Qantas First Class "Nothing more than a premium business class"

[Genji88]

Before even seriously collecting points let alone spending my hard earned on an F flight, I'd research every F review on my intended airline & see what appeals.

I haven't seen QF F cabins in any Best Of lists, and certainly nowhere close to my personal version of "Unsurpassed Luxury".

the fact that J cabins are Just Too Good these days means that F cabins are a dying breed.
People who can afford F cabins can afford private jet sharing services, & overall not popular and profitable compared to investing in the J experience.

The reason Book the Cook is a gimmick is aside from meals prepared 2 weeks ago, is that pressurized planes at high altitudes play havoc with our nasal passageways, and we actually taste food with our nose more than our tongue.

Even "celebrity" chefs who are a genius on the ground, still can't resolve this problem so companies who know what works & not with Airline food will produce food that the same taste levels or if not better than a big name chef cashing in from a Collaboration cash
cow.

Oh, and I'd love to be eating authentic
Canele de Bordeax washed down with
Chateau d'Yquem in F (or anywhere else for that matter)

 

[Julesmac]

@Pushka,

Re Aussie familiarity
I do miss the Qantas anthem whenever i fly home on QF. They don't play it often enough.

I just love walking into the aircraft after an o/s trip and being greeted by (usually) cheerful Aussie voice. Feel like I'm already halfway home

 

[Julesmac]

Before even seriously collecting points let alone spending my hard earned on an F flight, I'd research every F review on my intended airline & see what appeals.

I haven't seen QF F cabins in any Best Of lists, and certainly nowhere close to my personal version of "Unsurpassed Luxury".

the fact that J cabins are Just Too Good these days means that F cabins are a dying breed.
People who can afford F cabins can afford private jet sharing services, & overall not popular and profitable compared to investing in the J experience.

The reason Book the Cook is a gimmick is aside from meals prepared 2 weeks ago, is that pressurized planes at high altitudes play havoc with our nasal passageways, and we actually taste food with our nose more than our tongue.

Even "celebrity" chefs who are a genius on the ground, still can't resolve this problem so companies who know what works & not with Airline food will produce food that the same taste levels or if not better than a big name chef cashing in from a Collaboration cash
cow.

Oh, and I'd love to be eating authentic
Canele de Bordeax washed down with
Chateau d'Yquem in F (or anywhere else for that matter)

Did you ever see the tv programme where Heston Blumenthal was revamping the food and beverage service? It was interesting as they had to amend his food - it was way too complicated for the crew to manage. He had, along with himself, I think it was the guy who chose wine for the airline, sampling wines on the ground and then when airborne. It was very interesting. Can't recall which airline and whether in fact he got a permanent gig a la Neil Perry

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I’m not convinced by the ‘private jet if you can afford first class’ argument. Unless you have tens of millions of dollars for your own share of a boeing or airbus business jet (737/a320 minimum), business jets aren’t all that comfortable. Low ceilings, narrow cabins. Get thrown around in turbulence. Don’t have the galley space or room for crew. And likely won’t have the range. I don’t think you’ll get an experience comparable to Suites on a tiny gulf stream.

 

[stm1sydney]

I haven't seen QF F cabins in any Best Of lists

It's been on at least one "one of the worst airlines in the free world" list.

 

[Comoman]

The reason Book the Cook is a gimmick is aside from meals prepared 2 weeks ago,

Don’t talk rubbish - on SQ Book the Cook is of a very high standard and I’ve yet to be disappointed (many many J + F flights later). I have also frequented QF business and once F and it really is no comparison.

As an interesting ( it slightly off topic) comparison - it’s usually cheaper to fly SQ first Perth to London (per - sin in J) then QF9\10 business Per-LHR.

I have taken my money where my mouth is.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Book the cook is prepared 24 hours in advance of departure, same as all the other meals.

 

[Comoman]

I’m not convinced by the ‘private jet if you can afford first class’ argument.

Agreed it’s not a sustainable argument. I fly F Perth to London - certainly wouldn’t do that by private jet.

 

[bsb]

I chuckled as I read this sitting in the MH “First” dining room in KL. I encourage the OP to fly F on any airline outside the ME3 (or ME5 if you’re generous) and SQ and at a push one of the North East Asian carriers. Yes QF is getting a bit shabby on the 380 - I refuse to fly on the 380 other than a day flight up to Asia. The Flounges in SYD and MEL are definitely tired. But not even the ME3 Flounges compare and personally the bling on EK puts me off. Even in J I think the food is better on QF but I must admit the breakfast is boring and tired as Australia is known internationally for a good breakfast, but the quality I find to be better than the average. We all have a lens, but the more I fly on other carriers, the more I realise we have is so damn good in Australia on any airline, any class and any route.

 

[amaroo]

and personally the bling on EK puts me off.

You are not the only one!!

 

[Mattg]

Economy is an experience
Business is a comfortable experience
First is a pleasant and comfortable experience

And then there's intra-Europe J - pleasant but it sure ain't comfortable!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I chuckled as I read this sitting in the MH “First” dining room in KL. I encourage the OP to fly F on any airline outside the ME3 (or ME5 if you’re generous) and SQ and at a push one of the North East Asian carriers. Yes QF is getting a bit shabby on the 380 - I refuse to fly on the 380 other than a day flight up to Asia. The Flounges in SYD and MEL are definitely tired. But not even the ME3 Flounges compare and personally the bling on EK puts me off. Even in J I think the food is better on QF but I must admit the breakfast is boring and tired as Australia is known internationally for a good breakfast, but the quality I find to be better than the average. We all have a lens, but the more I fly on other carriers, the more I realise we have is so damn good in Australia on any airline, any class and any route.

