Trip Report: Qantas First Class A380 Singapore to Melbourne - Best Flight Ever!
Jan 15, 2020, 6:40 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 112
Trip Report: Qantas First Class A380 Singapore to Melbourne - Best Flight Ever!
Hello everyone - just another trip report! :-)
Happy new year again and it's been such an exciting start! I have a lot of trip reports coming up (Including Fiji Airways A350!) and hopefully I can get them published soon!
I spent a few hours in Singapore to check out Jewel Changi Airport After enjoying the newly opened Qantas International First Lounge, I then walked to gate C25, an hour before departure time.
Boarding started at 6:55 PM through door 1L. The first-class cabin on Qantas A380 is located in the front section of the lower deck. Unfortunately, the aircraft I flew on that night wasn’t the newly retrofitted equipment, but it’s interesting to note that it was the very first Qantas’ A380 delivery, named Nancy-Bird Walton.
Upon boarding, a flight attendant greeted and escorted me to Suite 5K. The flight attendant working on my aisle introduced herself and asked how I’d like to be addressed — my bad for being so terrible remembering names! Not only was she so friendly, professional, and charming, but she also made me feel like home. She was so genuine and as enthusiastic as I was — love it! Right off the bat, I could tell it would be a fantastic flight.
On the pictures, the suites may not look as spacious, but in reality, they are massive. Obviously, it’s not a cutting edge first class by any means, but for something that was introduced almost ten years ago, it is incredible.
A few minutes later, the cabin director also came to my suite, introduced himself, and shook my hand. He was lovely and very personable. Once settled in, she offered me a glass of champagne and canapé consisting of caviar tartlet with crème fraînche and beef tatami with oyster sauce and crispy rice.
There were only four other passengers out of 14 first-class seats, and there is a total of 4 cabin crews working in first class. With that ratio, you can bet the service was so attentive and personalized.
A few minutes later, the flight attendant came back to refill my champagne glass and brought me a male amenity kit as well as pajamas by Martin Grant.
Before take-off, I went to the lavatory to change. Usually, I don’t like wearing pajamas on a flight because the cabin tends to be warm.
While Qantas A380 first class cabin doesn’t seem to have individual air vents, it actually does. In fact, there are three of them in each suite from what I can tell. There are two air nozzles on the front and back wall of your suite, and one on the floor. That said, the cabin temperature was perfect.
The main cabin door closed at 7:30 PM, and we pushed back shortly after. However, since there are many evening departure flights, it took a while for us to taxi to the runway, and we were eventually cleared for take-off.
Unlike U.S. airlines, most foreign carriers switch off the seatbelt sign 5 minutes after take-off. The crews then started preparing dinner service. Supper and breakfast services were offered on this short 7-hour redeye flight.
The menu reads as follows:
Once we reached the cruising altitude, I had my dining table set up and browsed through the entertainment system. Qantas has pretty decent selections of movies and TV shows. While I rarely watch movies on the plane, for some reason, I was in the mood for one. I decided to watch an Australian drama called Promised — it was good!
Since I had a big meal at the lounge, I opted for a healthier option. To start, I had crab salad with asparagus, peas and sunflower seeds.
It was light and refreshing.
For the main course, I had seared sea bass with oyster mushrooms, braised lettuce and Shanghai noodles.
It was tasty. The fish was flaky and tender, though nothing special. I feel like fish dishes on the plane is a safer bet.
To finish, I had meringue with pineapple, passionfruit, soft coconut cream and toasted almonds, as well as a glass of Lillypilly Noble Blend 2015 dessert wine.
I was stuffed at this point. Once my table was cleared, the flight attendant informed me that she had made the bed for in Suite 3K, two rows ahead — sweet!
Qantas offers excellent bedding in first class that includes mattress, duvet cover, blanket, and two plush pillows. As you can see from the picture above, the mattress is about 2 inches thick, and the duvet cover was very comfortable. By far, this was the best bed I’ve slept on in the sky.
Before calling it a night, I had a quick walk upstairs to check out the lounge area.
Decades ago, I remembered walking up the staircase was such a cool experience, and it never gets old. It was no exception to this beautiful Airbus A380.
As I mentioned earlier, this particular plane was Qantas’ first A380, which has not been retrofitted with the new interior, so the lounge looked rather plain.
