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

[serfty]

There is a self serve bar in the 380 nose, what could be better than that in any class.

Except on this flight the self service options were pretty pathetic. No wine, a much reduced snack offering compared to that in the past.

See the photo from the TR.

 

[serfty]

Here:

 

[cove]

Look we will take one for the team in a couple of weeks because we can. A double status run to remain Platinum plus a birthday got us to yes. Hello SYD First Lounge and then ditto for LAX Lounge.
That lounge area at the top of the stairs is pretty underwhelming but I do like to go up there because I can.
That would be the first thing I would change in the pending refit.

 

[GoldCanyon340]

Look we will take one for the team in a couple of weeks because we can. A double status run to remain Platinum plus a birthday got us to yes. Hello SYD First Lounge and then ditto for LAX Lounge.
That lounge area at the top of the stairs is pretty underwhelming but I do like to go up there because I can.
That would be the first thing I would change in the pending refit.

I know a bar/lounge area is popular with people but *if* an airline is going to have one then you have to go full on and do it like EK (but mind you what about EK hard or soft products aren't full on over the top?) The QF implementation, and Lounge Area 2.0 after the A380 refit, is honestly a waste of space.

 

[mrsterryn]

Ok I am obviously reading way too much cause I definitely glossed over his comments re other people.

 

[Austman]

I quite like the lounge on the QF A380s. It's usually quiet. You can often have it all to yourself! I do love that when it happens!

And getting drinks and snacks from the crew is usually not a problem. Just ask.

But it doesn't have the social mixing element that the EK A380 lounges have.

 

[grrofunger]

I don't mind the 380J and as some others have said the feeling of extra space vs the 787 is a positive.

I recently took the 787 J from Brisbane to LA and the A380 J from LA to Sydney.

The 787 had better staff and food (including self serve options) and was probably a better overall experience

The A380 I enjoyed the space more and the "upfront lounge area" but the staff were terrible as was the food and the self serve bar looked exactly like SFO's photo.

Being able to easily lift the legs/raise knees whilst laying flat is a huge advantage vs the 787 suite.

I've flown J plenty on Qantas but never on another carrier - I really need to branch out further to really get a wider experience

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Being able to easily lift the legs/raise knees whilst laying flat is a huge advantage vs the 787 suite.

And that’s a qantas issue for choosing that particular design.

There are several other seats which don’t have any such restrictions... some versions of the reverse herringbone variety (JAL’s sky suite III has enough room for you and your family in the foot area), or the apex seats, or just plain old full forward with a fixed foot area (so no droop).

 

[Quickstatus]

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.

I a bit hazy on this but I recall the airline saying (during the enhancement era) that the passengers preferred to sleep/eat in lounge rather than have a full course on board?.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I a bit hazy on this but I recall the airline saying (during the enhancement era) that the passengers preferred to sleep/eat in lounge rather than have a full course on board?.

Yes well... you can construct a survey to produce any results you want.

'Would you like a meal service designed to maximise your rest on board' could either mean 'cafe breakfast' or 'we will work out how to serve a full meal in one hour rather than the three hours it takes us now'.

Qantas has chosen the former, not the latter. (And it is possible - CX serves a full meal in under an hour on overnight departures from HKG.)

 

[Austman]

Well even QF can serve a full meal in J in under an hour if they need to.

Interestingly, I've had a few poor experiences with CX and EK in this area. They both can glacial to the point where I've actually complained to the crew. I mean, 90 mins into a flight in J and I've received *nothing*. And not just me but all the pax in the same row/area. Hopeless.

But generally they are both good.

 

[Vic]

Yes. The QF F Lounge opened in late 2014.

Thanks.
Was confused as some of the photos seemed to look like the coughtail bar in the business lounge

 

[RichardMEL]

But dragons are cute!

Clearly you are not a GoT viewer

btw I have been known to use the term "gate lice" before.. mostly in the context of me being part of it when boarding QF 737's in row 1, where it can be a race to get some storage space for a carry-on.. but I digress...

 

[RichardMEL]

I a bit hazy on this but I recall the airline saying (during the enhancement era) that the passengers preferred to sleep/eat in lounge rather than have a full course on board?.

Well partially yes and partially an airline spinning their cost cutting in a light that puts the "blame" on the passengers.. A bit like "due to customer feedback we're [ding something nobody wants]" from many companies we all deal with. Everyone knows it's cough and marketing spin.

I find the reasoning about more sleep time and less meal time makes perfect sense on redeyes from PER or from Asia to Oz where the flight times are such that you WOULD want to maximise sleep if possible.. but when coming from the US with flights over 12 hours, that whole argument loses weight with me because even if you spend 2 hours eating you still can get a good 8-10 hours sleep in and still have time for brekky.

 

[SRS65]

Report is comprehensive - but his continued use of pics with both children and adults being posted publicly is what I consider to be a breach of privacy. (some may disagree of course)
Airline Crew and staff pictures are littered throughout his reports as well as vehicle number plates with no disclaimer that I can see on the site.
I believe there are security issues raised with this as far as airlines are concerned.
It is also of note that there doesn't seem to be pictures of the individual undertaking these trips - surprisingly so !