I guess the ‘bling’ is a personal thing. You wander around a souk in morocco, dubai - actually just about any middle eastern country - and it’s rich in colour. Carpets, fabrics, brass, gold, mounds of colourful spices. The F cabins on Emirates aren’t that far removed from all of that.

The food on Qantas just doesn’t change... that’s half the issue for me (the other is the glacial service). Emirates has lots of different dishes drawing on everywhere it flies. Qantas you get Neil’s couscous with preserved lemon or olives, macaroni cheese with a steak, steamed fish. Have I left anything off? Breakfast is about as run of the mill as you can get. JL’s offering yesterday morning was a cheese soufflé with prosciutto. Clearly a ‘concept’ dish, but it wasn’t half bad. Same with the beef wellington on Emirates. A concept dish, but something different.

 

[love_the_life]

I guess the ‘bling’ is a personal thing. You wander around a souk in morocco, dubai - actually just about any middle eastern country - and it’s rich in colour. Carpets, fabrics, brass, gold, mounds of colourful spices. The F cabins on Emirates aren’t that far removed from all of that.

The food on Qantas just doesn’t change... that’s half the issue for me (the other is the glacial service). Emirates has lots of different dishes drawing on everywhere it flies. Qantas you get Neil’s couscous with preserved lemon or olives, macaroni cheese with a steak, steamed fish. Have I left anything off? Breakfast is about as run of the mill as you can get. JL’s offering yesterday morning was a cheese soufflé with prosciutto. Clearly a ‘concept’ dish, but it wasn’t half bad. Same with the beef wellington on Emirates. A concept dish, but something different.

And the QF olives are cheap and nasty. Pretty sure they are artificially dyed.

 

[dxwell]

lacuska1 said:
Even in prison they serve better than this!

While this thread has mainly focused on food and service, the one thing that prison offers that I haven't experienced in either F or J is the abundant opportunity for romance. Is this something that airlines are overlooking in their search for unique marketing propositions?

 

[Pushka]

I’ll take EK bling anyday.

 

[Matt_01]

Row 1 is a dodgy seat, as it is on most airlines. Never understood why people priorities?

On QF DOM travel I will select R1, on Int A330 I prefer R4 or R2 in that order (A side), on 789 R5 or R3 no particular order (A side), a380 R4 or R3 or in J R12 E/F/B/J

 

[Matt_01]

@lacuska1 ‘s post does raise an interesting question.

Is there a reference standard for a F class?. What are the necessary elements of a truly F class service and do any airline that offer F class have them?.

Is F class a relic of a bygone age?

Domestic US F class is F in name only. Even the fare buckets don’t have F anymore (at least in AA). Is “First” just marketing?

In the past QF had “champagne class” when it operated the Super Connies. What was that service compared to current F? I don’t think they had Lie flat seats.

So is F a relic - I believe it is going in that direction, there are now fewer tier 1 airlines that offer F and most active members on this site could rattle off the usual suspects that offer F. However most of the usual suspects (airlines) also own or are significant shareholders in LCCs.

US F still exists and trans continental on the AA 1-1 product is basically the same as the Int J, unless things have changed. The CN airlines market flights on Dom flights as F.

 

[cove]

I struggle to get comfortable on QF A380 business class seat so if we are flying Qantas it needs to be in First. SQ first and their Suites are my favourite. I just hope Qantas really fix the business class seat quickly with their 12 A380s.
On sale First is $9999 to go SYD -LAX-SYD and if you can get DSC, points back , business rewards and a credit card points earn bonus my view is the cost reduces by quite a bit. The speed of getting to the US via Sydney is an advantage.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

So is F a relic - I believe it is going in that direction, there are now fewer tier 1 airlines that offer F and most active members on this site could rattle off the usual suspects that offer F.

In recent years it’s only UA that has completely axed international F? Upcoming candidates may be OZ and TG, although both of those seem to be clinging to it for now.

 

[Quickstatus]

I struggle to get comfortable on QF A380 business class seat so if we are flying Qantas it needs to be in First. SQ first and their Suites are my favourite. I just hope Qantas really fix the business class seat quickly with their 12 A380s.
On sale First is $9999 to go SYD -LAX-SYD and if you can get DSC, points back , business rewards and a credit card points earn bonus my view is the cost reduces by quite a bit. The speed of getting to the US via Sydney is an advantage.

I wish there was a way of easily getting an F/J combo via QF online for the QF11 to JFK.

In recent years it’s only UA that has completely axed international F? Upcoming candidates may be OZ and TG, although both of those seem to be clinging to it for now.

With the refurb of the A380 , some say the new J cabin will be a better product while the F product will get a slight touchup. With the difference narrowed, maybe QF F really is as @lacuska1 suggests Premium J.

Even MH is canned the word First from the 4 seat mini F cabin in their A350. preferring to call it BusinessSuite. Their reasoning is that it is easier to sell it as a J product for a slightly lower price than a F labelled product.