Flight test: Qantas A380 first class

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This was published 13 years ago

Flight test: Qantas A380 first class

Aircraft Qantas A380.

Route Sydney to Singapore.

Class First, seat 3F.

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Seat pitch Individual cabins.

Seat width 22½ inches; bed width 29 inches.

Seat configuration 1-1-1.

Luggage allowance Seven kilograms of hand luggage and 40 kilograms of checked luggage.

Scheduled flight time Eight hours. On time.

Aircraft condition Immaculate.

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Lounge access Make time for the Marc Newson-designed lounge in Sydney with a day spa offering massages. The Neil Perry Rockpool-style restaurant must rank among the world's best airline offerings.

Comfort There are 14 closeted first-class passengers with enough staff to have a party. A stroke of the touchscreen makes the chair swivel and move forward to dine and watch TV, then converts to an 83½-inch flat bed. On the same screen, you also adjust the lighting, seat massage and entertainment functions.

Privacy The seats are not as private as some first-class cabins but I'm not a big fan of the totally enclosed room and this strikes a good balance.

Food and beverages The 16-page Neil Perry menu has myriad options. I choose the 10-course tasting menu with matching wines. By airline standards, the dining table is huge and there's a second chair in the cabin so two people can dine together.

Entertainment The 43-centimetre screen is so far away I can't read it until I have mastered the chair's forward button. The contemporary movie choice is good but what seems a small music selection is disappointing.

Amenities You've got to love the cotton pyjamas. They come with matching slippers and a Payot Paris amenities kit. The big pillow, cotton sheet and duvet make for a glorious sleep.

Service Faultless but not fawning.

Is it worth the money? An oft-asked question by pointy-class travellers discussing business versus first class. Worth is hard to answer but it is significantly superior. (For the record, I was upgraded from business class for this leg, on a return Sydney-London business-class fare.)

Flight frequency Daily A380 services between Sydney and Singapore and four flights a week between Melbourne and Singapore (six from March 28).

Fare From $10,242 return.

Online see qantas.com.au.

Tested by Sue Bennett

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