Trans-Tasman J

[clazman]

As background, here's our media release from earlier this year: Qantas Business class to sparkle on the Tasman - Qantas News Room

Amenity kit only available on flights departing after 6pm?

 

[eminere]

Amenity kit only available on flights departing after 6pm?

It would appear so.

 

[russ]

I've had three Emirates flights across the dutch in the last week and they were only at 10-20% loading that I could see. On one flight, the cabin attendants were down in the bar area doing yoga.

I have no idea what is happening on the bottom deck or the cargo hold (same thing, really!) but I wonder how sustainable it is to have so much capacity.

 

[TomVexille]

I've had three Emirates flights across the dutch in the last week and they were only at 10-20% loading that I could see. On one flight, the cabin attendants were down in the bar area doing yoga.

I have no idea what is happening on the bottom deck or the cargo hold (same thing, really!) but I wonder how sustainable it is to have so much capacity.

I can only guess that it's down to having a presence in the NZ market, cargo, and utilization. Must be better to fly the aircraft to NZ and back then to pay parking costs in SYD, MEL and BNE all day.

 

[Deleted member]

Amenity kit only available on flights departing after 6pm?

And even then, not always actually offered

 

[Mattg]

Shouldn't amenity kits, at the very least, also be offered on those early morning departures ex NZ?

 

[PaulST]

I've had three Emirates flights across the dutch in the last week and they were only at 10-20% loading that I could see. On one flight, the cabin attendants were down in the bar area doing yoga.

I have no idea what is happening on the bottom deck or the cargo hold (same thing, really!) but I wonder how sustainable it is to have so much capacity.

I agree, although I guess they're probably being propped up by their governments so they don't really care.

 

[clazman]

Just booked a Perth - Melbourne (stop over 2 days ) - Auckland flight overnight through CS as the website wouldn't accept my gift voucher and I can see I am on a Emirates flight Melbourne to Auckland.

Flying in J, with what i thought was Qantas and having never flown Emirates what can I expect?

 

[kermatu]

OK - here's my views on QF 151 Mel to Akl, departing 23:35, after one flight this week. In J, after a points upgrade came through. 5 J pax, 2 QF staff got onboard too and took 1a and 1c. (Were known to staff, offered the supper meal last etc). More on this later...

flight seemed a bit lightly loaded (maybe 80% Full). I was second last to board despite leaving the F lounge 2 minutes after boarding was called and walking 30 metres to gate 7. EF showed a large number of empty middle seats on the left rows. I had 2F and no seat block was placed (according to EF) but the seat next to me remained empty. We left 10 minutes early.

it was the usual high quality Jetconnect J service. I was very happy. I stayed awake throughout (having had bad red eye experiences where I slept for an hour before).

The hard product of course has limitations for a sleeper service, being the 737. But the soft product terrific, and far, far better than my J trans con red eyes. (Very limited experience though).

champagne, amenity kits offered up front. While the P1 team told me it would be a refreshment service only, it was effectively full dinner. Menu was named as supper. From memory it had:

Supper plates:
- cheese plate
- bowl of asparagus soup.
-prawn and soba noodle salad.
- roast lamb.

With dessert of cheese or ice cream. No mention of breakfast.

perhaps because it was a light J load, but William (the excellent J cabin attendant) gave me the soup as a starter, then I had the prawns. Both were good sized portions and tasty. Of course good drinks, coffee throughout. And for once the ice cream wasn't vanilla! So I had that and several almond biscuits for dessert. Then just as the cabin woke up, out came muffins and energiser juices.

We arrived 25 minutes early. Auckland Airport really quiet. Few immigration officers on duty (being J I got there quickly, but others would have had to queue. Made no difference as my priority bag came out in The last third of bags. Lots of customs officers on duty so that queue moved fast.

I have no idea what was offered in Y sorry. There was no announcement of "we are about to commence service" etc. there was no noise from behind so I suspect at most it was a cookie or something handed out. But I just do not know.

Service was very good in J as usual. The CSM was good, but really looked after the QF / Jetconnect staff. They each took maybe 3 amenity bags, plus two other bags of some stuff (I couldn't tell what). Plus he gave one a bottle of wine toward the end of the flight and told her to put it in her handbag.

i am all for looking after your staff, but this was a bit excessive. And while I don't know th staff travel rules that well, I still feel a letdown that high status pax don't get such good treatment (at least I never have) or get the spare J seats. But that's a whole other thread.

bottom line, I will happily fly this again.

 

[Mattg]

OK - here's my views on QF 151 Mel to Akl, departing 23:35, after one flight this week. In J, after a points upgrade came through. 5 J pax, 2 QF staff got onboard too and took 1a and 1c. (Were known to staff, offered the supper meal last etc). More on this later...

