What the best seat(s) to choose in First class on A380?

[Flying mermaid]

feeling a bit grumpy actually - coming back from Africa in September - booked in October last year and had selected my favourite 2A and 3A. unfortunately we had booked QF10... I can't plead ignorance I knew there were schedule changes, but I just forgot I had decided to come back via Melbourne instead of Sydney, so didn't check my booking. for some reason I checked the booking a couple of weeks ago, found we had been swapped to QF2 and now had 5F and 5K and the cabin was pretty full. However 1A and 1K were available, so I moved us into those. I have noticed that Princess F and I often seem to be on the same wave length and she is a 1A fan..... I will report back my views of these two in October, but I am sad to lose my favourite seats......It would have been nice if Qantas sent an e-mail notifying this sort of change ( we booked on QF site) but perhaps the cabin was already full and the delay wouldn't have made any difference. First World problems I know.

 

[Dalek]

Sat in 4A twice with a baby in 5A, put my QC15's on and never heard a thing.

Thank you Princess Fiona, I will rely on the Bose and the booze to take care of any distractions

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

For a lone traveller, you can't go past 2-4A IMO. 1A can be annoying if you have a noisy crew, 5A annoying if you have a noisy Y cabin and galley. The sanctity of one seat separation from such a hubbub would be my recommendation.

Never travelled as a couple in F (usually put the other half in Y haha ) so will defer to others for that. From my experience though it's not really optimal for couples with the exception of shared dining.

For those speculating on the end of my relationship based on the above, I've now thrown myself in front of a bus and am booking us both in J. First world problems indeed

 

[phily]

To my knowledge..the toilets lids are 'soft closing'. (happy to be corrected)

I had 1A on QF1 a few days ago SYD-LHR, and there were no sounds from the toilet. I checked and the toilet seat is relatively soft closing, but the heavier toilet lid will fall down if dropped and make a little noise. In other words, you won't hear anything from the toilet once the toilet door is closed.

1A is the noisiest - not so much the toilet (which can sometimes smell) but the coat cupboard door which has a poorly designed noisy mechanism.

I was in 1A on QF1 a few days ago, and I agree that the coat cupboard door is noisy. HOWEVER, it is really only used at the start and end of the flight. It is rarely used mid-flight, and that's when I either have my headphones on while watching the IFE or my iPad, or my earplugs in for sleeping, and so I then hear no noises whatsoever.

Can you take a photo of the shelf? Or is that for the bassinet...?

Here is the requested photo of 5A showing the extra shelf which is part of the bassinet storage cupboard.



And 1A

 

[Princess Fiona]

Here is the requested photo of 5A showing the extra shelf which is part of the bassinet storage cupboard.

View attachment 30406

And 1A
View attachment 30407

Love the background of the 1A photo showing all the pax lining up to board

 

[Anna]

I had 1A on QF1 a few days ago SYD-LHR, and there were no sounds from the toilet. I checked and the toilet seat is relatively soft closing, but the heavier toilet lid will fall down if dropped and make a little noise. In other words, you won't hear anything from the toilet once the toilet door is closed.

I don't know if 1A is different but from 1K I regularly heard the flush of the toilet.

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

The worst part about 1A is when the crew come through opening the curtain shining light into your eyes and creaking and moving the floor. Less so in the mid rows IME.

 

[Kangol]

Thanks phily - yes can see it would be handy, but is it worth it for being closer to the galley?

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

With 5A just be prepared to be shafted to a middle seat if they need the bassinet position...
Can't see any reason why one would want to be near the (noisy) galley!

 

[notsure]

After much reading of this and FT QF forums, hubby & I have 2A & 3A booked on QF10 in Dec...can't wait, will be my first trip in both QF F & the A380...definitely the way to move to Australia (or back in my case).

 

[Flying mermaid]

After much reading of this and FT QF forums, hubby & I have 2A & 3A booked on QF10 in Dec...can't wait, will be my first trip in both QF F & the A380...definitely the way to move to Australia (or back in my case).

The problem is it is an addiction - once you have your first trip you won't want it to be your last Hope you have a wonderful trip back to Australia.

 

[legroom]

With 5A just be prepared to be shafted to a middle seat if they need the bassinet position...
Can't see any reason why one would want to be near the (noisy) galley!

Quite often, that is the only one left by the time the upgrade comes through !

 

[notsure]

The problem is it is an addiction - once you have your first trip you won't want it to be your last Hope you have a wonderful trip back to Australia.

Hubby & I are already planning trips back to Norway on a biennial basis at least....and will be taking as many of those in OW F as possible so that should keep the addiction at bay

 

[Flying mermaid]

experienced 1A and 1K earlier than expected as we managed to get points upgrades on QF12 and it was them or row 5. We actually quite liked them - felt more private as you are a little forward and of course you get served really quickly. I did hear the toilet flushing once, but it was when I was awake - no issue once asleep and Mr FM didn't hear anything at all. (in our 60s so hearing is possibly less acute). Cupboard is definitely an issue, but mainly at beginning and end of trip when coats/clothes being hung up. There is another smaller cupboard across the aisle that crew seem to store things in but once again access is not during sleep time. I don't tend to sleep for more than 5 hours, so nothing worried me, but if you are the sort of person who wants to sleep until the last possible minute or generally get disturbed by a cupboard being opened then 1A has a bit more activity around it.

We liked 1A and K though as we are very impatient and I liked getting my food first! We get to try 1A and K again coming back from Dubai in September and then will make a decision as to whether to swap from 2 and 3A for future flights or not.

 

[knightman7]

Hubby & I are already planning trips back to Norway on a biennial basis at least....and will be taking as many of those in OW F as possible so that should keep the addiction at bay

You can always get TG J one stop to OSL via BKK cheap on Lifemiles And the BKK - OSL leg is on the new 777 which has lie flat J seats. My wife takes that flight to see her family 4-5 times a year.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Input from QF F experts pls - flying QF93 in 3 weeks or so - seat map below - would this be normal F loading this close to dep date?

 

[MelUser]

10 spare seats.

Am doing QF 93 and 94 in October and 5 seats free on way over and 6 on way back.

Have selected 2K and 3K both ways.

Interestingly 1A/2A was available on trip back but the toilet, coat locker and FA locker has scared me off 1A

 

[amaroo]

Input from QF F experts pls - flying QF93 in 3 weeks or so - seat map below - would this be normal F loading this close to dep date?

Entering the upgrade lottery.....watch it fill.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Oh ok - never thought of that.

 

[MelUser]

It insteresting - flying on QF 9 and 10 to and from LHR to MEL I was able to differentiate the upgraders from the rest of us.

Upgraders tended to be in a different seat position for the different flight segents - ie from DXB and to DXB.

Obiviously you can a similar feel from the seat map.