On QF's first 744 VH-OJA to Sydney, and the Qantas First Lounge in Sydney

[qantas_flyer]

A really great trip report. Love it

[CarbonMan]

Great pics, yflyer! Thanks for sharing.

The QF lounge looks really super at both ends!

[RCTP]

I love those flipboards! When I have the time, I like to stand under the one at Changi T2 and wait for it to.. well.. flip. Haha

[sgflight]

Very nice picture! Esp the one with Scoot, SQ388 and QF747 together in a frame

[9V-SIA]

Thanks for sharing. Beautiful pictures!

I find new Y seats are lighter but definitely less comfortable than old Y seats

TPR inferior to the QF offering. Especially for taking photos

[SilverChris]

Great pics you have there. Thanks for the report!

Love the QF lounge - it's my favorite J lounge in SIN

[Guitarsingapore]

Awesome pictures! Thanks for sharing.

[eminere™]

Will be flying on a B744 from HKG-SYD next Tuesday. Hope it'll be a comfortable flight! Your review is very encouraging.

[yflyer]

A really great trip report. Love it

Thanks, qantas_flyer! Glad you enjoyed reading it.

Great pics, yflyer! Thanks for sharing.

The QF lounge looks really super at both ends!

Thanks, CarbonMan! Don't get to fly Qantas as much as I used to, but really enjoy flying with them, and visiting their lounges, when I do have the opportunity.

I love those flipboards! When I have the time, I like to stand under the one at Changi T2 and wait for it to.. well.. flip. Haha

Thanks, RCTP! Yes, something quite mesmerising about watching the rows flip, especially if the change causes a cascade, making all the other rows changes too. Sometimes funny as well when some of the letters don't work...

Very nice picture! Esp the one with Scoot, SQ388 and QF747 together in a frame

Thanks, sgflight! Yes I like that shot too! Especially the puff of smoke from the tires...All taken with an iPhone!

Thanks for sharing. Beautiful pictures!

I find new Y seats are lighter but definitely less comfortable than old Y seats

TPR inferior to the QF offering. Especially for taking photos

Thanks, 9V-SIA! The only new Y seat I have been impressed with is the Qantas A380 Y seat, designed by Marc Newson. All the others seem to put weight and slimness ahead of passenger comfort. The current gen SQ A380/A330/77W seat is very good (better than the original SQ 777 Y seat which had horrible cushioning) , but the Marc Newson Y seat is still tops in my book.

Great pics you have there. Thanks for the report!

Love the QF lounge - it's my favorite J lounge in SIN

Thanks, SilverChris! For the tarmac shots, I sometimes wish I had brought a proper camera with a telephoto lens, but apart from that, the iPhone seems just fine for TR's and food pics! Yup, one of the nicest lounges in T1 I think!

Awesome pictures! Thanks for sharing.

Thanks, Guitarsingapore! Glad you like them!

Will be flying on a B744 from HKG-SYD next Tuesday. Hope it'll be a comfortable flight! Your review is very encouraging.

eminere, let us know how the flight goes! Maybe you will get one of the 747-400ER's with the refurbished interiors!

[yflyer]

My return flight SYD-SIN was on VH-OJM. Another non-refurbished 744.



Again, this plane had the angled lie-flat Skybed Mark 1 in business, and the new Premium Y seats.

In fact, Premium Y was the only cabin on this plane with the newest QF hard product. The other cabins were at least one generation behind. The next picture shows the Premium Y cabin.



Economy was an older product, in red upholstery, similar to QF's A330's.



The Y cabin was in conventional 3-4-3 layout. Not the latest Y product, but the seats were very comfortable.

[yflyer]

After take-off, a hot meal was served.

Cabin service was exceptionally warm and cheerful. An outstanding team of cabin crew in the Y cabin today.



I chose the Oriental selection of chicken and rice, together with a bottle of sparkling wine.

[yflyer]

More than 3 hours into the flight, we were still flying over Australia.



The crew came round with snacks, including fruit, and this mango ice cream bar.



Prior to landing, a hot snack was served.





By then we were flying high over Indonesian airspace, where the air grew noticeably more turbulent. QF pilots aren't as trigger happy with the seatbelt sign, though, and the seatbelt sign remained off practically throughout the flight.

It was approaching sunset, and those by the window were treated to wonderful views of clouds and the sunset.





We landed right on time at Changi, where I experienced a rare best case arrival scenario: The arrival Gate C1 was closest to T1 immigration, which meant that I stepped off the aerobridge, and took just a few steps to the arrival hall, and right through automated immigration clearance, to the first luggage belt, where my luggage emerged within a couple of minutes. I was then waved through customs, to an empty taxi queue. From the aerobridge to taxi in 11 minutes flat. Including retrieving one piece of checked luggage!

Arriving at Changi is usually quick, but sometimes you do better or worse than average. In fact I seem to have terrible luck with arrival gates, often arriving at the extreme ends of the various terminals. That day was a record unlikely to be broken any time soon!

[yflyer]

One thing I did not get to do on this trip to Sydney was fly on the upper deck. That, and the cabin up front in the nose, is to me what makes flying on the 744 unique.

I seldom get the opportunity to fly upstairs on a 744, but every flight on the upper deck has been unforgettable.

I did do this back in April 2012, on a QF op-up to J. Just a few pics from that flight to end this TR on a high note!







And finally the one view of the 744 I will really miss when they finally leave the fleet...



Thanks for reading!

[eminere™]

eminere, let us know how the flight goes! Maybe you will get one of the 747-400ER's with the refurbished interiors!

Flew the A380 today from SYD-HKG and I must say Qantas has really improved in the few years since I last flew with them internationally. The economy product on the A380 is quite decent and fairly comfortable. My only gripe is the (lack of) elbow room, which of course is the case with most economy class offerings.

Does Qantas deploy the B744ER on this route? I thought they were reserved for their longer US routes.

Also, if you don't mind my asking, how does one access the First lounges when flying economy?

[eminere™]

I'd also add that I really like the fact Qantas, like Emirates, offers gate-to-gate inflight entertainment. Why is it so difficult for SIA to follow suit? They collect the headsets early as it is already. The touchscreen and external cameras are also really welcome too.