Australia in QF First A380/BA New + Old First, Sydney Bridge Climb + Blue Mountains
Feb 23, 2012, 7:48 am
#1
Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 10,146
Australia in QF First A380/BA New + Old First, Sydney Bridge Climb + Blue Mountains
Well this is my 3rd Trip Report and I've learned a lot along the way as the digital era and me used to be very incompatible!
I have just returned from a UK to Australia Trip and flew out via Singapore on both legs. Outbound I was on the Qantas A380 in First Class (QF32). My return journey was on the British Airways 777-200 (BA16) which had the new First Class seats and then I connected onto the BA 12 which is covered by a 747 and which had the Old BA First Class seats.
Also included is a Sydney Bridge climb which and a trip to the Blue Mountains with the legendary matthandy with a stop at Sydney Airport to the plane spotters area for those who may be familiar with it.
The report will contain about 250 odd photos and it has taken me some time to compile the first part of the 4 legs. This part is about the Edinburgh to London to SIngapore journey. I hope to post the SIN-SYD part tomorrow and so forth.
I thought it would be good to make a comparison with Qantas and BA throughout and of course this is just my humble opinion.
Please enjoy and any feedback most welcome.
regards
Pete
This is my 3rd Trip Report and hopefully a bit better in quality now that I (seem) to have the hang of it!
I have been collecting BA Miles/Avios for a number of years now and had managed to accumulate enough for a trip down under in First Class. I have always wanted to try the Qantas A380 but fly with British Airways on the way back just to make comparisons and a change. Some of the points which I had managed to accrue were from Amex, Tesco and few other methods however I must add that I have taken a number of paid flights and sometimes in premium cabins so I did actually fly BA on average long haul on average once/twice per year over the last 6 years.
Of course this is a drop in the ocean compared to folks who do this on a very regular basis and which is probably like jumping on a bus so to speak. For me though this was something a bit special and a real treat which I suppose makes you appreciate the finer things in life. Of course our travels swelled the miles in our household account of which there are three of us. I always had an urge to do this trip and well now seemed a good a time as any! I take the view that if you have the miles then why not spend them!
I had been to Australia previously in 1994 and 2006 and did what most folks would class as the ‘touristy’ things but I never managed to do the Sydney Bridge Climb (due to an arm/shoulder injury) nor the Blue Mountains which is located just to the North West of Sydney. On our last trip we had booked a day tour to the latter but I had to cancel it due another family member being ill and I always had an urge to go back.
I have close relatives who stay in the south of Sydney and I stayed with them for the duration of my trip. I had planned to go for 10 days and was due to fly out in Qantas First on the beautifully ugly A380 and this part of the trip remained the same. I was due to return via Japan with a Business Class seat in Japan Airlines and then back the following day on-board the British Airways 777-300 ER which is a guaranteed new First Class route. This aircraft is fitted with the latest entertainment system as well as having an entirely newly economy and premium economy cabins. I was very familiar with trips in economy for most of my life then I discovered Flyertalk in 2006 and lurked on the board for a while then finally ‘joined’ up 4 years ago. This trip was more about the flying experience and ticking off the Bridge Climb and Blue Mountains on my very long tick list of things I wish to do before I become too old and a moaning old …………. I am sure you can fill in the blanks yourself!
However, a few days before I was due to come back home I was needed to come home and I saw that for a little extra Avios I could come back a few days early with British Airways in First Class all the way back via Singapore on the BA16 (777-200) and then onto the BA 12 (747-400) so it seemed like a no brainer to me. Less money, a little bit more Avios (165k compared to 140k)
It was on two PNR’s and the journey out cost me £450 and the return £331 (+£25 change fee) plus the Holiday Inn hotel before my flight which made a grand total of £870 for flights that would cost in the region of £7500-8000!! With free accommodation, food and access to a car what more could I ask for!!!
I knew I would be guaranteed New First on the BA 16 but had to take a chance on my luck on the BA 12 which had a 92% ‘hit rate’ and I was made aware that it would be the NF cabin. On my arrival at SIN I discovered it was indeed Old First but more about that later.
I wanted to make full use of the terminal 3 Lounge at London Heathrow and as I was due to fly out on the QF32 at 1105 am I decided to fly down the night before and stay at the Holiday Inn in Bath Road. I am sure most folks on the BA board probably know where it is but for the sake of anyone reading this from elsewhere it is probably one of the closest hotels near to T3. I left home and arrived at Edinburgh airport which has had a massive expansion over the last few years.
