QF19 & 20 Sydney-Manila return in J

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RooFlyer

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SYD check-in at F counter was a breeze; one of the few times I have travelled international with only carry-on. Agent asked me if I would like an aisle (I had deliberately gone against profile and chosen a row 2 window seat). Hmmmm second thoughts; but only aisle was in rows 1 or 5, near toilets of galley, so no thanks. Window it is.

Security check was OK. Lady in front of me was in the process of having 8 (count ‘em, 8) full size (as in size of a bottle of shampoo) bottles of cosmetics and other potions confiscated. So there ARE people still out there who have never flown before! :D

Straight to the Flounge. Not very crowded; table for breakfast available. On my left, a guy in check flannel shirt, baseball cap etc, enjoying bacon and eggs. In a few minutes a middle aged couple sit down adjacent to me. He immediately brings out the phone and makes a call – which lasts the entire time I was there. His breakfast came and got cold and his wife just sat there looking bored. Maybe it was the most important call of his life – but I had to wonder if it couldn’t have waited 10 minutes so he could enjoy his breakfast at least.

Mine was eggs benedict with smoked salmon. One of the eggs was very watery which was a shame. But otherwise delicious. OJ and coffee. Perfect start to the day.

Grab a lounge seat near the window and catch up on some e-mails. Wi-fi pretty fast at between 2 and 3 MB ps. Decide to download about 3GB of docos on the iPad to watch on the flight.

Flights are taking off to the north on the main NS run-way and I never tire of seeing A380s and 747s heave themselves off the ground and power up into the sky just outside the window. Magic.

An ATC push back delay of about 15 mins, then an interminable taxi to the second N-S runway at SYD. In the final stretch a Qantas Link Dash 8 cheekily overtakes us on a parallel taxiway and gets to the main game first. Anyway, off we go in our A330-200; 2-2-2 config in J.
A frittata dish is offered between SYD and BNE but I decline in favour of lunch coming up. Billecart-Salmon Brut satisfies.

Problems with my IFE – it just continually loops around one of the pages. I reluctantly press the call button, knowing the crew is probably busy preparing lunch – but J is only about half full and I know the fix will be an IFE re-boot and this may take some time, so I may as well ask early. After 5 mins, no-one has appeared. A drinks re-fill comes round and walks past the illuminated call light above my seat. I’m wondering if that’s an unsubtle hint not to bother the crew early into the flight. Never-the-less call buttons are provided for a reason so, getting a bit annoyed, I press it again. A few more minutes, a FA breezes past but I collar her and point out the issue. She goes off to investigate. A re-boot doesn’t fix, so later another one is done and this time appears to fix, but now we are on descent into BNE.

Flounge in BNE transit was a pleasant surprise. Small, but uncrowded and a nice range of amenities.

Re-boarding was very orderly – the premium/priority lane was policed, with those not entitled to use it politely directed to the other lane.
Back in the air and time for lunch, with pre-lunch drinks offered (in fact, time for 2 more rounds of the Billecart-Salmon Brut). The menu shows ‘Small plates’ ‘Main plates’, ‘Desert’ and Chocolates.

I chose Fish Cakes as the Small Plate and they come with a fish sauce (which may have been better as a dip rather than pre-poured over the cakes); I picked a Pikes Riesling to go with it. Superb start; fish cakes are firm and the fish sauce very zesty; the Pikes holds its own well. Then I had Cassoulet of Murraylands Lamb Fillet with White Beans and Aioli. No pic, sorry, but neatly presented and frankly one of the tastiest dishes I have ever had in the air; almost requiring an ‘Oliver’ moment (and I don’t mean Jamie). A decent shiraz is again strong enough to stand up to the flavours of the cassoulet and I’m a very happy camper. The now customary small bowl of sad green leaves on the side is ignored.
Still happy with caramel and vanilla ice cream and a sticky.

IFE turns out not to be fixed and keeps looping. I retire to the docos I have on the iPad. A bit later I try the IFE again and miraculously it works. Les Miserables very entertaining but possibly a bit lost on the small screen.

