LAX to Melbourne
Jul 23, 2001, 9:19 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Nashville, TN, USA
Posts: 114
LAX to Melbourne
Can anyone who has flown the LAX to Melbourne on Qantas fill me in on:
1. The Biz class Service
2. Are the seats comfortable (can you sleep in them)
3. The service good?
4. How long the flight is
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"We are dimming the cabin lights to enhance the beauty of our flight crew" - Actual Quote from USAirways F/A: CLT-BNA.
Chairmans: USAir, Gold: NWA, Diners, HH, Gold: Marriott
1. The Biz class Service
2. Are the seats comfortable (can you sleep in them)
3. The service good?
4. How long the flight is
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"We are dimming the cabin lights to enhance the beauty of our flight crew" - Actual Quote from USAirways F/A: CLT-BNA.
Chairmans: USAir, Gold: NWA, Diners, HH, Gold: Marriott
Jul 24, 2001, 11:04 am
#2
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: EU rotating
Posts: 2,926
I haven't flown LAX-MEL but I have flown plenty on LAX-SYD which is about the same distance and time.
1) Service is reasonable. Not as good as on AA or BA but still OK.
2) Seats are not comfortable IMHO but I know that a lot of pax prefer them to the old BA seats. You can sleep in them but only for a limited period. After all they don't recline that much.
3) The service at LAX sux bigtime. Expect to be cattled into one of the biz lounges and feel happy if you get a seat. Be prepared to listen to noisy drunks with Qantas Club day passes in the lounge. If you complain enough then according to some reports you might be able to get a pass into a 1st class lounge which is a lot better.
4) The flight is about 15 hours and one of the longest ones in the world if not THE longest one.
As a recommendation, I would split the trip up into some segments. Make a stopover in Hawaii if you can, then either in Japan or Taiwan if using AA or alternatively you could use Air Pacific/ QF codeshare which has a lot better service than QF and makes a nice stopover in Fiji. Should you wish you can spend a wonderful night soaking in a pool or tropical lagoon in Nadi, Fiji to get ready for your 5 hour flight to MEL. IMHO, 10 hours from LAX-NAN and 5 hours from NAN-MEL is a lot more tolerable than straight 15 hours on QF.
1) Service is reasonable. Not as good as on AA or BA but still OK.
2) Seats are not comfortable IMHO but I know that a lot of pax prefer them to the old BA seats. You can sleep in them but only for a limited period. After all they don't recline that much.
3) The service at LAX sux bigtime. Expect to be cattled into one of the biz lounges and feel happy if you get a seat. Be prepared to listen to noisy drunks with Qantas Club day passes in the lounge. If you complain enough then according to some reports you might be able to get a pass into a 1st class lounge which is a lot better.
4) The flight is about 15 hours and one of the longest ones in the world if not THE longest one.
As a recommendation, I would split the trip up into some segments. Make a stopover in Hawaii if you can, then either in Japan or Taiwan if using AA or alternatively you could use Air Pacific/ QF codeshare which has a lot better service than QF and makes a nice stopover in Fiji. Should you wish you can spend a wonderful night soaking in a pool or tropical lagoon in Nadi, Fiji to get ready for your 5 hour flight to MEL. IMHO, 10 hours from LAX-NAN and 5 hours from NAN-MEL is a lot more tolerable than straight 15 hours on QF.
Jul 26, 2001, 3:17 am
#3
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia / Tallahassee, Florida, USA / QF Club; QF-Silver; OW-Ruby; AN; DL-Blue.
Posts: 289
C´mon spider, how can you say service in AA is better than QF. You must be blind. The service on all american airliners, including AA, is so bad and rude, but maybe Americans think that´s the way it should be.
I agree that the QF/BA lounges in LAX are crap, but the whole airport is crap. I´ve seen better airports than LAX in central africa.
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But no matter how far, or how wide I roam, I still call Australia home !
I agree that the QF/BA lounges in LAX are crap, but the whole airport is crap. I´ve seen better airports than LAX in central africa.
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But no matter how far, or how wide I roam, I still call Australia home !
Jul 26, 2001, 3:36 am
#4
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Sydney,NSW,Australia
Programs: QF LT Gold, AA LT Plat and SQ bottom feeder..
Posts: 635
14 plus hours IS a long time, however breaking the flight in either Honolulu or Tokyo would be a shame in that it reduces time to be spent in OZ.
After just trying to get into Tokyo from Narita (choosing the bus as i had bags ) and getting there nearly 3 hours later has possibly coloured my view.
AA service better than QF. ? QF IS variable but surely has not placed it below AA?
As for LAX airport. 1 shower in the AA domestic lounge. Terrific if you are flying in from the east coast and heading to OZ!!
In fact the AA lounges in general would put me off flying with them at all 'cept they are in OneWorld.
One last point re stopovers. Park Hyatt in Sydney for about US$200 . Imperial Hotel in Tokyo for US$250. If the Park Hyatt in Syd ia a 5 star, the the Imperial would barely rate a 3.
Have a couple of wines, expect to be treated as an equal by the crew and enjoy the ride.
After just trying to get into Tokyo from Narita (choosing the bus as i had bags ) and getting there nearly 3 hours later has possibly coloured my view.
AA service better than QF. ? QF IS variable but surely has not placed it below AA?
As for LAX airport. 1 shower in the AA domestic lounge. Terrific if you are flying in from the east coast and heading to OZ!!
In fact the AA lounges in general would put me off flying with them at all 'cept they are in OneWorld.
One last point re stopovers. Park Hyatt in Sydney for about US$200 . Imperial Hotel in Tokyo for US$250. If the Park Hyatt in Syd ia a 5 star, the the Imperial would barely rate a 3.
