Qatar Airways A380 to Sydney (with F availability)

[Mattg]

Qatar Airways is bringing its Airbus A380 back to Sydney from June, and it looks like there's currently a fair bit of first class award availability including via Qantas Frequent Flyer. Up to one seat per flight only.



For passengers with SYD-DOH bookings in J, note that the A380 doesn't have Qsuites! But it does have other cool features like an onboard bar.

 

[Mattg]

Well this is weird...

If I use the Qantas multi-city booking tool to book a SYD-CDG award in QR F, I'm quoted taxes/charges of $655.47.



If I do a one-way flight search, I'm quoted taxes for the exact same flights of $642.07.

 

[levelnine]

Had a similar issue with the mysteries of taxes calculations. Booked a return J flight on QR and taxes came out lower booking them as two one-way tickets than if I'd booked them as a return.

 

[Mattg]

Had a similar issue with the mysteries of taxes calculations. Booked a return J flight on QR and taxes came out lower booking them as two one-way tickets than if I'd booked them as a return.

In your case, the carrier charges might have been different for your return flight if the one-way booking had a different point of sale. Which makes some sense, even if it's not logical.

I've never seen the QF website quote different taxes before for the exact same flights!

 

[levelnine]

Which makes some sense, even if it's not logical.

Interesting, didn't know that would make a difference. Thanks.

In your case, I guess the two different bookings engines must have slightly different calculation formulas.

 

[BCons]

Looked (briefly) at Syd/LHR return in F/380 for June, but its a very long return trip - QR 380 from Doha to Syd leaves a few hrs before the daily QR 380 arrives from Lhr, so there's a 21 hr connection time. OK if u want a local look-see I guess, but not for the rich n powerful in a hurry..

 

[Danger]

Looked (briefly) at Syd/LHR return in F/380 for June, but its a very long return trip - QR 380 from Doha to Syd leaves a few hrs before the daily QR 380 arrives from Lhr, so there's a 21 hr connection time. OK if u want a local look-see I guess, but not for the rich n powerful in a hurry..

That's a lot of Al Safwa time (including the private bedrooms).

 

[Matt_01]

IMO well worth it if you can get the seats, from 2017 ex SYD

 

[puchu]

Just secured one of the F seats to DOH, tagging on a QSuite to LHR. Got quite a layover so looking forward to experiencing the F lounge.

 

[Matt_01]

Got quite a layover so looking forward to experiencing the F lounge.

I assume you are talking about the Al Safwa F lounge based on your SYD-DOH leg. Our outbound flight was also in J as QR do not fly the a380 to the US and we had no issues in getting access to the big lounge.

 

[puchu]

Yep you’re bang on.

 

[burmans]

That's a lot of Al Safwa time (including the private bedrooms).

Are there any limits to how long you can use the lounges?. I've been looking for AA flights back to OZ from Europe in early/mid October, nothing going (going over was OK). Then I noticed QR appear this week, quite a lot of options but I was a bit slow making the decision with my wife as I wanted to stray a bit longer.

Then yesterday I saw the QR availability in the pointhacks email and thought "Uh Oh, flights may go quickly now". Sure enough when I looked again both my preferred flights had gone but noted that DOH to SYD was now available in First. Anyway to cut a long story short booked the following
FCO - DOH 26 Oct QR 132 (arrives 10:55) J A350-900
DOH - SYD 27 Oct QR 908 (leave 8:15pm) F A380

Not a bad deal for 115K AA points but not really sure what I'll do regards sleeping, i.e. get a hotel or use the private bedrooms. I really just want a bed to sleep in so the private bedrooms sound interesting.

The downside was that before in early Sept there was plenty of availability going over (JAL/Fin Air), should have jumped on it as now it looks like I'll have to go Y SYD-SIN (QF), the fortunately Finnair available for the rest of the trip in J.

 

[Danger]

Are there any limits to how long you can use the lounges?. I've been looking for AA flights back to OZ from Europe in early/mid October, nothing going (going over was OK). Then I noticed QR appear this week, quite a lot of options but I was a bit slow making the decision with my wife as I wanted to stray a bit longer.

Then yesterday I saw the QR availability in the pointhacks email and thought "Uh Oh, flights may go quickly now". Sure enough when I looked again both my preferred flights had gone but noted that DOH to SYD was now available in First. Anyway to cut a long story short booked the following
FCO - DOH 26 Oct QR 132 (arrives 10:55) J A350-900
DOH - SYD 27 Oct QR 908 (leave 8:15pm) F A380

Not a bad deal for 115K AA points but not really sure what I'll do regards sleeping, i.e. get a hotel or use the private bedrooms. I really just want a bed to sleep in so the private bedrooms sound interesting.

The downside was that before in early Sept there was plenty of availability going over (JAL/Fin Air), should have jumped on it as now it looks like I'll have to go Y SYD-SIN (QF), the fortunately Finnair available for the rest of the trip in J.

There's no limit for the lounges that I'm aware of. However, there are reports that the bedrooms are limited to something like maybe 6 hours. The last time I was there, there was some leniency to that, though.

 

[burmans]

There's no limit for the lounges that I'm aware of. However, there are reports that the bedrooms are limited to something like maybe 6 hours. The last time I was there, there was some leniency to that, though.

Excellent, that probably would suffice!

 

[BNEFlyer]

Are there any limits to how long you can use the lounges?. I've been looking for AA flights back to OZ from Europe in early/mid October, nothing going (going over was OK). Then I noticed QR appear this week, quite a lot of options but I was a bit slow making the decision with my wife as I wanted to stray a bit longer.

Then yesterday I saw the QR availability in the pointhacks email and thought "Uh Oh, flights may go quickly now". Sure enough when I looked again both my preferred flights had gone but noted that DOH to SYD was now available in First. Anyway to cut a long story short booked the following
FCO - DOH 26 Oct QR 132 (arrives 10:55) J A350-900
DOH - SYD 27 Oct QR 908 (leave 8:15pm) F A380

Not a bad deal for 115K AA points but not really sure what I'll do regards sleeping, i.e. get a hotel or use the private bedrooms. I really just want a bed to sleep in so the private bedrooms sound interesting.

The downside was that before in early Sept there was plenty of availability going over (JAL/Fin Air), should have jumped on it as now it looks like I'll have to go Y SYD-SIN (QF), the fortunately Finnair available for the rest of the trip in J.

If your connection is longer than 8 hours QR will arrange accommodation for you, but you have to contact them to arrange it.

 

[TomYagher]

Qatar seem to be having a strange sale where first class is half the price of business class SYD-BKK... almost seems like a reasonable price to pay. So around $6500 first return, yet it's coming up $7800 for the one way business return segment

 

[BCons]

Book em Danno..

 

[burmans]

If your connection is longer than 8 hours QR will arrange accommodation for you, but you have to contact them to arrange it.

This is an award flight, not sure if that is still the case?

 

[BNEFlyer]

This is an award flight, not sure if that is still the case?

I don't think it matters. The main condition I could see when I was looking into it is that there wasn't another option within 8 hours (like if you purposefully chose a long layover that wouldn't be eligible).