Hello from Los Angeles! I’m just wrapping up a quick surprise round the world trip with my dad. After flying Etihad Airways’ Boeing 787 first class, Qatar Airways’ Boeing 737 MAX first class, Qatar Airways’ Airbus A380 first class, and Virgin Australia’s 737 business class, our last international segment was from Sydney to Los Angeles in Qantas’ Airbus A380 first class.
I hadn’t flown Qantas first class in nearly a decade, so I was curious to see how the product was holding up. Last time I flew Qantas first class, I wasn’t terribly impressed. The product doesn’t even rank in my list of the world’s top 10 first class products.
So I have to be honest, I had a much more favorable impression of the experience this time around. While I’ll have a full trip report soon, let me share some impressions of the experience.
In this post:
Qantas’ big but comfortable A380 first class cabin
Qantas has one of the biggest first class cabins in the world on its A380s, as there are a total of 14 seats. First class is located on the lower deck, between doors one and two, and is in a 1-1-1 configuration.
This isn’t a cutting edge product, in the sense that the seats don’t have doors or any real frills. However, this has to be one of the most spacious and comfortable first class seats out there.
For one, the seats are quite private. The seats in the center section face the right aisle and also have a privacy partition on the left, so if you’re seated on the left, you basically won’t see anyone else. The seats are also functionally designed. While you face forward during takeoff and landing, the seats can swivel to the left when you want to watch TV, eat, or sleep.
Speaking of sleeping, the Qantas first class bed is incredibly comfortable. I appreciate that there are multiple air nozzles, the bedding is exceptional, and the bed feels quite large. It’s rare for me to sleep well on a plane, but I got the best sleep of the whole trip on this flight.
Qantas also has an excellent entertainment selection on its A380s, though frankly I could just watch the tail camera for the entire flight. The only major oversight is that Qantas doesn’t have Wi-Fi on its A380s, which… is puzzling to me.
Then Qantas has a shared first and business class onboard lounge at the front of the upper deck, which I enjoyed briefly checking out.
Qantas’ excellent first class amenities and food
Qantas definitely cuts some costs with its lack of a proper caviar course and fairly inexpensive champagne, but other than that, I loved the food & beverage selection in first class. The menu is huge, and provides a lot of flexibility, which is always nice, and the crew encouraged trying as many things as we wanted.
After takeoff, service began with a caviar and smoked salmon canapé, and I also tried the signature cocktail, the Qantas Sky Spritz.
After that, I had the mezze plate, with sweet potato hummus, baby eggplant, goat’s cheese, tabbouleh, and lavosh. I had some champagne to drink with that — Duval-Leroy Clos des Bouveries 2006 was on offer. Qantas also has an irresistible bread selection.
For the main course, I had the seared toothfish with saffron sauce, steamed fingerling potatoes, and braised fennel. This was served with a side salad.
Lastly, for dessert I had the affogato — yum!
Coffee onboard was also excellent, including the flat whites.
There was also a very nice selection for breakfast. I had a green juice and an avocado toast with goat’s cheese and tomatoes.
Beyond the food quality being excellent, the whole experience felt restaurant quality, which is otherwise often lacking on some airlines. For example, the flight attendants put on different uniforms during the flight that felt more like restaurant server uniforms than flight attendant uniforms, which I thought was cute. On top of that, they’d bring out cracked pepper with each course, and offer all kinds of other condiments. Furthermore, they’d pour water out of pitchers, rather than out of bottles. They’re all little details, but they add up.
The amenities in first class were also top notch, including pajamas, slippers, and an amenity kit.
Friendly service in Qantas first class
Service can make or break a flight. On this flight we had Rob taking care of our aisle, and he was a superstar. He was attentive, friendly, and personable. Even though the first class cabin on Qantas is big (and seemingly always full), service is still very good.
It’s not just that the crew was professional during the meal services, but even between meals they were passing through the cabin. For that matter, lavatories were constantly refreshed, and were spotless every time I visited, with the toilet paper rolls even in perfect “triangles.”