I had been allocated seat 3A on the Qantas flight the following day but the BA Agent at Edinburgh had given me a boarding pass with 1A stating that this was only one of two seats on the A side of the aircraft left all the way to Sydney. I politely asked why Manage my Booking on the actual Qantas website had shown me as in 3A long before I checked in and she just shrugged her shoulders. I was not sure about 1A as I like an open view of the cabin but as it turned out it was an incredibly private seat. She was very young and a bit surly with no interaction at all and no eye contact whatsoever. OK she was just doing her job but in any service industry a smile goes a very long way. Still, a very, very minor blip wasn’t going to spoil this trip.
Moving swiftly on and security didn’t take any time at all and the airport was quiet. I made my way straight to the BA Lounge. I know I didn’t have access as my flight was not until the following day. I entered the extremely empty lounge and politely explained that I was flying in First Class the following day and wondered if I would be able to use it. I was expecting to be rejected but the very nice Lady took my boarding passes and waved me through. I had taken my Lounge Club Pass card as this gives you two complimentary visits courtesy of American Express Gold card which I have.
There were only 5 other people in the lounge and it was very pleasant relaxing before my flight down to London. It did fill up a little more prior to my flight. There was not much in the way to eat other than a few sandwiches which looked and were indeed quite tasty. I also sampled a few glasses of alcohol which went down quite well.
The flight was now showing as boarding and there was a fairly big queue. The Fast Track lane was empty so I was on board in no time. The crew were very pleasant and we departed on schedule. A very quick flight and before I knew it I was at Heathrow. Here is me at Edinburgh just about to push back.
I collected my case which was out within 5 minutes of me arriving at the carousel and I jumped in a taxi to the hotel which only took about 10 minutes. It was a typical Holiday Inn and I was allocated a nice room.
I woke up early the next morning and I was now quite excited about the trip. Was I really doing this I asked myself? I wasn’t sure whether to wait and get to Terminal 3 and have a breakfast there but I was quite hungry and so decided to just have a Holiday Inn one. It was very nice indeed but I didn’t scoff too much as I knew I would be eating almost non-stop for the next 24 hours! It was tempting though.
I had planned to take the Shuttle bus to the terminal which was £4.50 if I remember right. I spoke to the concierge and he informed me one was due along in about 15 minutes or alternative I could use a taxi outside for a fixed rate of £10. I thought what the and took it. A nice black E-Class Mercedes then pulled with blacked out windows and I thought wow! It was a very quick journey indeed and I made my way over to Zone G. This is for BA and Qantas passengers and I went behind the screen where no one other than a Qantas agent was seated.
He was very nice and I explained to him about the possibility of having 3A again but unfortunately not. He did apologise that the Qantas website stated this as did Manage my Booking. He was very friendly and before I knew it I had a nice coloured boarding pass which was much better than the black and white one I had been given the previous evening. so I was resigned to seat 1A which turned out to be fantastic. More about that later. I didn’t take photos of the check in area as these have been in quite a few TR’s on Flyertalk courtesy of Matthandy and Genius1. The other truthful part to this is that I forgot!!
Security was empty and before I knew it I was through into Duty Free. I had a wander about and decided to buy myself a couple of books. One was the Stephen Fry autobiography ‘The Fry Chronicles’ which I am still reading and the other was one called Far to Go by Alison Pick which I would highly recommend. It is a true story and is all about a family’s epic journey to free the Nazi oppression. I think it is always a good idea to have something to hand just in case the IFE failed!!
The terminal was very busy and after a wander around made my way to the Lounges. I still had about two and a half hours so plenty of time to sample the much awaited BA First lounge.
I never used the dining facilities and just had a few drinks. I am not used to drinking alcohol so early in the morning but I thought it would relax me a little which indeed it did. The views are nowhere as good as Terminal 5 but then again this is quite an old building! Here are some views from within the lounge.
The view from the lounge from outside and within.
It was very nice in the lounge and the time whittled away. I was becoming more excited at the flight which was drawing very near so I made my way down to the Gate which was now open. I didn’t wait for long in a packed area but there was a spare seat neat to the front so I just sat there. After about ten minutes nothing was happening and they were still waiting to board some folks in wheelchairs and others who had mobility issues so I thought Pete get the camera out!!!!!!!!!!!
