A QANTAS 747-400 parked at Sydney’s Kingsford Smith International Airport. Note the Sydney skyline in the background! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Last month I took a dive to the land down under on a big QANTAS 747-400 in business class on its recently restored nonstops between San Francisco International and Sydney.
Highlights of this 14-hour flight include:
- A business class lounge that exceeded my expectations
- One of the best nights of sleep I’ve ever had onboard a plane
- A spin through an empty 747 including the secret crew rest area
- Bottled water that helps with jet lag
- Pajamas worth changing into
- Dramatic view from the cockpit on approach to SYD
- A raucous greeting in Sydney that will make you smile
- One of the easiest train rides from airport to city I’ve experienced in a while
Currently, QANTAS economy class roundtrip fares between San Francisco and Sydney are in the $1,400 range (but can dip as low as $1,000 during periodic fare sales). Premium economy fares are about $3,000 round trip, and business class roundtrips run from about $8,000 to $10,000. QANTAS does not offer first class on its SFO-SYD flights. United and QANTAS offer the only nonstops between SFO and SYD and their fares are identical.*
QANTAS covered the cost of my flights, but TravelSkills paid for hotels, meals and transfers related to this five-day trip.
So glad to be upstairs on the 747! Wow! (Chris McGinnis)
Checking in at SFO for an 11:25 pm departure was fast and easy. My ticket did not allow me to select a seat ahead of time, so I was worried that I’d be stuck in one of the few middle seats in business class. So I arrived at the airport early planning to spend a couple hours working in the lounge. Lo and behold, at check in there was one seat left upstairs in the “business class bubble” so I snagged it! Seat 14B is an aisle exit row, so I had miles of legroom. How much? See this.
Call me culturally confused: I’m headed to Australia, but the business class lounge says otherwise (Chris McGinnis)
At SFO, QANTAS passengers must use the Air France / KLM lounge. While I was hoping that I might be able to slip into the lounges of Oneworld partners such as British Airways or Cathay Pacific, I learned that due to crowding issues at night, QANTAS passengers are only provided access to the Air France / KLM Lounge.
QANTAS uses the Air France lounge at SFO- this is one of two rooms (Chris McGinnis)
My expectations for the lounge were set low– I had heard that there was nothing special about this lounge. But when I entered, I was greeted nicely by two fun and interesting agents who explained to me that I had to be sure and see BOTH rooms in the lounge. Apparently, many lounge visitors think the lounge is just the first room you see (above). But there’s a somewhat hidden door that leads to a much larger room with a big buffet, and plenty of tables and chairs. The back room was definitely where the action was.
A relic from its Northwest Airlines past- the Air France lounge still sports a fireplace (Chris McGinnis)
This lounge used to belong to Northwest Airlines. Remember when most NWA lounges had fireplaces? This relic (not working) is still there, which adds a homey feel to the space. Apparently the fireplace will be removed next time this lounge is updated.
A friendly attendant passes around cups of warm fried rice that hits the spot at 10 pm (Chris McGinnis)
What the Air France / KLM lounge lacks in atmosphere is made up for in the service you get once inside. As I said, the door agents were fun and friendly (we joked about feeling French when flying to Australia). Inside the lounge, servers were all over the place, passing snacks, cleaning up and interacting with travelers. I arrived early, and the place was pretty empty, but as flight time approached, seat space became scant– it was a good thing that they had staffed up for the crunch.
A healthy hearty pre-flight plateful from the lounge buffet (Chris McGinnis)
I was impressed by the amount and variety of food and drink on offer at the KLM / AF lounge that QANTAS uses. The lounge also had a noisy and convivial feel– mostly Australians enjoying a beer and time with friends and colleagues on their way home.
Stairway to heaven: inside the business class bubble on a 747 (Chris McGinnis)
Due to my status as a travel writer, I received a special favor– I asked if I could board five minutes early so I could get some good photos of the plane before it filled up with passengers. At the last minute my wish was granted, so I scrambled on board, up the “stairway to heaven,” threw my bags down and took off with flight attendant Jerry for a quick tour of the plane INCLUDING a look at the secret crew rest area in the aft section of the “bubble” with access via a special stairway from the main deck. See that here or scroll to the bottom for the video. This big bird has a crew of 14 flight attendants and four pilots and on a 14+ hour flight, they need a place to hide!
