The Airbus A380 is experiencing something of a renaissance, with its huge capacity required by a resurgent aviation sector. Australia’s Qantas is no exception, with the carrier bringing ten of its twelve super jumbos back to life. By early 2024, each aircraft has been given an extensive internal refurbishment, with a focus on enhancing the premium product.

Works included ripping out sixty-four 2008-era Skybed Mk II seats. In their place, seventy Qantas Business Suites have been installed. Their 1-2-1 layout provides far higher privacy and space than the 2-2-2 setup they replace.

The A380 ’s once-underutilised upper deck lounge (for the use of First and Business Class travellers) has been rebuilt. Designer David Caon was brought in to create comfortable booth seating that now appears far more popular with travellers.

Premium Economy on the A380 was expanded to fill the aft of the upper deck. It now features sixty seats in a 2-3-2 layout, while Economy has been fully relegated to the lower deck. 341 economy class seats were enhanced with new cushioning, new fabrics, and improved IFE.

The works have brought the A380 in line with Qantas’ Boeing 787 product, while up front, 14 suites remain the sole domain of First Class within Qantas’ current fleet. This product was treated to a cosmetic overhaul, as well as new 18” IFE screens.

The Flight:

I recently travelled Business Class long haul from London to Singapore on board the Qantas A380. I was initially booked on QF10, the Boeing 787-9 London to Perth flight, but opted to swap to an A380 -operated flight check out the enhancements for Airline Ratings. My ticket was a Qantas Classic Award Redemption booking.

Flight: QF2 Airbus A380

Route: LHR - SIN

Date: 10/05/24 – 11/05/24

Cabin: Business (U)

Seat: 16K

Aircraft: VH-OQI

Traveller Status: Qantas Platinum / One World Emerald

Pre-flight:

My journey started in Southampton, on the southern coast of England, having just performed as a guest speaker on board the cruise ship Queen Anne’s maiden voyage.

The last time I flew this service in 2019, a Qantas long haul business class ticket came with a complimentary chauffeur transfer. Qantas cut that offering in 2020 and business class travellers must make their own way to the airport. With private paid personal transfers costing well over AU$300.00 on my travel dates, I opted for the far more affordable (albeit slower) National Express coach service.

Qantas’ Terminal 3 check-in counters were hidden behind extensive renovation and demolition works currently underway at Heathrow. Staff were on hand to direct travellers to the relevant check-in counters, with the whole check-in process taking around 10 minutes to complete. I was offered access to fast-track security, which worked very well. The security process was uncharacteristically fast for Heathrow, taking an additional 10 minutes.

The Lounge:

Qantas’s Heathrow Lounge is just a stones-throw from Terminal 3’s immigration area, near a central retail zone. Two customer service attendants are positioned near the entry to welcome guests on arrival.

I was escorted into the lounge and given a brief overview of the services on offer, which include a lounge area, buffet snack area, sit-in dining, a bar and well-appointed shower rooms.

First things first: a visit to a shower room. Grey and white subway tiles are adorned with stylish fixtures. A circular mirror with a dark leather surround hangs over the basin, while a rainwater shower provides refreshment after hours of sitting on a coach.

The evening menu was on offer in the dining area. It includes items cooked fresh to order (inspired by Neil Perry) as well as a buffet selection. I opt for the Salt and Pepper Squid with green chilli and aioli. It was served at the perfect temperature and was full of flavour.

Afterwards, a tiramisu is presented in a dainty glass cup. It featured flavours that would feel right at home in an Italian Trattoria – I was impressed. Later, I found a seat on the upper level of the lounge where roaming bar staff (supplied by Sofitel) offered drinks.

This is a solid lounge product. My only minor criticism: very limited airfield views - due to the lounge’s positioning within Heathrow’s sprawling terminal complex.

On Board:

I was surprised to be able to walk straight through the checkpoint, into the departure lounge, with no queueing. Two aerobridges were in use on this occasion – one for the lower deck and one for the upper deck – which seemed to work well.

Entering the aircraft, I was welcomed by two members of the cabin crew. One directed me to my seat (16K) on the starboard side of the aircraft.