This was parked next to our stand and one day I would def like to try SQ and preferably in First!!
What a size!! Although it is not the prettiest aircraft there is something about it’s ugliness which is beautiful. A real work of engineering to be marvelled at.
Next: Boarding, the cabin, service and food…………..
I have just returned from a UK to Australia Trip and flew out via Singapore on both legs. Outbound I was on the Qantas A380 in First Class (QF32). My return journey was on the British Airways 777-200 (BA16) which had the new First Class seats and then I connected onto the BA 12 which is covered by a 747 and which had the Old BA First Class seats.
Also included is a Sydney Bridge climb which and a trip to the Blue Mountains with the legendary matthandy with a stop at Sydney Airport to the plane spotters area for those who may be familiar with it.
The report will contain about 250 odd photos and it has taken me some time to compile the first part of the 4 legs. This part is about the Edinburgh to London to SIngapore journey. I hope to post the SIN-SYD part tomorrow and so forth.
I thought it would be good to make a comparison with Qantas and BA throughout and of course this is just my humble opinion.
Please enjoy and any feedback most welcome.
regards
Pete
Australia Trip Report
Qantas and British Airways First Class
EDI-LHR-SIN-SYD-SIN-LHR-EDI
Qantas and British Airways First Class
EDI-LHR-SIN-SYD-SIN-LHR-EDI
This is my 3rd Trip Report and hopefully a bit better in quality now that I (seem) to have the hang of it!
I have been collecting BA Miles/Avios for a number of years now and had managed to accumulate enough for a trip down under in First Class. I have always wanted to try the Qantas A380 but fly with British Airways on the way back just to make comparisons and a change. Some of the points which I had managed to accrue were from Amex, Tesco and few other methods however I must add that I have taken a number of paid flights and sometimes in premium cabins so I did actually fly BA on average long haul on average once/twice per year over the last 6 years.
Of course this is a drop in the ocean compared to folks who do this on a very regular basis and which is probably like jumping on a bus so to speak. For me though this was something a bit special and a real treat which I suppose makes you appreciate the finer things in life. Of course our travels swelled the miles in our household account of which there are three of us. I always had an urge to do this trip and well now seemed a good a time as any! I take the view that if you have the miles then why not spend them!
I had been to Australia previously in 1994 and 2006 and did what most folks would class as the ‘touristy’ things but I never managed to do the Sydney Bridge Climb (due to an arm/shoulder injury) nor the Blue Mountains which is located just to the North West of Sydney. On our last trip we had booked a day tour to the latter but I had to cancel it due another family member being ill and I always had an urge to go back.
I have close relatives who stay in the south of Sydney and I stayed with them for the duration of my trip. I had planned to go for 10 days and was due to fly out in Qantas First on the beautifully ugly A380 and this part of the trip remained the same. I was due to return via Japan with a Business Class seat in Japan Airlines and then back the following day on-board the British Airways 777-300 ER which is a guaranteed new First Class route. This aircraft is fitted with the latest entertainment system as well as having an entirely newly economy and premium economy cabins. I was very familiar with trips in economy for most of my life then I discovered Flyertalk in 2006 and lurked on the board for a while then finally ‘joined’ up 4 years ago. This trip was more about the flying experience and ticking off the Bridge Climb and Blue Mountains on my very long tick list of things I wish to do before I become too old and a moaning old …………. I am sure you can fill in the blanks yourself!
However, a few days before I was due to come back home I was needed to come home and I saw that for a little extra Avios I could come back a few days early with British Airways in First Class all the way back via Singapore on the BA16 (777-200) and then onto the BA 12 (747-400) so it seemed like a no brainer to me. Less money, a little bit more Avios (165k compared to 140k)
It was on two PNR’s and the journey out cost me £450 and the return £331 (+£25 change fee) plus the Holiday Inn hotel before my flight which made a grand total of £870 for flights that would cost in the region of £7500-8000!! With free accommodation, food and access to a car what more could I ask for!!!
I knew I would be guaranteed New First on the BA 16 but had to take a chance on my luck on the BA 12 which had a 92% ‘hit rate’ and I was made aware that it would be the NF cabin. On my arrival at SIN I discovered it was indeed Old First but more about that later.