I personally prefer ultra long haul flights where I can dine, relax, sleep, and enjoy the flight. Sometimes, it’s a bit difficult to maximize the sleep since I wanted to enjoy the experience. That said, I managed to sleep for a solid 4 hours.
One hour before landing, I woke up and moved back to Suite 5K, while the crews started preparing the breakfast service.
Breakfast menu reads as follows:
BREAKFAST
FRUIT, CEREAL AND YOGHURT
Brookfarm macadamia toasted muesli with cranberries
Cereal selection
Neil’s healthy Bircher muesli with apple, almond and hazelnut Seasonal fruit salad
Yoghurt
BAKERY
Toast
Croissant
Raisin Danish
With your choice of:
Vegemite, berry jam, marmalade, honey
MAIN
Bacon and egg brioche roll with caramelized onion and barbecue sauce
Breakfast bowl with Chinese barley, sesame spinach, bean sprouts, mushrooms, poached egg and sesame
JUICES
Orange, apple, tomato juice
Cold pressed green juice with honeydew, cucumber, green apple and kale
Cold pressed juice with carrot, orange, green apple, celery and ginger
I ordered the muesli, fresh fruits, and breakfast bowl, along with a glass of juice latte.
It was excellent, healthy, and light.
By now, you should get an idea of how awesome the flight was. The crews were just fantastic, and everything was so flawless.
But this is the best part…
The crews noticed how excited I was about the flight. Apparently, they discreetly communicated with the captain and arranged a surprise for me. They would love to invite me to the flight deck upon landing in Melbourne.
How cool is that!
I was totally overwhelmed with joy and excitement. I just couldn’t believe it, and of course, I gladly said yes! I was literally like a kid in a candy store!
Wow!
Before landing, every single crew in first class stopped by my suite thanking me for flying with them and shook my hand. We touched down in Melbourne 2 minutes ahead of schedule.
Once we parked at the gate, I walked to the front of the cabin and met with the two captains, a first officer, and a second officer who was in control during landing. I spent a few minutes there and asked permission to take photos, and bid farewell to the entire crews.
I posted the flight deck photo on my site if you like to check it out. :-)
It was my first Qantas flight, and to be quite honest, I had a low expectation because I thought the experience would be similar to what I would have on American Airlines flights, due to their close relationship.
But I was totally wrong!
There was no easy way to describe how fantastic the flight was. The crews were genuinely lovely. They were so welcoming and made me feel at home.
In terms of food, while it was not spectacular, I’m glad Qantas offers something on the healthier side. The amenities were indeed “first-class,” and the bedding was fantastic — it was the best one I’ve had in the sky.
Finally, being invited to visit the flight deck was a pleasant surprise and something I will remember for a long time.
From now on, Qantas will be my first choice of carrier when traveling to the South Pacific, and it should be yours too!
Happy new year again and it's been such an exciting start! I have a lot of trip reports coming up (Including Fiji Airways A350!) and hopefully I can get them published soon!
I spent a few hours in Singapore to check out Jewel Changi Airport After enjoying the newly opened Qantas International First Lounge, I then walked to gate C25, an hour before departure time.
Boarding started at 6:55 PM through door 1L. The first-class cabin on Qantas A380 is located in the front section of the lower deck. Unfortunately, the aircraft I flew on that night wasn’t the newly retrofitted equipment, but it’s interesting to note that it was the very first Qantas’ A380 delivery, named Nancy-Bird Walton.
Upon boarding, a flight attendant greeted and escorted me to Suite 5K. The flight attendant working on my aisle introduced herself and asked how I’d like to be addressed — my bad for being so terrible remembering names! Not only was she so friendly, professional, and charming, but she also made me feel like home. She was so genuine and as enthusiastic as I was — love it! Right off the bat, I could tell it would be a fantastic flight.
On the pictures, the suites may not look as spacious, but in reality, they are massive. Obviously, it’s not a cutting edge first class by any means, but for something that was introduced almost ten years ago, it is incredible.
A few minutes later, the cabin director also came to my suite, introduced himself, and shook my hand. He was lovely and very personable. Once settled in, she offered me a glass of champagne and canapé consisting of caviar tartlet with crème fraînche and beef tatami with oyster sauce and crispy rice.
