Qantas Business Class Seats review
 

Just flew QF LAX-SYD & BKK-LHR in business-class, with new flat-bed seats. Enormous improvement compared to thoroughly poor regular business seats, which have poor recline (about 45 degrees), and miserable seat comfort. No wonder BA was getting almost 2x the J/C load factor between Oz & Europe. New QF seats are excellent- better than BA's as they offer more privacy, 2" wider seats, and almost 6" more length. They also have automatic massagers which have a wide variety of controls. Now all flights from SYD & MEL to BKK & SIN, and from BKK & SIN to LHR have the new seats. Only 1/3 of the planes from LAX to SYD & MEL are new seats; QF claims all will be done by Sept. (?) but in meantime, difference is enormous.

For real? I spoke to a U.S. QF agent about a week ago and they said that at the moment it is very rare to get a new config aircraft from LAX - only if a Pacific config goes technical and it's replaced by a Kangaroo config. She expected that by mid 2005 would be when all U.S. flights would have the new config. Then again policy probably dictates that they have to be conservative with their estimates - certainly hope it's sooner.

...another review and some questions
 

Last week flew SYD-LHR return - thought I'd try QF instead of the usual BA. I was very impressed - on balance I rate the new QF seats slightly higher than BA - they are wider and softer and more private, combined that with better service (esp. food). BA's only win is that their seats are horizontal.

Also, QF is one of the few airlines in OneWorld that still have personal air vents. BA and CX upstairs get very stuffy and hot sometimes. Anyone else noticed this?

QF's service has also improved dramatically in the last few years.

How are QF going to cope with the significantly reduced number of seats in J class? They are very heavily booked now. Could they justify adding another J cabin? Is it true that the new J class on the Pacific-route aircraft does not have 2 downstairs cabins, further reducing the number of available seats? (a FA told me this)

I guess it all comes down to $$$$....

QF are eliminating the difference betweent the Pacific and Kangaroo configs in their 3 class 747s. They have decided to only go with 50 J which is a consirable drop from the Pacific configs of about 75J.

Economics being economics I expect prices to rise to cope with the reduced supply. The other alternative which has been expressed is a severe reduction in U availabilty on routes that already have tight U availability.

I thought that if QF were confident with their product that another J cabin oif about 15-20 on the main deck would have made commercial sense but then again QF have access to data that I am not privvy and presumably they think they are making the right decision in eliminating the two configs.

According to the QF NA Group General Manager that decision is still a point of disagreement internally - as clearly the pacific routes have the demand to carry 79J, but different configs are not good for operating efficiency. (Although clearly for now they are reconfiguring the 747ERs to 50J)

As a business traveller whose plans are usually confirmed less than 1 week from departure, I will be pretty pissed off if I can't get seats on QF flights to LAX. My waitlists to LHR last week only cleared 3 days prior to departure - a bit too close for comfort. I only got a decent seat allocation after 3 phone calls to QF (travel agent couldn't get anything) - ended up in 16J.

Looks like U and even D class will become things of the past.....at least until the 380's come into service....

LAX-SYD & SYD-LHR QF Update
 

Although QF is pretty heavy LAX to SYD & MEL, it's hugely dependent upon day of week. Departing LAX Fri/Sat almost 100% booked, but Mon/Tues. very light. My boss flew LAX-SYD June 19 in J and almost full. But previous Tues. there were 44 open seats in J.
Unfortunately, look for QF J/D fare increases once new seats are all in. That's what's happening on SYD-LHR runs. QF was running less than 70% full in J vs BA nearly 100% full 'cause BA had beds. Now, not 1 QF seat available in D when I need it July 17/18/19, but BA has seats! QF was priced about 20% under BA in mkt, but they've just completed beds on 100% of AUS to LHR fleet, and BKK QF mgr said fares will go up as soon as they can finish loading. Certainly noticed WAY fewer RTW D seats now on QF BKK-LHR.

I read that Virgin is going to start LHR-SYD service, so that might end up affecting QF's fares.

Virgin Atlantic will just add another one to the large list of full service airlines operating betwene Sydney and London. They alone will not have much additional impact of fares. Not unless they can manage to build to 30+ services a week, then they may have an impact.

Some others on the route (and this is not a complete list) include SIA, CX, BA, MH, TG, EK, each with multiple Australian destinations.

Indeed - I always put this in feedback forms to CX and BA, but to no avail.