It’s just gone 09h00 in the morning and I’ve just arrived in Cairns on a flight from Darwin. I now have until 13h10 before my onward connection to Sydney starts boarding. I have a vague recollection of having passed through Cairns on my way from Townsville back to Sydney a few years ago, but I don’t seem to be able to recognise anything inside the terminal.

The Cairns QANTAS Lounge

The QANTAS lounge is located one floor up from the public airside area. Its best feature, if you ask me, is the spectacular window front overlooking the ramp. The view outside is great and the airport’s location between the foot of a low hill and the sea is quite dramatic. However, movements are somewhat monotonous, with just the occasional Air New Zealand or Fiji Airways thrown in for good measure.

The catering in the lounge is good. When I first arrive, they’re still in the middle of serving breakfast, which means they have the funky pancake machine out. After eleven in the morning, they clear all that away in favour of the lunch service, which includes salads, a warm buffet and even a toasted sandwich maker.

Boarding

At 12h45 I receive a message through the QANTAS app informing me that our departure has moved to 14h30. One hour’s delay. A short while later, I receive a notification that departure has been postponed by yet another hour, and is now scheduled for 15h40, two hours behind schedule. Eventually, at 15h15 the inbound glides down to land and makes its way over to gate 22. I slowly pack up my things and make my way down to the departures concourse.

Despite the delay, the crew strictly enforce boarding by groups, starting with group 1. For some reason, boarding takes for ever, so that by the time we’re ready to push back, it’s already past 16h00.

The Cabin & Seat

The QANTAS domestic product has previously been covered in several of my blog posts, so it hardly needs an introduction. I think it’s an attractive looking cabin, and the 2+2 seating configuration is generous. To be honest, though, on a longer flight like the one today, I don’t really find the seat particularly comfortable. After a while, I’m not sure how to sit to find a good position to rest in. Other than that, though, the seat has an adjustable headrest with foldable ears, as well as a footrest. There’s also a small video screen in the back of the seat in front. However, I’m not really sure what it’s supposed to be good for, apart from showing the aircraft map, as all the films can only be viewed on your own device via the QANTAS app, and not on the IFE screen. Occupancy is 12/12 on today’s flight, and judging by how long boarding takes, I’m guessing it’s a full load in the rear as well.

The Service & Crew

There are four crew in the cabin. All of them are quite senior and they’re great! They’ve obviously made it their mission to give everybody as good of an onboard experience as they can, despite the delay. The flight time is announced with two hours and thirty minutes, with an expected arrival at the gate by 18h50.

Our departure from Cairns is very scenic. Right after take-off, we make a sharp left turn for noise abatement, and then we continue climbing as we pass along the coast and over the beautiful turquoise ocean.

The Meal – A Late Lunch/Early Dinner?

The meal service begins with a drinks run. I haven’t had one of those on short-haul in a long time in Europe – even on longer segments. I have a Coke Zero, which is served with a packet of mixed nuts.

After the drinks service, it takes a while for the meals to be served. From what I can tell, there are three option again for the main course. However, by the time the crew reach the last row, it’s either the pasta with beef ragù or the chicken breast salad with rice. I go with the pasta, which is served on a tray with two slices of bread and a packed dessert. The meal is rather nice. The ragù is flavourful and the meat is tender.

The dessert is very nice too, especially once I remove the three sour cherries. Whoever thought they could enhance the flavour of chocolate with sour cherries, I don’t know!

And then after the meal, I have a cup of the excellent filter coffee they have on QANTAS, which frankly beats the crap out of that horrible instant stuff the European carriers usually serve, and that I instantly regret ordering the moment I take the first sip!

After that, I lean back and try to find a good position for a little afternoon siesta. It’s been a long day, after all!

Arrival

At 18h25 the captain announces the top of descent and the cabin crew prepare the cabin for landing. The weather in Sydney is quite atrocious, with low clouds and passing rain showers. We touch down and make our taxi to the domestic terminal. By the time we’re let off the plane, it’s just gone 19h00.

Conclusion

All in all, the delay wasn’t too bad. I am on holiday after all with absolutely no commitments or plans. The excellent view from the Cairns lounge kept me perfectly entertained, and the food options were also good. But it did end up being a very long day in the end. I left the Mercure Resort in Darwin at five in the morning, and it was nearly eight by the time I reached Darling Harbour. Especially this second flight on QANTAS was excellent. The service is a lot like what the European carriers offered about forty years ago. It really make you wonder what an Australian must think when they’re travelling in Business Class short-haul around Europe, but I suspect it’s nothing very flattering.