Alex Robertson flies aboard QF154 from Auckland to Melbourne.
Plane:
A Boeing 737-800. These are getting a bit long in the tooth. It seems a tiny plane for an international flight — width is that of two family-sized station wagons. Flight time is only 3.5 hours though.
Class: Business class
Flight time: the 48 minutes-late lunchtime departure had me worried we would hit Melbourne commuter snarl. But, the pilot made up time somehow and landed ahead of the three and a half hour schedule.
Seat: Seat 1F, at the very front of the plane. The seat is wide enough for two of my behinds and, with only four seats across I only have one person to deal with to get from my window seat to the loo.
Passengers: The business section is well-heeled executives: I'm sitting next to a New Zealand ex-pat veterinarian specialising in race horses who now calls Ballarat home. The rest of the plane is full: middle-aged men going to Melbourne for the F1 season-opening race and older couples visiting the food and wine festival.
How full: The flight is full to the brim.
Entertainment: My screen folded out from the seat-side pocket and was responsive as my daughter at dinner-time conversation. When I did get it to work the selection of late-release movies, TV box sets, comedy from the US, UK and Australia, documentaries, HBO series, music, radio and games could have kept me going for days. As it was, I chatted to the vet the whole way.
Service: Business service starts with a glass of champagne on the tarmac and keeps going from there. The Neil Perry-designed menu is enough to satisfy and light enough to keep you flying. My green salad was served in a china bowl. The sourdough bread was sliced from a loaf and the butter was cut from a roll. The advertised kingfish was actually smoked salmon served on soba noodles with a sesame-soy dressing. And the white linen tablecloth and napkins were a nice touch, but didn't stop me from dribbling olive oil on my shirt! Two attendants for 12 guests meant we were well looked after. Champagne flowed for some; the connoisseurs drank premium wines. I stuck to a couple of beers.
Toilets: The 12 to one ratio was always going to be a winner. I was surprised to see the little triangle still folded on the toilet roll afte 10 others before me: either the service is very good, or the other passengers are Australian.
Airport experience: Auckland airport is easy and getting easier. Queues are never long and the shopping and other services are great. Chuck in an hour in the Qantas lounge, in spite of the coffee, and I'd almost be enjoying the whole flying experience. I still prefer sailing.
Final word: I've flown Qantas a number of times and never had a bad experience. This flight was a great, welcoming "Gidday Mate".
