New MEL-NRT Capacity in December~March (QF49)

[elanshin]

I wonder if there's enough demand to chuck a 380 to NRT

 

[Nank]

Having recently flown to Haneda and back on the daytime flights, I have been turned off daytime flights. Transport to the airport early in the morning was difficult and the windows on the plane stayed shut the whole time. I pretty much lived in darkness for 36 hours taking into account the night before departure and after arrival.

I don’t even bother trying to get transport to the airport. I stay at the Villa Fontaine which is just outside the terminal QF uses. Walk 5mins down the hallway and you’re in the check in area. Perfect!
It’s not cheap but a very nice hotel, extremely quiet and the convenience trumps all.
Also means you can drop your bags, get some food from the Lawson downstairs or one of the airport restaurants, and then go up to the viewing deck on top of the terminal for a while if you’re into the planespotting side of things
As to the flight, I do sympathise with the darkness bit. I’ve never understood why people book a daytime flight but then want the whole plane pitch black so they can sleep? I keep my window shade opened a little so it doesn’t blind folks who want to watch a movie or rest, but it also means I can still have a look outside and take some photos.
I find day flight arrival times much nicer as well. Last time I took a redeye flight JFK-DUB and then connected straight on the BHX I was awake the whole day prior to my flight, awake for the whole night during the flight, and then had to stay awake the whole of the next day too because once I finally got to Birmingham I couldn’t check into my hotel until like 4pm! Needless to say I really wasn’t a happy camper by then….. At least with an afternoon/evening arrival you can go straight to your hotel, check in and go to bed. I find it screws with my circadian rhythm a lot less than night flights.

 

[Assassin]

I don’t even bother trying to get transport to the airport. I stay at the Villa Fontaine which is just outside the terminal QF uses. Walk 5mins down the hallway and you’re in the check in area. Perfect!
It’s not cheap but a very nice hotel, extremely quiet and the convenience trumps all.
Also means you can drop your bags, get some food from the Lawson downstairs or one of the airport restaurants, and then go up to the viewing deck on top of the terminal for a while if you’re into the planespotting side of things
As to the flight, I do sympathise with the darkness bit. I’ve never understood why people book a daytime flight but then want the whole plane pitch black so they can sleep? I keep my window shade opened a little so it doesn’t blind folks who want to watch a movie or rest, but it also means I can still have a look outside and take some photos.
I find day flight arrival times much nicer as well. Last time I took a redeye flight JFK-DUB and then connected straight on the BHX I was awake the whole day prior to my flight, awake for the whole night during the flight, and then had to stay awake the whole of the next day too because once I finally got to Birmingham I couldn’t check into my hotel until like 4pm! Needless to say I really wasn’t a happy camper by then….. At least with an afternoon/evening arrival you can go straight to your hotel, check in and go to bed. I find it screws with my circadian rhythm a lot less than night flights.

I get the shades down when you are flying during what is “night” at the destination but there is daylight outside. But it makes no sense on a Japan - Aus routing with only a 1-2hr time difference….

 

[elanshin]

As to the flight, I do sympathise with the darkness bit. I’ve never understood why people book a daytime flight but then want the whole plane pitch black so they can sleep? I keep my window shade opened a little so it doesn’t blind folks who want to watch a movie or rest, but it also means I can still have a look outside and take some photos.

Slightly OT but i was just on QF255 to SIN. This is a predominantly day (afternoon) flight but if we adjust for destination time, it starts at about 11pm Central European Time. Some people on board tried to goto bed, others were up doing stuff.

There are many circumstances for both sides of the argument.