Is the Qantas A380 the worst business class product between AU and US?

[Quickstatus]

It depends what time of the day you are there. Once I spent 9 hours connecting from MEL to PPT from 8 AM to 5PM and I was pretty much the only passenger in the lounge between 10AM and 4PM. I had very good service!!!

The lighting over the restaurant/dining section is a bit bright for my liking.

 

[RichardMEL]

I don't think it is fair to include his F lounge experiences in a J class product review. He only gets into the F lounge because of his OWE statis (which is fine) but a "normal" J class passenger would be in the J lounge, and I feel it would be more appropriate to review that as part of the journey, or not at all.

I'd also comment that I agree it's NOT cool to take pictures of other passengers without concsent, let alone making snide remarks. What's the point of that? He did similar in his earlier review showing people sitting in the J lounge without blurred faces or anything. I think that does not come across well. It's certainly a lack of class on his end IMO having a holier than thou attitude (even if the guy was drinking and chatting annoyingly to him) to then not be discrete or do them the courtesy or either seeking permission(which he obviously would not have gotten) or just not posting a picture. He could have mentioned another pax "behaving badly" without the need for pictures. There are far more professional ways to behave, IMHO.

Also he flew the MH A350 in March.. well after the rebranding of "F" to "Business Suite" - a factual error.
- snipes at QF's lack of wifi on the 380, but ignores that the domestic fleet is rapidly being completed with FREE wifi (MH is paid)
- MH amenity kit is the J class one. When it was branded as F they had a unique F class kit (I was one

those comments aside about "one of the worst airlines in the free world" I do agree that the skybed J product is poor. I think the experience would bear comparing with UA's 2-2-2 787-8/9 J product IMHO because QF prob wins on catering and general service, UA is about even on hardware, and UA probably better on entertainment (and yes, wifi ).

Yes his TR's are very detailed with lots of photos, some of which I think are unneeded (do we really need pictures waliking through the T4-TBIT transfer bridge or through SYD airport? Each to their own I guess.

QF's makeover of the 380 J is well and truly much needed - I think we ALL agree on that.

 

[BAM1748]

There is a separate QF F Flounge (same floor, at the end of walkway). Although the ambience is not what i would expect of a FLounge.

Having been to the regular lounge I had the opportunity to visit the F lounge, I went back to the regular lounge and sat at the bench between the bar the food, I just preferred 'slumming' it. I don't know what it was, just seemed a but more of a happy place.

 

[BAM1748]

I wonder if all the coughpy comments are to try for a freebie somewhere.

QF transpacific in J is ok with me never had any problems with the seat or service. There is a self serve bar in the 380 nose, what could be better than that in any class.

I don't think it is fair to include his F lounge experiences in a J class product review. He only gets into the F lounge because of his OWE statis (which is fine) but a "normal" J class passenger would be in the J lounge, and I feel it would be more appropriate to review that as part of the journey, or not at all.

I'd also comment that I agree it's NOT cool to take pictures of other passengers without concsent, let alone making snide remarks. What's the point of that? He did similar in his earlier review showing people sitting in the J lounge without blurred faces or anything. I think that does not come across well. It's certainly a lack of class on his end IMO having a holier than thou attitude (even if the guy was drinking and chatting annoyingly to him) to then not be discrete or do them the courtesy or either seeking permission(which he obviously would not have gotten) or just not posting a picture. He could have mentioned another pax "behaving badly" without the need for pictures. There are far more professional ways to behave, IMHO.

Also he flew the MH A350 in March.. well after the rebranding of "F" to "Business Suite" - a factual error.
- snipes at QF's lack of wifi on the 380, but ignores that the domestic fleet is rapidly being completed with FREE wifi (MH is paid)
- MH amenity kit is the J class one. When it was branded as F they had a unique F class kit (I was one

those comments aside about "one of the worst airlines in the free world" I do agree that the skybed J product is poor. I think the experience would bear comparing with UA's 2-2-2 787-8/9 J product IMHO because QF prob wins on catering and general service, UA is about even on hardware, and UA probably better on entertainment (and yes, wifi ).

Yes his TR's are very detailed with lots of photos, some of which I think are unneeded (do we really need pictures waliking through the T4-TBIT transfer bridge or through SYD airport? Each to their own I guess.

QF's makeover of the 380 J is well and truly much needed - I think we ALL agree on that.

 

[RichardMEL]

re LAX lounges.. prior to QF's lounges, there were an oneworld J and F lounges which, IIRC, were upstairs ia a lift and small and pokey. I think they may have been run by BA and CX(but could be corrected there) and the F lounge was.. really coughpy and tiny and super full during QF evening banks(plus BA) and not a pleasant place to be in if you could get a seat.Food was poor, drinks worse and yeah just not nice.