 

[RichardMEL]

Report is comprehensive - but his continued use of pics with both children and adults being posted publicly is what I consider to be a breach of privacy. (some may disagree of course)
Airline Crew and staff pictures are littered throughout his reports as well as vehicle number plates with no disclaimer that I can see on the site.
I believe there are security issues raised with this as far as airlines are concerned.
It is also of note that there doesn't seem to be pictures of the individual undertaking these trips - surprisingly so !

Personally I agree with you, as I've noted a number of times previously.

legally it gets murky. For example my understanding of the law in most places, or at least Australia, is that if it's a public place, eg on the street, in a shopping mall etc, then there's no expectation of "privacy" from photos and the like. That gets difficult when you start to include beaches and swimming pools and kids and... and... and it gets VERY murky.

Additionally, in the context of airline lounges, airports and indeed on aircraft it is less clear - is a lounge a public area or a private one, in which case the owner/operator can specifically ban such things? What about an aircraft? And further still, if one wants to ge uber legal, it could even depend WHERE the aircraft is when photos are taken- eg: "International skies"? "Over the United States"? Juristiction becomes a nightmare (I bet).

Some airlines have in the past been quite clear on policies of photo taking (UA for one, at one point, had very specific wording on this in the infliught mag). I recall incidents where bloggers got into trouble(and maybe thrown off on occasion) for taking photos possibly including crew or other pax (or possibly accused of such even if not in reality).. and again if one takes pics on a QF aircraft - is that considered a "public" space? or private? I do not know the answer to this and I suspect it could get quite complicated if ever actually tested in a court.

Really though, all that aside, there's NO NEED to have all these photos of people, staff etc. A few times he's complained about people talking loudly in lounges - you do NOT need a picture to illustrate this. Or, in his report on MH he notes a delay due to a tech isue and posted multiple pictures of MH engineers coming and going past his seat for no apparent reason other than to show how many there were. Why? Itt doesn't really ADD to his report where he could simply have left it in the text.

Now I can understand more saying "The lounge was really full" and showing in a photo, but one could take care to try and avoid photos with faces, or blur them, or say take a photo with people's backs etc so there's no identification as much as possible.

And again I note he's posted instances with his wife having her face blurred... so it's apparently good enough for her, but not for others? I It does not come across as professional, let alone consistent in approach to people in photos.

He should just try as much as possible to keep others out of them, unless he specifically has permission.

imo

 

[FL360]

it all depends on who is sitting next to you.

frankly the skybeds are all wearing out, and I have dropped the breakfast pre-order menu few times down the TV slot.... asking for another copy from the FA is pushing it....

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Report is comprehensive - but his continued use of pics with both children and adults being posted publicly is what I consider to be a breach of privacy. (some may disagree of course)
Airline Crew and staff pictures are littered throughout his reports as well as vehicle number plates with no disclaimer that I can see on the site.
I believe there are security issues raised with this as far as airlines are concerned.
It is also of note that there doesn't seem to be pictures of the individual undertaking these trips - surprisingly so !

His other trip reports have pictures of his partner posted (her face is not always blurred - it depends if she 'approves' the picture or not!).

AFF has lots of posts with crew pictures. Doesn't seem to be an issue for most readers. (Dunno if it's an issue for the crew, and personally I agree with you on privacy grounds.)

 

[RichardMEL]

His other trip reports have pictures of his partner posted (her face is not always blurred - it depends if she 'approves' the picture or not!).

Exactly. So he knows how to do it and can show respect to his partner's wishes (which is great!) but apparently the rest of humanity doesn't get the same option? I think this is the part that bugs me the most.

It may seem petty and in the grand scheme of things it's not huge, but it's common courtesy(I would haver thought) to either ask permission or blur images. We don't NEED to see crew/pax's faces(unless they specifically are good about it). And frankly I find whining about people doing things he considers to be unacceptable (like shouting on the phone in the lounge) but THEN taking photos of said passengers and posting them? Really? Both equally classless in my book.

 

[Vic]

Public place (as defined in the Victorian summary offences act) includes any place that the public can access upon payment for admittance. That would cover most airports, lounges and airplanes.

I thought aviation law clearly defined the applicable jursidiction to avoid any confusion.

Quote=
"public place" includes and applies to—

(a) any public highway road street bridge footway footpath court alley passage or thoroughfare notwithstanding that it may be formed on private property;
(b) any park garden reserve or other place of public recreation or resort;
(c) any railway station platform or carriage;
(d) any wharf pier or jetty;
(e) any passenger ship or boat plying for hire;
(f) any public vehicle plying for hire;
(g) any church or chapel open to the public or any other building where divine service is being publicly held;
(h) any Government school or the land or premises in connexion therewith;
(i) any public hall theatre or room while members of the public are in attendance at, or are assembling for or departing from, a public entertainment or meeting therein;
(j) any market;
(k) any auction room or mart or place while a sale by auction is there proceeding;
(l) any licensed premises or authorised premises within the meaning of the Liquor Control Reform Act 1998 ;
(m) any race-course cricket ground football ground or other such place while members of the public are present or are permitted to have access thereto whether with or without payment for admission;
(n) any place of public resort;
(o) any open place to which the public whether upon or without payment for admittance have or are permitted to have access; or
(p) any public place within the meaning of the words "public place" whether by virtue of this Act or otherwise;