My first upgrade, terrible business class Bali to Melbourne

flyfl

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I travelled to central Asia in December and returned to Melbourne a few days ago, Outbound was on Emirates and the return to Bali was also on Emirates, great service in business class and very comfy flat bed from Melbourne to Dubai but not so comfy from Dubai to Bali, it was 777 with two two configuration but it was still ok.
The flight from Bali to Melbourne was economy on Qantas however I had requested for an upgrade if it became available, and I have no status so wasn't expecting much and this became true after receiving a text from Qantas that there is none available. I was told the same thing at check-in at Bali airport that the flight is full and no upgrades possible.
It was boarding time and waiting in the queue to board that my name was called and got told that I was upgraded to Business, I was very excited to have a more comfortable trip back to Melbourne as I was starting work that morning after arriving in Melbourne. It turned out that the business class was nothing more than the slightly bigger seat that you get on domestic flights, the airhostesses tried their best but they couldn't do much since it was such a poorly managed flight and service to begin with. The seats had very little leg room that one couldn't get through without the person next to you getting out of their seat.
The food was absolutely shocking, there was a menu and I got told to choose what I wanted and they would take my order so I decided to order the lamb sandwich which confused the hell out of the airhostess and she was asking where had I seen that, after showing her the menu and her checking it closely and then saying it was the wrong menu, she took that away and brought another menu that had very little on there. I chose the Soto Ayam which was absolutely terrible and I could see the couple across from me sending back the other option which was cold sandwiches.

I also had the misfortune of having a very annoying co passenger sit next to me, who through out the flight didn't shut up. He smoked his e-cigarette on the seat once and then went to the toilet and smoked it there and blew the smoke into the empty bottle of water and left it in the toilet. The airhostess came and had a chat to him and that was the end of that. Though I really wanted him to get into a bit more trouble than just a chat from the airhostess.
He woke up me several times a few times for going to the toilet and the rest no reasons to say it was an accident.

Just a rant that it was such a waste of 38100 points, where as I would have been much better in economy. Have you travelled business class from Bali to Aus, what has your experience been like?
 
With an upgrade at the gate its "catering not assured", but if they offered it to you, it would be reasonable for it to be supplied, or at least in a consumable form.

What was the aircraft?
 
from Dubai to Bali, it was 777 with two two configuration but it was still ok
You mean 2+3+2 ?

If so, they are not the best, a bit cramped.

It was boarding time and waiting in the queue to board that my name was called and got told that I was upgraded to Business, I was very excited to have a more comfortable trip back to Melbourne as I was starting work that morning after arriving in Melbourne.

Still, I would have been grateful despite your issues (unknown at the time). It's a QF 737 and they don't have a lie flat. I would have routed DPS-SIN-MEL on J if you wanted comfort.

the food was absolutely shocking, there was a menu and I got told to choose what I wanted and they would take my order so I decided to order the lamb sandwich which confused the hell out of the airhostess and she was asking where had I seen that, after showing her the menu and her checking it closely and then saying it was the wrong menu,

The CSM was probably having a bad day. I had a flight like that recently where they got so much wrong. Quite depressing. But at least your seat was better than Y (although row 4 is always ok for a few hours).

Have you travelled business class from Bali to Aus, what has your experience been like?

I lived in JKT, so DSP and JKT were regular ports back to Asia and Aus. Getting home (SYD) was always a shocker. It leaves mid to late evening, say 9/10 WIB (UTC+7) you effectively boarded at midnight AUS, may have gotten some sleep to say at, say, 3 am AEST or 12 pm WIB (UTC+7) and then land post curfew. It's effectively a red-eye deal. Ansett 767 was my favourite, and the QF767 service had the old Dreamtime seats - comfortable.

th


On the return, I also used SYD-DPS (as opposed to SYD-SIN) to get up to the Maluku Islands, which is not a bad entry into Asia - it was always depressing checking in DPS knowing you had to move on in the AM.


just a rant that it was such a waste of 38100 points, where as I would have been much better in economy. Have you travelled business class from Bali to Aus, what has your experience been like?

Depends on what you value, if you're a points millionaire maybe you won't miss them, however, if you have 40k, then yes you could have done a lot better!

