Musings on recent Australia - US trip

[Snowant]

I used to fly a lot.. when I taught skiing in the US, and then later when working for an organisation that flew us domestically an awful lot. So I used to collect a lot of points, was a corporate member of the QF club, travel was routine. So now I just go to the US every 2nd year for ski training. Squeaked my last trip in just before my QF membership expired, and I was busted back to lowly bronze (with a lot of points!).

So this trip: CBR - MEL - LAX - SLC - LAX - BNE - CBR. I requested points upgrades on a saver fare with Qantas, but was worried about ending up in Economy, so avoided the A380 as the wall is too far from the window seat to sleep against. Outward trip was in the Dreamliner, and back home was on a Jumbo.
Got upgraded to Premium on the Dreamliner, and Business on the Jumbo... I think maybe in future, I might limit my upgrade request to Premium for the outward trip, as it's sufficient for commencement of the trip, but coming home, Business is wonderful as you really want that sleep.

Dreamliner... I had a poke around the forums and couldn't find a dicussion about it, so here goes: what a strange, cramped plane it is. We walked through part of Business to get to Premium, and I was puzzled as it seemed squishier than I recall Business in a Jumbo. Premium also seemed really squishy. I'm 160cm tall, and my knees were somewhat closer to the seat in front than I recall from Premium in a Jumbo. This was the Melbourne - LAX Dreamliner. I stuck my head through the curtain to observe Economy at one point, and it was a solid wall of angry-looking humanity (with a screaming baby). I think I might add the Dreamliner to my short list of Planes To Avoid. It was a lesser experience. The PE seat did recline rather well, it went up in the air and then back, and you could actually sleep on it without needing the wall, which was nice. But...

Jumbo from LAX to BNE, it was showing its age. I had the bulkhead directly behind the coughpit (upper deck) and there was all the lovely room you could ever imagine. It was fairly quiet up there, no families, no kids, just people. Mostly men. Who gleefully put on their PJs and started socialising. The meal was underwhelming, quite meagre and not great. And whoever chooses the beer for Qantas evidently hates beer. I was glad I wasn't paying the asking price, but the flat beds just can't be beat. Sleeping was the best option, as the movies on offer weren't very tempting (and my screen and headphones were buggy until the flight attendant re-booted my system).

Got QF Club access via my upgrade. LAX Bradley Terminal One World club is... not impressive either. They have two lots of showers, and one lot were closed when I got there. 1 hour wait for a shower in the other lot. The showers were nice, but several people missed out as their number hadn't come up by the time they had to head to their gate. I was contemplating joining the QF club to enhance my upgrade chances, but glad I didn't. I wish LAX would get rent-by-the-hour showers like they have at Narita, that would be perfect. No matter how much "free" food and alcohol you consume in the Club, you never recoup what you've spent.

 

[juddles]

.... I was contemplating joining the QF club to enhance my upgrade chances, but glad I didn't.....

Does QF club membership actually affect upgrade chances?

I think you did ok to get upgrades both ways, no matter what status you had!

 

[Snowant]

Does QF club membership actually affect upgrade chances?

I've heard it does, and really, if you were Qantas, you'd be encouraging as much loyalty and expenditure as possible! Also, being a member kept me at Silver status, and the minute it expired, my bronze card appeared in the mail. I chose my flights with a bit of cunning, there were lots of other flights on A380s around the same time, so I hoped the higher status people were on those.

 

[BAM1748]

You have a better chance of an upgrade out of Melbourne to LAX on the 380. For transpacific QF flights this (MEL LAX MEL on the 380) is presently one with most empty seats.

 

[Snowant]

For transpacific QF flights this (MEL LAX MEL on the 380) is presently one with most empty seats

Interesting! That will be useful info if I do this trip again next year, still heaps of points to use up. I'll file that away. Maybe everyone's been lured onto the Dreamliner out of Melboune, but that won't last.

 

[eric2011]

OT but is it correct that the window in J Row 5 is missing.
Thanks

 

[Forg]

Dreamliner... I had a poke around the forums and couldn't find a dicussion about it, so here goes: what a strange, cramped plane it is.

That's interesting ... I was recently looking at how Jetstar gets nearly 100 extra passengers on a shorter 787-8 than Qantas on their 787-9 ... that Jetstar flight in Cattle must really be Fun ...

 

[Snowant]

That's interesting ... I was recently looking at how Jetstar gets nearly 100 extra passengers on a shorter 787-8 than Qantas on their 787-9 ... that Jetstar flight in Cattle must really be Fun ...

I expect Jetstar is all economy. Qantas have a large proportion of the Dreamliner as Business and Premium. Actually mostly Business, Premium was only a few rows. When you enter, Business is on both sides. I noted how much more cramped it looked compared with Business on a Jumbo. Premium was definitely more cramped, fore. I recall being able to squish past one's neighbour if you had to get out, but on the Dreamliner you would have NO chance. My knees were inches from the seat in front. I'm short so space isn't something I agonise about, economy is heaps roomy enough for me. But the Dreamliner's squishyness was the big thing I noticed. Luckily, the lady next to me availed herself of the vacant seats in the middle, so I could go out whenever I wanted.

 

[Strategic Aviation]

Dreamliner... I had a poke around the forums and couldn't find a dicussion about it

Here are the main ones:-

• Chasing the Qantas 787
• Avoiding the Qantas 787
• Qantas 787 reviews J - Y+ and Y
• Madness: Last QF9 A380, First QF10 B787

I expect Jetstar is all economy.

There are 21 StarClass recliners, which occupy very little space up the front of the plane (around 15% of the cabin), compared to Qantas - 42 flatbeds + 28 recliners taking up around half the cabin.

that Jetstar flight in Cattle must really be Fun ...

It's tight but not too traumatic on medium haul (avoiding middle seats of course). I would be interested to compare it with the Qantas 787, but not on long haul.

 

[Snowant]

Thanks for those links, had a quick whizz through. When I took the Dreamliner, I'd only read the press stuff about the nicer cabin air etc, and wasn't expecting the quite marked reduction in room. Not a nice way for Qantas to go for long-haul, you almost wonder if they've observed what the Americans put up with domestically, and are going to try it on us.

 

[Forg]

Americans only put up with that stuff domestically because it costs $4.50 to get from LA to NYC.

Qantas seems to have built-up a fair amount of goodwill up the front end, at least that's my observation of others who fly more regularly than I and have Platinum membership. But that goodwill isn't going to get past a flight experience that's more uncomfortable than other options ... I know the people I'm talking about are already avoiding Qantas on longer flights on the basis of having to climb over other passengers to get to the toilet when alternate airlines don't have that seat arrangement up the pointy end.