Details: Qantas A350 First & Business Class, Free Wi-Fi

In May 2022, Qantas placed an order for 12 Airbus A350-1000s, which will mark an exciting new chapter for the airline. These planes will be used for “Project Sunrise” flights, whereby Qantas intends to fly nonstop from Sydney and Melbourne to New York and London starting in late 2025.

Qantas has slowly been releasing more details about the passenger experience we can expect onboard these jets. With Qantas having just resumed flights to New York (via Auckland), the airline has now revealed all the details about the four cabins on the A350-1000. Let’s recap all the details.

More from OMAAT Hot Take: Does Qantas’ New A350 First Class Suite Actually Look Comfortable? Read more

Basics of Qantas Airbus A350-1000 layout

Qantas’ A350-1000s will feature just 238 seats, spread across four cabins, including first class, business class, premium economy, and economy. Qantas will have the fewest seats of any A350-1000 operator in the world. This very sparse configuration serves a couple of main purposes:

• In order for these flights to be profitable, Qantas will have to heavily focus on premium traffic, so having more premium seats makes it easier to maximize revenue
• Having fewer seats keeps the weight of the aircraft down, enabling these flights to be operated nonstop

As far as the general layout goes:

• First class will have a total of six seats, in a 1-1-1 configuration
• Business class will have a total of 52 seats, in a 1-2-1 configuration
• Premium economy will have a total of 40 seats, in a 2-4-2 configuration
• Economy will have a total of 140 seats, in a 3-3-3 configuration

Below is a video of the cabin layout on Qantas’ Airbus A350-1000s, and then below I’ll talk more about each cabin.

Qantas Airbus A350 first class suite

Qantas’ Airbus A350-1000s will each feature six first class suites, and will be a completely new product compared to what’s available on the Airbus A380. Here are some basic details of the new first class suites:

• First class suites will feature both a reclining armchair (22″ wide) and a separate bed (80″ long), similar to what you’d find in Singapore Airlines’ A380 Suites
• First class suites will have privacy doors and walls; you can expect that the walls will be 57″ tall, so they’re not floor-to-ceiling like in Emirates’ new 777 first class, but rather they’re more shoulder-height
• First class suites will feature plenty of storage, as you can place bags and belongings underneath the bed and ottoman, and there are also several storage compartments
• First class suites will feature a 32″ television with bluetooth audio, a personal wardrobe, and a mirror
• First class suites will feature tailored lighting, temperature, and humidification, for wellbeing
• First class suites will have multiple charging options, including AC power, USB-A, USB-C, and wireless

Below is some more information about the new first class suite, as well as some renderings.

This looks like a pretty solid product, and I can’t wait to see it in the flesh. Something tells me that this might be quite similar to Japan Airlines’ new A350 first class.

Qantas Airbus A350 business class seat

Qantas’ Airbus A350-1000s will each feature 52 business class seats, and will be a new product compared to what’s available on other jets. Here are some basic details of the new business class seats:

• Business class seats will be in a staggered configuration, with each suite being 42″ wide (that includes the seat and console to the side of it)
• Business class seats will feature 47″ high privacy walls and doors
• Business class seats will be 80″ long and 25″ wide when converted into a bed
• Business class seats will feature 18″ televisions with bluetooth audio
• Business class seats will have multiple charging options, including AC power, USB-A, USB-C, and wireless
• Business class seats will feature a personal storage compartment with mirror, a glove box, a work surface, and a cushioned ottoman

Below is some more information about the new business class seat, as well as some renderings.

This looks like a solid seat, though there’s nothing here that’s earth shattering or likely to wow, given the competition. Below is a video with a tour of the A350’s cabin.

Qantas Airbus A350 premium economy seat

Qantas’ Airbus A350-1000s will each feature 40 premium economy seats, and will be a new product compared to what’s available on other jets. Here are some basic details of the new premium economy seats:

• Premium economy seats will feature 40″ of pitch, which is more than you’ll currently find on any Qantas aircraft
• Premium economy seats will be an all-new product, with 8″ headrests that provide more of a sense of privacy
• Premium economy seats will have two USB-C outlets, but no AC power outlets
• Premium economy seats will have a legrest, and then a small footrest that swings down from the seat in front
• Premium economy seats will feature 13″ televisions with bluetooth audio

This looks like a really impressive premium economy product, if you ask me, and should be among the best in service. It’s nice that this is the case, given just how long these journeys will be.

Qantas Airbus A350 economy seat

Qantas’ Airbus A350-1000s will each feature 140 economy seats. While the airline is introducing new seats in economy, there’s nothing too revolutionary here:

• Economy seats will feature 33″ of pitch, 2″ more than the industry standard
• Economy seats will feature 13″ televisions with bluetooth audio, plus personal entertainment device holders
• Economy seats will have footrests that fold down from the seat in front
• Economy seats will have improved ergonomics, lumbar support, and breathability of seat fabrics, compared to previous generation products
• Economy seats will have a USB-C outlet, but no AC power outlet

Qantas’ A350 economy product looks about as good as you could expect, though it’s not like we see as much innovation with economy seating as we see with premium cabin seating.

Qantas Airbus A350 wellbeing zone

While Qantas’ A350 won’t feature a bar or showers, the plane will have what’s described as a wellbeing zone, which will be located between premium economy and economy. Presumably this will be open to all passengers.

This isn’t an area where passengers can sit (after all, they’ll have enough time to sit in their own seats!), but rather is intended to be a place where passengers can stretch, or grab a drink or snack. There will be TVs in this area with guided stretching exercises.

Mainly it seems like the intent is that the airline is offering people a place to stand without getting in the way of the crew, which will probably be much appreciated on a flight of this length.

What’s my initial impression of Qantas’ Airbus A350 wellbeing zone?

• Ultimately this seems more about keeping the weight of the A350 down than anything else
• The wellbeing zone is in an area where there’s an emergency exit, so I assume this will be in place of a galley, in an area where there couldn’t otherwise practically be seats
• I suspect this will ultimately be a nothingburger; it’s essentially a walk-up bar area, and those who want to stretch can stretch (but I suspect only a small percentage of passengers will do that)
• Even if there were some substance to this, realistically sharing such a zone with up to 237 other passengers limits how much value each passenger could get out of it

Qantas Airbus A350 fast & free Wi-Fi

Here’s another exciting development. Qantas will offer complimentary Viasat Wi-Fi to all passengers on the Airbus A350, as Viasat completes key satellite launches covering Qantas’ international network.

This is a huge development for the airline. Currently Qantas doesn’t have Wi-Fi on any long haul jets, so to go from no Wi-Fi to free high speed Wi-Fi is fantastic for customers. The other great news is that this same feature will eventually be available on all Qantas long haul jets, including the A330, A380, and 787.

Bottom line

Qantas has ordered 12 Airbus A350-1000s, which will be used to operate the world’s longest flights starting in late 2025. It’s pretty incredible to think that a nonstop New York to Sydney flight will become a reality.

The airline is continuing to reveal quite a few details about what we can expect from these jets. They’ll feature just 238 seats, making them the least dense A350-1000s in service. We know know what we can expect from first class, business class, premium economy, and economy, plus the wellbeing zone.

This should be a pretty sweet ride. Too bad Qantas is so stingy when it comes to award availability.

What do you make of Qantas’ Airbus A350 cabins?