Bottom line
We had a very pleasant 13-hour flight from Sydney to Los Angeles in first class. I had last flown Qantas first class nearly 10 years ago, yet this experience was much better than the last experience I remember having.
The downsides of Qantas first class are that the cabins are among the biggest out there, the airline definitely saves on champagne and caviar, and A380s don’t have Wi-Fi. Other than that, though, this was an excellent experience, with a very comfortable seat and bed, great amenities, tasty food, and friendly service.
Qantas is one of the stingiest airlines in the world when it comes to making first class award seats available, so I couldn’t help but book us when I saw two first class awards available. I’m happy I did, because the experience didn’t disappoint.
What’s your take on Qantas’ Airbus A380 first class?
Just flew QF1 First class. Service was absolutely amazing - professional, attentive & friendly & food was also great. All way better than SQ & EK and the seat/bed incredibly comfortable though not a suite. Huge downside for us was the lounge upstairs: full of drunk noisy shrieking business class passengers for most of the flight which spoilt the First experience downstairs. Unacceptable.
You seriously can hear what amounts to be 'noisy upstairs neighbors' on the main level in First? That is insane, and a deal breaker for me.
What wines were offered?
'The downsides of Qantas first class are that the cabins are among the biggest out there'.
Doesn't make sense, typo maybe, can you clarify?
Just came off QF11 and agree the bedding is great. Lunch options were fine, but do not order the scrambled eggs for breakfast. They would be an embarrassment if served in economy. My amenity kit had no toothbrush and only a lip balm. I noted there was no seal when I opened it so maybe it was mistakenly recycled.
Also, if flying from Sydney be sure to book the Spa experience - it is seriously good.
Hey Lucky,
Whilst I can understand the compliments towards the seat and the crew how you can compliment the food I will never understand.
I recently flew SIN - LHR in First on the A380 and all I will say is that BA had better choice, quality and presentation of First Class food. And that says it all!
Firstly, whilst the menu initially seemed to have quite a bit of choice this was an illusion....
Hey Lucky,
Whilst I can understand the compliments towards the seat and the crew how you can compliment the food I will never understand.
I recently flew SIN - LHR in First on the A380 and all I will say is that BA had better choice, quality and presentation of First Class food. And that says it all!
Firstly, whilst the menu initially seemed to have quite a bit of choice this was an illusion. Two of the starters and two of the mains were essentially the same meal! An example, two of the starters (listed separately as if they were two different offerings) were 1) Carrot soup with sourdough croutons. 2) Carrot soup with crab meat. The same for the main courses. There were four dishes on offer - 1) Plant based something or other. 2) 'Tooth fish' with some kind of broth and vegetables. 3) 'Tooth fish' with some other types of vegetables. 4) Beef fillet.
Secondly, none of the meals described any provenance at all. In First Class I expect the source of the item to be listed - and special. For example, the name of the town/country the meat has come from, organic, A grade etc etc. None of the items on Qantas offer this. It's just 'Tooth fish' or 'fillet of beef'.
Lastly, presentation was so bad. Not how it was plated but just the ingredients. A total lack of any originality or colour. Boring, boring, boring. Especially in this day and age when every meal item ends up on Instagram you'd expect a little more creativity.
@Duck Ling
Have you ever flown Qantas F before ?
Yes. In my post I mention that I flew QF F recently, SIN-LHR.
For First Class you want the food to be special, restaurant quality and exceptionally presented. This just looks like something home-cooked.
Champagne is the same as what BR serves in business class these days
I just booked a qantas flight from HND to SYD using AA points but I cannot choose a seat on AA or Qantas (the latter says seat selection is unavailable). Any tips? Its 2 pax in J.
QF uses a 6 character RES or PNR code, whereas AA generally uses a 5 character RES PNR code. They never match. Simply ring either AA or QF and obtain the respective RES or PNR code that is appropriate for booking your seats. Easier still, to ring the 'oneworld' res specialist within QF (or AA if you reside in the USA), who can get the seats selection confirmed for you over the phone.
This has GOT to be your best and favorite flight ever - avocado toast at 35,000 ft. in the air. What could be better for you??