18 big business class seats upstairs configured 2-2 on the QANTAS 747 (Chris McGinnis)
There’s not a better place in the world than upstairs in business class on a Boeing 747-400. On QANTAS there are 18 seats up here configured 2-2 with a galley in the back and a lavatory and door to the cockpit up front. I was seated in 14B- the seat (seen below) with the suitcase in front of it. Not only is it in the cosy confines of the business class bubble, it’s an exit row seat. Upside of this seat: limitless legroom and no interference from your neighbor getting up. Downside: In seat storage is almost nil– window seat passengers get those nice big bins along the windows, but aisle seats don’t. Another downside with this seat: it’s tough seeing out the windows.
Row 14 upstairs on QANTAS 747 is exit row w endless leg room (Chris McGinnis)
Seat controller for business class lie-flat seats- with massage! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
QANTAS 747-400 business class seats are the same ones you’ll find on its A380s– fully flat, lumbar controls and with a nice massage feature. The massage was nice, but controlling it via these buttons was difficult.
There is no wi-fi onboard QANTAS 747s.
Main deck business class on QANTAS 747-400 (Image: Seatguru)
Row 1 on the main deck- I call these “windshield seats” because of the curvature of the plane in the nose (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
While upstairs is nice, downstairs in the nose of the 747 is a pretty nice space, too. Especially if you are seated in row 1– these seats are super private and quiet and insiders say that this is usually where QANTAS seats its superstar VIP guests.
Least desirable business class seat on QANTAS 747 are middle seat on main deck, rows 5, 6,7 & 8 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
The best seats on the main deck are row 1 (for privacy) and also row 5 if you are traveling alone- that’s because these two seats (B&J) are solo seats– there’s no one seated next to you. See what I mean here on the 747-400 V2 three class layout on SeatGuru. Seats to avoid if possible would be the three middle seats on row 5, 6, 7 and 8.
Economy class on QANTAS 747 configured 3-4-3 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
There are 270 economy class seats on this big bird. One cabin is green (pictured), the other is pinkish maroon. The best seats are those in the mid-cabin area. Avoid seats at the front or the rear of the cabins due to lines that form near lavatories.
Economy class seat pitch is 31 inches on the QANTAS 747 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
QANTAS also offers a distinct premium economy section with 26 seats configured 2-4-2 with wider seats and arm rests. Premium economy passengers also get a special menu, noise canceling headsets, preflight champagne, and special amenity kits.
QANTAS premium economy on 747 is configured 2-4-2- ask for the 2 side! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Seat pitch in QANTAS premium economy is 38″ plus wider arm rests (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Back upstairs in business class… we took off on time at 11:25 pm. Shortly thereafter, a mad rush for the lavatory ensued as everyone was eager to change into pajamas for the long night ahead. This was also the time that flight attendants helped passengers position nice quilted cotton seat covers over cushions that really helped with the coziness factor of the cabin. (See below)
QANTAS SFO flight departs at 11:25 pm and arrives SYD about 14 hours later at about 8:00 am two days later (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Soft and stretchy pajamas improve sleep quality & preserve your clothing for arrival (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
I’m usually not one to fuss over pajamas, but on a 14+ hour flight it was very nice to change into a shirt I’d not spent the night in. Plus, you get to keep the PJs for use at home (or for gifting those who did not get to go on this trip).
Salmon with spinach & sauteed eggplant (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
I was disappointed that we did not get any menus on this flight… I usually like to peruse and photograph them. But on this flight there was a snafu due to the change from February to March, and the menus did not get loaded. So my choice was made based on a description provided by the flight attendant. I chose to go with salmon and was not disappointed. It tasted delicious, and was a right sized portion. Not pictured is the bread– flight attendants roll out two big loaves of warm bread (sourdough and whole wheat) which they offer while serving the main course. Warm bread is always nice.
A delicious vanilla custard with raspberries for dessert (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Since I knew I’d be trying to sleep on this flight, I ate about half my entree and a few bites of this cool and velvety vanilla custard. After that, it was time to hit the sack on my cozy quilted lie flat seat.
