Qantas

My recent experience with Qantas was lack luster and quite disappointing. Our flights to Sydney and from Sydney were both considerably delayed and ended up costing us £450 extra as we had to rebook one of the legs from London to Dublin. I was completely loyal to Qantas for over a decade but I am afraid they are not going to get my business going forward.

* In the running for top First Class overall experience *
Qantas is one of those unexpected surprises that is just pleasant. You always hear about the top airlines of the world in terms of service being from Asia and the Middle East. I have flown in first on Singapore Airlines, BA, Cathay, and many others. But I must say that Qantas impressed me on my recent trip from London to Sydney.
We arrived in Terminal 3 via the Piccadilly line and had a slightly difficult time locating the first class check-​in. But we did find the economy check-​in and I asked a Qantas staff member where the first class check-​in was. Instead of just grunting and pointing as many airline staff do, he said, «I’ll show you.» He then walked with us and «handed us off» to a first class host in a comfortable area for check-​in. She introduced herself and waited while the agent printed our boarding passes. She then escorted us to the fast pass area to skip the long departure line and said, «I’ll see you on the other side.»
We breezed through and were brought to the lounge. (Which is actually a BA lounge — but much better than the one I had been in a few years ago in Terminal 4.) We had a nice massage at the Elements Spa, were given some creams and goo (that is the technical term, right?) for the flight to stay moisturized and had a nice sit down meal.
The same host was there again to facilitate boarding before they made any announcements to start boarding. So we were comfortably onboard without any of the normal airport hassle. A very smooth and good start to the 23 hour journey. Yes, 23 hours. Yikes!
They fly the new A380 on the route, which was spacious. The first class suites were large and comfortable. They do an odd thing with the seat rotating from facing straight for take-​off and landing to an angle when you want to eat/​watch TV/​have them convert it into a bed for sleeping.
The seat feels almost like a nice relaxing armchair from a living room with leather armrests and really good padding. Very comfortable. It has built in massage functions, and electronic controls to do the shades/​dividing walls/​etc. Very nice. When it is time to sleep the flight attendants converted the seat into a bed by laying it completely flat, topping it with a sheepskin covered mattress, a nicely pressed cotton sheet, and a duvet. The pillow was actually comfortable too — covered in linen! They provide you with some very comfortable pajamas as well so it feels cozy. I actually got a solid 8 hours of undisturbed sleep! A first for me!
The screen was a full 17 inch monitor, and had a very interesting selection of video programs. Noise canceling headsets as well, of course.
There were a ton of independent and artsy flicks in addition to all the usual Hollywood suspects you find on most airlines. I was really impressed with the selection, and had a bunch of movies to really keep me engaged and make the time fly quickly. This was an amazing thing considering how long the flight is!
We were able to dine together facing each other in a single suite. A very nice touch that made it feel as close to a restaurant experience as you could expect on a flight.
There was a nice selection of items including a tasty machego and corn canapé, seared scallop canapé, Aberdeen black angus from the Orkney Islands, nice selection of cheeses and desserts followed by petits fours. All of the wines on offer were Australian (of course).
Lots of snacks available during the rest of the flight such as the lamb, pea, and mint pot pie and a steak sandwich with chilli relish. Both were tasty (it was a LONG flight).
Prior to landing in Singapore they served a full English breakfast and I had a delicious fresh pear juice. During the Singapore layover we were able to get off, stretch, visit the lounge, grab a shower, check e-​mail, and reboard the flight.
More food ensued including a full lunch which had a Singaporean flair to it (the king prawn with coriander and sesame soy was delicious; as was the beef rendang). And again they offered cheese, dessert, and petits fours (couldn’t have anymore though!!!).
I would never recommend doing a 23 hour flight any other way! Amazingly not an ounce of jetlag after arriving. Absolutely amazing.