Airline review: Qantas premium economy delivers where others fail
The flight
Qantas QF11, Airbus A380, premium economy, Sydney to Los Angeles. Scheduled flight time 13 hours 45 minutes. Operates daily.
The revamped (in 2019) Qantas A380 premium economy cabin.
The loyalty scheme
Qantas Frequent Flyer, part of the Oneworld alliance.
Carbon emissions
2.7 tonnes. As part of its Fly Carbon Neutral Program, Qantas will match any carbon offset contributions paid with cash (rather than points).
Checking in
Speedy and fuss-free thanks to a dedicated lane for premium economy. Passengers also enjoy priority boarding.
The seat
On the A380, premium economy is located in a separate 35- or 60-seat cabin (depending on the configuration) behind business class on the top deck. Compared to economy, it’s a veritable oasis of tranquillity, with fetching dark-grey capsule-style seats arranged in a roomy 2-3-2 configuration. The seat itself is comfortable and capacious with a footrest, an adjustable wing-back headrest and a fold-away armrest tray table. Seat width is 19.5 inches (49.5cm) and seat pitch is 38 inches (96.5cm), which means there’s a comfortable gap between my knees and the seat in front. The combination of a pleasingly plump pillow, a thick blanket and a well-stocked Napoleon Perdis amenity kit means I get a solid six hours’ sleep.
There’s a comfortable gap between seats.
Baggage
Two pieces of checked luggage (up to 32 kilograms each), two carry-on items (max 14 kilograms) and one small personal item.
Entertainment
You’ll need far more than 13¾ hours to do justice to the vast range of movies, box sets, podcasts, audiobooks and games onboard, all of which are delivered through a responsive 33-centimetre touch-sensitive screen and noise-cancelling headphones. Other features include a useful favouriting system and seat-to-seat messaging. There’s no Wi-Fi, but there are two USB charging points and an international power socket.
Service
The dedicated premium economy cabin crew are attentive, friendly and fun. A welcome glass of The Lane Lois sparkling is delivered with a smile and I’m even asked whether I prefer my milk poured before my tea.
Food
Dinner is a three-course affair, served on proper plates with proper cutlery. Although generous, my braised beef steak is on the chewy side but the Greek salad starter and Persian love cake dessert are both top-notch. There’s a good selection of Australian wines and a dangerously quaffable white wine spritz with finger lime aperitivo. I opt for the lighter continental breakfast, which is still a tray-filling array of fresh fruit, muffin and muesli. In the unlikely event you get peckish mid-flight, there are hot snacks plus a self-service buffet of fruit and biscuits.
One more thing
Premium economy passengers enjoy priority disembarkation as well as boarding.
The verdict
Qantas succeeds where many other airlines fail, delivering a premium economy offering where every aspect of the experience is a significant upgrade from economy.
Our rating out of five
★★★★½
The writer travelled at his own expense but was upgraded by Qantas (qantas.com).
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