In today’s flight review on AU Abroad, we take you on board Qantas Airways‘ 737-800 service on the most popular route in Australia – from Melbourne to Sydney. This was not your usual standalone flight, however, as I boarded the flight as a connection from an Emirates flight, which had come in from Singapore… Read on to see how this affected the experience, and what you might expect when you’re transferring between Melbourne’s Domestic and International terminals.
Airline: Qantas Airways
Route: Melbourne to Sydney – QF426 (EK5426 codeshare with Emirates)
Seat: Seat 16A (Window Seat in a 3-3 Configuration in Economy)
Aircraft: Boeing 737-800
Scheduled Flight Time: 1 Hour 25 minutes
On Schedule? Earlier flight arrived 25 minutes late meaning we left 10 minutes late too. But with only 55 minutes in the air, we arrived roughly on schedule.
Frequent Flyer Program: Qantas Frequent Flyer – Part of the One World Group.
Check-in & Baggage:
As I was transferring from international to domestic, and moving from an Emirates flight to a Qantas, you might expect things to be complicated. But no, they couldn’t have been easier. You run through customs, grab your bag and then sort out the international transfer at a nearby counter. A quick walk will take you to your next terminal and you twiddle your thumbs or grab a snack until your next flight is ready to go. One thing to mention, however – where are charging stations in the Qantas Terminal? They seem to be a bit behind the times when it comes to this one. Thankfully there was USB charging on board the flight.
As for baggage, your luggage will be tagged through to its final destination, so they’ll match whatever your ticket permitted you coming in from – in this case – Singapore. Normally. however, you’ll only be permitted 1 bag at maximum 23kg for domestic travel, plus a carry on.
Meal Service:
Morning tea with tea coffee and cold drinks plus a hot spinach and ricotta roll.
In-Flight Entertainment:
With USB charging and gate to gate touch screen entertainment – including 14 films and a big dose of TV shows over 14 categories – there was much more than you could ever need for a flight that barely lasts an hour!
Comfort:
This 737-800 seemed to be brand new. The seats were comfortable, the mood lighting on its roof – blue if you must know – was welcome, and all in all it was an easy flight. Especially welcome given it came after a lengthier International haul.
Customer Service:
I’ve always found Qantas to be hit and miss when it comes to their service – others speak nothing but highly of the airline. But it was definitely a hit on this flight. The flight was comfortable, the crew courteous and the level of service (e.g. food and entertainment) was just that little bit above their nearest competitor Virgin Australia to make it worth what is usually a slightly higher price tag.
The writer flew on his own expense in May 2015.
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