This series covers a quick mileage run down to Australia. To kick off AA’s new services from LAX to SYD and AKL, there were a series of fare sales. I jumped on a ~$700 fare over Memorial Day weekend. The routing was picked to ensure that I could leave Friday night after work and get back to LAX first thing Tuesday morning. Since the QF flight from BNE is the earliest arrival (6:00), the routing was picked to spend one day in SYD and one day in BNE. Returning from BNE was also attractive since QF still sends a B744 on this route and any chance to fly a Queen should not be passed up.
Part 1 – LAX-SYD [AA 73, Boeing B777-300ER, Economy] – Here Part 2 – SYD-BNE [QF 512, Boeing B737-800, Economy] – You are here Part 3 – BNE-LAX [QF 15, Boeing B747-400, Economy] – Here
Pre-flight:
I arrived at Central Station in Sydney at 6:50am, purchased my ticket for $17.40 and headed up towards the platforms. The signage is very clear in order to find the T2 line to the airport.
The train arrives on time and isn’t too crowded on this Monday morning.
The Domestic Terminal is the first stop at the airport. Exiting the station you are able to access T2 (others) and T3 (QF).
Upstairs in the Departures Lobby of T3, they have a replica of an Avro 504 on display.
T3 is very new and open feeling.
I use the self-service kiosk to collect my boarding pass. It has no problem finding my AA record locator.
FIDS in T3.
Boarding pass in hand, I head towards security. There is a priority lane off to the left side, but with no noticeable back up at security, it doesn’t save any time. I was airside in a couple of minutes.
Clearing security, I’m immediately drawn to this plane getting towed into a gate. QF A332 in OW livery.
At the adjacent gate was this QF B738 in the Mendoowoorrji special livery, one of the QF liveries honoring Aboriginal artwork.
The concourse is lined with shops.
I head down to the Qantas Club, which is accessible to OW Sapphires. I’m greeted and my boarding pass is scanned as I enter. The lounge is huge for a domestic lounge, but hopping.
Not the greatest of breakfast buffets, but acceptable for a snack.
Ten minutes before the boarding time, I walked down to the gate. My plane for today, she is no spring chicken for B738 standards. She is named after the town Logan.
At the indicated boarding time, 20 minutes to departure, boarding was called with special assistance and business class passengers.
The agent scans my boarding pass and says “Thank you, enjoy your flight Mr. NGO85.” A nice touch to address passengers by name. Down the jetbridge we go.
Reaching the galley, a FA takes my boarding pass and says “Welcome aboard Mr. NGO85, you are seated in an exit row, is that okay?” I acknowledge and he directs me down the aisle. Strafing the J cabin.
The Y cabin (blurry because I got bumped in the back).
Seat pitch is good in the exit row.
No personal IFE.
Armrest features the controls.
Our next door neighbor. Look how close the nose is to the terminal.
Seatback contents.
Exit row safety instructions.
Safety card for this B738.
Qantas in-flight magazine.
The plane was about 85% full and the middle seat would remain empty. We push back a little late giving a nice QF tail line-up. The last B738 looks to still have the old livery (very subtle difference in the kangaroo silhouette).
Safety demonstrations are performed as the video plays on the overhead monitors.
QF B717.
QF Dash8.
Control tower as we taxi to the far reaches of the airport.
VA B738 taking off.
VA ERJ-175 landing.
We approach the threshold of the runway as this TT A320 goes heading off towards the CBD.
This little ZL Saab 340B cuts us off to take off in front of us.
It’s our turn and we align onto the runway.
We lift off over SYD.
The CBD is visible below.
Entering the Tasman, we turn to the north to follow the coastline up to BNE.
Service starts up. We are handed a sweet snack of chocolate cookies.
This is followed by the drink cart. Every passenger is handed a water bottle. The FA asks “Gentlemen, would you like something to drink?” The consistent use of titles to address passengers is quite remarkable. The crew was definitely polished. A pretty good cup of coffee.