[snip]

bottom line, I will happily fly this again.

I'll be honest, when I saw the timing of that flight I immediately put it into the "avoid at all costs" basket. I can't think of much worse than a short redeye on a 737 with recliner seats. So it's great to hear that you enjoyed the service and would take that flight again.

Were most of the other passengers sleeping (or trying to) or did they mostly stay awake? Also, were the lights dimmed/switched off after takeoff? Did they come back on towards the end of the flight? And was any sort of breakfast served?

 

[Mattg]

Just booked a Perth - Melbourne (stop over 2 days ) - Auckland flight overnight through CS as the website wouldn't accept my gift voucher and I can see I am on a Emirates flight Melbourne to Auckland.

Flying in J, with what i thought was Qantas and having never flown Emirates what can I expect?

I think most people hear would rate the Emirates J service very highly. At the very least, the hard product (fully flat bed) is better than QF on the 737s.

 

[kermatu]

I'll be honest, when I saw the timing of that flight I immediately put it into the "avoid at all costs" basket. I can't think of much worse than a short redeye on a 737 with recliner seats. So it's great to hear that you enjoyed the service and would take that flight again.

Were most of the other passengers sleeping (or trying to) or did they mostly stay awake? Also, were the lights dimmed/switched off after takeoff? Did they come back on towards the end of the flight? And was any sort of breakfast served?

Lights were dimmed for takeoff and only a couple were put back on after the crew got up. So it was pretty dark. With eye shades, the two guys next to me seemed to be able to sleep straight away. I needed my reading light on all the time to read and to eat. The QF staff did likewise but eventually slept. Two people behind me I do not know.

i think it was very well done. If you wanted to sleep, you could. If you wanted to eat etc you could. It helped that the J cabin was light. If I had a pax next to me who wanted to sleep, it would not have been great for either of us I suspect.

 

[kermatu]

And no breakfast. But in J at least William came around with mini muffins and a juice. It was not breakfast, but for such a short flight with supper, I am not surprised.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

The bed is the hard product not the soft and its great.

Service on akl is usually good because its an easy day for the crew. The asia to Australia flights not so good.

 

[russ]

I've had three EK flights Syd/Akl in the last week

- Syd Emirates lounge: They have some food on display but it didn't appeal to my basic Aussie palette, so each time I've asked for scambled eggs. First time they appeared okay, second time the attendant said that it was very hard to do so did I want him to ask the chef. I replied that of course I wanted him to ask the chef! Wifi is poor because they seemed to block my outgoing emails, so i needed to open up a VPN to send emails. Wifi is better on the plane than in the lounge!
- Flights: I flew J and F. J hard product is comparable to QF A380 J. But if you are at the front of J, it's a bloody long walk to the toilets down the back. Service is poor - I was served by about 8 different people. For example, one person gives you the express arrivals card, another person comes along later and gives you the immigration card. So it feels like you are on a production line. Also frankly I couldn't understand the accents of half the staff, and they couldn't understand me. I asked for water three times and they kept offering me champagne. They also don't seem to get our of you way when you are walking the length of the plane to get to the toilet. They just sort of stand there and look at you, even if they are fiddling around with their bags in the suit lockers. F seat is slightly wider than J and more spacious, but not perfectly flat. However, the shower is terrific! Loadings are light... I wondered whether there were more staff than passengers.
- AKL Emirates lounge is like a domestic QP in terms of ambience. There were two meat dishes: lamb and goat. The goat wasn't touched but the lamb was empty both times I went to it. Everything else was dates and prunes or whatever. The lounge was so full and food so poor that I left and went into the QF F lounge where I attacked the fridge full of ice cream!

Having said all that, I've done my time on QF 737s and am sick of staring at those grey hexagons on the seat in front, so I have booked more flights on EK. Even when watching a movie or TV show, it is great to be able to lie back as much as you want

 

[Shan Man]

I asked for water three times and they kept offering me champagne.

I see nothing wrong with this?

 

[opusman]

The AKL EK lounge definitely has more food than just two meat dishes, dates and prunes. So this just comes across as hyperbole.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

The AKL EK lounge definitely has more food than just two meat dishes, dates and prunes. So this just comes across as hyperbole.

yeah i do agree, its quite an extensive buffet

 

[russ]

That's why I wrote "... and whatever." The point was that there was very little that appealed to me.

 

[Altair]

I agree that the EK lounge is not the best, definitely behind the Australian QF First Lounges as you would expect, but IMO nothing to write home about. I have tried the food, there is a large buffet selection but IME the food is rather bland and not very warm either. Oh how I miss the First Lounge, mind you flying EK First does allow me access to them.