There were only four other passengers out of 14 first-class seats, and there is a total of 4 cabin crews working in first class. With that ratio, you can bet the service was so attentive and personalized.
A few minutes later, the flight attendant came back to refill my champagne glass and brought me a male amenity kit as well as pajamas by Martin Grant.
Before take-off, I went to the lavatory to change. Usually, I don’t like wearing pajamas on a flight because the cabin tends to be warm.
While Qantas A380 first class cabin doesn’t seem to have individual air vents, it actually does. In fact, there are three of them in each suite from what I can tell. There are two air nozzles on the front and back wall of your suite, and one on the floor. That said, the cabin temperature was perfect.
The main cabin door closed at 7:30 PM, and we pushed back shortly after. However, since there are many evening departure flights, it took a while for us to taxi to the runway, and we were eventually cleared for take-off.
Unlike U.S. airlines, most foreign carriers switch off the seatbelt sign 5 minutes after take-off. The crews then started preparing dinner service. Supper and breakfast services were offered on this short 7-hour redeye flight.
The menu reads as follows:
SUPPER
CANAPÉS
Caviar tartlet with crème fraînche
Beef tatami with oyster sauce and crispy rice
TO START
Corn and smoky paprika soup with croutons and black pepper crème fraînche
Crab salad with asparagus, peas and sunflower seeds
Pork and prawn siu mai with XO, seafood pancake roll and picked vegetables
MAIN
Rigatoni with grilled artichokes, sugar snaps, parsley, mint and parmesan
Seared sea bass with oyster mushrooms, braised lettuce and Shanghai noodles
Beef fillet with soft polenta, broccolini and almond romesco salsa
Mesclun salad with your choice of aged balsamic, lemon dressing or Neil’s vinaigrette
TO FINISH
Selection of cheese served with accompaniments
Meringue with pineapple, passionfruit, soft coconut cream and toasted almonds
Flourless chocolate cake with crème fraînche and raspberry sauce
Ice cream
Seasonal fruit
Shortbread biscuit
Hand made chocolates
Kettle potato chips
CANAPÉS
Caviar tartlet with crème fraînche
Beef tatami with oyster sauce and crispy rice
TO START
Corn and smoky paprika soup with croutons and black pepper crème fraînche
Crab salad with asparagus, peas and sunflower seeds
Pork and prawn siu mai with XO, seafood pancake roll and picked vegetables
MAIN
Rigatoni with grilled artichokes, sugar snaps, parsley, mint and parmesan
Seared sea bass with oyster mushrooms, braised lettuce and Shanghai noodles
Beef fillet with soft polenta, broccolini and almond romesco salsa
Mesclun salad with your choice of aged balsamic, lemon dressing or Neil’s vinaigrette
TO FINISH
Selection of cheese served with accompaniments
Meringue with pineapple, passionfruit, soft coconut cream and toasted almonds
Flourless chocolate cake with crème fraînche and raspberry sauce
Ice cream
Seasonal fruit
Shortbread biscuit
Hand made chocolates
Kettle potato chips
Once we reached the cruising altitude, I had my dining table set up and browsed through the entertainment system. Qantas has pretty decent selections of movies and TV shows. While I rarely watch movies on the plane, for some reason, I was in the mood for one. I decided to watch an Australian drama called Promised — it was good!
Since I had a big meal at the lounge, I opted for a healthier option. To start, I had crab salad with asparagus, peas and sunflower seeds.
It was light and refreshing.
For the main course, I had seared sea bass with oyster mushrooms, braised lettuce and Shanghai noodles.
It was tasty. The fish was flaky and tender, though nothing special. I feel like fish dishes on the plane is a safer bet.
To finish, I had meringue with pineapple, passionfruit, soft coconut cream and toasted almonds, as well as a glass of Lillypilly Noble Blend 2015 dessert wine.
I was stuffed at this point. Once my table was cleared, the flight attendant informed me that she had made the bed for in Suite 3K, two rows ahead — sweet!
Qantas offers excellent bedding in first class that includes mattress, duvet cover, blanket, and two plush pillows. As you can see from the picture above, the mattress is about 2 inches thick, and the duvet cover was very comfortable. By far, this was the best bed I’ve slept on in the sky.
Before calling it a night, I had a quick walk upstairs to check out the lounge area.
Decades ago, I remembered walking up the staircase was such a cool experience, and it never gets old. It was no exception to this beautiful Airbus A380.
