Getting to the Airport

I collect my luggage on platform 10, where I just arrived on the overnight train from Longreach. I take the escalator one floor down, purchase my ticket for the airport train and then go up the stairs onto platform 7, where the AirTrain is just pulling into the station.

The service to the airport takes about thirty minutes, calling first at the international terminal and then at domestic. The airport station at domestic is linked via the SkyWalk to the terminal building.

Check-in

Well, this is rather nifty! At the far end of the QANTAS check-in concourse, past the Economy Class check-in precinct, is the Premium lounge, which is completely segregated from the rest of the terminal. Business Class passengers can check in here and then go through a dedicated security line.

Behind security, an escalator leads up one floor, bringing passengers directly into the lounge precinct. My first stop is the ticketing desk. My flight back to Sydney is not until 15h45. However, QANTAS have a policy whereby you can change the time of your flight on the same day and to the same destination without fees or penalties, subject to seat availability. It’s only just gone 10h30. So I inquire if there might be any seats on an earlier flight. And it looks like it’s my lucky day, so the agent rebooks me to the 12h15 departure. Cool!

QANTAS Domestic Business Class Lounge Brisbane

The lounge is rather nice and spacious. It even has some good views of the domestic apron. But I’m hungry again, so I park myself at one of the tables, which are away from the windows, and go grab some food from the buffet.

I think they’re kind of in between meal services. They’ve removed the hot breakfast items, but haven’t yet brought out the lunch items. There’s still plenty of food available for me to make do, though. As in the lounge in Sydney, there’s also a bar where you can order hot drinks. They do a lovely cappuccino!

Boarding

Boarding is from gate 22, which is the first gate straight ahead as you exit the lounge. And again I am amazed by how orderly and polite boarding is in Australia!

The Cabin & Seat

All QANTAS’ B 737-800s are configured with the same Business Class cabin with twelve seats on three rows. It’s not a revolutionary design, but it certainly beats the European interpretation of Business Class, which simply means blocking the adjacent seat.

The Service & Crew

The crew are great and seem to interact and work well together. There’s a bit of a delay with a faulty overhead bin, but the ladies working the cabin quickly sort it out. And then we‘re on our way. On this flight, no bottles of water are handed out before departure.

The Meal – Light Lunch

There are three options for lunch: pork curry, chicken salad, or a leek and potato soup. I go with the soup, which is served with two slices of sourdough and salted butter. The soup is lovely and I appreciate that it‘s served piping hot from the galley.

After the meal I have a coffee with milk with a piece of the white chocolate provided on the tray.

Arrival in Sydney

Our arrival into Sydney is gorgeous and brings us in over Manly and the harbour before we make a wide sweeping turn over Botany Bay to line up for the landing.

We have a fairly short taxi to the terminal and eventually pull onto our stand at gate 3. From there it‘s just a short walk to arrivals and then the station for the train into town.

Conclusion

This was another pleasant flight with QANTAS. I always enjoy these domestic flightss. The crews are reliable and consistent in their service delivery. I also like that they manage to strike a balance by providing a good service but without being unnecessarily or overly fussy.