I had specifically selected this seat before the flight, as it offers (along with the other bulkhead seats) additional footpace when the seat is reclined. Being just shy of 2m tall, every centimetre counts (though light sleepers may wish to choose a seat further away from the galley as there is additional noise in this area).

The seat is the current generation of Qantas’ Business Suite. It comes with a padded fabric seat and leather headrest and can be configured as a fully flatbed. It offers pre-set take-off or individually adjusted recline options, as well as a reading light, ambient lighting, side panel storage, a universal plug and USB-A charging port, as well as a headphone port.

Qantas provides noise-cancelling headphones, and while better than a standard headset I prefer to use my far more comfortable and effective Bose headphones. Waiting on your seat is a plush cotton duvet, seat topper (great for sleeping), a well-padded pillow. A Koskela branded amenities kit is also offered, as well as the dinner and breakfast menu.

Breakfast orders are taken via a ‘breakfast in bed’ style check-box menu, completed prior to take off. A cabin crew member provides welcome juice, water, or champagne. I opt for the latter, in celebration of a successful trip.

Sadly, there was no hot towel service on this flight (either on embarkation or before landing) though the much prized and surprisingly comfortable Qantas pyjamas were handed out prior to take off.

At the very front of the upper deck, a small lounge area has space for 10 passengers. Business class travellers have access to four bathrooms, though the aft two are shared with premium economy travellers, and can get quite busy.

The bathrooms were spacious and clean during each of my visits; while the crew set up a curtained-off dressing area near the forward doors for passengers to change into their pjs for the night. 

Inflight:

Customer service stood out on this trip. It was friendly and attentive throughout the entire 13 ½ hour trek, with the London-based crew one of the finest I’ve experienced on board Qantas.

The customer service manager visited each passenger to make a personal welcome. During the flight he took the time to invite me to the port side of the aircraft, to catch a glimpse of the spectacular Aurora Borealis. This was a highlight of the trip for me, as I had never seen the Northern Lights before, and I am very grateful for his thoughtful gesture.

Not long after take-off, drinks were offered. My dry ginger ale came with some plated-up mixed nuts.

Having perused the dinner menu, I opted to start with the roast tomato and tarragon soup, with herb crème fraiche and warm bread – which was fantastic. The soup was full of flavour and perfectly complemented by the crème fraiche (though if you are vegan you can opt to have this served without diary).

For my main meal, I opted for seared beef with asparagus, roast cherry tomato and Salsa Verde. While the vegetables and salsa were very flavourful, the beef was very tough and rather disappointing.

Any remaining hunger was quickly forgotten, thanks to the Valrhona Chocolate Mousse with mascarpone, cocoa brownie, and raspberries – which is among the best airline desserts I can recall!

I enjoyed several hours of inflight entertainment – which is both easy to use and contains plenty of choices. I particularly like Qantas’ collaboration with Paramount + allowing access to multiple high-quality shows, such as Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Halo, Lower Decks and 1883 – to name just a few.

I surprised myself, getting 7 hours of sleep during the flight, helped by the eye mask and ear plugs included in the amenities kit; alongside a toothbrush kit, socks, and a collection of skin hydration products.

Breakfast was served as the aircraft crossed east of the Bay of Bengal. There was plenty on offer, with fruit, yoghurt, muesli and a cooked breakfast of eggs and hash browns providing ample fuel for our arrival in Singapore.

Final Thoughts:

It didn’t seem that long before our Captain was advising we had reached top of descent. A relatively smooth run towards Singapore saw our giant A380 make a tight circle over Indonesia’s Great Karimun Island before we landed on Runway 02C. 

Having last flown on the Qantas A380 five years ago, it’s clear to me that the refreshed Business Class product has elevated Qantas’s long-haul experience. The business suite matches the Skybed Mk II’s spaciousness while adding a heightened level of privacy and comfort.

The straight design of the Business Suite’s bed makes sleeping far easier than competing reverse herringbone designs, as there is plenty of room for long legs without any need to bend your knees. Additionally, the extra foot space on the bulkhead was a bonus for someone of my height.

And ultimately it is the crew that make the trip. This crew were a real stand out – remaining friendly and attentive throughout the long trip. They represent the best that Qantas has to offer.

-Chris Frame travelled on a self-funded Classic Award seat booked with Qantas Frequent Flyer points.

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