eoinnz

From July 25th Qantas is bringing their Tasman product inline with international services

This includes:
- Noise cancelling headsets
- The new wine glasses with full stem
- The new cutlery, plates, trays (however meal is still served in the casserole dish)
- Tea/Coffee/Juice traymobile service before breakfast on breakfast services

The following remains the same
- 2 hot choices and 1 cold choice
- Bar service on Lunch and Dinner

nonce

While the upgrade to the service on QF is interesting it is really just putting back what was there a few years ago (except debortli noble one which I am sure will never return to trans tasman J). It still doesnt help that with QF you are paying a $1,000 more as I class isn't bookable via a TA and you are getting a domestic J seat with no chance of an op-up to F.

LA also offer a bar service on breakfast flights for those of us who like to drink first thing in the morning as a reward for getting up so early.

I also don't have to run the gauntlet of the surly QF mainline FA's who refuse to serve me unless I am in a suit. That alone is enough to make me change carriers on trans tasman.

Kiwi Flyer

Agree with nonce. It's a sad state when even LA is better than QF (apart from terrible on-time performance).

nonce

Well it depends who's ontime performance you are comparing them to? QF mainline or JetConnect

Kiwi Flyer

Either. There's been some shocking LA delays lately, and the odd cancellation of AKL-SYD-AKL to make up 12 hours.

ANstar

I did LA801 this morning AKL-SYD in J.

flight left on time.

Service was very good. We had a choice of 3 breakfasts. Musesli, Egg Omelete or toasted Ham & Cheese foccacia.

I chose the Ham and Cheese focaccia and it came with a bowl of fruit and a croissant. Had a juice and a coffee. Perfectly fine for a morning flight and the FA;s were very cheery and welcoming. The seat was also very good and it reclined a lot more than I was expecting (ie old dreamtime) and managed to get a bit of sleep in too.

Not bad for $700 return (AKL-SYD-AKL)

Blackcloud

I find the LA801 flight much better than the return LA800.
Note you will more than likely have to follow up with QF for the points, for me every LA800 flight bar the last one.
Also the meal is just a sandwich with some dried fruit on the side, so get something to eat at the airport or lounge.
Seats are very comfortable and flully reclined easy to doze in, especially due to the OMG'clock wake up.
I am doing this run next week leaving on 20 SC to get WP.

G-BOAC

Sorry for the slightly old bump, but I searched and found this and it doesn't quite answer my question.

I'm thinking of the LA800 for 250 GBP SYD-AKL next year as I've never flown LAN and it's an OKish price (plus some BA TPs albeit not the best value ever!). The meal service above sounds rather lame (my point of reference being LHR-HEL for a similar flight time and a full hot meal) but the seat looks nice from what I've seen. However, it won't matter so much if I can go to the QF Flounge anyway - as my first trip to SYD, I really want to check it out as I understand it's amazing. I have no issue with access 'rights' as an Emerald on a OW flight AFAIK, but can I get physical access on the LA flight? The SYD airport map I found doesn't seem to list the Flounge and I don't want to get caught out by any 'Gate XX Only' restrictions or something.

Also, Kiwi Flyer, any new thoughts on punctuality? I will be arriving on BA15 the same morning before flying onwards (doing a few days in NZ for the first time, before returning for some days in Sydney for the first time). With a 5:30 window I don't feel worried about anything but it extending even longer As you can see, the Flounge access is doubly important here as I'd rather like a shower too. (It'd be separate PNRs but BA should through-check my case LHR-SIN-SYD-AKL so I'd look to go right to the lounge).

Thanks in advance...

Aus_Mal

The International airport consists of 2 piers - both interconnected, but a bit of a walk between the two.

All OW flights bar a few are in the same pier as Qantas. LAN flights are normally from the same pier as Qantas.

Lounge is marked in this map as "Qantas Club" (the Business and First lounges are next door to each other)
http://www.sydneyairport.com.au/NR/r...tory230407.pdf

G-BOAC

Thanks Aus_Mal ^ The SYD site lists the QC and Flounge separately under 'Lounges' so I was looking for a second icon on the map. D'oh!

serfty

Irrespective of your departure pier, make sure you go through emmigration on the QP-FL pier(s) - A/B. If your LAN flight does indeed depart pier C (gates 50+) and you use Pier C immigration you may not be able to get back to pier A/B [as the interconnecting walkway is closed (for renovation)] - and no lounge access at all. There is an airside transfer bus between gate 25 and 50 but you need a BP for the destination pier to use it.

Dave Noble

With a 05:30 arrival, I would suggest taking QF141 at 07:35 rather than waiting until 10:45 . If travellig business class, the seating is a bit better than the domestic QF seating of the SYD-AKL run with seats more like QFs older longhaul business class ( dreamtime seats ) but the meal service consists of a sandwich. It isn't ,imo, better than QF for the transtasman run

By the time the LA flight departs, you will already be off the plane in AKL on the QF flight

Dave

ambato

QF all the way, this leg on LA offers ZERO in comparison to QF save for price.

thadocta

I would beg to differ - depends on whether one counts the overall travelling experience as something to be savoured and enjoyed, as opposed to a way of getting from point-A to point-B. (I must admit that at times I am in the first camp, at other times I am in the latter camp - depends on what is happening).

G-BOAC has mentioned that they want to experience the SYD FLounge, which is rapidly acquiring the reputation of being the best in oneworld. G-BOAC has also mentioned that they have not flown on LA before.

I would posit that, for someone wishing to undertake the experience of travel (as opposed to merely wishing to go from point-A to point-B) that using LA and experiencing the SYD FLounge would be the way to go.

Going down this road would certainly enhance the overall travel experience, if the journey is part of the experience (which it is, for some).

I can certainly understand Dave Noble's POV however, but I think this is structured around the travel being a means to an end, rather than being an end in itself.

Hope this helps.

Dave

Dave Noble

Personally, after a 24 hour trip from London , adding an extra 3 hours sat in an airport would be something I would be avoiding. He will still get another opportunity to try the Sydney Flounge out when departing Sydney the next time without having it preceeded by a long trip

If it was a choice between , say, a QF J or EK 1st, then the quality of the onboard product would make it worth considering waiting longer to me, but imo, the LA transtasman product is not worth waiting longer for.

Unless desperate to try out LA, I would take the 2 hour connect which does give time to have a shower and have a nice breakfast in the lounge. On the departure ex-SYD returning ( I assume ) to UK, will have opportunity to enjoy lunch in the lounge and , if into that sort of thing, go to the spa

Dave