I am still not convinced that a 787-9 can do this trip non stop with normal seating, can anyone comment?

Correct, not possible with 'typical' seat config for 290 pax which gives you ~8780 miles range.

Yes, I imagine if this did go ahead, then the 787 would continue onto one of SYD/MEL/BNE depending on flight timings, then those on that flight would stay in the international terminal while the others would transfer onto domestic flights. Saying that though, I'd probably want to continue on an international plane to Syd and transfer to BNE/MEL from there.

Melbourne's Dom to International was all indoors I thought but when I transferred in March you had to go outside for a bit. In the rain, of course.

In September I landed in Syd on QF1 at 5.14am and was out and in the Domestic Terminal by 5.55! But I did do a dash onto the transfer bus otherwise it would have been another 20 mins. And there was no one other flights in SYD at that time, so that probably helped.

Doing this route for the past 20 years plus, Bangkok was the sweet spot, around 10/11 hours each leg. However coming back, Singapore was great with its afternoon departure from Australia and then midnight ish departure from SIN and early arrival back into LHR. You could watch a few movies on the first leg and then try and get a decent sleep on the next. Dubai just doesn't cut it in Y but I did come back in J last month and because I was able to get so much sleep it wasn't too bad.

My favourite at the moment (to BNE at least) is Cathay Pacific. Only done it in Y but they were extremely comfortable both times. Booked my xmas trip with them and trying out the A350 from Gatwick. What I liked about them is that you have a lunch time departure from London, arrive in HKG in the morning where you have a few (4 to 5hr) stop over to freshen up in the Premium Plaza lounge which just out rates on Maharaba lounge in Dubai. Then you arrive in BNE late evening, just in time to go to bed. Coming back you have a full day in Brisbane, leaving around midnight arrive in HKG for a couple of hours back in the lounge and then a long day flight back to LHR, arriving back in the mid afternoon. By the time you get home (depending of course where you are!) you don't have too long to stay up before bed.

I don't understand Qantas' Melbourne flight (QF10). It's so badly timed for arrivals as you can't transfer to anything else. This means everyone who needs to go elsewhere take the Sydney flight packing it out. Crazy. Maybe BA Should target this route instead of the highly competitive SYD route!

Was your domestic connection on Jetstar or Tiger? Both use T4, and whilst they were building a coverway, this may not have been finished when you flew. If connection was on QF (T1) or Virgin (T3) this should definitely have been all indoors unless they are doing some terminal work which I am not aware of. I've never been outside for any such connection for years.

CX is very nice indeed! :)

Thanks haasha, Assuming we are correct, in order to do this trip the aircraft will have to be configured with a more J &F Seats and a lot less Economy, which will change the economics of the flight. I think this is a very interesting proposition and if it actually happens I will be watching it closely.

I still think it would make more sense to go to MEL or SYD (which have frequent shuttles between them) but I am guessing that the calculations show this can't be done with the 787-9.

QF are not planning to have F on the 789. I could imagine a version with more PE for instance, but the issue with a different configuration is that they'd probably need 3 planes correctly fitted because of flight length and maintenance. Not sure if they have another trick up their sleeve instead.

If the route fails, the premium-heavy 789s could be used on other premium heavy routes such as to DXB, SIN, LAX etc.

By the way why has no airline yet considered SYD - SVO? It is much shorter than to any other european city and the 787 could fly it with full loads. And from there it would be easy to connect to many European cities. Probably Aeroflot would be more suitable to do it than Qantas due to their network there, though (if you would fly there on Qantas it would be difficult to connect to a european city on a partner airline). And although you would not think of it when looking at the world map, SVO is right on the ideal Great Circle flight path between lhr and SYD.

Don't know about Russian-Australian relationships and politics, though. It would probably be difficult to obtain fifth freedom rights for qantas to fly onwards from SVO to LHR. However Aeroflot could do LHR - SVO - SYD.

EDIT: As for the other way, what about SYD - GRU?

Only if you don't need to pick up your baggage at domestic terminal and re-check at international terminal.

I really think Sydney airport is the worst international airport in so-called developed countries. Their passenger service charges seem to be about as high as LHR but they provide much less service.

I grew to detest SYD airport (not the QF F lounge, just the whole set-up of SYD airport which feels like it's been designed to gouge passengers).

If BA started flying to another airport I'd go there like a shot just to avoid SYD.

BA/OW did not help the matter at all by refusing to through-check baggage on separate tickets though.

There is a need for that for domestic to international connections where it is possible to through-check luggage though.

Wouldn't everyone need a visa for Russia even just to transit?

I doubt that this would happen any time soon. The first rule of new routes is that you need direct traffic as well as good connectivity, and SVO-SYD has neither. IST-SYD would only be 280 miles longer and in my view will come through far earlier in my view because of TK's excellent connections with both Europe and Africa.

As someone who needed to spent a couple of nights trying to rest on the floor of SVO airport because of missed connections since the only airside hotel is tiny and always full and they won't let you out to an airport hotel without a visa, I'd incidentally never consider that route myself for as tiring a trip as Oz.

No, but you cannot exit the airport, even for a quick smoke, if you do not have a visa. And you cannot travel to the different Moscow airports without a visa obviously, nor take a quick peek in the city.

Not for direct transit, but as I mentioned, if your inbound flight is late and you miss the connection, you're scr*wed... Been there, done that, not a third time.

Why would SYD - SVO have less direct traffic than IST?

And yes not being able to exit the airport is a problem. However people could also buy a transit visa just in case, of course.