Lax-akl-lax
 

Hi all...I've searched around the forum and haven't found much recent chat on Quatas LAX-AKL service. It's flights 25 and 26 and run once a day on a 747-400. I'd appreciate thoughts on service, food (incl wine!), f/a's, IFE and seats. I'd also appreciate informed opinions on whether F is significantly better than J in the aforementioned categories and worth burning the additional miles. Thanks in advance for your thoughts! Safe travels, everyone.

You will have to search for "Qantas" to find any info here about the QF25/26 service.

Firstly, there is no F offered on that flight. First Class is only available on the SYD-LAX and MEL-LAX flights. All flights between AKL and LAX (and BNE and LAX) are 2-class only. So, no, it is not worth paying for F on that route ;) .

You will get the Qantas DreamTime business class seat if flying this year. The upgrade to the new SkyBed seats will not hit the 2-class aircraft for many more months.

Combine these two facts, and it may be attarctive to travel LAX-SYD-AKL-SYD-LAX. It will be further and probably more expensive, but give the option of First class on the LAX-SYD-LAX segments, or a better chance of SkyBeds on the same segments in business class.

I find the food and service in Qanats busines class over the Pacific to be very good, but as always it depends on the actual crew operating. IFE will include the standard large DreamTime in-seat screens with multiple concurrent movie channels and games. Not video on demand, but the movies all start concurrently and play in a big loop throughout the flight.

Note the the LAX-AKL flight departs from LAX TBI terminal and the J and F lounges there are not as good as the LAX T4 lounge where the SYD flights depart. It is a late departure so you are going to be served a hot supper and then want to sleep. Breakfast will be served about 90 mins before landing. You can pre-select your breakfast like for hotel room service (tick the selections you want on the menu) and it will be prepared and served to you before landing.

The flight back AKL-LAX departs late afternoon, so you will get dinner and then breakfast before landing at LAX with the same process for pre-ordering.

QF25/26 has been extensively discussed here and on the OneWorld Forum (and even the AA forum). :)

Anyway, services are typical of any QF flights. Things to note:

- There's no F on this route.
- You won't have Skybeds until next year.
- It does have the 'newer' IFEs, i.e., with a big screen.
- The lounge is in a sorry state, it's the JAL lounge. Number_6 has reported that they're (or will be) fixing it up, but again, it'll be next year.

"I'd also appreciate informed opinions on whether F is significantly better than J in the aforementioned categories and worth burning the additional miles."

The v simple response is that the LAX-AKL route does not have 1st class so no point trying to spend extra miles.

Dave

I did not think to check these forums so thank you.

Thanks also to everyone for feedback so far. No wonder I was having trouble finding out about FC on these routes!

Murphy's Law of FlyerTalk: When gently chiding someone for spelling Qantas wrong, you will then have a typo using the word later. :D

:D Yep, I admit to being one of the worst typists around here! Guilty as charged, your honour :p .

:D

Off with his hed! :td:

:p

you're sentence is too bye too HPs inn the QP at the necks meat.

Dave

Craigo: my hero!

back from the dead...
 

Sorry to bring this thread back from the dead, but my sister is flying this route in two days with her two kids (4 years and ten months) in Y, and the Qantas website is not clear on what kind of IFE there is. on one page, it says "All flights from LAX...have 7 channels of personal ife", but on another it appears that this route only has the big central screen. We're trying to figure out a way to get 12 hours out of a DVD player, but if there are personal screens, we won't bother with all the effort. Please let me know what kind of IFE this flight has.

Thanks!

This flight is normally operated by a 744, all of which will have PTV's in the seat backs, and may even be fitted with AVOD (whether it will be working is another matter).

There have also been occasions where AKL-LAX has been operated by a 743 in recent times, as QF are rather short of 744's. Not sure if this is still happening or not. Most (all???) of these are also fitted with PTV's, so I think you should be right.

Dave

It's as thadocta posted; All currently operating Qantas 747's have PTV's. there's a small chance you may get an aircraft equipped with AVOD.

According to QF NB's QF Fleet Information Thread , there are seven QF 744s in 2-class config, and three of these have AVOD fitted. So that would mean 42% chance of getting AVOD on the flight.

I have flown the MEL-AKL segment on QF 25 and have had Skybeds on a number of occasions in the past year or so.