a 48+ hour incubation period though. Unless this was something of a special nature...?
Depending on the kind of virus, the incubation period can be as low as as 8-10 hours I was told. Well, who knows...
The777Man From United States of America, joined Jul 1999, 6087 posts, RR: 56 Reply 19, posted (5 months 3 weeks 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 10140 times:
Hi PlaneHunter!
Thanks for another amazing report with amazing pictures !
I have been looking forward to this one for about six months as well! . Joking aside, it's great to see you finally this report online. Take your time to post whenever it works for you.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): My friend and legendary user The777Man and I decided to meet in Singapore during that trip - and his main target was the new Biman Bangladesh 777-300ER which he was hoping to get on a short hop to/from Dhaka. However, when searching for flights between Singapore and Europe for myself, I noticed that Biman was offering SIN-DAC-LHR, operated by 737-800 and 777-300ER, for a decent price. I told him about that and it was just a matter of a few days until we agreed on a travel date and booked that combo on the carrier's website. We were really looking forward to our first mission together. Some time after booking, the 737-800 was replaced by an A310-300 which was an additional treat.
Thanks for the kind words; I had very much looked forward to fly together. Sometime in the future it will happen.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Reply 1): they look actually quite nice in reality.
Seats looks okay but it does not seem very comfortable. Glad that looks are deceiving in this case.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Reply 1): Reserving a seat in advance meanwhile costs 25 Australian dollars (20 Euro) per sector on international flights.
That seems very expensive! That includes all seats even exit rows ?
Quoting PlaneHunter (Reply 1): The amenity kit contained eyeshade and dental care set:
Nice to get an amenity kit in Y but probably a lot of people continue all the way to SYD.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Reply 1): I was very glad when I realized that the middle seat would remain empty.
You were lucky with that. It makes a huge difference comfort wise if the seat next you is open. That's my experience.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Reply 1): While I was enjoying the IFE, I overheard a flight attendant asking the man behind me (occupying three seats) whether he would agree to move to another row to make room for a sick passenger. He did so and two minutes later, a young couple showed up, with the lady looking sick indeed. Even though she wasn't coughing or sneezing, I certainly didn't like the fact that she would lie behind me for the next 11 hours. Well, I don't know what she was suffering from, but not even 24 hours later, I would turn sick as well... Coincidence or not? I don't know. More about that to follow in the next part.
That could very well be the reason for what happened later.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Reply 1): Sausages or chicken pie? I wasn't overly impressed by that choice of (very British) dishes:
Very bad choices for dinner! Food looks awful too. Glad it actually tasted good.
PlaneHunter From Germany, joined Mar 2006, 6191 posts, RR: 79 Reply 20, posted (5 months 3 weeks 3 days 15 hours ago) and read 10052 times:
Quoting The777Man (Reply 19): Thanks for another amazing report with amazing pictures !
Hi Lars, thanks a lot! Great to hear you liked it.
Quoting The777Man (Reply 19): I have been looking forward to this one for about six months as well!
Quoting The777Man (Reply 19): Take your time to post whenever it works for you.
Quoting The777Man (Reply 19): Thanks for the kind words; I had very much looked forward to fly together. Sometime in the future it will happen.
Oh yes, that will happen. KE A380, LAX-ICN, and you will enjoy it, no doubt about that.
Quoting The777Man (Reply 19): That seems very expensive! That includes all seats even exit rows ?
No, that's just for regular seats. I have just checked and cannot believe what I found: 90AUD for flights between Europe and Asia and 180AUD for flights between Europe and Australia!!!
Quoting The777Man (Reply 19): You were lucky with that. It makes a huge difference comfort wise if the seat next you is open. That's my experience.
Quoting The777Man (Reply 19): That could very well be the reason for what happened later.
Yes, that could have been the reason - considering that it was a really special problem which I hadn't experienced before...
Quoting The777Man (Reply 19): That's a great idea! Contents doesn't look to healthy but seems perfect for me
Shortbread, potato crisps. chocolate bar, truly healthy stuff!
RyanairGuru From Australia, joined Oct 2006, 2530 posts, RR: 2 Reply 21, posted (5 months 3 weeks 3 days 13 hours ago) and read 9861 times:
Thanks for the excellent trip report!
I'm always interested to read about Qantas from an impartial perspective, as I'm prone to view them through rose tinted lenses
I have to say that I am very surprised by the dinner offering. Admittedly I've never actually flown Qantas out of LHR, but on flights to and from the USA they serve much more "sophisticated" cuisine, fish or chicken breast in a nice sauce with vegetables, for example.