I went to the bathroom after the carts cleared the aisle. The lavatory was clean and recently renovated. This felt like a new B787 lavatory not a 13-year old B737.
Exiting the lavatory, the 4 FAs were cleaning up the carts. I asked one of them if they had a pen so I could work on the crossword puzzle. Two of them go hunting and pull out a QF pen for me with a smile.
Not too much later, we are approaching BNE.
The CBD is visible in the horizon.
We turn in to land from the north.
Touching down ahead of schedule.
QQ Fokker 70 surrounded by VA B738s.
QF’s domestic operations.
We pull into a gate next to our twin.
Deplaning was quick. The first thing I notice in the jetbridge is this “Welcome to Brisbane” sign, which is subtitled in Japanese of all languages. Everything else in Australia is mainly English/Chinese, so the placement of this Japanese signage at the domestic terminal is curious.
BNE is under heavy renovations right now. Down to the baggage claim we go.
Outside, you can access the Airtrain platforms.
The train takes about 25 minutes to reach the city center and costs $17.50. You can buy the tickets discounted online (~30% off), but I forgot to do this the week before.
I drop off my bag at the hotel and set off to explore BNE on a warm sunny day.
See more
Verdict
Qantas
7.3/10
Cabin8.5
Cabin crew10.0
Entertainment/wifi3.0
Meal/catering7.5
Qantas Club - 3 - Domestic
8.0/10
Comfort8.0
Meal/catering6.5
Entertainment/wifi9.0
Services8.5
Sydney - SYD
8.8/10
Efficiency9.0
Access9.0
Services8.0
Cleanliness9.0
Brisbane - BNE
8.3/10
Efficiency9.0
Access8.0
Services7.0
Cleanliness9.0
Conclusion
QF domestic standards are very high. The crews and in-flight service was phenomenal. This older cabin wasn't great, but the exit row was comfortable and the snack offering on this flight was acceptable.
Cabin comfort: This older QF cabin was fine for a flight of this length. Plenty of leg room in the exit row and the empty middle seat helped with overall comfort. One of the nicer lavatories I've seen in Y.
Crew: An excellent crew. Addressed me by name boarding twice (not sure if this is only to elites). Service with a smile and even went out of their way to get me a QF pen.
Meal and catering: The chocolate cookies are average food for a 1.5 our flight. The distribution of water bottles in addition to the normal drink service is a really nice feature.
Entertainment: No newspapers offered. Standard seatback literature. No personal IFE. They had overhead monitors, but they were only used for the safety video.
0 LIKESLIKE TO THANK THE AUTHORTHANKS ! FLIGHT-REPORT LIKED
I'm impressed by the look of the cabin. The fabrics and materials used in the cabin don't look cheap, the colours aren't overwhelming and the cabin seemed to be clean.
Absolutely breathtaking shots post-departure!
The weather was stunning that day. Great day for flying.
Impressive service from the crew, haven't heard about that kind of service in a while.
Great aerial shots upon arrival at BNE.
Overall it seems like you had a great domestic flight with QF. Entertainment might have been slighly lacking but the flight was short nonetheless. They could have played the moving map or some kind of program on the overhead monitors.
"Great spotting shots taken in the morning sun!" - Unfortunately, I had to take pictures into the sun! But a sunny day in SYD is rare so I shouldn't complain.
"The fabrics and materials used in the cabin don't look cheap" - This is actually a very important observation, they really are well-appointed cabins. The seats looks really nice and not the normal fabric.
"Absolutely breathtaking shots post-departure!" - But this is when I regretted taking the exit row seat, the wing blocked a lot of my shots. The views over the Sydney CBD on take-off are beautiful.
"Impressive service from the crew, haven't heard about that kind of service in a while." - Especially in Y. They were very professional when addressing passengers and pulling out a pen for me was very nice.