Have a couple of wines, expect to be treated as an equal by the crew and enjoy the ride.
Jul 27, 2001, 1:10 pm
#5
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: EU rotating
Posts: 2,926
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by QantasAllTheWay:
C´mon spider, how can you say service in AA is better than QF. You must be blind.
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C´mon spider, how can you say service in AA is better than QF. You must be blind.
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Jul 28, 2001, 3:13 am
#6
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia / Tallahassee, Florida, USA / QF Club; QF-Silver; OW-Ruby; AN; DL-Blue.
Posts: 289
I don´t believe in political correctness Spider. Sorry.
You gotta luv the AA lounges - the crappy old sofas, the plastic coffee cups with the little plastic stick to mix the sugar (not good enough for a tea spoon are we ?) and the nuts which are supposed to keep you happy between flights. Have you ever been to a QF Club Spider ?
I fly both Y & J. While its true that QF are not always as good as they can be, I have never really had a good flight on AA service wise. The flight attendants are about double the age of QF attendants (again, im not politically correct) and most of them have passed their hay day. In most cases they are plain rude. And to pay $5 for the stupid movie...now where did they get that idea from ????
The only reason i fly AA is because they´re oneworld and they give me points. Also US give points for QF FF, but not tier credits. And its not like they´re much better...
You gotta luv the AA lounges - the crappy old sofas, the plastic coffee cups with the little plastic stick to mix the sugar (not good enough for a tea spoon are we ?) and the nuts which are supposed to keep you happy between flights. Have you ever been to a QF Club Spider ?
I fly both Y & J. While its true that QF are not always as good as they can be, I have never really had a good flight on AA service wise. The flight attendants are about double the age of QF attendants (again, im not politically correct) and most of them have passed their hay day. In most cases they are plain rude. And to pay $5 for the stupid movie...now where did they get that idea from ????
The only reason i fly AA is because they´re oneworld and they give me points. Also US give points for QF FF, but not tier credits. And its not like they´re much better...
Jul 28, 2001, 9:32 am
#7
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: EU rotating
Posts: 2,926
QantasAllTheWay,
I didn't mean the political correctness with all seriousness, should have put a smiley there
.
I have been to QF lounges plenty of times. I believe that the one in AKL is one of the best in the world. The one in SYD for some reason still doesn't have internet terminals and you gotta love their lounge at LAX. Have you been to Tom Bradley QF lounge? It can get hard finding standing room there at times... AA lounge there is a lot better in comparison. Also, do you have any ideas why QF lounges are so short of public telephones not to mention a few while AA lounges have them pretty much on every second table where you can comfortably sip your drink and discuss things on the phone?
You mention $5 for a movie on AA. I've never encountered this problem but then again I've never flown AA in coach.
As far as FA's go then it doesn't really depend that much on an airline but rather on the people that serve you. And the only reason I fly Qantas is that there isn't that much of OneWorld choices when flying to Oz from the States (apart from CX which takes a lot longer).
I didn't mean the political correctness with all seriousness, should have put a smiley there
.I have been to QF lounges plenty of times. I believe that the one in AKL is one of the best in the world. The one in SYD for some reason still doesn't have internet terminals and you gotta love their lounge at LAX
. Have you been to Tom Bradley QF lounge? It can get hard finding standing room there at times... AA lounge there is a lot better in comparison. Also, do you have any ideas why QF lounges are so short of public telephones not to mention a few while AA lounges have them pretty much on every second table where you can comfortably sip your drink and discuss things on the phone?You mention $5 for a movie on AA. I've never encountered this problem but then again I've never flown AA in coach.
As far as FA's go then it doesn't really depend that much on an airline but rather on the people that serve you. And the only reason I fly Qantas is that there isn't that much of OneWorld choices when flying to Oz from the States (apart from CX which takes a lot longer).
Jul 28, 2001, 7:22 pm
#8
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Sydney,NSW,Australia
Programs: QF LT Gold, AA LT Plat and SQ bottom feeder..
Posts: 635
I think when it comes to Lounges, it is a little unfair to compare AA at LA with QF at same.
Perhaps you should have a look at the QF lounge in DOMESTIC at Sydney next time.
Unfortunately the International QF lounges seem to pale by comparison. This includes the First AND the Business Class Int lounges in Sydney.
The QF lounges do at least feed you . I find that transiting domestically via LAX sees me with a choice of Chili's , Burger Kings or Starbucks. Or nuts and 'orrible coffee at the AA lounge.
Perhaps you should have a look at the QF lounge in DOMESTIC at Sydney next time.
Unfortunately the International QF lounges seem to pale by comparison. This includes the First AND the Business Class Int lounges in Sydney.
The QF lounges do at least feed you . I find that transiting domestically via LAX sees me with a choice of Chili's , Burger Kings or Starbucks. Or nuts and 'orrible coffee at the AA lounge.
Jul 29, 2001, 6:21 am
#9
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia / Tallahassee, Florida, USA / QF Club; QF-Silver; OW-Ruby; AN; DL-Blue.
Posts: 289
At QF lounges the phones on the tables are free to use, if you´re making local calls. so there´s probably not too much of a need for public phones. But if i remember correctly (i have to admit i use my mobile most of the time), the biz centres in QF domestic have a fair few public phones.
QF intl lounges in AKL,HKG,BKK,SIN are excellent really. The LAX one must be the worst (especially the one which is the JL lounge which is used for the LAX-BNE flights), but thats really the airport problem.
Oh, no hassle on the political correctness
QF intl lounges in AKL,HKG,BKK,SIN are excellent really. The LAX one must be the worst (especially the one which is the JL lounge which is used for the LAX-BNE flights), but thats really the airport problem.
Oh, no hassle on the political correctness