I'm sorry to hear that you found the legroom to be cramped, it doesn't bother me but then again I'm only 5'9. One thing I do notice, though, is that with the high seat backs and black shells my personal space seems darker somehow.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Reply 20): I have just checked and cannot believe what I found: 90AUD for flights between Europe and Asia and 180AUD for flights between Europe and Australia!!!
Sorry to slightly derail the thread, but QF sells emergency exit seats in a similar manner to EconomyPlus on United: the same seat, more legroom. And the prices are about the same as UA.
As for payed seating, QFFF elites can reserve seats for free . I honestly don't know about other OW status fliers, although as I'm able to book seats for free on BA with QF status (prices are about the same as QF off the top of my head) then I'd guess that the reverse applies, and that QF waive the fee for OW frequent fliers.
FLIEGER67 From Turkey, joined Sep 2003, 4391 posts, RR: 57 Reply 22, posted (5 months 3 weeks 3 days 13 hours ago) and read 9838 times:
Servus, PH,
really good to follow you´re QF A380 experience. Detailed pictures and a nice impression from you´re point of view.
I will be also online, maybe tomorrow with something like this.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): did so and two minutes later, a young couple showed up, with the lady looking sick indeed. Even though she wasn't coughing or sneezing, I certainly didn't like the fact that she would lie behind me for the next 11 hours. Well, I don't know what she was suffering from, but not even 24 hours later, I would turn sick as well... Coincidence or not? I don't know. More about that to follow in the next part.
Hah, that´s weird indeed and something like this happened also to me.
Years ago I was on a flight MXP-FCO by AZ, window of course, with an Indian woman in the aisle seat, using the sickbags several times on the short flight. I feel really sorry with here but you know what happens the day thereafter.
The very same with me. Better more safety distance in such cases, definitely.
debonair From Germany, joined Jan 2004, 2098 posts, RR: 4 Reply 23, posted (5 months 3 weeks 3 days 12 hours ago) and read 9761 times:
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): a young couple showed up, with the lady looking sick indeed. Even though she wasn't coughing or sneezing, I certainly didn't like the fact that she would lie behind me for the next 11 hours. Well, I don't know what she was suffering from, but not even 24 hours later, I would turn sick as well...
Quoting PlaneHunter (Reply 6): I'm sorry to disappoint you, but there won't be a BG 77W report from me, unfortunately...I was not able to take the Biman flights. Unfit to fly.
Reminded me of a situation I had last year- I was flying with easyjet to GVA. Next to me was a Chinese couple and the girl was checking her temperature with a small clinical thermometer, starring on the digital display. To make things worse, the airport was closed due to heavy snowfall and I had to sit another hour next to her...
Quoting RyanairGuru (Reply 21): I have to say that I am very surprised by the dinner offering. Admittedly I've never actually flown Qantas out of LHR, but on flights to and from the USA they serve much more "sophisticated" cuisine, fish or chicken breast in a nice sauce with vegetables, for example.
That sounds better!
Quoting RyanairGuru (Reply 21): One thing I do notice, though, is that with the high seat backs and black shells my personal space seems darker somehow.
It didn't bother me. I was surprised because I hadn't liked the design after seeing pictures only.
Quoting RyanairGuru (Reply 21): Sorry to slightly derail the thread, but QF sells emergency exit seats in a similar manner to EconomyPlus on United: the same seat, more legroom. And the prices are about the same as UA.
Interesting, it seems QF is just one example.
Quoting RyanairGuru (Reply 21): As for payed seating, QFFF elites can reserve seats for free .
Good for them!
Quoting RyanairGuru (Reply 21): But at least they have bowl fulls of fresh fruit. I think its quite a nice touch!
Sure, there's no reason to complain.
Quoting FLIEGER67 (Reply 22):
really good to follow you´re QF A380 experience. Detailed pictures and a nice impression from you´re point of view.
Servus Markus, thank you for your reply!
Quoting FLIEGER67 (Reply 22): I will be also online, maybe tomorrow with something like this.
Alright, sounds good. I'll watch out for it! It will be interesting to see how QF's product compares to BA's on the route.
Quoting FLIEGER67 (Reply 22): Hah, that´s weird indeed and something like this happened also to me.
Years ago I was on a flight MXP-FCO by AZ, window of course, with an Indian woman in the aisle seat, using the sickbags several times on the short flight. I feel really sorry with here but you know what happens the day thereafter.
The very same with me. Better more safety distance in such cases, definitely.
Oh no...that's sounds really bad!