I wanted to make full use of the terminal 3 Lounge at London Heathrow and as I was due to fly out on the QF32 at 1105 am I decided to fly down the night before and stay at the Holiday Inn in Bath Road. I am sure most folks on the BA board probably know where it is but for the sake of anyone reading this from elsewhere it is probably one of the closest hotels near to T3. I left home and arrived at Edinburgh airport which has had a massive expansion over the last few years.
I had been allocated seat 3A on the Qantas flight the following day but the BA Agent at Edinburgh had given me a boarding pass with 1A stating that this was only one of two seats on the A side of the aircraft left all the way to Sydney. I politely asked why Manage my Booking on the actual Qantas website had shown me as in 3A long before I checked in and she just shrugged her shoulders. I was not sure about 1A as I like an open view of the cabin but as it turned out it was an incredibly private seat. She was very young and a bit surly with no interaction at all and no eye contact whatsoever. OK she was just doing her job but in any service industry a smile goes a very long way. Still, a very, very minor blip wasn’t going to spoil this trip.
Moving swiftly on and security didn’t take any time at all and the airport was quiet. I made my way straight to the BA Lounge. I know I didn’t have access as my flight was not until the following day. I entered the extremely empty lounge and politely explained that I was flying in First Class the following day and wondered if I would be able to use it. I was expecting to be rejected but the very nice Lady took my boarding passes and waved me through. I had taken my Lounge Club Pass card as this gives you two complimentary visits courtesy of American Express Gold card which I have.
There were only 5 other people in the lounge and it was very pleasant relaxing before my flight down to London. It did fill up a little more prior to my flight. There was not much in the way to eat other than a few sandwiches which looked and were indeed quite tasty. I also sampled a few glasses of alcohol which went down quite well.
The flight was now showing as boarding and there was a fairly big queue. The Fast Track lane was empty so I was on board in no time. The crew were very pleasant and we departed on schedule. A very quick flight and before I knew it I was at Heathrow. Here is me at Edinburgh just about to push back.
I collected my case which was out within 5 minutes of me arriving at the carousel and I jumped in a taxi to the hotel which only took about 10 minutes. It was a typical Holiday Inn and I was allocated a nice room.
I woke up early the next morning and I was now quite excited about the trip. Was I really doing this I asked myself? I wasn’t sure whether to wait and get to Terminal 3 and have a breakfast there but I was quite hungry and so decided to just have a Holiday Inn one. It was very nice indeed but I didn’t scoff too much as I knew I would be eating almost non-stop for the next 24 hours! It was tempting though.
I had planned to take the Shuttle bus to the terminal which was £4.50 if I remember right. I spoke to the concierge and he informed me one was due along in about 15 minutes or alternative I could use a taxi outside for a fixed rate of £10. I thought what the and took it. A nice black E-Class Mercedes then pulled with blacked out windows and I thought wow! It was a very quick journey indeed and I made my way over to Zone G. This is for BA and Qantas passengers and I went behind the screen where no one other than a Qantas agent was seated.
He was very nice and I explained to him about the possibility of having 3A again but unfortunately not. He did apologise that the Qantas website stated this as did Manage my Booking. He was very friendly and before I knew it I had a nice coloured boarding pass which was much better than the black and white one I had been given the previous evening. so I was resigned to seat 1A which turned out to be fantastic. More about that later. I didn’t take photos of the check in area as these have been in quite a few TR’s on Flyertalk courtesy of Matthandy and Genius1. The other truthful part to this is that I forgot!!
Security was empty and before I knew it I was through into Duty Free. I had a wander about and decided to buy myself a couple of books. One was the Stephen Fry autobiography ‘The Fry Chronicles’ which I am still reading and the other was one called Far to Go by Alison Pick which I would highly recommend. It is a true story and is all about a family’s epic journey to free the Nazi oppression. I think it is always a good idea to have something to hand just in case the IFE failed!!
The terminal was very busy and after a wander around made my way to the Lounges. I still had about two and a half hours so plenty of time to sample the much awaited BA First lounge.
I never used the dining facilities and just had a few drinks. I am not used to drinking alcohol so early in the morning but I thought it would relax me a little which indeed it did. The views are nowhere as good as Terminal 5 but then again this is quite an old building! Here are some views from within the lounge.
The view from the lounge from outside and within.
