Fit the Seventh
QF702, MEL-CNS, J, 2B
Whilst I have massively enjoyed Melbourne, I haven’t been so glad to leave an hotel for some time.
However, a quick taxi ride through an already 25 degree gloriously clear Melbourne morning gets me to Tullamarine, check-in is brisk and efficient if a little impersonal and its back out side for a couple of cigarettes before proceeding to the Qantas Club for brekkie. Apple juice, two long blacks, a small bowl of birchermuescli, a peach and a slice of toast with Vegemite soon sorts me out nicely. I’ve quite taken to Vegemite, but it isn’t quite the real thing.
Again, it’s a very nice QP, even at a fairly busy time at MEL, it isn’t quite full, and there are plenty of nice comfy seats for all. The feeding and watering stations are also well organised and replicated which is good.
Anyway, my flight is called on time (and has priority boarding) and turns out to be on an Airbus 330-300 which is a new type for me, sadly it isn’t one of the ones fitted with Skybeds, but with Millenium seats. Turning left on the plane, Business Class is quite a large cabin in 2-3-2 formation and is pretty full, whilst economy looks only about 50% full. My seat opponent is a middle-aged lady who is quite friendly and chatty and gives me some tips on Cairns. I get to work on a batch of postcards, they really do need doing or I’ll be back home before they arrive.
We appear to have three crew for the Business Class, plus the occasional assistance of a CSD. A pretty young lady who does my aisle and two metrosexual men d’un certain age who do the other aisle and help out on this one. They jump swiftly into action with hot towels, followed by drinks, I choose a nice cool Crown Lager. They start showing the film at this point, which is I, Robot. As I’m out of books, I choose to watch it and can’t help feeling that Will Smith is looking a trifle over-pumped these days.
The meal choices are
A smoked salmon salad with lettuce, cucumber and chicory
OR
Beef redang with rice and Asian vegetables
Having just had breakfast in the Qantas Club, I opt for the smoked salmon salad, it is cool and delicious and comes with a little fruit plate of peaches, blueberries and mango coulis. The smoked salmon in particular is very good and is Tasmanian in origin – it comes, slightly unusually with a slice of lime which works very well. Two passes are made of warm mini-ciabatta rolls. As they are out of Crown Lager I move to a James Squire’s Amber Ale which is very good and a glass of water. Decent plunger coffee is offered after the main meal, tea appears to come from a Bodum teapot. Top marks for class here, I feel.
It becomes apparent why Business Class is so full, after the meal service, the CSD goes and talks to about 8 passengers she obviously knows very well. Looks like some last minute staff upgrades
As a bit of a surprise, about 30 minutes before landing they come around with small tubs of ice-cream, and do a final drinks service. I choose the vanilla bean and elderflower and it’s bloody nice.
It gets a bit bumpy flying into Cairns as the cloud cover goes from patchy to fairly covered and as is quite common on Airbuses, the landing is quite firm. They use the front door for offloading, so the plebian hordes have to wait. 10/10 for a domestic business class flight from Qantas.
On arrival at Cairns, bags are off in about 10 minutes and I’m in a taxi for the short ride to the Hotel.