LHR-SYD-LHR: BA and QF [A380] in J (pics)
 

Hi and welcome to my first flight report from the trip I took to Australia and New Zealand earlier this month.

Flight number: BA15 (QF320)
Departure: 21:35
Equipment: B777-200
Flying duration: 22hrs 40mins
Number of stops: 1 (Singapore)


I checked in about three hours prior to departure. There was no one in line so the process went quickly and I then went to the BA lounge in Terminal 4

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Preflight meal
Noodles, chicken in a black bean sauce and items from the cold salad bar

London to Singapore leg:

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Seat
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Amenity kit

Dinner

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Fresh seasonal salad with vinaigrette

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Liam Tomlin’s roast chicken with bread sauce and roast vegetables

Dessert
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Apple cinnamon pie with custard

Breakfast

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Fresh fruit
A selection of warm breads and breakfast pastries

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English breakfast of scrambled eggs, grilled bacon, Cumberland sausage, sautéed mushrooms and tomato


Singapore to Sydney leg:


Dinner

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Fresh seasonal salad with vinaigrette (same as previous leg but different dressing)

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Grilled fillet steak marinated in red wine with fresh asparagus, carrots and celeriac mashed potatoes

Dessert

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Double chocolate cake with Vanilla sauce

Breakfast

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Fresh seasonal fruit

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Warm bacon roll

Flight number: QF32
Departure: 16:25
Equipment: A380
Flying duration: 23hrs 15mins
Number of stops: 1 (Singapore)

I checked in about two and a half hours prior to departure. There was no one in line so the process was quick.

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Qantas lounge

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Preflight meal: items from the cold salad bar and chicken cacciatore (way too sweet for my liking)

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My ride

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Seat

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Controls

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IFE

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menu

Flight number: QF32
Departure: 16:25
Equipment: A380
Flying duration: 23hrs 15mins
Number of stops: 1 (Singapore)

I checked in about two and a half hours prior to departure. There was no one in line so the process was quick. Qantas lounge

http://i670.photobucket.com/albums/v...drew_E/010.jpg
http://i670.photobucket.com/albums/v...drew_E/012.jpg

http://i670.photobucket.com/albums/v...drew_E/009.jpg
Preflight meal: items from the cold salad bar and chicken cacciatore (way too sweet for my liking)

http://i670.photobucket.com/albums/v...ew_E/016-1.jpg
My ride

http://i670.photobucket.com/albums/v...ew_E/018-1.jpg
Seat

http://i670.photobucket.com/albums/v...drew_E/023.jpg
Controls

http://i670.photobucket.com/albums/v...drew_E/028.jpg
IFE

http://i670.photobucket.com/albums/v...ew_E/020-1.jpg
http://i670.photobucket.com/albums/v...drew_E/021.jpg
menu

http://i670.photobucket.com/albums/v...drew_E/022.jpg
Amenity kit
http://i670.photobucket.com/albums/v...drew_E/041.jpg
Preflight drink

Sydney to Singapore leg:

Dinner

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Pea and mint soup with croutons

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Green Leaf Salad with Herb Vinaigrette

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Beef Fillet with Red Wine Jus and Roast Vegetables
Barely warm and bland

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I liked the wine, though

Dessert

http://i670.photobucket.com/albums/v...drew_E/036.jpg
Nice Cream Strawberry and Lychee Ice Cream with Pistachio Praline


Singapore to London leg:

Supper

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Green Leaf Salad with Cucumber and Carrot

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Stir Fried Chilli Pork with Cashews, Lime and Mint, Jasmine Rice and Snake Beans
Tasted like something you could get at a food court

Dessert

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Vanilla, Prune and Armagnac Tart with Crème Anglaise

Snack (sorry no picture)

Toasted Focaccia with Prosciutto, Char Grilled Eggplant and Tapenade
Way too salty for my liking

Breakfast

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You pre order breakfast by ticking off the items you want from an order card. I had scrambled eggs, bacon (with I didn’t touch), mushrooms and tomato

That doesn't even look like American bacon, it looks like pure fat and cellophane! Why on earth would anyone see that as edible, let alone edible in a premium setting?!

Thanks for a nice report.
I have flown in Club World with BA many times, and I have to say that food is not their strongest point. And the food presentation is usually poor.
It doesn't seem like QF is any better when it comes to food.

