QF 12 LAX-SYD on the A380:
Once again, truly lovely Qantas flight though service maybe not quite as warm and attentive as on the 787 two weeks earlier. Maybe this has to do with the bigger cabin that seemed to make the crew work harder but interact less with passengers? I'm not sure- generally, I still prefer the big bird and also greatly appreciate the fact that the crew can't lock down the window for the entire flight as they've done on the SYD-DFW route, very much to my chagrin.
Menu was fairly standard and I actually didn't mind the reduced supper service as the food in the LAX First lounge was so good. Pre-ordered the haloumi sandwich for breakfast and then selected the steak followed by the cheese platter. While there wasn't any drinks proactively offered right after take off, I asked for a Bloody Mary and my wish was happily granted. Likewise, I scribbled "Champagne please" onto the breakfast order card and it was served with no issues.
The steak was, as ever so often, a bit too well done but the amount of sauce made up for it. Also, the potato gratin thing on the side was creamy and cheesy so the meal overall wasn't too dry. I also like how Qantas plates those meals in the galley which makes for such a much nicer presentation and avoids the dreaded vegetable juice all over the plate (like on Domestic flights or airlines such as AA which just heat the whole thing on one plate, even in Business Class).
The cheese plate was a bit of a downer- while the cheeses seemed nice in quality, the crew must have left the plates standing outside in the dry airplane air for too long so all three pieces were dried in on the sides which wasn't very pleasant. A real shame, actually.
In the middle of the flight, I was hoping for one of those great Chicken Schnitzel sandwiches but alas, they were already all gone which surprised me as most of the cabin seemed to be fast asleep. Only snack left was the "savoury french toast" which was more of a quiche and nothing to write home about:
Finally, the breakfast which I really enjoyed. The haloumi sandwich was a bit different from the usual bacon and eggs and nicely done with the herbed Tahini dressing, very yummy. And Haloumi is one of the few meat replacement that this extreme carnivore happily accepts. So why not start the day with a veggie dish?
All in all a nice flight and good to be back on QF International. One thing I have to mention as I absolutely hate it: Why the heck is Qantas thinking that hot towels don't matter? They used to have them and now even on a 14 hour flights, nothing in sight. They're cheap, easy to do, and one of those special delights on an airplane. If AA can do them (and Finnair bothers on every single short haul flight inner Europe), then surely you can at least once bring out those lovely towels!
As I've mentioned elsewhere, given the service and seat quality, I'd happily pay a premium to fly Qantas over some of the competitors but that's capped at around 1000 to 1500 bucks on a J class ticket and unfortunately, often the difference is even bigger which is then just too much to ask in my eyes. So if I get the chance (like here on this AA ticket), then I'll happily grab it!