It was very nice in the lounge and the time whittled away. I was becoming more excited at the flight which was drawing very near so I made my way down to the Gate which was now open. I didn’t wait for long in a packed area but there was a spare seat neat to the front so I just sat there. After about ten minutes nothing was happening and they were still waiting to board some folks in wheelchairs and others who had mobility issues so I thought Pete get the camera out!!!!!!!!!!!
This was parked next to our stand and one day I would def like to try SQ and preferably in First!!
What a size!! Although it is not the prettiest aircraft there is something about it’s ugliness which is beautiful. A real work of engineering to be marvelled at.
Next: Boarding, the cabin, service and food…………..
Last edited by PETER01; Feb 23, 2012 at 7:50 am Reason: typo
Feb 23, 2012, 8:11 am
#2
Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 10,146
Boarding, Service and the First Class Cabin
Well boarding started and First passengers were invited to come forward. I was literally at the Gate and I wanted to board early to take a few pictures without invading anyone’s privacy. Empty cabin pictures are nicer and I had my camera to hand dangling from my wrist and ready to go. I can’t believe the amount of times I kept checking it for the right settings, battery charge etc which was all done beforehand. I’m no expert at all and the camera I actually use is a Lumix (Panasonic) DMC-F57 which has 10m pixels. It’s been a trusted companion for a few years now and is very easy to use. I don’t dabble about too much but for a basic user like me it is just fine and dandy.
Later on in this TR I will be posing some very close up photos of the plane spotters area which the very kind matthandy took me to after we went to the Blue Mountains. More about that later but it includes the BA10 jumbo literally taxiing past us about 50 feet away from the outer wing. It’s when you are at ground level you realise its enormous size! Of course I took quite a few other snaps so please be patient as this TR has about 250 odd photos which will take me some time to write up over the next few days………..
Anyhow where was I? Oh yes boarding the Qantas A380. I walked down the bridge and turned left and down to the dedicated bridge for First passengers. I took this shot just at Door 1.
I had a very warm welcome and was shown to me seat. WHAT A SIZE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My first impressions of the cabin were quite breath taking. To see it in TR’s or photos on Airliners.net etc has no comparison whatsoever. I stood for a few seconds and thought to myself, take it all in, memorise it in the increasingly forgetful brain of mine, take a big deep breath and relax, big deep breath and relax
The crew were fairly young, maybe in their early 30’s and my CC member identified herself. She took the trouble to show me the seat, how it works etc and that once everyone had boarded she would go over it again. Great. What a welcome, very professional but extremely friendly, relaxed and very smiley in a genuine way. Mmmm 12 + hours of this I can live with. Here are a few shots of the cabin.
After a very short time I noticed there seemed to be quite a few other passengers boarding and as it turned out the actual economy air bridge was broken and so everyone in economy was using door 1! It got very busy and there was one young guy who plonked himself down whilst his mate took a photo. They weren’t rude or anything like that but you could imagine how long it would take if everyone did that so perfectly understandable why the CC weren’t very happy and one of whom very quickly pounced on them and ushered them off to the rear. They were only young and I suppose when we were all 19-20 then we maybe would have done the same thing. I wonder if he would be telling all his mates porky pies that he was upgraded to First!
I really liked the tail camera on this plane.
The good thing was that from boarding you can use the IFE right away and not have to wait until you are about 30-40 minutes into the flight. The screen is very good and it was much easier to use the actual remote control than the little personal control screen which is a sort of like a mini iPad.
The Menu, quite classy I thought!
The Seat. There isn’t much room in this position until after take off but then you can swivel the chair around and then it’s a whole different story!
Taxing out. We were about 10 minutes behind schedule despite the doors being closed early. We then seemed to ‘skip’ the very long queue so maybe we had priority?? Anyhow it was like Fast Track working at it’s best.
Next: Taking off...
Later on in this TR I will be posing some very close up photos of the plane spotters area which the very kind matthandy took me to after we went to the Blue Mountains. More about that later but it includes the BA10 jumbo literally taxiing past us about 50 feet away from the outer wing. It’s when you are at ground level you realise its enormous size! Of course I took quite a few other snaps so please be patient as this TR has about 250 odd photos which will take me some time to write up over the next few days………..
Anyhow where was I? Oh yes boarding the Qantas A380. I walked down the bridge and turned left and down to the dedicated bridge for First passengers. I took this shot just at Door 1.