As I mentioned earlier, this particular plane was Qantas’ first A380, which has not been retrofitted with the new interior, so the lounge looked rather plain.
I personally prefer ultra long haul flights where I can dine, relax, sleep, and enjoy the flight. Sometimes, it’s a bit difficult to maximize the sleep since I wanted to enjoy the experience. That said, I managed to sleep for a solid 4 hours.
One hour before landing, I woke up and moved back to Suite 5K, while the crews started preparing the breakfast service.
Breakfast menu reads as follows:
BREAKFAST
FRUIT, CEREAL AND YOGHURT
Brookfarm macadamia toasted muesli with cranberries
Cereal selection
Neil’s healthy Bircher muesli with apple, almond and hazelnut Seasonal fruit salad
Yoghurt
BAKERY
Toast
Croissant
Raisin Danish
With your choice of:
Vegemite, berry jam, marmalade, honey
MAIN
Bacon and egg brioche roll with caramelized onion and barbecue sauce
Breakfast bowl with Chinese barley, sesame spinach, bean sprouts, mushrooms, poached egg and sesame
JUICES
Orange, apple, tomato juice
Cold pressed green juice with honeydew, cucumber, green apple and kale
Cold pressed juice with carrot, orange, green apple, celery and ginger
It was excellent, healthy, and light.
By now, you should get an idea of how awesome the flight was. The crews were just fantastic, and everything was so flawless.
But this is the best part…
The crews noticed how excited I was about the flight. Apparently, they discreetly communicated with the captain and arranged a surprise for me. They would love to invite me to the flight deck upon landing in Melbourne.
How cool is that!
I was totally overwhelmed with joy and excitement. I just couldn’t believe it, and of course, I gladly said yes! I was literally like a kid in a candy store!
Wow!
Before landing, every single crew in first class stopped by my suite thanking me for flying with them and shook my hand. We touched down in Melbourne 2 minutes ahead of schedule.
Once we parked at the gate, I walked to the front of the cabin and met with the two captains, a first officer, and a second officer who was in control during landing. I spent a few minutes there and asked permission to take photos, and bid farewell to the entire crews.
I posted the flight deck photo on my site if you like to check it out. :-)
Conclusion
Best flight ever!It was my first Qantas flight, and to be quite honest, I had a low expectation because I thought the experience would be similar to what I would have on American Airlines flights, due to their close relationship.
But I was totally wrong!
There was no easy way to describe how fantastic the flight was. The crews were genuinely lovely. They were so welcoming and made me feel at home.
In terms of food, while it was not spectacular, I’m glad Qantas offers something on the healthier side. The amenities were indeed “first-class,” and the bedding was fantastic — it was the best one I’ve had in the sky.
Finally, being invited to visit the flight deck was a pleasant surprise and something I will remember for a long time.
From now on, Qantas will be my first choice of carrier when traveling to the South Pacific, and it should be yours too!
Last edited by johnsw1988; Jan 15, 2020 at 6:42 pm Reason: Incorrect HTML tag
Jan 15, 2020, 8:08 pm
#2
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Houston
Programs: UA GS 2.6MM & Lifetime UC, Qantas Platinum, Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Bonvoy Platinum, HawaiianMiles
Posts: 8,695
Jan 17, 2020, 4:59 am
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: AU
Programs: former Olympic Airways Gold (yeah - still proud of that!)
Posts: 14,406
Wow... I'm impressed with the speed of the meal service! You slept for four hours and woke an hour before landing... that leaves around 90 minutes for you to be served your main meal after takeoff? That's positively supersonic by QF standards... the meal service even on those ultra-short SIN flights can take hours, leaving almost no time for sleep 
Glad you enjoyed your flight. When QF crews are good, they can be up there with the best in the world.
Glad you enjoyed your flight. When QF crews are good, they can be up there with the best in the world.
Last edited by LHR/MEL/Europe FF; Jan 17, 2020 at 5:05 am
Jan 17, 2020, 7:23 am
#4
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: OOL/DOH
Programs: QF LTS WP, Avis Pres Club, HH Diam.
Posts: 3,192
I do this flight several times a year in F and find I can usually get four hours sleep.
The meal service can be very prompt if you let the crew know how you want to structure your time.