We land in Manila a bit early, go through immigration quickly and meet the hotel car then off to hotel (Sofitel Manila Philippines Plaza).

Returning on QF20. MNL airport a bit of a trial, but no big hassles. On advice from AFFers, at check-in I ask for a pass to the Mirascor Lounge. It’s a bit grotty, but has good wi-fi and some reasonable food (not taken) and drink (G&T). Has a toilet, but that’s not flash. After an hour it’s off to the QP, next to the gate. Its cleaner and more brightly lit than the Mirascor but lesser food & drink offerings, and is nearly full. I couldn’t connect to wi-fi but can hook onto the CX network, which is open. The CX lounge is right next door, so I check it out – nice and cool, spacious and completely empty, including the First Class area. Slim pickings in food & drink, but a nice cool and peaceful area to do some last minute e-mailing.
Then downstairs to the gate and effortless boarding after the security people have a good poke around my carry-ons.

Pre-dinner drinks, then another small/large plate menu. I had large plate only; seared salmon with figs on couscous. Rather bland and I didn’t finish it. Neither did my neighbour, I noticed.

Time for bed and I (and others) ask for PJs. After two FAs hunted around, they informed me that PJs are no longer offered on flights <8 hours. One expresses embarrassment at this move. And this on the one flight where I decided not to bring my own :(. Duvet on the angled Skybed Mk 1 wasn’t enough to counter a night fruitlessly attempting to sleep in clothes. Ugh.

45 mins before touchdown (+1 !) breakfast comes around – the notorious ‘Café Breakfast’, with tea/coffee, juice and a warm ham and cheese croissant. A truly pathetic J offering. :mad: Whilst obviously linked to the relative shortness of the flight (and happily cost efficient), I can’t see why this quickie breakfast tray can’t include (for instance) a tub of yoghurt and/or banana/apple/bowl of sliced fruit.

Breakfast cleared away after about 20 mins and an uneventful landing.

Summary: A great daytime flight and experience SYD-MNL but a poor reverse trip, in every regard. Lack of PJs, Café Breakfast and supper offerings not up to scratch. If I do MNL again, I’ll take AFFers advice and do a loop SYD-MNL-HKG-SYD for better soft and hard product coming home.
 
I avoid QF 19/20 if at all possible. Lately I've taken to flying SYD - HKG on QF127/128 then a Cathay flight to either MNL or CEB. Worth the extra flying time for comfort on the A380
 
Rooflyer the IFE in the seat next to you wasn't working either? This is assuming business class didn't fill up in BNE.
 
I avoid QF 19/20 if at all possible. Lately I've taken to flying SYD - HKG on QF127/128 then a Cathay flight to either MNL or CEB. Worth the extra flying time for comfort on the A380

Yes definitely going to do this on my next flight to MNL. Bonus I have never been to HKG/Macau nor have I been on an A380 yet. More SC's for my aim to reach QFF gold.
 
Rooflyer the IFE in the seat next to you wasn't working either? This is assuming business class didn't fill up in BNE.

Yes, forgot to mention. The cabin was full or nearly so after BNE. I had some good programming on the iPad so it wasn't going to be the end of the world if it didn't work.
 
Ah ok. Now a beginners question, in the past I have always flown direct SYD-MNL, would you earn extra SC's for the stopover at BNE?
 
Ah ok. Now a beginners question, in the past I have always flown direct SYD-MNL, would you earn extra SC's for the stopover at BNE?

AFAIK only if the two sectors were broken or different PNR's. It's a bit like taking QF1 to LHR....you earn more if you include a stopover rather than doing the journey in one go.

There are members who split their journey to LHR.......SYD-SIN on QF? and jump on another QF? to LHR & same with the return flight......can't remember the exact QF numbers & not sure if the same play will work now it's DXB?

The SC & particularly the FF point difference can be significant depending on status & class of travel.
 
Good report RooFlyer and mirrors mine closely from a couple of weeks ago (except no BNE stop)

The day flight up was excellent; great service, great food - the night flight back was the same as yours; poor food, average service, no pjs

And QF need to do something (in fact a lot) to their lounge if they are serious about making MNL as business destination.