Quilted seat covers help! Flight attendants place them at passengers’ request before or after meal (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
I tried to watch “The Intern” after my meal, but started to doze off. Once I put my seat down, Jerry was there with a bottle of flower-enhanced Balance water– supposedly to help with jet lag. You know what? It worked! No jet lag at all on this trip. But that might have more to do with the fact that I slept for 8 hours on this flight…. amazing because I rarely get 8 hours at home!
Here’s what worked for me: First, of course is the true lie-flat seat upstairs on a 747. Second, I made it a point to eat lightly and only had one glass of wine with dinner. Third, on this flight I tried using Mack’s Moldable Silicone Earplugs– each one is a small plug of translucent putty that covers up your entire ear canal and truly blocks out all sound. That, along with my Bucky eyemask and I was down for the count!
Special jet lag water provided to get you through the night (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
On this flight I slept for nearly 8 hours — I remember falling asleep as we approached Hawaii and I woke up with only about 2-3 hours flying time left! Wow!
Fell asleep somewhere near Hawaii & woke up 8 hours later- almost there! (Chris McGinnis)
I could not believe my eyes when I woke up and looked at my watch at around 6 am Sydney time. Perfect time for a flat white!
Woke up to a fine flat white prepared by flight attendant (Chris McGinnis)
I strolled back to the galley to find the second of two flight attendants plating breakfast and making toast in a big toaster– that burnt bread smell reminded me of breakfast at my Canadian Granny’s house!
A hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, and (my fave) baked beans (Chris McGinnis)
After a full night of sleep and a flat white, I was raring to go. In that sharpened state, I asked our flight attendant if I could pass my camera to the pilots to take some shots of the approach to SYD. They agreed and took about 30 shots- the best of which I posted below. Very cool!
I handed my camera to pilots for some great approach shots- note Sydney skyline! (Photo: QANTAS Pilots!)
A quick thanks to the crew for helping me out with some photos (Chris McGinnis)
Arrival at Sydney was quick and easy via kiosk. No lines at all at 8 am.
Quick and easy entry via kiosk at SYD (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Now this was a surprise: Sydney’s big Mardi Gras festival was taking place during the week I was there… and the airport had drag queens welcoming flights– which caused quite a stir as we filed past them. One of them looked at me and said, “Sir, you must have flown in business class because you are looking fresh as a flower this morning!” I had to agree– and pose for a few selfies 🙂
Since it was Mardi Gras in Sydney, our flight was greeted by some festive drag queens. What a welcome! (Chris McGinnis)
Getting into the city for my meetings was a cinch using the quick and easy Airport Link, which takes about 20 minutes to reach the Central Business District or “CBD” as Sydneysiders say.
A quick, easy, one-seat ride from airport to central business district or CBD (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Trains depart for city every 10 minutes from airport station- a 20 minute ride (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Fares run about US$13 each way for the 20 minute ride to town– that’s pricey for two, but definitely beats the morning traffic. Taxicab fares run about US$35.
Plenty of room on the clean, modern & bright double decker trains to the city (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
The train dropped me just a couple blocks from my Sydney hotel- easy! By the way, did you see my post: Trip Report: newest business class hotels in Sydney? Read up!
And stay tuned for a follow up post to this one where I’ll explore QANTAS’ flagship first and business class lounges at SYD!
Stay tuned for another post this- QANTAS first & business class lounges at SYD (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Here’s the video of the crew rest area:
*(Fares checked for May flights using Google flights on March 28 and subject to change)
Disclosure: QANTAS covered the cost of Chris’ flights. TravelSkills paid for related hotels, meals and transfers.
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Which 747 was this? (I want the registration)
There are still two versions of business class seats on the Qantas 747s. The old Mark I, which is lie flat, but angled, and the Mark II, which is the same seat as on the A380 and is truly 180 degree lie flat. The way to tell the difference is the fabric on them. The Mark I is gray, while the Mark II is maroon. However, there have been reports of the Mark IIs leg rests sagging, creating less than life flat positions, which is a malfunction, not a design feature.
Either way, by far, the worst feature of these seats is the lack of direct aisle access, which shouldn’t even exist in long-haul business classes anymore. American Airlines 777-300’s business class seats are HEAPS better than this.
It looks like they’ve finally finished the renovations of the international arrivals terminal? I was at SYD several years ago and maybe I was loopy after getting off the plane and such a long flight, but it was an absolute disaster area! Nothing more to do than have a good laugh.