Thanks for the report, and the well-organized pics.

I've liked BA's hard product for CW, but yes, agree that its culinary component needs a little work.

Am looking at J- and/or F- awards to SIN, and clearly, food is not to be a motivating nor decision-reliant factor :).

This is a cultural difference; it's not the best piece of (Australian) bacon I've ever seen, but it looks what I'd expect to get ordering bacon on QF. It also looks (once you've removed some of the fat) delicious.

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Overall thoughts and impressions

Check in process and boarding: Both were quick and smooth – no problems.

Lounge: I preferred the BA lounge @ LHR (mostly because you could get a hot dish made to order) and it didn’t seem as crowded as the Qantas lounge @ SYD

Service: I would give a slight edge to BA (maybe that had more to do with the fact that the business cabin was smaller on the 777, so it seemed like you were getting more personal attention?) but the service was fine on all four legs – no complaints there.

Food: I preferred BA slightly, but I was really under whelmed by the food on both carriers (especially QF). You get metal knives on BA but plastic on QF – what’s up with that?

Seat and cabin comfort: the A380 seat felt a bit wider (21.5” according to seat guru) and you had more space to walk around while the seat on the 777 (20.0”) was a bit narrower and the cabin felt cramped – edge to QF.


Sheraton on the Park, Sydney (minus the view of the park)

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Other flights and around New Zealand


SYD-CHC: EK in Y
Flight number: EY418
Departure: 09:15
Equipment: B777-300

I had no complaints about anything on this flight except that I found the seat to be really narrow, which reminded me of the uncomfortable seats on Air Transat. Luckily, no one was sitting next to me so I could lift up the armrest and stretch out a bit.

I guess I’m not the only one
http://www.airlinequality.com/Product/Yseat-EK-2.htm

The pleasant FA was good enough to bring me a dish from the front of the plane.
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Mt. Hutt (about an hour and a half outside of Christchurch)

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The Remarkables (45 minutes from Queenstown)

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Coronet Peak (25 minutes from Queenstown)

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Queenstown to Christchurch on Air New Zealand
Flight number: NZ5080
Departure: 10:20
Equipment: (not sure, it had propellers)

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THE END!

Nice Report ^

I think the prop was an ATR-72

Great report! Thanks. What did you think of the skiing? Challenge? Snow quality? (Was there a few years back at the very end of the season, so did not hit the slopes.)

Thanks for the report and the cool pics of the mountains!

fantastic pictures and great TR!

Great pictures...didn't need too many words! :)

Who had the bright idea to put a lounge entrance between two gates? :rolleyes:

Yeah, this is one ATR-72 turboprop.

I agree. I didn't see any more photos in the J class by upper deck. He should to take more pictures inside the entire aircraft. As you know that he cannot allowed go downstairs to the first class section. It is against the regulations. He have to stay where you are in the upper deck only for J class & Premium economy class. He should have to stay in the upper deck only for Business Class. He didn't ask F/A permission to go downstairs. This is not appropriate for him during the flight.

As you know that I didn't see any more pictures during the flight. I would loves to see beautifully sunset & sunrise during the flight out LHR-SIN-SYD. Next time he should have to take best photos opportunity inside the entire aircraft. I would have more appreciated it for his contribution to try write more trip reports details.

The salad starters on both BA sectors look a tad dull. IIRC BA used to offer both salad and hors d'oeuvre in CW - did they scrap the latter?

That pork with rice dish looks truly awful. :eek:

Spring like conditions – slushy (especially at the bottom) but also windy at times. I don’t think any new snow had fallen since September 2 and snow making was done for the season. Coronet was starting to show some bare spots as well. Better conditions might be had earlier in the season, maybe sometime in August when it is more like “winter”. Among the three places I tried, I thought the best conditions were at Ht. Hutt (probably due to the higher elevation).

The skiing was not especially challenging (compared to say, places like Chamonix, Verbier or Whistler). Sticking to the southern hemisphere, I thought the skiing was better in Chile (Valle Nevado, El Colorado, La Parva) – better snow and more vertical, but the lifts are a bit antiquated, though. However, like South America, the skiing in NZ was all above tree line, so that was a plus.