How were you to know Ted Bundy was sitting next to you?
 
With an upgrade at the gate its "catering not assured", but if they offered it to you, it would be reasonable for it to be supplied, or at least in a consumable form.

What was the aircraft?

Agreed, and while we all know PER-DPS is a domestic flight, DPS to the Eastern States should be operated with (at least) some international flair.

With QF these days the lamb sandwich was probably the vego option!
 
Well not great, but still better than Y. I would have been very happy with the upgrade, even on a 737 for the 6 or so hours of flight. No, it's not Emirates, and never would be so I understand the frustration.

I am a bit gobsmacked by the e-cig user's antics though. using it at the seat?!! (I will give credit for smoke in the bottle trick to not set off the lav alarm I guess - although makes me wonder how OP knew this was what was done?).

I'm sorry you were disappointed, but I'm pretty certain Economy would have been a lot more uncomfortable on that particular flight, and food probably worse. 38k points for such a sector is probably somewhat worth it. Much better in a widebody of course, but I guess this is a learning experience to know what the aircraft is and decide appropriately.
 
slightly bigger seat that you get on domestic flights


Sorry to hear. Hard to know if your experience would have been different in Y. The seat is still better.

If you were on QF46 you would have got the 737-800 and the J seats are exactly the same as every other 737 J seat in the domestic fleet

The JQ 787 J seat (on JQ44 and 36 DPS-MEL) is virtually identical to the QF 737 J seat as well.

Unfortunately it is often impossible to know who is seated next to you. For all we know the person could be an axe murderer on parole.

Better luck next time
 
I'm not sure you can blame QF for the seat (easy to find out what QF 737 business looks like before requesting an upgrade) or for the pax sitting next to you. You're lucky you weren't in Europe or you could have had the exact same Y seat sold as J.

I hear a lot of people complaining about airline food (me included), and others raving about it. Seems to be a real lucky dip / heavily dependent on the port you fly out of. Though you'd think ex-DPS would do good Indonesian food.

I haven't flown QF 737 J as far as Bali, but Trans Tasman I've had some excellent flights, as I have DRW-SYD/BNE. I think saying the seat is "only slightly bigger" than economy is giving the 737 Y seat far too much credit. 5 minutes in the Y seat and you'd be begging to go back to J.

I think coming off a widebody J flight doesn't prepare you well for a long flight on a narrowbody. Your impression might have been very different if you just stepped off a longhaul Y flight.
 
OffT,
When it comes to Bali, and in relation to flights, you just can't win.
I am not surprised.
Bali is a place that makes money from people like your seatmate, them and their fake liquor, or Bintang t shrits, or fake watches, and fake everything.
Not to mention the scams.
Lucky they didn't put you onto JQi!
My parents went through DPS a long time ago, it was an ordeal with their Kitas etc, and I would not want to go through that airport.
Some people do like that sort of thing, though, each to their own.
OnT.
 
Agreed, and while we all know PER-DPS is a domestic flight, DPS to the Eastern States should be operated with (at least) some international flair.

With QF these days the lamb sandwich was probably the vego option!
Since when has QF operated PER-DPS?
 
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The OP should have known the flight was on a 738 and the seating that comes with that. You can't expect a 330 seat on a 738. And although I am a points millionaire, I would not spend extra for an upgrade to J on an overnight 738 flight - and I am unlikely to be on that flight in the first place.

In terms of disappointing upgrades, I was *S with British Midland flying EDI-LHR on Christmas Eve. I was in the Diamond Club Lounge and the dragon came up with a new boarding pass, saying she was pleased to upgrade all the Diamond Club members on that flight. The J seating on the 320 (for D and F seats) was the same in J and Y, but with the E seat blocked. Since the flight was almost empty, I would have had a free row whichever class I had been in. The J catering was an omelette - take it or leave it. I do not like eggs, so I left it. Had I been in Y, my Diamond Club Silver membership would have got me a complimentary drink and snack from the paid catering menu. I asked whether I could get that but was told that it only applied to Y pax, not J. So net result of my upgrade was an identical seat and the loss of a sandwich. Not a biggie, but I did feel a bit chizzed.
 
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