I had a very warm welcome and was shown to me seat. WHAT A SIZE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My first impressions of the cabin were quite breath taking. To see it in TR’s or photos on Airliners.net etc has no comparison whatsoever. I stood for a few seconds and thought to myself, take it all in, memorise it in the increasingly forgetful brain of mine, take a big deep breath and relax, big deep breath and relax
The crew were fairly young, maybe in their early 30’s and my CC member identified herself. She took the trouble to show me the seat, how it works etc and that once everyone had boarded she would go over it again. Great. What a welcome, very professional but extremely friendly, relaxed and very smiley in a genuine way. Mmmm 12 + hours of this I can live with. Here are a few shots of the cabin.
After a very short time I noticed there seemed to be quite a few other passengers boarding and as it turned out the actual economy air bridge was broken and so everyone in economy was using door 1! It got very busy and there was one young guy who plonked himself down whilst his mate took a photo. They weren’t rude or anything like that but you could imagine how long it would take if everyone did that so perfectly understandable why the CC weren’t very happy and one of whom very quickly pounced on them and ushered them off to the rear. They were only young and I suppose when we were all 19-20 then we maybe would have done the same thing. I wonder if he would be telling all his mates porky pies that he was upgraded to First!
I really liked the tail camera on this plane.
The good thing was that from boarding you can use the IFE right away and not have to wait until you are about 30-40 minutes into the flight. The screen is very good and it was much easier to use the actual remote control than the little personal control screen which is a sort of like a mini iPad.
The Menu, quite classy I thought!
The Seat. There isn’t much room in this position until after take off but then you can swivel the chair around and then it’s a whole different story!
Taxing out. We were about 10 minutes behind schedule despite the doors being closed early. We then seemed to ‘skip’ the very long queue so maybe we had priority?? Anyhow it was like Fast Track working at it’s best.
Next: Taking off...
Feb 23, 2012, 8:31 am
#3
Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 10,146
Taking Off from London Heathrow
I found the Tailcam amazing. I really do enjoy all things commercially aviation related subjects and it gave a very real perspective of what the pilots could actually see. I was also surprised as many other have said in the past how quiet it was. I know this is always the case up front but the Airbus have made a very good job at soundproofing the cabin. Here we are entering runway 27L ready for departure.
A little grainy this one even after editing but it’s quite hard to focus without a tripod. I think the fact by this time I had consumed a few alcoholic beverages also contributed to this.
Nice coloured pyjamas. I was quite surprised how narrow the toilet was. I would have thought QF may have taken a leaf out of EK and had bigger facilities. It was all swish and swanky inside though with a leather toilet seat!
It’s always a bit of an odd feeling having a pee pee at 38,000 feet out of an open window!
By this time the CC were out in full force, smiling and friendly. The wonderful lady who was looking after me was excellent. In fact the best I have ever had on ANY flight. Lots of nice little touches like passing through the cabin at regular intervals, asking me lots of questions re if I was OK using the controls, bottles of water placed in the seat pocket, little tweaks to the menu that could be done to make any combination if there was nothing to my liking. Her manners and appearance were just impeccable and she was a real credit to Qantas. This happened all the way throughout the flight and she even offered to take a few photos of me which I duly obliged and posed for. I am about to send off a well done to them.
They were in actual fact a UK based crew and they only go as far as SIN where the Australian crews take over. Quite interesting but no runs to Sydney which may or may not be a good or bad thing for the UK based crews.
Right back to the food. These little sausages were very spicy but tasty. I eat about 3. Of course it would be rude to NOT mention to HIDDY in a Trip Report where sausages are mentioned. I am glad to report that these were cooked perfectly fine.
The soup was lovely and creamy and very hot! Mmm…..
The Beef stew was really nice. It looks a bit oily but it was not greasy at all.
Now re the Mars Bar. I did not ask for it or even mention it but the CC, let’s just say her name was Jane said I may like this to go with my little tub. Needless to say it went down very well. I always wonder why I eat as much as this on a plane. I don’t anywhere near this much at home!
After such an early start I asked Jane to make the bed up and this was duly done straight away. On the Qantas A380 they have a big massive sheepskin which is quite thick and comfy. On top of this goes a big white sheet, sort of like an ironing board cover! Then a nice big thick quilt. The sheepskin mattress was fab and far, far superior to the little thin thing BA put on your bed.BA really could take a leaf out of Qantas book here but maybe when the BA A380 comes along it may have this.