Quoting debonair (Reply 23): Reminded me of a situation I had last year- I was flying with easyjet to GVA. Next to me was a Chinese couple and the girl was checking her temperature with a small clinical thermometer, starring on the digital display. To make things worse, the airport was closed due to heavy snowfall and I had to sit another hour next to her...
That doesn't sound nice either - did you get sick as well afterwards?
PH
Nothing's worse than flying the same reg twice!
25 babybus: Hey, great TR. Loved reading it. I rarely read a report from start to finish but I did with this one. Great. If you remember the AF A380 seats they ha
26 thegoldenargosy: It's still not going to get you anywhere with an airline employee. I would have acted the same way to you as well.
27 PlaneHunter: Hi babybus, many thanks for your comments! Great to hear you enjoyed it so much. True, AF offers more legroom. I'm not sure whether brighter colors w
28 MSS658: Hello PH Another interesting report! Glad you finally managed to log the 380 on QF this time! Inflight product looks good. I really like the addition
29 PlaneHunter: Thanks for your reply, Marc! True, meals and pitch weren't great. PH
30 thegoldenargosy: No, I'm saying bring up something like the A380 grounding isn't going to foster conversation or how your flight was cancelled yesterday due to a thun
31 debonair: Thankfully not - but I was very nervous, if it was just a flu or the "swine"-flu... Looking fwd to the next part of your TR-odyssey.
32 PlaneHunter: Customer-orientation is what I want. The lady seemed to be stressed (or whatever) just because I asked whether the flight was on time - and after her
33 jwhite9185: Hi PH, Great little report there. I always had suspicions that the QF A380's weren't exactly the most generous of the bunch when it came to legroom an
34 PlaneHunter: Hi James, many thanks for your comments! Yes, I'd have preferred to try it between LHR and DXB. EK's product is definitely superior, their A380s are
35 roberts87: Excellent report as usual PH! That's good service! Another great trip so it seems! Nice to also include some extra European legs on a long-haul trip,
36 OA260: Nice report Udo Glad you got the QF A380 in the end. Shame about the legroom but everything else seems ok . Looking forward to the next part(s) . Rega
37 PlaneHunter: Hi Robert, thanks for your feedback! Well, the itinerary was great...wait until you see part II. Thank you, Philip! Yes, I'm glad I finally got on th
38 eastafspot: Another fascinating report Udo! Sorry to learn that you got sick, but glad to see you finally reach your goal of QF A380! Have you claimed for the com
39 PlaneHunter: Hi Léo, many thanks for your comments! At least something... They contacted us which was nice. No, but I'd offer my help. That's bad. It even happen
40 CaptainRed: Hi PH, great report once again. Glad to read that you succeeded to log the Qantas A380 this time. Such a shame that your plans didn't work out complet
41 infodesk: Hi PH, Great report, as always. I'm glad to hear that you did finally catch QF's A380, after all that went wrong last time. Interesting to see that th
42 PlaneHunter: Hi CaptainRed, many thanks for your comments! Yes, quite frustrating. Detailed report to follow soon. I can only agree! Oh yes, those are really grea
43 ba319-131: Hi PH, Good read as always! - Qantas did a great job here, despite the chaos and trouble they caused their passengers. - Now that's not an equipment c
44 PlaneHunter: Hi Mark, thanks for your comments! True! Unfortunately... No, daylight was gone soon and it wasn't overy busy on that side. PH
45 adamspotter: Hi PH! Another great report with many nice pictures! Its nice to see you were able to catch the QF A380 this time without any problems. Qantas looks q
46 PlaneHunter: Thanks for your comments, Brendan! Yes, the problems only started after the QF A380 this time... The skycam rocks! Yes, absolutely. PH
47 akhmad: G’day PH, Glad to see you manage to get on board of QF’s A380 after last year’s fiasco. How accommodating. Way to go, QF! Indeed, this little to
48 PlaneHunter: Hi Suryo, thanks a lot for your comments! Yes, finally on the QF A380, but another fiasco was coming up... Absolutely! Ha, good idea! Any plans for 2
Sponsor Message: 
From Germany, joined Mar 2006, 6191 posts, 
Coincidence or not? I don't know. More about that to follow in the next part.
Anyway, I still managed to snooze for a while.
From United Kingdom, joined Aug 2005, 2512 posts, 
From Canada, joined Sep 2005, 849 posts, 
From Belgium, joined Mar 2010, 1188 posts, 
Sultanils
From Montserrat, joined Jul 2008, 1408 posts, 
From United States of America, joined Sep 2010, 223 posts, 
. 
From Australia, joined Oct 2006, 2530 posts, 
From Turkey, joined Sep 2003, 4391 posts, 
Sponsor Message: 
Printer friendly format
