After a nice relaxing coffee it was time to pack up and head back to the airport. It was time for my whirlwind tour of Australia to begin!
Quick stop in the Qantas lounge in the domestic terminal which was nice, but really nothing special, then off to the gate to board my widebody with proper business class to Perth.
Qantas flight 577
Sydney, Australia (SYD) to Perth, Australia (PER)
Depart 12:20, Arrive: 15:25, flight time: 5:05
Airbus A330-200, Registration VH-EBA, Manufactured 2002, Seat 07K
Miles Flown Year-to-Date: 61,017
Lifetime Miles Flown: 2,753,655
Can you imagine if US airlines had seats like this on domestic flights frequently? I was surprised when I booked a month out that the last row was the only window seat left on this flight (indicating that a good number of folks book domestic business class way out) but despite a seat next to the aisle instead of next to the window, it was a treat for a relatively long domestic flight:
Wow, even a proper menu! I had heard Qantas had been slipping, but there was no sign of that yet:
Plus, a footwell even in the last row with plenty of space for the feet...despite the seat being a little bit beat up.
Delicious roasted almonds to start. Everyone seems to get excited by the "warm nuts" on US airlines, but I often find them kind of mushy, as if they've been severely overheated. These? Nice crunch to them and just a little bit of salt.
Soup and salad to start...with artisan butter...and super tasty fresh bread...not like the poor excuse for bread we often get in the US. Stop me now, before I go on a rant about the quality and "realness" of food in the US compared to Australia, Canada, etc....
Presentation sure wasn't beautiful, but the chicken tagine was really flavorful and a great meal: (yes, with a big more of the good Australian shiraz, of course):
Wait what, a proper cheese course? By this point in the US you usually get a cookie if lucky, and if luckier it's "freshly-baked" and not pre-packaged. (Though I do love me some Dancing Deer Cookies...are you listening Delta?)
Everyone knows I love a good cheese plate, and while small it was perfectly appropriate for a domestic flight, especially with dates:
...oh yeah, and there was delicious chocolate and salted caramel
Maggie Beer ice cream as well. I was in Heaven.
All in all, it was an amazing domestic flight, probably one of the better ones I can remember ever taking, and I arrived in Perth feeling relaxed and rested despite the rather terrible jetlag I was surely dealing with. The sunny and cool day probably didn't hurt, but I was wide awake and feeling great!
Used Uber to get to my hotel which was a piece of cake at the relatively quiet Perth airport, and soon I was ready to head out on a walk and enjoy the late afternoon in Perth. But first....time to end this post and move on to the next.