"Great aerial shots upon arrival at BNE." - But not as good as the departure shots in Part 3 ;)
"Entertainment might have been slighly lacking but the flight was short nonetheless. They could have played the moving map or some kind of program on the overhead monitors." - I don't need IFE on this flight, but if they have the monitors, they should at least use them for something! Agreed, just put up the moving map and make everyone happy.
"I’m immediately drawn to this plane getting towed into a gate. QF A332 in OW livery." - This one is a beauty.
"At the adjacent gate was this QF B738 in the Mendoowoorrji special livery, " - Reminds me of Frankenstein from afar. Their "Wanulu Dreaming" theme was brilliant though.
"My snacks." - Apparently this lounge doesn't feature the latest china/silverware.
"Boarding documents." - The ink on the boarding pass looks sturdy unlike the other types on similar flimsy paper that fades easily.
"A nice touch to address passengers by name." - Sets a good tone for the start of a flight.
"Reaching the galley, a FA takes my boarding pass and says “Welcome aboard Mr. NGO85, you are seated in an exit row, is that okay?” - Exceptional!
" The last B738 looks to still have the old livery (very subtle difference in the kangaroo silhouette)." - This is an enhancement, unlike the drastic changes seen on AA, LA or IB. Thank God that JL came to its senses and decided to being back their "tsuru" livery. Why do airlines mess up with an already iconic logo?
"We are handed a sweet snack of chocolate cookies." - Not too bad for this type of flight.
"The consistent use of titles to address passengers is quite remarkable. The crew was definitely polished." - Sounds pretty professional.
"The lavatory was clean and recently renovated. " - That is one tiny sink!
"Two of them go hunting and pull out a QF pen for me with a smile." - You should have gotten 2 pens instead of one. ;)
Thank you Michael for sharing this experience on QF domestic.
"Reminds me of Frankenstein from afar. Their "Wanulu Dreaming" theme was brilliant though." - It does have that scar appearance. I couldn't figure out what it was supposed to be until I looked up the registration on the internet. I actually like the "Nalanji Dreaming" the best, but they are some nice liveries from QF: http://www.qantas.com/travel/airlines/flyingart/global/en
"Apparently this lounge doesn't feature the latest china/silverware." - This is the Qantas Club, which is a buy-in lounge like the Admiral's Clubs. If you are a Sapphire like yourself, you can access the QF Business Lounge, which is probably better stocked. Lowly Sapphires can only get into the Qantas Clubs for domestic flights.
"The ink on the boarding pass looks sturdy unlike the other types on similar flimsy paper that fades easily." - Yes! This was actually on a thick cardstock. I was very happy when it plopped out of the self-service kiosk. It's the same cardstock you would get if you went to the check-in counters.
"Exceptional!" - I don't know if this is because of status or just how they address everyone, but at least during the service, they were still polite and formal.
"Why do airlines mess up with an already iconic logo?" - The new AS livery is another one that had an enhancement that kept the iconic eskimo, but modernized the color schemes.
"Not too bad for this type of flight." - The water bottles were a nice touch, the rest of the catering is just average for a short flight.
"That is one tiny sink!" - You can always just wash your hands in the toilet if they are too big... just give them an extra flush.
"You should have gotten 2 pens instead of one. ;)" - There was a whole box of them! I should have, but it was not a time to test my luck and be too greedy.
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5 Comments
Great spotting shots taken in the morning sun!
I'm impressed by the look of the cabin. The fabrics and materials used in the cabin don't look cheap, the colours aren't overwhelming and the cabin seemed to be clean.
Absolutely breathtaking shots post-departure!
The weather was stunning that day. Great day for flying.
Impressive service from the crew, haven't heard about that kind of service in a while.
Great aerial shots upon arrival at BNE.
Overall it seems like you had a great domestic flight with QF. Entertainment might have been slighly lacking but the flight was short nonetheless. They could have played the moving map or some kind of program on the overhead monitors.
Have a good one, see you!