At this point I should mention the seat. Huge, lots of different positions including a fab leg rest which sad to say BA have made a major design flaw here on their New First Class seat. As a passenger I want to sit in an upright position some of the time with my feet up off the floor.
The IFE was excellent and gave more offerings than on BA but I think the new BA 777-300 ER’s have something similar. I did watch a few films and also found the screen a nice size. The remote controls were easy to work and there was a little glitch in my seat swivelling once but this was quickly sorted.
We're getting there!!!!!!
The Qantas Club Sandwich. A bit like Minute Steak with salad and a spicy relish. It was so good Jane brought me another!!
Breakfast time and a nice Muesli
Plain Scrambled Eggs. Hot and just the right texture and consistency. Perhaps at this stage I should have mentioned the young CC Chef. He was great too and came to my seat a few times serving on one occasion. Nothing was too much trouble for him. Not long after take off I said to him it was a bit hot in the cabin and he turned it down to a more comfortable 21 instead of the 24 I could see it was set at.
The view from 5A and the seat. I probably should have mentioned earlier that out of the 14 seats only 8 were occupied on the LHR-SIN leg.
Well as the old saying goes all good things come to an end but only for a short time. It was now about 7.30 am Singapore time. I could not believe how many ships there were in the bay at Singapore. There were hundreds, some anchored and some moving which you can just see here. It was a smooth approach and some great views on the way in.
Well that’s just about sums up the LHR-Sin leg. A fantastic crew member and I forgot to mention the CSD also did a personal introduction. What a fantastic flight.
A little grainy this one even after editing but it’s quite hard to focus without a tripod. I think the fact by this time I had consumed a few alcoholic beverages also contributed to this.
Nice coloured pyjamas. I was quite surprised how narrow the toilet was. I would have thought QF may have taken a leaf out of EK and had bigger facilities. It was all swish and swanky inside though with a leather toilet seat!
It’s always a bit of an odd feeling having a pee pee at 38,000 feet out of an open window!
By this time the CC were out in full force, smiling and friendly. The wonderful lady who was looking after me was excellent. In fact the best I have ever had on ANY flight. Lots of nice little touches like passing through the cabin at regular intervals, asking me lots of questions re if I was OK using the controls, bottles of water placed in the seat pocket, little tweaks to the menu that could be done to make any combination if there was nothing to my liking. Her manners and appearance were just impeccable and she was a real credit to Qantas. This happened all the way throughout the flight and she even offered to take a few photos of me which I duly obliged and posed for. I am about to send off a well done to them.
They were in actual fact a UK based crew and they only go as far as SIN where the Australian crews take over. Quite interesting but no runs to Sydney which may or may not be a good or bad thing for the UK based crews.
Right back to the food. These little sausages were very spicy but tasty. I eat about 3. Of course it would be rude to NOT mention to HIDDY in a Trip Report where sausages are mentioned. I am glad to report that these were cooked perfectly fine.
The soup was lovely and creamy and very hot! Mmm…..
The Beef stew was really nice. It looks a bit oily but it was not greasy at all.
Now re the Mars Bar. I did not ask for it or even mention it but the CC, let’s just say her name was Jane said I may like this to go with my little tub. Needless to say it went down very well. I always wonder why I eat as much as this on a plane. I don’t anywhere near this much at home!
After such an early start I asked Jane to make the bed up and this was duly done straight away. On the Qantas A380 they have a big massive sheepskin which is quite thick and comfy. On top of this goes a big white sheet, sort of like an ironing board cover! Then a nice big thick quilt. The sheepskin mattress was fab and far, far superior to the little thin thing BA put on your bed.BA really could take a leaf out of Qantas book here but maybe when the BA A380 comes along it may have this.
At this point I should mention the seat. Huge, lots of different positions including a fab leg rest which sad to say BA have made a major design flaw here on their New First Class seat. As a passenger I want to sit in an upright position some of the time with my feet up off the floor.
The IFE was excellent and gave more offerings than on BA but I think the new BA 777-300 ER’s have something similar. I did watch a few films and also found the screen a nice size. The remote controls were easy to work and there was a little glitch in my seat swivelling once but this was quickly sorted.
We're getting there!!!!!!
The Qantas Club Sandwich. A bit like Minute Steak with salad and a spicy relish. It was so good Jane brought me another!!