I usually like to get from A to B as quickly as poss, but maybe a HKG detour on the way home next time might be the go...
 
The QF lounge at MNL T1 is actually pretty much of the same standard as the other airline lounges at this terminal (I have been in most of them at one time or another). Realistically, no airline is going to invest any money in facilities at T1 when its discontinuation is on the horizon.

Regarding the PJ's; I have no recollection of them ever being offered on QF20. The QF website simply says they are offered on "selected" flights, so presumably this one has not been "selected". It is not a question of being < 8 hours; QF20 has always been scheduled as > 8 hours. Personally I find this no great loss; in practice the main effect they have is to ensure that the bathrooms will be heavily used just when you are most likely to need them!
 
that 8h rule is bad! Mental note to always carry own pair of PJs. Is that also going to be the case on DXB-LHR-DXB legs?
 
that 8h rule is bad! Mental note to always carry own pair of PJs. Is that also going to be the case on DXB-LHR-DXB legs?

We may need to get it confirmed elsewhere. I was just told this by the FA on QF20; it might have just been a convenient "reason" to assuage my disappointment, rather than a formal rule re length of flight.

As others are agreeing, QF20 is a pretty low rent flight in many ways, so sounds like its more to do with the route rather than the length of flight.

I can't imagine them not offering PJs on any of the 'flagship' routes. Better not.
 
Good report RooFlyer and mirrors mine closely from a couple of weeks ago (except no BNE stop)

The day flight up was excellent; great service, great food - the night flight back was the same as yours; poor food, average service, no pjs

And QF need to do something (in fact a lot) to their lounge if they are serious about making MNL as business destination.

Yes I had the same experience, excellent service on QF19 J class and then a less than memorable return on QF20 J class. The main course was barely edible and the service was lower grade, the staff just didn't seem to be as hospitable. To be fair business class was closer to being full on the flight home.

The Qantas contracted caterers in Manila really need to improve the quality of their cuisine. There are some spectacular restaurants in Makati where they could get some inspiration from.
 
The Qantas contracted caterers in Manila really need to improve the quality of their cuisine. There are some spectacular restaurants in Makati where they could get some inspiration from.

Certainly agree with you Inver. The MNL catering is mediocre at best, across all classes in different airlines.
QC, fresh produce & some inspiring input as you mention, for a start - could nudge the bar upwards a tad. ;)
 
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While I have used QF19 and QF20 a couple of times, I prefer PR210 ex MEL or occasionally PR212 ex SYD with the returns respectively being the overnight PR209 and PR211.

PR's service in Mabuhay class (business) is much better with a few courses on offer. Normally, it's one of PR's five Boeing 777-300ERs which are a lot more modern than QF's A330-300s. The business class seating on PR's B773s is angled, but not too much, so I haven't found it difficult to sleep.

In Y, PR has 10 across like EK: not my favourite. However for a lot of the year there are many spare seats, so one can sometimes win with four spare seats down the back. Lying down makes all the difference on the overnight return.

PR's Y meals are better ex MEL or SYD than ex MNL. I agree that the MNL caterers could learn a lot from some of the terrific restaurants in Makati, Fort Bonifacio Global City or Ortigas, or even the couple of excellent buffets near Mall of Asia fronting Manila Bay.

It's pretty rare for PR flights to or from MEL or SYD to run more than 30" late: often they are early (depending on the winds of course among other factors).

FAs are mostly pleasant if you take the time to talk to them. The equivalent of QF's 'pursers' (a nautical term pinched by airlines) can be quite old (and often female) on PR.

PR now operate daily MNL - DRW flights on A320s, with 3x week continuing to BNE and 4X to PER. I haven't used these but they are often priced more cheaply than the mainstream SYD and MEL PR flights - I suppose that's recognition that MNL to BNE or PER is not non stop. Based on my dometic flights in Philippines with PR or its 95 per cent owned 2P (PALExpress), PR's narrowbodies would be preferable to JQ's DRW - MNL or SIN - MNL flights as on PR you get a meal and drinks for nix.
 
