QF flights to Antartica

[RooFlyer]

Saw mention of QF charter flights to Antarctica today in the Oz, which led to the charter site here: Antarctica Flights - Antarctica.

Anyone done one of these in the past year or so? Comments, etc? No mention of points or SCs I notice

Doing F as a couple seems a good choice?

 

[QPProletarian]

Did VH-OJH run one of these before the QF1 incident?

 

[MYT105]

Page 7 of the brochure under T&C's say frequent flyer points do not apply points, so I assume no SC's either. And since they take off and land at the same airport the distance would be zero, so no points anyway, even with 12 hours in the air.

Would be nice to have the cash to do a F flight on it.

 

[opusman]

If you read the linked website they don't have F seats, only J/PE/Y.

 

[Mattg]

I believe Qantas do charter Antarctic flights on New Years Eve/New Years Day each year, and IIRC it was on an A380 last year.

 

[Simsy85]

not true, they have Ice Class... what ever that is...

 

[RooFlyer]

If you read the linked website they don't have F seats, only J/PE/Y.

D'oh! I read and saved the brochure. Its called "Ice Class" - to distinguish it from "Business Class Deluxe", "Business Class Centre" "Premium Economy Class", "Economy Class Superior", "Economy Class Standard" and "Economy Class Central"



You were saying?

 

[medhead]

Page 7 of the brochure under T&C's say frequent flyer points do not apply points, so I assume no SC's either. And since they take off and land at the same airport the distance would be zero, so no points anyway, even with 12 hours in the air.

Would be nice to have the cash to do a F flight on it.

Minimum points guarantee

 

[markis10]

I believe Qantas do charter Antarctic flights on New Years Eve/New Years Day each year, and IIRC it was on an A380 last year.

They have been doing A380s since 2010.

 

[opusman]

You were saying?

Hate to argue, but...

 

[mannej]

D'oh! I read and saved the brochure. Its called "Ice Class" - to distinguish it from "Business Class Deluxe", "Business Class Centre" "Premium Economy Class", "Economy Class Superior", "Economy Class Standard" and "Economy Class Central"

View attachment 17731View attachment 17730

You were saying?

Isn't that a J seat map?

 

[JohnPhelan]

These flights are running this year on a refurbed 744 - hence the three rows of J seats in the nose, which the operator sells as "Ice Class".

 

[samh004]

Would be nice, can't afford.

That said, would rather set foot on the ice than fly around and over it.

 

[RooFlyer]

Hate to argue, but...

View attachment 17742

Business class sleeper seat or not, clearly they are selling "Business Class" (in 2 categories) and "Ice Class" - the latter with much better level of service and amenity. Why would you bother to argue with this?

And as the brochure shows - is a 747 at the moment, not A380.

Anyone got some positive contributions to the thread - ie experience on this type of junket?

 

[samh004]

Business class sleeper seat or not, clearly they are selling "Business Class" (in 2 categories) and "Ice Class" - the latter with much better level of service and amenity. Why would you bother to argue with this?

And as the brochure shows - is a 747 at the moment, not A380.

Ice Class is a business class seat, it's not F.

Doing Ice Class as a couple might be nice, but not if you were expecting F.

 

[Pushka]

These flights are so expensive. One departs Adelaide every January. Certainly not an A380 though.

A friend of ours went on one and quite enjoyed it. I wouldn't touch them unless I could go business class and be assured of a window for at least part. But just can't rationalise the cost.

 

[love_the_life]

For a glimpse of the continent, just fly SYD - JNB. To escape the fierce head winds the flight travels south over Tasmania then further south across the ice flows and on a clear day provides views of the continent itself.
Agree, though it is much better to visit Antarctica by ship and actually walk there. It's on the bucket list!

Wow - posting at the same time as me Pushka - that's scary

 

[Pushka]

Wow - posting at the same time as me Pushka - that's scary

Yup. We share a lot. 7 months 1 day. Currently in Singapore now.

 

[RooFlyer]

Ice Class is a business class seat, it's not F.

Doing Ice Class as a couple might be nice, but not if you were expecting F.

Are we talking about seats, or class of travel ? I'm talking class of travel (however designated by the operator) and amenity. And given its a daytime sight seeing trip, I wouldn't be putting as much sway on the seat/bed comfort. I can't really see anyone "expecting First" and stretching out for a kip, asking for the blinds to be brought down and missing the mattress/duvet service.

Just for the sake of argument. Remember when there were unrefurbed 747s with the old F beds in the nose running around, but there was no "First Class" offered on those birds any more? Those seats were sold and serviced as J. (For all I know they are still in service; not the point here).

Now - were you in "First Class" if you were in those seats, or were you in "Business class" ? Obviously you were in Business Class with an (old) first class seat. On the Antarctic flights, you are in a business seat with Ice Class (superior) service and amenity.


Anyway, thanks to the correspondent's PM re their flight experience. Appreciated.

 

[RooFlyer]

These flights are so expensive. One departs Adelaide every January. Certainly not an A380 though.

A friend of ours went on one and quite enjoyed it. I wouldn't touch them unless I could go business class and be assured of a window for at least part. But just can't rationalise the cost.

FWIW - on the 'Business Class Deluxe' fare, you sit in one of the pair of seats by the window, and change seats half way through the trip. So you have window for 1/2 the journey.

But it is a hefty chunk of change!