Flying with Qantas: LHR-SIN-SYD-CHC. Experiences?

[dobsd]

Hi there,

I have never flown long-haul before, the longest flight I've done is MAN-LCA, around 5 hours.
The flights I'm taking to Christchurch are booked with Qantas but my understanding is that the first leg, LHR-SIN, is with BA on a 747-400. Has anybody ever done this part before? I'm a really nervous flyer and for some reason, the 747 puts me on edge slightly. I'm unable to select seats for this part of the flight. I'm 5' 10" so a little worried about leg room. Can anybody let me know what the seats are like? 13 hours of no leg room is not a happy thought!

The second part of my journey is SIN-SYD on the Qantas A380. I'm really excited about flying on the A380 (still quite nervous though!). I have chosen seat 66K. Does anybody have any experience of this seat? Are there plug sockets/USB ports on this seat? If so, will I be able to use a standard UK 3-Pin plug, if not which adapter will I need?

The last leg is SYD-CHC, which I'm not too fussed about as it's only 3 hours and I suspect I'll be too excited to even care how comfortable I am!

Sorry for all the questions, but as I'm pretty scared of flying, I feel I need to get these things sorted in my head before I fly. Thanks in advance for any responses!

 

[VHOEJ]

Either way you are going to be exhausted by the time you get on the CHC flight..........good luck is all I can say!

 

[dobsd]

Either way you are going to be exhausted by the time you get on the CHC flight..........good luck is all I can say!

Haha thanks! I've never been able to sleep on planes, I'm going to be basically a zombie by the time I get to CHC!

 

[tuapekastar]

Hi there,

I have never flown long-haul before, the longest flight I've done is MAN-LCA, around 5 hours.
The flights I'm taking to Christchurch are booked with Qantas but my understanding is that the first leg, LHR-SIN, is with BA on a 747-400. Has anybody ever done this part before? I'm a really nervous flyer and for some reason, the 747 puts me on edge slightly. I'm unable to select seats for this part of the flight. I'm 5' 10" so a little worried about leg room. Can anybody let me know what the seats are like? 13 hours of no leg room is not a happy thought!

The second part of my journey is SIN-SYD on the Qantas A380. I'm really excited about flying on the A380 (still quite nervous though!). I have chosen seat 66K. Does anybody have any experience of this seat? Are there plug sockets/USB ports on this seat? If so, will I be able to use a standard UK 3-Pin plug, if not which adapter will I need?

The last leg is SYD-CHC, which I'm not too fussed about as it's only 3 hours and I suspect I'll be too excited to even care how comfortable I am!

Sorry for all the questions, but as I'm pretty scared of flying, I feel I need to get these things sorted in my head before I fly. Thanks in advance for any responses!

Welcome to AFF. There are some who prefer 747 over 380 (I'm not one), but at 5.10 unless you have unusually long legs you should get by ok. Bloody long flight though. This site indicates there will be power on the 380 but not which socket type. Someone else will need to chip in on that.

 

[Awesom Andy]

That's an extremely long journey, and all I can really say is, good luck, no matter your height or which cabin you are flying in...

You can also purchase exit-row seats on both airlines, although IIRC, 66K is a pretty good seat on the A380, so I would stick to it. Either way, both the 744 and A380 are excellent long-haul aircrafts, and there's no reason why you should feel edgy on either.

 

[serfty]

66K is a great exit seat on the 388.

The power sockets on Qantas Aircraft do not generally take the (largish) standard UK plug. A UK->[OZ|NZ]/Europe/[US|Japan] type adapter may be necessary.

For 66K you should find the power socket in the armrest beneath where the TV monitor arm folds out from. Note these powere sockets are quite recessed and many power packs / adaptors / plugs will not be able to reach the socket.

 

[dobsd]

I'm glad to hear I've got a decent seat. Is there plenty of leg room with 66K? Thanks for the plug info too!


For some reason, it won't allow me to purchase seats on the flight from LHR-SIN. I can choose whether I want an aisle or window seat, but that's it. A bit annoyed about that as I'm not a good flyer and often panic on take-off, I really do need the option to have extra space!

Thanks for your responses!

 

[ChrisFlyer]

I'm glad to hear I've got a decent seat. Is there plenty of leg room with 66K? Thanks for the plug info too!


For some reason, it won't allow me to purchase seats on the flight from LHR-SIN. I can choose whether I want an aisle or window seat, but that's it. A bit annoyed about that as I'm not a good flyer and often panic on take-off, I really do need the option to have extra space!

Thanks for your responses!

Others have mentioned the power socket available at this seat, though I'll also mention that there's also a USB socket located on the 'inside' of the seat. When sitting, you will be able to see the socket without moving (on either the left or right-hand side). If you have any problems finding it, just ask a member of the crew.

Is your flight number for the LHR-SIN leg QF3xx or BAxx_? If it's BAxx_, you can definitely reserve a seat ahead of time (including exit rows) at British Airways - Choose your seat ... if you have a QF3xx code, then you *may* be able to do the same, though if you have any problems, you can always try calling BA with your Qantas PNR (the 6 character booking code) and the details of your trip, and they may be able to do it manually for you over the phone (fees apply). Otherwise, set a reminder in your phone to complete online check-in 24 hours ahead of time, where you'll be able to choose from the remaining seats at no charge.