Few questions about QF2 First Class

[Mh4k]

Platinum award seat release is now my favourite WP benefit

I had held a J class LHR to SYD award booking for September flying BA to HKG then CX to ADL and finally QF to SYD. All up this was around 172,000 points, and a less than ideal routing, but for a LHR to SYD itinerary put together at fairly short notice I was just pleased to be able to book anything with a flat bed all the way from europe to aus.

I made the booking planning to keep an eye on availability, hopefully moving to a direct CX LHR to SYD routing some time closer to departure. Last week I thought I'd also try my luck at requesting a J seat be released on QF2 and gave Qantas a ten day date range I'd be willing and able to fly on. Requests were put in for all ten dates and all ten came back denied

However - a request for an F seat release on the same date range yielded three possible dates, including my preferred travel date. Best of all, the total points cost of the ticket is barely more than I had used for the J routing via HKG and ADL.

Sooo... very happy indeed to have Qantas release a first class seat for me on this popular route, and surprised that F availability is so much easier to obtain in this manner than J (at least for the dates I was looking at).

This will be my first F flight, so without wanting to re-hash the extensive "making the most of QF First" post, I have a couple of quick questions. Firstly, does anyone have a recent menu for QF2 F? In particular, is the "tasting menu" offered on one of the legs?

Secondly, I note the layover in DXB is very short, at 1:45. I am assuming boarding from the lounge will be around 20 minutes before the scheduled departure, so allowing time to taxi to the terminal and disembark I am assuming no more than an hour of actual time in the lounge. Are there adequate shower facilities that I can be reasonably certain I'll have time to shower before boarding again?

Finally... I have 1A selected at the moment but every seat on the A aisle is currently empty. I see reports that suggest 2 or 3A are better seats. They would have to be significantly better for me to give up the opportunity to add another "Seat 1A" boarding pass to the collection so am I right in thinking there are no bad seats in F and that noise from the stairwell etc isn't really that bothersome in reality?

Thanks in advance

 

[ABC1]

i'd take 3A.. as far away from the stairs/toilet and the other direction galley you can get.. i.e. its in the middle.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Platinum award seat release is now my favourite WP benefit

I had held a J class LHR to SYD award booking for September flying BA to HKG then CX to ADL and finally QF to SYD. All up this was around 172,000 points, and a less than ideal routing, but for a LHR to SYD itinerary put together at fairly short notice I was just pleased to be able to book anything with a flat bed all the way from europe to aus.

I made the booking planning to keep an eye on availability, hopefully moving to a direct CX LHR to SYD routing some time closer to departure. Last week I thought I'd also try my luck at requesting a J seat be released on QF2 and gave Qantas a ten day date range I'd be willing and able to fly on. Requests were put in for all ten dates and all ten came back denied

However - a request for an F seat release on the same date range yielded three possible dates, including my preferred travel date. Best of all, the total points cost of the ticket is barely more than I had used for the J routing via HKG and ADL.

Sooo... very happy indeed to have Qantas release a first class seat for me on this popular route, and surprised that F availability is so much easier to obtain in this manner than J (at least for the dates I was looking at).

This will be my first F flight, so without wanting to re-hash the extensive "making the most of QF First" post, I have a couple of quick questions. Firstly, does anyone have a recent menu for QF2 F? In particular, is the "tasting menu" offered on one of the legs?

Secondly, I note the layover in DXB is very short, at 1:45. I am assuming boarding from the lounge will be around 20 minutes before the scheduled departure, so allowing time to taxi to the terminal and disembark I am assuming no more than an hour of actual time in the lounge. Are there adequate shower facilities that I can be reasonably certain I'll have time to shower before boarding again?

Finally... I have 1A selected at the moment but every seat on the A aisle is currently empty. I see reports that suggest 2 or 3A are better seats. They would have to be significantly better for me to give up the opportunity to add another "Seat 1A" boarding pass to the collection so am I right in thinking there are no bad seats in F and that noise from the stairwell etc isn't really that bothersome in reality?

Thanks in advance

1A is Mr FM's seat I tried it for awhile but have gone back to 2A as I found very very slight annoyances from the crew cupboard opposite 1A - isn't used very much and not once everyone is sleeping. Also you can hear very slight noises from the bathroom. Never found the stairs an issue - hardly used. MR FM has no issue at all with 1A and feels I am being too picky, but I was happy to let him have it. We did try 1A and 1K but he found the service on the K side was inferior to A side......

There should be plenty of time to have a shower in Dubai but make sure you tell them that you are in F when they register you, so you are prioritised. They look at your boarding pass to get your name etc, so should be able to see it, but in my experience you need to actually highlight it. With that sort of time when we last went through Dubai, we had time for a shower and something to eat.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[Zerosignal]

We had time to shower in DXB and I recommend doing so.

 

[boomy]

All A seats are fine IMO. Was moved once to 5A (probably the least favourite A seat) because 3A was faulty and didn't feel any difference, there was no noise from the galley and I slept well. But yea, 2,3,4 A are the most popular choices among FFs.

The 15 minutes complementary massage in DXB is very relaxing

 

[Nizar]

We had time to shower in DXB and I recommend doing so.

Not sure I agree with this. Nothing special about the EK DXB F lounge showers. I was very underwhelmed. Not much of an improvement on even the QF J lounge showers.

However the EY AUH F showers now they are special. Or were should I say, I understand the EY F lounge is now undergoing refurbishment.

 

[kermatu]

I would also go with row 2, 3 or 4. In my one experience , 1A was of course very good but the crew using the cupboard, light through the curtain and noise from that area were minor annoyances. You don't necessarily get served first (not that that's a big problem in F on a long flight). There is less traffic though as the FAs don't go past you to serve anyone else.

The next times I flew F I chose 2A and was very happy.

 

[Princess Fiona]

There is a tasting menu DXB-SYD. I don't have an up to date copy.
If you are into 1A BP then I'd stick with that seat. IMO the negatives (toilet, cupboard and slightly smaller overhead) aren't outweighed by the more private feel of it as well as the BP

 

[kevrosmith]

I've travelled in 1A, 2A and 3A. I didn't notice anything different really when I was in 1A, though I was quite ill for that flight, and so being closer to the loo turned out a bonus .

I wouldn't not select 1A, though I'd probably choose 2A or 3A first. I'd do it for the value of having 1A boarding pass also (but I have that now).

The shower facilities in the A Gates terminal are far superior than B Gates (I just couldn't be bothered changing building when I discovered this on my last flight). I understand QF flights generally operate from A Gates anyway. There was plenty of time for a shower on my way over. I didn't know about the "First Priority for showers" trick on my first return flight, and so missed out as they were apparently all in use.

 

[QF029]

All A seats are fine IMO. Was moved once to 5A (probably the least favourite A seat) because 3A was faulty and didn't feel any difference, there was no noise from the galley and I slept well. But yea, 2,3,4 A are the most popular choices among FFs.

The 15 minutes complementary massage in DXB is very relaxing

Personally I'd prefer 5A to 4A as it means there no crying infant in the cabin. For this reason I'd go 2A then 3A then 1A based on having sat in 1-4A before.

 

[Mh4k]

Awesome, thanks for the replies everyone.