QF5 ... SYD to LHR?

[La Mouette]

I've been contemplating changing a flight to 26 May, and I keep getting offered QF5 at a sale price.

QF5 doesn't appear to exist on any other dates, and I haven't seen any news about a new LHR flight. I asked reservations about it, and they were equally surprised.

Can anyone shed any light as to if this flight really exists, and if so, why?

 

[mrsterryn]

I had a sticky beak on seat alerts and quite a few people booked on it.
What a random flight

 

[AIRwin]

Stopover is in SIN for 4 hours 45 minutes (most likely due to SYD departure curfew and LHR arrival slots?)

 

[shadowground]

I've been contemplating changing a flight to 26 May, and I keep getting offered QF5 at a sale price.

QF5 doesn't appear to exist on any other dates, and I haven't seen any news about a new LHR flight. I asked reservations about it, and they were equally surprised.

Can anyone shed any light as to if this flight really exists, and if so, why?

View attachment 159076

supposedly a positioning flight for the first A380 to undergo J refurbishment.

 

[AIRwin]

supposedly a positioning flight for the first A380 to undergo J refurbishment.

Looking forward to QF6 after the makeover!

 

[travellerqff]

It’s a positioning flight for a charter, grab a seat while you can if you like the flight times! I almost bought the SIN LHR leg for SGD$331

 

[Quickstatus]

Have a look at a previous discussion:

QF "charters"

In the past they have taken a regular service and blocked it off for just one sector. However, now that they have a surplus of A380, they can send one on an extra revenue flight plus charter on the return

 

[moa999]

Either a charter, paint (still 4 A380s in the old scheme) or refurb (though latest was refurb won't commence until July)

 

[Quickstatus]

I thought the repaint/refurb is occuring in DXB?

 

[Himeno]

I thought the repaint/refurb is occuring in DXB?

EK was only contracted to do some maintenance on 1 or 2 aircraft and paint 8.
The refurbs are being done by Airbus in France.

It is most likely for a charter return in the other direction

 

[La Mouette]

Thanks for all of the feedback. Before I book this "flight of a lifetime" experience, I'm assuming they'll keep the lounge open in Singapore in this situation?

 

[Mattg]

Thanks for all of the feedback. Before I book this "flight of a lifetime" experience, I'm assuming they'll keep the lounge open in Singapore in this situation?

I think you'll need to check this with Qantas. The QF lounge is not normally open at this time of the morning, and I'm not sure they would have the foresight (or even ability) to open it on this occasion as a one-off. That said, I'm sure they would make some sort of alternative arrangements if the Qantas lounge isn't open.

If you're eligible to access it, the EK lounge should be open in the morning.

 

[dajop]

I suspect lounge will be open. It certainly remains open should be there be significant delays to other QF flights. Eg last year when QF 1 was delayed to 5am it remained open until the flight started boarding (which was great as my JQ flight was also delayed to 6am ..).

 

[AIRwin]

Wonder why the flight number QF31 wasn't assigned when it used to operate SYD-SIN-LHR?

 

[Quickstatus]

Thanks for all of the feedback. Before I book this "flight of a lifetime" experience, I'm assuming they'll keep the lounge open in Singapore in this situation?

QF(SIN) hours are 1430-2400hrs
QF5 arrives at 0515hrs but departs at 1000am for LHR. (You realise you will be sitting in SIN for 4.75 hours?)

Unlikely they will stay open from 2400-1000am for just one flight.

Possibly they will close then reopen from 0430-1000. However, don’t discount the possibility they will send you to a contract lounge like Plaza Premium or Dnata in T1 - both are open 24hrs. . It may be cheaper for the airline to pay the contract lounges.

More likely they will just put you into the EK T1 lounge - (because EK operates QF codeshares from SIN-SYD and SIN-DXB). Luckily EK opens 4 hours prior to an EK flight so the earliest it will open is 0530am. Note you have to be a QF F/J or QF WP1/WP/SG to access the EK lounge

By the way, the Cathay lounge in T4 is off limits to passengers who are not departing from T4.

Additionally have you factored in the possibility that any delays in SYD could potentially put the departure time past the SYD airport curfew time?

 

[levelnine]

(You realise you will be sitting in SIN for 4.75 hours?)

I wonder why the stop in SIN on this special flight is so much longer than the usual stop in SIN on QF1.

 

[AIRwin]

I wonder why the stop in SIN on this special flight is so much longer than the usual stop in SIN on QF1.

Most likely due to making the SYD departure curfew and LHR arrival slots?

 

[Quickstatus]

And possibly pilots and cabin crew needs to be propositioned to SIN a day or two ahead so the slip time needs to be considered. Likely SIN-LHR would also include LHR based cabin crew

 

[Himeno]

I wonder why the stop in SIN on this special flight is so much longer than the usual stop in SIN on QF1.

Having to depart SYD before 2300, and can't head on to LHR without a usable landing slot.

I'd guess they are using the QF5 number instead of QF31 because it's been used more recently and used to go to SIN then on to Europe (FRA).

Though they keep the QF lounge open in the evening when there are delays, I doubt they'd keep it open or reopen it for a few hours in the morning. The additional overtime pay for staff when there aren't any pax there, or getting a second one off shift set up likely wouldn't be worth it. Some people have reported being able to use the T1/2/3 > T4 bus before to access lounges and shops in the other building without a flight from that terminal, but it is apparently annoying to do and depends on who is checking passes at the bus waiting area.
They could send you to the Danta lounge (which JAL currently uses) or the SATS lounge (between the QF and BA lounges). The EK lounge is open for 4 hours before EK departures, and closed for periods during the day when there isn't a EK flight. If you'd have access to the QF lounge, you'd also likely have access to the EK lounge.
There is EK433 to DXB at 0940, so the lounge should open around 0540 and closes again for a few hours after EK432 to BNE is called around 1000.