QF's replacement lounges that came in more or less with the TBIT redevelopment are obviously a great improvement and have been for the past 5? ish years but also act as oneworld lounges (as per the old setup) so obviously during the QF bank in the evening you get pax for the BA LHR flight that leaves around 9pm IIRC and much later is a CX departure but QF is the majority of the pax.

I think technically they are "oneworld lounges operated by QF" much like the Star Alliance lounge is operated by NZ at LAX.

Happy to be corrected on any details

 

[blackcat20]

re LAX lounges.. prior to QF's lounges, there were an oneworld J and F lounges which, IIRC, were upstairs ia a lift and small and pokey. I think they may have been run by BA and CX(but could be corrected there) and the F lounge was.. really coughpy and tiny and super full during QF evening banks(plus BA) and not a pleasant place to be in if you could get a seat.Food was poor, drinks worse and yeah just not nice.

QF's replacement lounges that came in more or less with the TBIT redevelopment are obviously a great improvement and have been for the past 5? ish years but also act as oneworld lounges (as per the old setup) so obviously during the QF bank in the evening you get pax for the BA LHR flight that leaves around 9pm IIRC and much later is a CX departure but QF is the majority of the pax.

I think technically they are "oneworld lounges operated by QF" much like the Star Alliance lounge is operated by NZ at LAX.

Happy to be corrected on any details

J is a OW lounge, F is a QF lounge afaik.

 

[BAM1748]

What do you find problematic about his trip reports? They strike me as some of the most detailed and unbiased out there.

My little 2 cents. He sometimes complains about other behavior but then posts photos of him putting his feet on everything.

I'm afraid if you want to be critical of others don't live in a glass house.

 

[BAM1748]

J is a OW lounge, F is a QF lounge afaik.

J is also operatored by QF as OW.

 

[levelnine]

I think the complaints about the reviewer's inconsistency and extreme inconsiderateness in taking photos of people without their consent are bang on.

Though I do respect the fact that he calls it as he sees it. When he likes something, he is very happy to say that as well. I also respect the fact that his extensive experience across different fleets gives a good perspective of where each carrier stands in relation to the others. That aligns with my experience. I thought Qantas was amazing when I first tried its premium products, and quickly saw that they were decidedly average once I started trying other carriers.

 

[33kft]

Poetic justice would be getting a heads up next time @SFO777 is in the lounge, so 20 different TRs could feature pictures of him with a rant about how the pictured loud mouth yank was constantly moaning about the state of the carpet and ranking the teaspons on offer in the lounge against other airlines.

I don't really read TRs so I'm not all that interested but after hearing about unblurred pictures of the public in his TRs I took a look and... well, that's beyond wrong, that's straying into psychological issue territory.

 

[GoldCanyon340]

The term 'gate lice' is simply appalling.

 

[jakeseven7]

The term 'gate lice' is simply appalling.

This guy is a something else, love how he rates the looks of the female Emirates flight attendants <vomit>, feels like he’s still stuck in the 50’s with his vile commentary. Who cares if the female staff are ‘very attractive’?

I refuse to give him the clicks ($) to fund his little trips. Suggest AFF members do the same

 

[RichardMEL]

also re photos.. I recall the last trip he took with his partner she was explicitly blurred (apparently by request) in some pictures.. yet does not give the same consideration to others?

just sayin'

 

[RichardMEL]

He really should love QF given how Inconstent he is

 

[DC3]

Is there now a first lounge in LA ....

Yes. The QF F Lounge opened in late 2014.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I thought it was ok. I didn’t pick up any inaccuracies on the qantas flight (didn’t read the MH bit). The cabin looks pretty worn and dirty... needs a clean.

TBH, i have seen better catering in the premium cabins of low cost carriers in Asia than what qanta serves as ‘supper’. A sandwich??

Even the hardened qantas fans have got to admit this product is at best on par with second tier carriers.

 

[serfty]

The term 'gate lice' is simply appalling

Its a common term used in Frequent Travel Related social media and has a specific meaning.

A bit like "lounge dragon".

I take no notice.

 

[GoldCanyon340]

Its a common term used in Frequent Travel Related social media and has a specific meaning.

A bit like "lounge dragon".

I take no notice.

But dragons are cute!

 

[Mattg]

The sense of entitlement is strong in that review. Good grief.

For me, the few valid points made about the deficiencies in the product are lost amongst all the whinging.

 

[Pushka]

I found it an enjoyable read. He is very critical of other people though and I don’t like their photos being posted. That final flight looked superb though.