First hosts - on arrival

[Flying mermaid]

Apart from SYD I've never seen or heard from them.

I've had plenty of hosts from hotels that meet you at the air-bridge, deliver you (golf buggy) to the Immigration counter ... wait for you on the other side, collect your luggage and then do a handover to the hotel limo driver - it's a beautiful thing!

Wonderful isn't it - I used to think it was for wussy people not real travelers, but as I age we are starting to appreciate it and do it more....

 

[kermatu]

Sorry, very OT but what do you have to do to get a hotel host? Especially one to meet you at the airbridge??!!

 

[Flying mermaid]

The transfer in Sydney is painful but have done it so often that assistance in Sydney is not required (even though I have mobility issues it's a short bus trip and only a few stairs to negotiate. The escalator never seems to work). Checking in in Canberra is easy and never needs to be anything more than a few minutes before boarding, which is a plus.

Main benefit will be booking spa treatment as my preferred window (pre-lunch in F lounge) is not large.

And I intend eating in lounge and also on board! Though from recent posts I'm not assuming the degustation menu is anything that much better than J meals (which have been very good lately) anyway.

We always eat in the lounge and on board - love food! However Mr FM has given up on the degustation menu - he has tried tackling it twice and always gives up half way - just too much food. When we have had degustation menus in restaurants they are always tiny portions, but Qantas serves normal size meals and while I know you can just eat a small amount and waste the rest we were both brought up to not do that, so he has just given up trying it. While there might be some commonality with J, the F choices are a bit better and I have noticed things like chocolates, ice cream etc are a better quality.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Sorry, very OT but what do you have to do to get a hotel host? Especially one to meet you at the airbridge??!!

There are a few ways to get that sort of service

1. Book a transfer with the hotel - e.g. booking a transfer from airport to hotel (and vice versa) with the Penninsula Hotel in Hong Kong will get the sort of service Amaroo describes. In Tahiti it was just standard with the hotels we booked (Tahaa and Four Seasons Bora Bora). They have to transfer you by boat from the airport to the hotel, so the rest gets thrown in - very nice having a hotel person to carry the bags and put them on the scales at checkin

2) On our recent trip to Africa we paid for a "meet and greet" service - cost very little. There was actually someone waiting with a card with our names when we went down the stairs onto the tarmac, immediately loaded us into a car and drove us to immigration, facilitated all that and then went out back to see how long it would be before the luggage was put on the carousel. We were then handed to our driver for the trip to the hotel. It was very smooth and you get through immigration really quickly as on occasion they took you to a desk for Kenyan nationals and we went through there - everyone knows the meet and greet people and they seem to get special treatment for their people.

 

[Princess Fiona]

OT (as it's departure) but the QF First Hosts at LHR are fantastic IME.
I would single out in particular Emily and Giuseppe as particularly wonderful ambassadors for QF.
I haven't been called by QF prior to a flight unless departing SYD/MEL but the First Hosts are easy to contact at LHR via the check-in staff or in the BA Galleries F Lounge.

 

[Anna]

However Mr FM has given up on the degustation menu - he has tried tackling it twice and always gives up half way - just too much food. When we have had degustation menus in restaurants they are always tiny portions, but Qantas serves normal size meals and while I know you can just eat a small amount and waste the rest we were both brought up to not do that.

You don't have the eat the degustation menu in the same time frame that you would eat in a restaurant. You can spread it over the whole flight if you want to. With a daytime flight like SYD - HKG that works quite well, for me anyway.

 

[Flying mermaid]

OT (as it's departure) but the QF First Hosts at LHR are fantastic IME.
I would single out in particular Emily and Giuseppe as particularly wonderful ambassadors for QF.
I haven't been called by QF prior to a flight unless departing SYD/MEL but the First Hosts are easy to contact at LHR via the check-in staff or in the BA Galleries F Lounge.

That's useful to know in case of an issue. Is there any benefit in contacting them, or is it just when you have a problem you need sorting out?

 

[Flying mermaid]

You don't have the eat the degustation menu in the same time frame that you would eat in a restaurant. You can spread it over the whole flight if you want to. With a daytime flight like SYD - HKG that works quite well, for me anyway.

Would be nice if SYD-HKG still existed...... Will pass that onto him - I think when he has tried it previously courses were brought quite quickly......

 

[kermatu]

Thanks FM for the advice and info. I think I'll need to pace myself for a change and be a bit careful! Will see how I feel on board and choose then. I kind of did that in J the other day coming back from Dubai - had a main course and cheese for lunch, halfway through the flight had a couple of starters. I was worried it put the crew out but aside from taking a few minutes to get everything heated etc they were very sweet about. I then saw 2 other people in Emerald City alone do the same.

I assume in F this is even easier to request.

Just wish I was 10 years younger and had that eating and drinking capacity...

I think it was Emily in the Galleries lounge in LHR. She saw me looking for assistance, came out of her office and then went out of the first lounge to get me a kit, all with a smile. And without actually knowing I was in F (or even a QF customer for that matter).

