How to survive SYD-DFW in economy.

[brett-au]

Ingredients

1x set of eye shades
1x set of ear plugs
1x Seat 88G
1x Thermarest
1x large amount of luck/karma

Result

1x Lie flat bed.

Surprisingly good food on board, although the welcome drink was served once and then never again, which was disappointing. However, I was right under the AC so it was rather cold.

 

[under the radar]

funny how a welcome drink is served once ....as a welcome come drink

 

[Dr Ralph]

1x large amount of luck/karma

Lucky to get the spare seats?

Isn't this often the case on this and the return route?

 

[brett-au]

I would estimate based on the weight restrictions with this flight if you were to book 2 seats and pay USD50 for a seat next to you to be kept free, then you would get the entire row, yes.

I don't know if USD$50 is accurate, I've only heard from passengers who were on the return leg, that they were offered it at the check in counter.

 

[Denali]

The rows go that far back?

I recall once getting and entire row on SF>SYD many years ago, missed every meal and slept through the entire flight. Never thought I could bring a camp mattress!

 

[Denali]

BTW. I wonder what Passenger Shaming would think of the mattress. On one hand, so much pre prepared awesomeness but on another, Im sure there were people wanting to stick a pin in your mattress

 

[Mattg]

I would estimate based on the weight restrictions with this flight if you were to book 2 seats and pay USD50 for a seat next to you to be kept free, then you would get the entire row, yes.

I don't know if USD$50 is accurate, I've only heard from passengers who were on the return leg, that they were offered it at the check in counter.

The return leg QF8 is weight-restricted, but I don't believe QF7 is.

 

[SeatBackForward]

The return leg QF8 is weight-restricted, but I don't believe QF7 is.

This was certainly the case for the 747, does it still apply for the A380?

 

[Dr Ralph]

This was certainly the case for the 747, does it still apply for the A380?

I believe so.

I've done the return leg at least 10 times over the past 3 years and have never seen it more than 80% capacity.

 

[Mattg]

This was certainly the case for the 747, does it still apply for the A380?

Yes. I was told this by an FA on a QF8 sector.

 

[coriander]

I recall once getting and entire row on SF>SYD many years ago, missed every meal and slept through the entire flight. Never thought I could bring a camp mattress!

I used to do that back in the 80s on Pan Am's LAX-SYD 747SP service: pull up the arms and sleep across 4 seats; rear cabin was mostly sparsely occupied (was also good for completing my membership application to the 5-mile high club).

The rows go that far back?

When my ferals were in primary school (a private school in S Yarra) in the noughties, they had a great deal of difficulty in convincing several of their school mates that not everyone on a 747 across the Pacific had a bed to sleep in - "you mean people have to sleep sitting up - with strangers even - no way! - is that why they have a curtain halfway down the plane?" In those days, luxury for us was row 69/70 at the rear of the plane (3 seats, then 2 seats due to curvature of hull).

 

[brett-au]

BTW. I wonder what Passenger Shaming would think of the mattress. On one hand, so much pre prepared awesomeness but on another, Im sure there were people wanting to stick a pin in your mattress

To be fair, the last row is near four toilets, has a self serve bar which seems to shout out "please have a long and loud conversation" and socks were worn the entire time, and the recline - oh the humanity. But yeah, karma was probably spent.

I just heard of the guy who had a mattress custom made and was inspired. With out the mattress you have seat belts digging in to your side. Using a spare blanket as a bedsheet seemed to hide the obvious orange and reduce the odds of any pin pricking.

 

[Cool Cat Phil]

That Thermarest is the key to your success I suspect.

I was allocated 4 seats to myself on a refurbished 747 back from JNB recently and in all honesty I found it more comfortable sitting up then attempting to lie down over three sets of armrests that don't rise up high enough.

I had quite a few of fellow passengers eyeing my prized 4 seats to myself I must add.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Ingredients

1x set of eye shades
1x set of ear plugs
1x Seat 88G
1x Thermarest
1x large amount of luck/karma

Result

1x Lie flat bed.

Surprisingly good food on board, although the welcome drink was served once and then never again, which was disappointing. However, I was right under the AC so it was rather cold.

Just out of interest - how far up do the armrests go? Is it still possibly to comfortably lie flat (back or on stomach) if you are fairly thin?

How about side sleeping?

Air Pacific used to sell its upper deck economy class as a 'stretch out' cabin - upon payment of a supplement you were guaranteed three seats to lie down.

It's an option Qantas could offer, but at their (very expensive) Premium Economy prices I suppose they don't want to detract from sales in the higher cabins.

 

[Mattg]

Just out of interest - how far up do the armrests go? Is it still possibly to comfortably lie flat (back or on stomach) if you are fairly thin?

How about side sleeping?

I'm "fairly thin" and have found that, at least on the QF A380, the armrests lift up far enough to be able to spread out comfortably. Unless you're in a bulkhead seat where the armrests are fixed.