I have sampled some gorgeous champagnes in QF F over the years but it would appear that Covid-19 is a convenient excuse at this time to downgrade this amenity. And although I love the caviar service such as is found on EK, I am happy that QF has excellent food offerings across all areas. On reflection, the QF offering is more representative of Australia and distinguishes it from the other F offerings around the world as it should.
Glad you enjoyed it. Flew it just before the pandemic and it was one of the most disappointing travel experiences ever. I was in the center row of F and every time someone walked by the entire seat/cubby flexed up and down and there was zero privacy when people walked by from the front of the plane. service and food was excellent. i’d fly it again, but only in a window seat.
Hey Ben
Not sure that QF ever served a true caviar course in F even before the Pandemic… if at all. Their offering has been a smidgeon of caviar plopped on top of some sort of minute crispy thing…
In my view it's no oversight not having wifi. You can do without it for a few hours.
So do without it. No one forces anyone to use wi fi in the air.
Im a fan of qf F (I’ve flown it once with my son from lax to syd). I think it’s underrated as is qf j.
Incidentally qantas is occasionally flying its a380 to HK atm but doesn’t sell first! It just allocates it to premium flyers.
Not a bad use of 40k aa points if you’re a Qantas premier….
Nice! I’m with Ben’s Dad and really enjoy the ambiance ;-) Still looking forward to enjoy Qantas First.
My RTW SEGMENT LAX SYD last November was cancelled with a two day delay to get me out of LAX. Qantas first switched from A380 to DreamLiner then cancelled the flight. This itinerary also included SQ Suites SYD FRA JFK. But I gave up and went home from LA. My Consolation trip was in LH First...
Nice! I’m with Ben’s Dad and really enjoy the ambiance ;-) Still looking forward to enjoy Qantas First.
My RTW SEGMENT LAX SYD last November was cancelled with a two day delay to get me out of LAX. Qantas first switched from A380 to DreamLiner then cancelled the flight. This itinerary also included SQ Suites SYD FRA JFK. But I gave up and went home from LA. My Consolation trip was in LH First IAD FRA IAD + Frankfurt Christmas Markets
I won the QF awardapolza for First LAX SYD for next October and added back SQ Suites SYD SIN LHR. Coming home to IAD on BA 1st using AS miles RTW in 4 First Class Segments
Fun hobby. Less that two weeks until JAL 1st JFK-HND. then HND - FRA Biz class on upper deck of B747-8i. Hoping for First to open up FRA GRU to catch AA 1st for nostalgic enjoyment of the sear swiveling to look out the windows :-) Otherwise QR. THIS ROUTING IS 28,000~ miles!
@Bill n DC
28,000 miles ? Those are rookie numbers lol. Pack a sweater for GRU. I’m doing IAH-LAX-JFK-GRU and back this week . Jfk-Gru will be in AA J ; not the luxury experience but more like a flight of survival. I’ll be down undah for my first time ever in July.
Next time check out the Munich Christmas markets! Not sure if you've been but we went last December and enjoyed them more than Frankfurt! Salzburg was amazing as well!!
In early April, I flew this route in Qantas first in the opposite direction, LAX to SYD. I agree that the seat was extremely comfortable in bed mode - almost as good as Cathay's first class (which offers better privacy). However, the meal service selection/quality was poor. Perhaps this was due to a late evening departure, however, the flight is several hours longer westbound. Also, crew service was minimalist. For example, it was odd that...
In early April, I flew this route in Qantas first in the opposite direction, LAX to SYD. I agree that the seat was extremely comfortable in bed mode - almost as good as Cathay's first class (which offers better privacy). However, the meal service selection/quality was poor. Perhaps this was due to a late evening departure, however, the flight is several hours longer westbound. Also, crew service was minimalist. For example, it was odd that there was no hot towel service at all during the flight (not a big deal, but odd for international first - even AA offered that on my flight from the midwest to LAX.) This was part of a round the world trip in first: LAX-SYD on Qantas, SYD-DOH-LHR on Qatar, and LHR-JFK on British. Very surprisingly, BA First was best overall, followed by QR, with QF last.
We need an update on whether your Dad slept with his seat fully upright again or actually reclined!