 

[Princess Fiona]

That's useful to know in case of an issue. Is there any benefit in contacting them, or is it just when you have a problem you need sorting out?

They book the Spa appointment for you and can also escort you onboard.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Thanks FM for the advice and info. I think I'll need to pace myself for a change and be a bit careful! Will see how I feel on board and choose then. I kind of did that in J the other day coming back from Dubai - had a main course and cheese for lunch, halfway through the flight had a couple of starters. I was worried it put the crew out but aside from taking a few minutes to get everything heated etc they were very sweet about. I then saw 2 other people in Emerald City alone do the same.

I assume in F this is even easier to request.

Just wish I was 10 years younger and had that eating and drinking capacity...

I think it was Emily in the Galleries lounge in LHR. She saw me looking for assistance, came out of her office and then went out of the first lounge to get me a kit, all with a smile. And without actually knowing I was in F (or even a QF customer for that matter).

I am sure they will look after you very well - I have always found the F staff terrific. On our recent flight back from Dubai, we had already been travelling for 24 hours (from Africa) when we got on QF2 we just had a bowl of soup and collapsed - didn't think of asking for anything to be put aside. When I woke up I went looking for some food and was offered a steak sandwich, but I asked instead if i could have some cheese and crackers and they put that together for me. I must say the Emirates system of having their whole menu available for the whole flight is superior.

One of our biggest regrets is not doing a Loire valley tour when we were younger - at our age all that beautiful food and drink could not possibly be consumed.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

When I was upgraded to F for SYD-DXB on QF1 in August I was met by a first host at the aircraft door on disembarkation in Dubai.
Unfortunately I let her persuade me that for a 7 hour layover it was less hassle to stay airside and enjoy the Emirates F lounge rather than use my Dubai connect hotel entitlement.
Never again! Yes there are showers in the F lounge but you have to get dressed in fresh clothes in the tiny damp shower room. I also ended up ironing a shirt with a travel iron in one of the quiet areas and hoping I wouldn't be arrested for being temporarily shirtless in a public area.
The à la carte dining service isn't available in the early hours of the morning either. In future I will ALWAYS take the hotel option if its offered.

 

[Flying Fox]

We always eat in the lounge and on board - love food! However Mr FM has given up on the degustation menu - he has tried tackling it twice and always gives up half way - just too much food. When we have had degustation menus in restaurants they are always tiny portions, but Qantas serves normal size meals and while I know you can just eat a small amount and waste the rest we were both brought up to not do that, so he has just given up trying it.

We cheated. The Mrs and I shared one degustation menu and got through it together.

OT (as it's departure) but the QF First Hosts at LHR are fantastic IME. I would single out in particular Emily and Giuseppe as particularly wonderful ambassadors for QF.

I have had the pleasure of Emily look after us at LHR. She is wonderful. Help us heaps when we were stuck at VAT for 2.5hs and then escorted us through security, immigration, lounge and onto the aircraft

 

[Flying mermaid]

We cheated. The Mrs and I shared one degustation menu and got through it together.



I have had the pleasure of Emily look after us at LHR. She is wonderful. Help us heaps when we were stuck at VAT for 2.5hs and then escorted us through security, immigration, lounge and onto the aircraft

I am impressed with your lateral thinking . Obviously I am missing out by not coming back from LHR - generally fly onto the States and back that way. T5 is much nicer to depart from.

 

[Princess Fiona]

The à la carte dining service isn't available in the early hours of the morning either. In future I will ALWAYS take the hotel option if its offered.

Which à la carte dining service wasn't available ?
I have always been able to eat from the menu 24/7 at the dining areas in DXB F Lounge.

 

[kermatu]

Yes, I was able to eat at 2am no trouble. Perhaps just before they change to breakfast menu they temporarily close?

Flying Mermaid, surprised that all that was available for a First passenger mid flight was the steak sandwich?? On J on the same route (QF2 DXB to SYD) I was offered several options from the menu, whatever was left I guess.

 

[madrooster]

The à la carte dining service isn't available in the early hours of the morning either.

I've never had an issue with getting this coming off QF1/9 (9 with the old timings) into DXB. I've even ordered off the lunch/dinner menu at breakfast time, though it was quiet and it was with the caveat that you had to wait longer.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

Yes, I was able to eat at 2am no trouble. Perhaps just before they change to breakfast menu they temporarily close?

It was after 2 AM. From memory they start serving à la carte breakfast at 4 AM.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Yes, I was able to eat at 2am no trouble. Perhaps just before they change to breakfast menu they temporarily close?

Flying Mermaid, surprised that all that was available for a First passenger mid flight was the steak sandwich?? On J on the same route (QF2 DXB to SYD) I was offered several options from the menu, whatever was left I guess.

I was a little surprised. have always been a model passenger before, eaten when the meal service is offered, gone to sleep and woken for breakfast - never asked for anything. I had no idea where my menu was so couldn't look, however assumed there would be some options. This was quite far into the flight and everyone was sleeping, so maybe it was all packed away. I was more than happy with the cheese - my snack of choice at home