Qf63 syd > jnb

[Isochronous]

I guess when you have a monopoly on the route, you can afford to put your oldest plane on it.

If this is the oldest 744, I assume its not reconfigured - so it will still have an F cabin - but I thought they were eliminating F from this route. So can J passengers end up in F seats?

 

[ChrisFlyer]

if this is the oldest 744, I assume its not reconfigured - so it will still have an F cabin - but I thought they were eliminating F from this route. So can J passengers end up in F seats?

When the F seats are available on this route (but only J is sold), I believe they are restricted to WP pre-selection until T-80. After that, they open up to other J passengers. I'm not sure if SGs can select F seats before T-80 though!

 

[geordieladinoz]

When the F seats are available on this route (but only J is sold), I believe they are restricted to WP pre-selection until T-80. After that, they open up to other J passengers. I'm not sure if SGs can select F seats before T-80 though!

I was SG and able to select 4E/F on QF64 at about T-7 months. Thanks to a few comments these seats are said to be the best of the F bunch so looking forward to this layout B744 sticking for the trip. Fingers are crossed!

 

[ChrisFlyer]

I was SG and able to select 4E/F on QF64 at about T-7 months. Thanks to a few comments these seats are said to be the best of the F bunch so looking forward to this layout B744 sticking for the trip. Fingers are crossed!

Good to hear (esp. considering that I've dropped down to SG)!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I was SG and able to select 4E/F on QF64 at about T-7 months. Thanks to a few comments these seats are said to be the best of the F bunch so looking forward to this layout B744 sticking for the trip. Fingers are crossed!

hmmm... not sure who would think 4EF (first class configuration) are good seats.... they are very close to the galley and very close to your neighbours in each side (you are sleeping with your face about 30cm from the person in 4a/k)

 

[M@rcoPolo]

Hi guys

I'm off to JNB & CPT tomorrow - flight below...

26 JUNE - QF63 SYD JNB - BA6407 JNB CPT
15 JULY - BA6416 CPT JNB - QF64 SYD JNB

How do you tell if QF63/64 are new or old configuration? BTW we are travelling Y all the way but for QF64 which is in PE

Also I understand in JNB and CPT you can use BA GALLERIES or SLOW lounges (I'm SG and will guest in my son travelling with me with no status) - which lounge is best in your opinion in JNB / CPT ?

 

[markis10]

Hi guys

I'm off to JNB & CPT tomorrow - flight below...

26 JUNE - QF63 SYD JNB - BA6407 JNB CPT
15 JULY - BA6416 CPT JNB - QF64 SYD JNB

How do you tell if QF63/64 are new or old configuration? BTW we are travelling Y all the way but for QF64 which is in PE

Also I understand in JNB and CPT you can use BA GALLERIES or SLOW lounges (I'm SG and will guest in my son travelling with me with no status) - which lounge is best in your opinion in JNB / CPT ?

You have one of the old three class birds , not a personal favourite of mine.

http://www.qantas.com.au/infodetail/flying/inTheAir/ourAircraft/744-56J40PY275Y.pdf

 

[Flying mermaid]

Hi guys

I'm off to JNB & CPT tomorrow - flight below...

26 JUNE - QF63 SYD JNB - BA6407 JNB CPT
15 JULY - BA6416 CPT JNB - QF64 SYD JNB

How do you tell if QF63/64 are new or old configuration? BTW we are travelling Y all the way but for QF64 which is in PE

Also I understand in JNB and CPT you can use BA GALLERIES or SLOW lounges (I'm SG and will guest in my son travelling with me with no status) - which lounge is best in your opinion in JNB / CPT ?

could be wrong about this, but I think for JHB-cpt you are domestic, so access to slow lounge not galleries. SLOW lounge in JHB was very crowded but good food etc.

 

[zig]

I was quite impressed with the SLOW lounge in CPT. Good food selection, comfortable seating, good view of the run way, not too crowded. Wish QF would take some notes from them for the domestic QPs.

 

[M@rcoPolo]

Thanks guys - oh well old birds both ways, I guess that's what happens when there's no competition on the route

SLOW lounge sounds good for the domestic bits, but what about the JNB layover on the way back from CPT? Do you have a choice of lounge or are you stuck with BA Galleries in JNB?

 

[Danger]

Hi guys

I'm off to JNB & CPT tomorrow - flight below...

26 JUNE - QF63 SYD JNB - BA6407 JNB CPT
15 JULY - BA6416 CPT JNB - QF64 SYD JNB

How do you tell if QF63/64 are new or old configuration? BTW we are travelling Y all the way but for QF64 which is in PE

Also I understand in JNB and CPT you can use BA GALLERIES or SLOW lounges (I'm SG and will guest in my son travelling with me with no status) - which lounge is best in your opinion in JNB / CPT ?

If there is no row 4 then the aircraft is a reconfigured aircraft with skybed mark II.

 

[sweens]

Thanks guys - oh well old birds both ways, I guess that's what happens when there's no competition on the route

SLOW lounge sounds good for the domestic bits, but what about the JNB layover on the way back from CPT? Do you have a choice of lounge or are you stuck with BA Galleries in JNB?

