How comfortable is a Qantas A380 flight from London to Sydney… in every cabin? Travel Expert finds out by reviewing ALL FOUR classes, from a £1,180 economy seat to a £10,000 first class berth
London to Sydney is a very long way – over 10,000 miles. And a popular airline for the epic 22-hour journey is Australia’s national carrier, Qantas.
It is deploying an aviation titan on this route – the A380 – and offering passengers a choice of four classes: economy, premium economy, business and first class.
Should passengers be afraid of flying economy? A travel expert answers this question in a fascinating video.
The points man Nicky Kelvin films his experience in this class on a Qantas A380 between Sydney and Singapore stopover – and offers an enchanting bonus. He also puts the other three classes to the test, revealing the difference in comfort between a £1,181 ticket at the back of the plane, a £2,992 premium economy offering, a £5,590 business class seat and a £5,590 first class seat 10,000. berth.
Read on for more…
ECONOMY – 3-4-3 configuration. Sydney to Singapore – fares from around £467 for this leg, £1,181 for London to Sydney
Nicky Kelvin from The Points Guy films his experiences in economy, premium economy, business class and first class on the Qantas superjumbo. Here he tests the backrest of his economy seat
Nicky is ‘really impressed’ with his ‘spacious’ economy berth
Hungry for more: Nicky said his meal was ‘a little on the small side’
Economy fares from London Heathrow to Sydney with Qantas cost £1,181
Points Guy editor-in-chief Nicky is ‘really impressed’ with his ‘spacious’ economy berth and praises the seat’s padding and adjustable headrest in the video. There’s also “decent” legroom, he notes, along with an IFE screen and a universal socket for charging devices.
He tells MailOnline Travel: ‘This is one of the most comfortable economy seats I’ve tried, with a particularly deep backrest.
‘The snacks were plentiful, such as the large bag of goodies that came with the drinks service, and the large Magnum ice cream was a godsend, but the meal itself was a bit on the small side.
“The headphones were possibly the best I’ve experienced in economics.”
PREMIUM ECONOMY – 2-3-2 configuration. Singapore to Sydney – fares from around £1,055 for this leg, £2,992 for London to Sydney
‘Fresh and beautiful’ is how Nicky describes his premium economy Qantas berth (above)
The premium economy seat is ‘chic and comfortable’, according to Nicky
Nicky sat on the aisle for his ‘busy flight’. Window seats come with storage bins
‘I loved the warm, tasty and generous portion of beef noodles,’ Nicky told MailOnline Travel
‘Crisp and beautiful’ is how Nicky describes his premium economy Qantas berth in the video, saying it has a footrest, universal socket, USB charging port and a ‘super chic’ light in the shoulder of the seat.
He tells MailOnline Travel: ‘The seats were chic and comfortable, but a big tip would be to get a window seat, which benefits from the storage bins and extra space between the seat and the torso.
‘I was sitting aisle on this very busy flight.
‘The food was exceptionally good. I loved the hot, tasty and generous portion of beef noodles. That meal, along with the pillow and blanket, was more like what you might find elsewhere in business class.”
BUSINESS CLASS – 1-2-1 configuration. London to Singapore – fares from £4,488 for this leg, £5,590 for London to Sydney
Nicky’s business class ticket from London to Singapore cost £4,488
The Business Class fare gives access to an ‘incredible’ lounge area on board (above)
Nicky is very pleased with his ‘super comfortable’ lie-flat business class seat
“One downside was how narrow the footwell was when you were trying to sleep,” Nicky said
Nicky is very pleased with his ‘super comfortable’ lie-flat business class seat, which in the video, he notes, has a massage function and a ‘large and crystal clear IFE screen’.
The business class fare also gives access to an onboard lounge area, which Yorkshire-born Nicky says is an ‘incredible benefit’.
He tells MailOnline Travel: ‘On the A380, business class access to the lounge area on board the aircraft is an incredible advantage. And I absolutely loved having three crew members on this flight who came from Leeds and York, they brought a real sense of home and provided exceptional service.
Nicky’s verdict on the Qantas business-class food? ‘Fantastic’
The business class seat has a massage function and a ‘large and crystal clear IFE screen’
‘The food was fantastic and I was lucky enough to take advantage of premium champagne as we had run out of business champagne.
‘One downside was how narrow the footwell was when you were trying to sleep.’
FIRST CLASS – 1-1-1 configuration. Singapore to London – fares from £6,575 for this leg, £10,063 for London to Sydney
Before Nicky leaves, he is offered Pommery champagne and a caviar snack
The first-class berth comes with a host of extras, including a perch for ‘buddy dining’, an ‘incredibly large tray table’ and ‘fairly chic’ pajamas
Hi-tech: Nicky shows viewers the handy controls for his suite
“It’s wow,” Nicky says in the video after sitting in his first-class seat. He describes it as “huge” and reveals that it “kind of hugs you when you’re in it.”
The berth comes with all kinds of extras, including a perch for ‘buddy dining’, an ‘incredibly large tray table’ and ‘fairly chic’ pajamas.
Nicky is offered Pommery champagne and a caviar snack before he takes off – and once in the air he reveals the almost mind-boggling dining options: a choice of five starters, four main courses, ‘all kinds of different desserts’ and a ‘very extensive breakfast menu’.
Also available are cocktails, wines and champagnes.
“It’s wow,” Nicky says in the video after sitting in his first-class seat
The Qantas A380’s first-class cabin is arranged in a 1-1-1 configuration
Nicky’s first class fare from Singapore to London cost £6,575
The first-class bed has a ‘memory foam mattress two or three inches thick, and cozy, soft pillows and duvets’
“The food on board was also excellent,” said Nicky
Nicky tells MailOnline Travel: ‘The premier lounges in both Sydney and Singapore are exceptional with an incredible food offering.
‘The food on board was also excellent.
‘The pajamas and amenities were lovely, but the real standout feature of Qantas first class is the bed.
‘With a memory foam mattress, two or four inches thick, and cozy, soft pillows and duvets, I was in for a fantastic night’s sleep. On a 14-hour overnight flight this was very important to me and Qantas’ offering far exceeds many others.’
Click to watch the full original video here. For more information from The Points Guy, visit thepointsguy.com/uk-travel.
The A380 flight (above) from London to Sydney takes approximately 22 hours, with a stopover in Singapore