The meal service can be very prompt if you let the crew know how you want to structure your time.
Jan 17, 2020, 8:01 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 112
Wow... I'm impressed with the speed of the meal service! You slept for four hours and woke an hour before landing... that leaves around 90 minutes for you to be served your main meal after takeoff? That's positively supersonic by QF standards... the meal service even on those ultra-short SIN flights can take hours, leaving almost no time for sleep
Glad you enjoyed your flight. When QF crews are good, they can be up there with the best in the world.
Glad you enjoyed your flight. When QF crews are good, they can be up there with the best in the world.
I think having only 5 pax in F helped a lot as there were 4 crews in F.
Jan 17, 2020, 8:03 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 112
It was my first flight with QF ever and I was very impressed. I just had a very low expectation because it thought it would be pretty close to its cousin, AA. But I was totally wrong!
Jan 17, 2020, 11:36 pm
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: AU
Programs: former Olympic Airways Gold (yeah - still proud of that!)
Posts: 14,406
Jan 20, 2020, 6:59 am
#10
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Houston
Programs: UA GS 2.6MM & Lifetime UC, Qantas Platinum, Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Bonvoy Platinum, HawaiianMiles
Posts: 8,695
Thanks for the above advice, just did SIN-SYD, asked for expedited meal service. FA happy to oblige, and I was able to catch a few hours of sleep. ^
Jan 20, 2020, 7:24 am
#11
Join Date: Feb 2018
Programs: Bonvoy :Ambassador , ALL :Diamond, Skywards :Silver, Krisflyer :Silver
Posts: 2,808
Did exactly this segment last June.
Sin - Melb on QF and return on EK.
I found that QF crews is more easygoing and friendly. Australian style
And the food is better.
EK have better hard product.
(A380 still more superior aircraft compare to B777-300ER)
Sin - Melb on QF and return on EK.
I found that QF crews is more easygoing and friendly. Australian style
And the food is better.
EK have better hard product.
(A380 still more superior aircraft compare to B777-300ER)
Jan 21, 2020, 4:41 pm
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 112
The awesome flight attendant and I had a chat about the flight, plane, travel, etc. At some point we chatted about amenity kit and how I love them and told her that I am a big amenity kit collector.
She was like..... "I GOT SOMETHING FOR YOU! I will be right back........." a few minutes later, she brought me the male and female first class kits, and the male and female business class kits!!
WOW!!
It was totally unexpected and of course I was so grateful! They will sit nicely in my cabinet.
Jan 21, 2020, 6:33 pm
#14
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Christchurch, New Zealand
Programs: NZ Elite; QF Platinum; CZ Gold; MU Platinum; Marriott Titanium; Accor Platinum
Posts: 1,467
This does look awesome! As I just mentioned in the other "Emerald City" thread, I am in business on this plane (old config) on QF12 in June LAX-SYD which is scheduled for 15 hours.
Thinking it might be worth putting in for an upgrade to First. They are quoting me 61,600 points to upgrade. Is this the normal rate or is it higher because I'm on a sale fare in business?
I'm Plat, does anyone know what the odds are of upgrade clearing?
Thinking it might be worth putting in for an upgrade to First. They are quoting me 61,600 points to upgrade. Is this the normal rate or is it higher because I'm on a sale fare in business?
I'm Plat, does anyone know what the odds are of upgrade clearing?
Jan 23, 2020, 2:21 am
#15
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: SYD
Programs: QF WP (OWE), VA PLAT, EY GLD, SPG PLAT, Hyatt DIA, Hilton DIA, Hertz PC
Posts: 8,527
Did you upload any photos to social media prior to take off?
QF uses social listening software and the social media team will alert staff to take action. e.g. If someone says they are in the F Lounge and it's a birthday, QF social media team will tell the lounge staff to send a little cake. Similarly, if someone complains about the lounge cleanliness, they will alert the lounge manager.
As such, if you did, it's possible the flight crew were told to delight you.
Regardless, awesome TR and experience.
QF uses social listening software and the social media team will alert staff to take action. e.g. If someone says they are in the F Lounge and it's a birthday, QF social media team will tell the lounge staff to send a little cake. Similarly, if someone complains about the lounge cleanliness, they will alert the lounge manager.
As such, if you did, it's possible the flight crew were told to delight you.
Regardless, awesome TR and experience.