Breakfast time and a nice Muesli
Plain Scrambled Eggs. Hot and just the right texture and consistency. Perhaps at this stage I should have mentioned the young CC Chef. He was great too and came to my seat a few times serving on one occasion. Nothing was too much trouble for him. Not long after take off I said to him it was a bit hot in the cabin and he turned it down to a more comfortable 21 instead of the 24 I could see it was set at.
The view from 5A and the seat. I probably should have mentioned earlier that out of the 14 seats only 8 were occupied on the LHR-SIN leg.
Well as the old saying goes all good things come to an end but only for a short time. It was now about 7.30 am Singapore time. I could not believe how many ships there were in the bay at Singapore. There were hundreds, some anchored and some moving which you can just see here. It was a smooth approach and some great views on the way in.
Well that’s just about sums up the LHR-Sin leg. A fantastic crew member and I forgot to mention the CSD also did a personal introduction. What a fantastic flight.
Feb 23, 2012, 8:57 am
#4
Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
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A couple more photos.......
A couple of photos I forgot to include
Just before pushback at LHR.
The coveted Scrambled Eggs!
The view on alighting at SIN and making my way to the First Lounge
Just before pushback at LHR.
The coveted Scrambled Eggs!
The view on alighting at SIN and making my way to the First Lounge
Feb 23, 2012, 8:59 am
#5
Join Date: Sep 2009
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Thank you!
An absolutely fantastic report with some really great pictures. I dream of trying Qantas First some day but for now, I have sold my soul to the Star Alliance 
Can't wait for the next parts!
Can't wait for the next parts!
Feb 23, 2012, 8:59 am
#6
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: London, UK
Programs: AA 2MM - PLT, BA GGL, SPG Plat, Hilton Diamond
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Great start to your report PETER01.
You can tell from the way you wrote this that it was an exciting trip for you. I have read back through my old TRs and notice that the newer ones have lost that enthusiastic edge. Something I need to work on I think.
I am now looking forward to my next trip even more. It will be a repeat of the first part of yours except I will be in seat 2A on QF32 in a few weeks. Well unless they kick me out like they did you. It has happened to me once before on QF too.
I hope I get the same crew, they sound like stars.
You can tell from the way you wrote this that it was an exciting trip for you. I have read back through my old TRs and notice that the newer ones have lost that enthusiastic edge. Something I need to work on I think.
I am now looking forward to my next trip even more. It will be a repeat of the first part of yours except I will be in seat 2A on QF32 in a few weeks. Well unless they kick me out like they did you. It has happened to me once before on QF too.
I hope I get the same crew, they sound like stars.
Feb 23, 2012, 9:09 am
#7
Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2008
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Seriously though thanks for reading. I have another 3 parts to do/finish and this part has taken me all day!
Great start to your report PETER01.
You can tell from the way you wrote this that it was an exciting trip for you. I have read back through my old TRs and notice that the newer ones have lost that enthusiastic edge. Something I need to work on I think.
I am now looking forward to my next trip even more. It will be a repeat of the first part of yours except I will be in seat 2A on QF32 in a few weeks. Well unless they kick me out like they did you. It has happened to me once before on QF too.
I hope I get the same crew, they sound like stars.
You can tell from the way you wrote this that it was an exciting trip for you. I have read back through my old TRs and notice that the newer ones have lost that enthusiastic edge. Something I need to work on I think.
I am now looking forward to my next trip even more. It will be a repeat of the first part of yours except I will be in seat 2A on QF32 in a few weeks. Well unless they kick me out like they did you. It has happened to me once before on QF too.
I hope I get the same crew, they sound like stars.
I was surprised to see I had been moved as the actual QF site stated 3A.
As it turned out 1A was extremely private. I like the fact the galley is at the back as you cant hear anything unlike the BA 777-200 which I found very noisy on the way back. Yes overall a great trip and wondering where to go next...........
I do hope you enjoy your trip. ^
Feb 23, 2012, 9:32 am
#9
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Join Date: Feb 2008
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Yes the QF A380 in First was just fantastic. The tailcam is something else. Of course never once looking at it did I pretend to be the pilot taxiing out to the runway or when we took off or landed..........
Feb 23, 2012, 10:50 am
#11
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
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I am very jealous - I can't wait for the rest of the report but so far it looks like you had a fab time. Shame I could not have met you for a glass of champers somewhere
aks120
aks120
Feb 23, 2012, 11:06 am
#12
Join Date: Jan 2009
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