You have the choice of the SAA Bus lounge or BA...I normally choose the BA lounge as it is a little quieter.

 

[Cool Cat Phil]

Thanks guys - oh well old birds both ways, I guess that's what happens when there's no competition on the route

SLOW lounge sounds good for the domestic bits, but what about the JNB layover on the way back from CPT? Do you have a choice of lounge or are you stuck with BA Galleries in JNB?

Howdy,
I flew this route last month ( SYD > JNB) would have to say I had a fantastic view of the South Pole! I managed to get some great viewing of some Icebergs directly below the plane, so my tip would be to obtain a window seat on the left hand side of the aircraft.

The Slow lounges used by BA/ comair domestically in South Africa are of an excellent standard & the food presentation is absolutely top- notch! This cool cat managed to nipple away quite well at the lounge.

With regards to the Cape Town domestic Slow lounge, make sure you visit the loo at the very far left of the corridor, it's certainly a loo with a view!

One last tip for using BA/comair is make sure you hold on to your boarding passes. On my QF activity statement I received a message " unsuccessful - no record of travel" for two of the legs completed Was not all that impressed with that I have to say.

All in all you will love Africa, it's an amazing continent!

 

[Flying mermaid]

Howdy,
I flew this route last month ( SYD > JNB) would have to say I had a fantastic view of the South Pole! I managed to get some great viewing of some Icebergs directly below the plane, so my tip would be to obtain a window seat on the left hand side of the aircraft.

The Slow lounges used by BA/ comair domestically in South Africa are of an excellent standard & the food presentation is absolutely top- notch! This cool cat managed to nipple away quite well at the lounge.

With regards to the Cape Town domestic Slow lounge, make sure you visit the loo at the very far left of the corridor, it's certainly a loo with a view!

One last tip for using BA/comair is make sure you hold on to your boarding passes. On my QF activity statement I received a message " unsuccessful - no record of travel" for two of the legs completed Was not all that impressed with that I have to say.

All in all you will love Africa, it's an amazing continent!

Glad your trip went well

 

[geordieladinoz]

SWMBO and I are sat in 16A/B awaiting some late domestic connections before departing on our 2 week African honeymoon extravaganza. I just told SWMBO to keep her fingers crossed for some clear views over the South Pole, which she had not previously considered, and she is very excited now. Even more excited than when we started round 2 of sweetcorn fritters in the FLounge!!

See y'all again soon (lions, tigers etc. permitting)!

 

[Flying mermaid]

You have the choice of the SAA Bus lounge or BA...I normally choose the BA lounge as it is a little quieter.

according to the Qantas site we can also use the Shongololo lounge - does anyone have any feeling as to which of the 3 are the best option. I have used the BA F lounge and it was OK. I tend to get a bit confused with lounge access, but I assume as a WP flying Jnb-SYD I can use the BA F lounge? Then as we are flying J (and probably even if we weren't) we could use Shongololo and Baobab? So if we do have access to all 3, any comments on preferred one?

 

[flyingfan]

according to the Qantas site we can also use the Shongololo lounge - does anyone have any feeling as to which of the 3 are the best option. I have used the BA F lounge and it was OK. I tend to get a bit confused with lounge access, but I assume as a WP flying Jnb-SYD I can use the BA F lounge? Then as we are flying J (and probably even if we weren't) we could use Shongololo and Baobab? So if we do have access to all 3, any comments on preferred one?

When I was in JNB late last year with a five-hour stopover, I had the option of heading into the city or doing a lounge crawl. I chose the latter and visited all the lounges I was entitled to as a WP (flying Y+) . Seems the Cycad lounge is only if you’re in F – which is moot since there’s no longer F on that route.

The Shongololo lounge was very quiet, with enough chilled food options in the deli (sandwiches, rolls, sushi, cakes) to keep me happy.




Chips and drinks


If alcohol matters to you


Part of the array of refrigerated goodies

 

[flyingfan]

The SAA Baobab lounge was like a Qantas Club on a reasonable day – busy but not crowded, with more limited food options than Shongololo. There's another chilled cabinet with a smaller range of snacks.






In comparison, the Galleries First lounge was again very quiet and with an exclusive air like the Shongololo, with a small range of hot (finger-food type) and cold eatables.



If you prefer some liveliness, go the Baobob. If you want somewhere private to have a restful drink before your flight, I’d pick Shongololo. Strangely the BA Galleries lounges aren’t listed as options anymore on the QF website. More fallout after their drift apart?

 

[Flying mermaid]

Wow - looks like you had fun . Food tends to be more important to me than alcohol and quiet is good, so maybe Shongololo. Did you need to have an invitation to go, or was a boarding pass enough? We will be checking in via SAA in Durban, so not sure if we will get the right bits. I have read somewhere that Shongololo can refuse entry if you don't have an invite. I did notice that BA wasn't listed on the site. Possibly because you can only get entry now as a Qantas person via status not class of travel. We won't have that long between arriving from Durban, so I think we will give Shongololo a go, as we have already tried the galleries F and will try Baobab next year when we fly Jnb-Nairobi. Thanks for your help.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

wow! the shongololo look awesome!! I want those chairs!