Lovely country, great people, and a trip I’ll remember for a lifetime, but it was a hilariously bad “welcome to down under, mate.” 🙂
My biggest issue with Qantas Business Class seats is that however nice it simply was not a fully flat bed as advertised. The seat had a downward angle when fully extended which meant stuffing pillows under my calfs and feet to make it feel more fully flat. Disappointing for the price paid.
We should have included row 5 in there, too… it’s a bulkhead, which is a little better but still not as good as a window or aisle.
Thanks! We’ve updated the post. Math was never my strong suit 😉
I’ve sat in 14A and quite enjoyed it, but you’re right—it’s tough to see out the windows of the upper deck, making it difficult to appreciate the view of Sydney when you’re flying in. The flight is timed perfectly for a natural night of sleep on the way over.
Their Premium Economy seats strike a nice balance between the Business and Economy. The service is certainly better and you have access to real silverware, improved pillows and blankets, and a wider selection of alcohol, which I tend to avoid on board (a sentiment not shared by all, to be sure!). If anything, the seats are allowed to recline too much, making it challenging to escape if you happen to be trapped in the middle seats.
Their Economy product is also better than most; they provide in-seat power via USB and an actual outlet. Their inflight entertainment is fairly extensive and includes full seasons of TV series, so you have plenty to keep you busy. All seats have solid “wings” on the headrest to keep your head from falling all over the place.
My biggest issue with Qantas is the atrocious WiFi at their domestic terminals. You only get 30 minutes (or 500mb), but it barely works half of the time, so it’s faster to use a mobile network. I don’t know where the failure is here since Sydney and Melbourne each provide their own WiFi outside of the Qantas domestic terminal.
Overall, I’m glad to see Qantas back at SFO. They’re the best option when trying to connect to Melbourne (or some other Australian city). Fingers crossed that they’ll someday start service to Melbourne and eliminate the less-than-enjoyable connection through Sydney, though this isn’t likely in the near future given their aging fleet.
The train is A$18.40 (cheaper with an Opal card), which is about US$14. Not US$25
Great trip report Chris! You mentioned to avoid the Rows 6-7-8 middle seat. Is the Row 5 middle seat OK? I couldn’t tell from the SeatGuru chart whether it was open in front thereby making it easier to leave from/return to your seat.
Thanks, Arcanum! I did not know about the official change and current use of lower case. I’ll change my ways now that I know.
Australia has a history of protecting Qantas by setting high minimum fares for international travel that originates in Australia… all they are allowed to do under IATA regulations. Perhaps United and Qantas (even though they’re in rival alliances) have a non-aggression understanding of some sort for fares originating here in North America. For travel originating in Australia, identical fares would be expected because the Qantas fare would normally be used as the minimum fare.
One small point – while the airline was originally called QANTAS (an acronym for Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services), the name was officially changed to Qantas Airways back in the 1960s. The all-caps version is thus no longer correct.
Do you have oneworld elite status? because im sure you could’ve gotten into the CX/BA lounges if you did.
Nice Chris:
But, it just doesn’t compare to the “bubble” on a DL 747-400, with one seat on each side rather than 2×2 seating.
Amazing report as always Chris!
Nice look at crew rest area.
Hey Jeff: The food was actually really good– very tasty, nice portions. I had no complaints except for the fact that we did not get menus. Not as good as Aer Lingus was this time last year… but still very good. Here’s the link to the Aer Lingus Trip Report: https://travelskills.com/2015/05/26/trip-report-aer-lingus-business-class-meals-best-in-class/
Great report. Only thing (and I’m a very flexible eater) is the food looked horrid. Did it taste good? Very basic and not what I would expect in business for 8-10k.
Beans for breakfast sounds weird, but it works pretty well. I had the same reaction to pineapple and Canadian bacon on pizza. Sounded awful, tasted great.
Great report. You didn’t miss much not visiting the BA lounge. Nothing to write home about, especially when it was shared between BA and CX passengers before CX opened their own lounge.
Wow, what a great trip report, makes me want to a book a flight to Australia right now. Yes, the upper deck of the 747 is wonderful. A couple times on flights to Europe I have slept so soundly that the flight attendants don’t dare wake me until the plane is about to land, and then I discover that I missed those wonderful breakfasts. Sydney is on my bucket list for sure now, but I might skip beans for breakfast.