Part 3 IntroductionAA First - JFK-LAXQF First - LAX-MELTG Business - MEL-BKK and BKK-ICN
OZ Business - ICN-JFK
Upon exiting the flight from New York, I made my way to the Tom Bradley International Terminal for my Qantas flight to Melbourne. I may be alone in this view; however, I think the Tom Bradley International Terminal is one of the nicest terminals in the USA – that I have been to.
Since I had a few hours before my flight I spent some time browsing Duty Free before heading to the Qantas First Class lounge. To put it simply: the lounge is gorgeous! The lounge itself is split up into many areas with plenty of seating in many different varieties (restaurant, bar, lounge, recliners, and casual seating).
Lounge View
Fruit and a Beer at the Bar
Long View of the BarBefore leaving the lounge I had a shower which, to my disappointment, was not as nice as the rest of the lounge. Before too long it was time to board the A380 to Melbourne.
Flight #2LAX-MEL
Qantas – QF94
First Class - A388
When I arrived at the gate there was already a large crowd and several gate lice floating around. Boarding commenced around 45 minutes prior to departure with First Class. The aircraft operating this flight was VH-OQH which was painted in their special “GO WALLABIES” livery.
This was my second time flying on an A380… All I can say is: “WOW!” What an airplane! When boarding this massive behemoth of an aircraft, with so much space and a grand staircase leading upstairs, it’s easy to forget you’re on an airplane!
The Whale at Sunset
A380
Entrance to the A380
Grand Staircase I was greeted at the door by the flight attendant who’d be looking after me for most of the flight. She escorted me to my seat (2A) and showed me the workings of the suite. Qantas have 14 suites in their First Class cabin in a 1-1-1 layout. It’s worth noting that all F and K suites use the right aisle, while A suites have the entire left aisle with no other traffic.
The suite itself is very spacious with lots of storage space and gadgets. The seat is initially facing forward but swivels into a reverse-herringbone after take-off. The one downside is that there is not much legroom for take-off since you have the back of the suite in front right at your feet.
Cabin
Cabin
Suite
Suite
Ottoman and Screen
SeatAfter settling in, the flight attendant came around and offered me pyjamas, amenity kit, headphones, a menu and a pre-departure drink. I asked for ginger ale in a champagne flute because... why not?!
Pyjamas
Amenity Kit
Vintage Dry (Ginger Ale)Once boarding was completed, the safety video was played, we had a quick taxi and began our take off roll. It amazes me how a machine of this size and weigh can take off so effortlessly and quietly! It’s quiet enough to continue a conversation without having to raise your voices.
The one downside to the A380 is that the windows are very far from you, therefore making it difficult to look out the window. But there is nice Hi-Def tail camera.
Watching Take Off from the Tail CameraAs soon as we reached 10,000 feet the seatbelt sign was turned off (and remained off for the next 15 hours) and I changed into my pyjamas.
When I returned the flight attendant asked me if I wanted to eat or sleep first. I opted to eat as I was quite hungry. She set my table, bought me a glass of water and the meal. I opened it and it looks so gross that I didn't touch it and settled for a deli sandwich that I brought with me. The meat was as dry as the Sahara Desert and the rice was practically raw.
She felt so bad and was trying to find other food to give me, but I assured her I was used to the sub-par food already to care too much.
Mmmmm… Delicious! Let’s eat!
Uh, no!After my delicious dinner of a day-old pastrami sandwich with mustard. I asked the flight attendant if she could make my bed as I was very tired at this point. She obliged and while my bed was being made I went upstairs to check out the lounge area. The lounge area is nice, but there is not much going on there. It is just 2 small couches, a screen showing our flight progress, a magazine rack and a self service bar.
On-Board Lounge
Cool Kangaroo LogoI came back down to a very cozy looking bed. There is a sheepskin seat cover/mattress pad which makes the bed extremely comfortable! Aside from this, the seat is very wide and long, so there's plenty of wiggle room. I snuggled into bed, closed my eyes, and slept soundly for close to 7 hours!
Bed
Ooooo! Oh, so cozy!When I awoke, there was still 6.5 hours left to the flight. I asked the lovely flight attendants for some fruit which was served right away. After that I made myself busy for a few hours by watching some movies and touring the plane. Approximately 2 hours prior to landing breakfast was served. Breakfast looked more appetising and I partook. Surprisingly, it was semi-decent.
Fresh Fruit Plate
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Breakfast
Breakfast
Breakfast
Main Course
Muesli
CappuccinoBefore long we were beginning our descent into Melbourne and this fantastic flight was sadly coming to an end. While the food situation was a real downer on what was otherwise a real “First Class” flight, the enthusiasm and attentiveness of the crew made up for it. While I’m not a fan of these long night flights to Australia, this was one of the first times I arrived feeling very refreshed! This was by far one of the most memorable flight's I've taken.
Touchdown in Melbourne!Thank you for reading, and all feedback is welcome!