Years ago, I treated my parents to a first class round-trip to Paris on PanAm . . . 100k points for the two of them. On the way over, they sat next to Bette Davis (who passed away in Paris on this trip). They said they felt like royalty. I'm certain that Ben's dad feels the same way. Good job Ben.
I worked Clipper Class on that flight !!!!
Somehow I never fully realized they had that many F seats. I can't help but wonder how the heck do they have that many people paying $20k+ fares every single day... Who are they !? Since there's barely any award seats released.
Good question. My aunt is a Qantas manager and once told me it's a mix, but mostly top level business executives and owners. Others include 'celebs' and execs from the entertainment industry, and high-wealth individuals, a sprinkling of pollies, followed lastly by random undefinable pax who can obviously afford the fares.
Thanks for the insights all! Very interesting. That would still be a lot of top execs and not many companies these days will pay F for their employees - but good for them :). Maybe some companies also have corporate programs with Qantas with discounted premium tickets. And good to know also about upgrades, I haven't flown QF in several years but interesting that it's an option!
There are many wealthy people in Australia. (We have the highest median household wealth in the world) Fewer options of first class, and a large portions of wealthy people are flying a very long distance, compared to American or European travellers.
The 16 hour flights to and from Oz are probably among the most logical flights in the world to pay for first class
It’s one of the sectors that has the lowest competition from private jets, there aren’t that many that can do it non-stop and those that are have high hourly costs. As a result there’s a lot of people actually paying for it.
My (ASX100) former CEO was from the US and had family still over there and was doing a couple of round trips a month. Add in the financial services sector and movie...
It’s one of the sectors that has the lowest competition from private jets, there aren’t that many that can do it non-stop and those that are have high hourly costs. As a result there’s a lot of people actually paying for it.
My (ASX100) former CEO was from the US and had family still over there and was doing a couple of round trips a month. Add in the financial services sector and movie production in Oz and they are selling a lot of seats.
As for the rest qantas is really good at monetising upgrades, so I’m guessing any spare seats are upgrades from paid business which preference qantas’ own status members and booking class.
20k in the world if my clients is chump change. Most have their own domestic class jets as world class jets are not that practical
Poor dad - such a dash across the globe and back, as if nothing happened at all
Ben’s dad appreciates the passive-aggressive pity, and it adds much to the conversation.
Qantas doesn't have wifi as it believes passengers wouldn't be happy with current speeds but will install wifi once Viasat 3 launches in 2025.
Is this the booking you were downgraded from F to J ? You told us you would let us know how that worked out. But I recall it was the other direction LAX SYD.
i only flew QF F once on LAX-SYD when I managed to snatch that one remaining award seat (thank you Expertflyer =)
and just so happens …. i was in either 2A or 3A, and Russell Crowe was in 1K. I didn't even dare ask for selfie photo op, in case he wanted to throw a phone at me or something
Can you please elaborate on how you navigated the “downgrade” of one of your awards when the A380 was swapped off? Or was that a different booking?
Best I ever slept on a plane was QF F SYD-DFW. Seat is indeed very comfortable. This mirrors my experience about 6 or so years ago.
Nice! I’m with Ben’s Dad and really enjoy the ambiance ;-)
After last November’s cancellation with a two day delay to get me out of LAX. When Qantas first switched from A380 to DreamLiner then cancelled that. Including SQ Suites SYD FRA JFK. I gave up and went home. Consolation trip in LH First IAD FRA IAD + Frankfurt Christmas Markets
I won the QF awardapolza for First LAX SYD for next October and...
Nice! I’m with Ben’s Dad and really enjoy the ambiance ;-)
After last November’s cancellation with a two day delay to get me out of LAX. When Qantas first switched from A380 to DreamLiner then cancelled that. Including SQ Suites SYD FRA JFK. I gave up and went home. Consolation trip in LH First IAD FRA IAD + Frankfurt Christmas Markets
I won the QF awardapolza for First LAX SYD for next October and added back SQ Suites SYD SIN LHR. Coming home to IAD on BA 1st using AS miles RTW in 4 First Class Segments
Glad you enjoyed the journey