While I have used QF19 and QF20 a couple of times, I prefer PR210 ex MEL or occasionally PR212 ex SYD with the returns respectively being the overnight PR209 and PR211.

PR's service in Mabuhay class (business) is much better with a few courses on offer. Normally, it's one of PR's five Boeing 777-300ERs which are a lot more modern than QF's A330-300s. The business class seating on PR's B773s is angled, but not too much, so I haven't found it difficult to sleep.

However for a lot of the year there are many spare seats, so one can sometimes win with four spare seats down the back. Lying down makes all the difference on the overnight return.

You appear to be certainly well versed with the PR product sort of 'inside out".. How often do you fly with them? What fares are you purchasing?
 
I go to a specialist travel agent in Brunswick West, Victoria (no advertising allowed so look 'em up in White Pages).

I try for (but do not always get) the sale fares. Unfortunately PR seems to sometimes only release a few for each day (and I mean 10 or fewer) which is verging on misleading BUT if one sees the sale fares early enough, one can avail. My problem is that sometimes I may not know if I can go until pretty late in the peace. As an example, during my last trip, PR had a supposed A$700 or so return fare on sale ex MEL to MNL, but I ended up paying about A$960 return which was the next fare bucket. I had left my run until close to the end of the booking period and two or three weeks after the super cheap fares had appeared. However I wasn't overly complaining because the flight is direct. SQ offers efficient connections but due to deviating into and out of SIN, SQ takes 12 and a half hours plus - PR takes eight hours so 'no contest.'

At holiday times I find the PR flights are close to, or, full, so if one if an Elite FF there's a chance of an upgrade, which I have scored on occasion.
 
I go to a specialist travel agent in Brunswick West, Victoria (no advertising allowed so look 'em up in White Pages).

I try for (but do not always get) the sale fares. Unfortunately PR seems to sometimes only release a few for each day (and I mean 10 or fewer) which is verging on misleading BUT if one sees the sale fares early enough, one can avail. My problem is that sometimes I may not know if I can go until pretty late in the peace. As an example, during my last trip, PR had a supposed A$700 or so return fare on sale ex MEL to MNL, but I ended up paying about A$960 return which was the next fare bucket. I had left my run until close to the end of the booking period and two or three weeks after the super cheap fares had appeared. However I wasn't overly complaining because the flight is direct. SQ offers efficient connections but due to deviating into and out of SIN, SQ takes 12 and a half hours plus - PR takes eight hours so 'no contest.'

At holiday times I find the PR flights are close to, or, full, so if one if an Elite FF there's a chance of an upgrade, which I have scored on occasion.

Seems a good deal.. & thanks for update.
I usually fly with PR domestic & some international sectors, though have often been screwed around with delays too many times to trust them for business flights.
So for me:
Leisure - yes if the price is favourable, though often like a yo yo with PR.
Business - I always allow extra buffer with the timings, the more than often delays & BS excuses irks me somewhat, so often book additional flights as a back up.
 
Melburnian1 it would be great if you can do a TR or post a few pictures so we can see what is on offer on your flights to & from Melbourne :)
 
Inver, unfortunately I tend not to take photos but on my next trip in two or three months' time I will try to break that rule.

You may find a sparsely populated cabin departing MEL if it is not school holidays.

The Australian routes are notable for heavier loadings southeast bound (i.e. ex MNL) as many Filipinos migrate to Australia with a presumably high percentage choosing PR due to the availability of Tagalog speaking staff. The vast majority of Filipinos speak passable to excellent English but it's the comfort factor. These migrants naturally make one more southbound than northbound trip (unless they permanently depart Australia to live in Philippines again) so it's rare for me to be on a PR MEL or SYD-bound plane with fewer than 150 aboard, but ex MEL in particular I have had as few as 105: 12 or 13 in J, about 92 in Y on a 370 seat B777-300ER of which PR now has five. I have yet to score the latest B773 to arrive as it is only a couple of months old.

Conversely during school holidays the PR flights between MEL or SYD and MNL can be chockers.

I will also try to take photos of the meals and snacks.
 
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