Self-serve snack bar


Qantas inflight magazine at the lounge


Economy class on the lower deck


Assortment of chocolates

I woke up to walk around the plane a bit, got some chips from the snack bar, and returned to my seat for the continued screening of my movie. At the end of the movie, I went back to sleep since we still had 6 hours of flight time to go. This time round I managed a shuteye of around 3 hours before getting woken up by the sounds of trays in the galley. It also seems that some of the passengers have chosen to have an early breakfast. The flight steward came over and offered me hot towels to freshen up again and brought me my breakfast, just as I had ordered it, without any beans. The breakfast set also came with a great smoothie, which really perked me up for the day ahead. I was also able to enjoy several episodes of Hawaii Five-O during and after breakfast. Noticing the ice cream on the menu, I asked the steward about it and he came back with 2 small tubs of Ben & Jerry's ice cream since he said they were partially melted. Anticipating the passenger's wants beforehand was really a great way to make me remember the service on this flight!


Let's watch Hawaii Five-O


Free range scrambled eggs on toasted sourdough with Applewood smoked bacon and sausages, without the braised beans


Tailcam View


Ben & Jerry's ice cream

After ensuring I ate as much of the ice cream as possible, I sat back to enjoy the remainder of the flight. Opening the window shutter, I was greeted with a beautiful sunrise over southeastern Australia. The completion of breakfast service also meant the lavatories were quite packed as most of the passengers went on to change out of their pyjamas. I waited for the crowd to disperse before taking my time to change into my clothes.


Mood lighting on the A380


Sunrise over Southeast Australia


Sunrise over the clouds

Back on my seat, I opened the window shutters and the sparkle of the sun against the terrain was really a fitting finale during the descent. It was a cloudy day on landing at Tullamarine, and one thing I always remember for Australia's airports are that the city skyline is usually visible from the airport. As expected, Qantas birds are everywhere here, though they had to share some space with SQ's A380 and my home airline - Garuda Indonesia's new A330. The sight of Garuda informed me how much closer to home I would be and makes me miss returning home after so long in N. America.


Legroom in Business Class; no worries of claustrophobia here


Bushland beside Tullamarine Airport


Garuda Indonesia A330 at MEL


Huge back end of another A380

Upon docking safely beside the other Qantas A380 I spotted earlier, the passengers alighted. Disembarkation was very orderly and I was soon out into the terminal. I had hoped for a vantage point to capture the A380 but alas, there was no such opportunity. However, while browsing through some of my photos, I realized I had taken a shot of the aircraft that had brought me to Australia back in LA when I was visiting the city. As such, there is the photo of VH-OQI here Immigration and baggage claim was also fast and efficient in Australia, with priority-tagged bags receiving the appropriate treatment. Upon exit out of the terminal, I was immediately pleased with the autumn weather which I had gotten used to in Vancouver and was welcomed in contrast to the heat of LA.


A last look at the Qantas A380 business class cabin after a 15 hour flight

The flight on Qantas A380 was my third on an A380 and first time on the business class service. Comparing Qantas and SQ's A380, I would have to say the Qantas configuration is slightly skewed towards the leisure traveller since SIA has individual seats and no premium economy class. I liked what Qantas did with their premium economy cabin and the A380 still amazes me, making it my favourite aircraft of choice to fly long haul. The service quality in this Qantas flight was amazing and while the crew didn't seem to be seen in the plane in between meal times, they were very pleasant during meal service. For in-flight entertainment, I still think that SQ and CX has better selections in terms of movies and TV shows, though I found that Qantas has more episodes of each TV Shows, but a smaller selection. Overall, this flight still makes it one of my most memorable ever and the longest one I have taken thus far!


Flying across the Pacific with Qantas