- Unfortunately, I had to take pictures into the sun! But a sunny day in SYD is rare so I shouldn't complain.
"The fabrics and materials used in the cabin don't look cheap"
- This is actually a very important observation, they really are well-appointed cabins. The seats looks really nice and not the normal fabric.
"Absolutely breathtaking shots post-departure!"
- But this is when I regretted taking the exit row seat, the wing blocked a lot of my shots. The views over the Sydney CBD on take-off are beautiful.
"Impressive service from the crew, haven't heard about that kind of service in a while."
- Especially in Y. They were very professional when addressing passengers and pulling out a pen for me was very nice.
"Great aerial shots upon arrival at BNE."
- But not as good as the departure shots in Part 3 ;)
"Entertainment might have been slighly lacking but the flight was short nonetheless. They could have played the moving map or some kind of program on the overhead monitors."
- I don't need IFE on this flight, but if they have the monitors, they should at least use them for something! Agreed, just put up the moving map and make everyone happy.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
- This one is a beauty.
"At the adjacent gate was this QF B738 in the Mendoowoorrji special livery, "
- Reminds me of Frankenstein from afar. Their "Wanulu Dreaming" theme was brilliant though.
"My snacks."
- Apparently this lounge doesn't feature the latest china/silverware.
"Boarding documents."
- The ink on the boarding pass looks sturdy unlike the other types on similar flimsy paper that fades easily.
"A nice touch to address passengers by name."
- Sets a good tone for the start of a flight.
"Reaching the galley, a FA takes my boarding pass and says “Welcome aboard Mr. NGO85, you are seated in an exit row, is that okay?”
- Exceptional!
" The last B738 looks to still have the old livery (very subtle difference in the kangaroo silhouette)."
- This is an enhancement, unlike the drastic changes seen on AA, LA or IB. Thank God that JL came to its senses and decided to being back their "tsuru" livery. Why do airlines mess up with an already iconic logo?
"We are handed a sweet snack of chocolate cookies."
- Not too bad for this type of flight.
"The consistent use of titles to address passengers is quite remarkable. The crew was definitely polished."
- Sounds pretty professional.
"The lavatory was clean and recently renovated. "
- That is one tiny sink!
"Two of them go hunting and pull out a QF pen for me with a smile."
- You should have gotten 2 pens instead of one. ;)
Thank you Michael for sharing this experience on QF domestic.
- It does have that scar appearance. I couldn't figure out what it was supposed to be until I looked up the registration on the internet. I actually like the "Nalanji Dreaming" the best, but they are some nice liveries from QF: http://www.qantas.com/travel/airlines/flyingart/global/en
"Apparently this lounge doesn't feature the latest china/silverware."
- This is the Qantas Club, which is a buy-in lounge like the Admiral's Clubs. If you are a Sapphire like yourself, you can access the QF Business Lounge, which is probably better stocked. Lowly Sapphires can only get into the Qantas Clubs for domestic flights.
"The ink on the boarding pass looks sturdy unlike the other types on similar flimsy paper that fades easily."
- Yes! This was actually on a thick cardstock. I was very happy when it plopped out of the self-service kiosk. It's the same cardstock you would get if you went to the check-in counters.
"Exceptional!"
- I don't know if this is because of status or just how they address everyone, but at least during the service, they were still polite and formal.
"Why do airlines mess up with an already iconic logo?"
- The new AS livery is another one that had an enhancement that kept the iconic eskimo, but modernized the color schemes.
"Not too bad for this type of flight."
- The water bottles were a nice touch, the rest of the catering is just average for a short flight.
"That is one tiny sink!"
- You can always just wash your hands in the toilet if they are too big... just give them an extra flush.
"You should have gotten 2 pens instead of one. ;)"
- There was a whole box of them! I should have, but it was not a time to test my luck and be too greedy.
Thanks for your comments Adan!
- I'm not so adept at "improvising". :P
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