THE FLIGHT: Qantas Airways flight QF31 from Sydney to London Heathrow, departing 16.25, on the A380.
THE CHECK-IN: Checked in at Melbourne for my connecting flight to Sydney at one of three ‘International desks’. No queue and very helpful check-in staff made sure I was ticketed all the way to London but could not confirm I would be flying on the A380 out of Sydney.
THE transfer: In Sydney, London-bound passengers were sent to an international transfer lounge at Gate 2. Those in the holding pen had to endure ten minutes of the Oprah Winfrey show at high volume before being taken by bus to International Departures.
THE LOUNGE: Qantas flyers use the oneworld lounge which is large and bright with around 20 computer terminals and wifi throughout. Food options were mainly soup, sandwiches, crisps and canapés, plus hot and cold drinks.
the boarding process: We were called from the lounge half an hour before the scheduled take-off time and boarded the upper deck of the A380 via a separate door. The upper deck is all Business Class, aside from the last few rows which are Premium Economy. Champagne or water was offered round.
THE SEAT: There are 12 rows of Business Class seats, with a 2x2x2 configuration, all fully-flat Skybed sleeper seats. The shiny-silver seatbacks doubled up as storage for amenity kits, shoes, magazines, etc. There’s a ‘privacy fan’, enhanced massage and lumbar system, plus PC power and USB and internet ports.
The SERVice: The amenity kit consisted of Korner skincare products and the usual eye-mask, ear plugs and a box of mints. Two full meals were served between Sydney and London, with options of fish, lamb, chicken and duck. We were given a wine ‘menu’ listing 22 wines, but the choice on the trolley was limited to three. There was a help yourself bar and drinks cabinet at the front of the plane.
The ENTERTAINMENT: Personal touch screens with ‘over 1,000 options’, with a wide range of movies including 18 recent releases and every ‘Best Movie’ Oscar-winner dating back to 1970, plus many other options.
THE PLANE: There was a small business class ‘lounge’ at the front of the upstairs cabin, with comfy seats for up to five people and a flat-screen TV with all the flight’s entertainment options available. You can also do powerpoint presentations on the screen.
THE ARRIVAL: We arrived a few minutes later than our scheduled 06.40 arrival time and, despite flying Business, most passengers had been reunited with their luggage and had long left the airport before mine appeared.
THE VERDICT: Excellent flight and attentive service on a very quiet aircraft. As comfortable as it was, and as squeakily clean as it looked, I expected more of a ‘wow factor’ and more obvious signs that I was on a state-of-the-art aircraft, taking air travel to a new level.
THE DETAILS: Qantas operates five flights on the A380 a week between Australia and the UK and hopes to operate daily with the A380 by the year's end. Return prices London-Sydney start from around £3,400 for Business, £1,850 for Premium Economy and £840 return for Economy, but look out for special offers which can slash prices. www.qantas.com Steve Hartridge
