London to Sydney is a very long way – well over 10,000 miles. And a popular choice of airline for the epic 22-hour journey is Australia’s national carrier, Qantas.
It deploys an aviation titan on this route – the A380 – and offers passengers a choice of four classes: economy, premium economy, business and first class.
Should passengers dread flying economy? A travel expert answers this question in a fascinating video.
The Points Guy’s Nicky Kelvin films his experience in this class on a Qantas A380 between Sydney and stopover location Singapore – and offers a mesmerising bonus. He also puts the other three classes to the test, revealing the difference in comfort between a back-of-the-plane £1,181 slot, a £2,992 premium economy offering, a £5,590 business-class seat and a £10,000 first-class 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
The Points Guy’s Nicky Kelvin films his experiences in economy, premium economy, business class and first class on Qantas’s superjumbo. Here he tests the recline in 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 London Heathrow to Sydney fares with Qantas cost £1,181
Points Guy Editor-at-Large Nicky is ‘really impressed’ with his ‘spacious’ economy berth, praising the seat’s padding and adjustable headrest in the video. There’s ‘decent’ legroom, too, 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 recline.
‘The snacks were plentiful, like the large bag of treats provided with the drinks service, and the full-size magnum ice cream was a win, but the meal itself was a little on the small side.
‘The headphones were potentially the best I’ve experienced in economy.’
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 lovely’ is how Nicky describes his premium economy Qantas berth (above)
The premium economy seat is ‘chic and comfortable’, said Nicky
Nicky was in an aisle seat for his ‘busy flight’. Window seats come with storage bins
‘I loved the hot, tasty and generous portion of beef noodles,’ Nicky told MailOnline Travel
‘Fresh and lovely’ is how Nicky describes his premium economy Qantas berth on the video, which he points out has a footrest, universal plug socket, USB charging port and a ‘super chic’ light in the seat’s shoulder.
He tells MailOnline Travel: ‘The seats were chic and comfortable, but a big tip would be to snag a window seat, which benefits from the storage bins and extra room between the seat and the fuselage.
‘I was in an aisle seat on this very busy flight.
‘The food was particularly good. I loved the hot, tasty and generous portion of beef noodles. That meal, along with the pillow and blanket, was closer to what you might find in business class elsewhere.’
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 was £4,488
The business-class fare grants access to an ‘incredible’ onboard lounge space (above)
Nicky is very taken with his ‘super comfortable’ lie-flat business-class seat
‘One niggle was with how narrow the footwell was when trying to sleep,’ Nicky said
Nicky is very taken with his ‘super comfortable’ lie-flat business-class seat, which in the video he notes has a massage feature and a ‘large and crystal-clear IFE screen’.
The business-class fare also grants access to an onboard lounge space, which Yorkshire-born Nicky says is an ‘incredible benefit’.
He tells MailOnline Travel: ‘On the A380, business-class access to the lounge space on board the aircraft is an incredible benefit. And I absolutely loved having three crew on this flight that came from Leeds and York, they brought a real feeling of home and provided exceptional service.
Nicky’s verdict on the Qantas business-class food? ‘Fantastic’
The business-class seat has a massage feature and a ‘large and crystal-clear IFE screen’
‘The food was fantastic and I was lucky enough to benefit from first-class Champagne as they ran out of business-class Champagne.
‘One niggle was with how narrow the footwell was when 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
Nicky is offered Pommery Champagne and a caviar-laced bite before take-off
The first-class berth comes with a host of extras, including a perch for ‘buddy dining’, an ‘incredibly large tray table’ and ‘pretty chic’ pyjamas
Hi-tech: Nicky shows viewers the handy controls for his suite
‘It is wow,’ Nicky says in the video after settling into his first-class seat. He describes it as ‘enormous’, revealing that it ‘sort of hugs you as you sit in it’.
The berth comes with a host of extras, including a perch for ‘buddy dining’, an ‘incredibly large tray table’ and ‘pretty chic’ pyjamas.
Nicky is offered Pommery Champagne and a caviar-laced bite before take-off – and once in the air he reveals the almost mind-boggling dining options: a choice of five starters, four mains, ‘all sorts of different desserts’, and a ‘very full breakfast menu’.
Also available are cocktails, wines and Champagnes.
‘It is wow,’ Nicky says in the video after settling into his first-class seat
The Qantas A380 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-type mattress of two or three inches thickness, and cosy and squishy pillows and duvet’
‘The food on board was also excellent,’ said Nicky
Nicky tells MailOnline Travel: ‘The first-class lounges both in Sydney and Singapore are exceptional with an incredible food offering.
‘The food on board was also excellent.
‘The pyjamas and amenities were lovely, but the true stand-out feature in Qantas first class is the bed.
‘With a memory-foam-type mattress of two or three inches thickness, and cosy and squishy pillows and duvet, I was in for a fabulous night’s sleep. On a 14-hour overnight flight, this was very important to me and the Qantas offering is a cut above many others.’
To watch the full original video click here. For more from The Points Guy visit thepointsguy.com/uk-travel.
The A380 (above) flight from London to Sydney takes around 22 hours, with a stopover in Singapore
