[Shano]

QF107 SYD-LAX
B747-438
Rego VH-OEE
Seat 46H
Scheduled Dep: 10:20AM

My last overseas trip I had managed points upgrades to J in both directions, so it was a bit of a reality check to be back in Y for this much longer flight. I was booked on a non-upgradeable fare, so even if I felt like blowing 72,000 points on the upgrade, this would not have been possible. Hmmm, now that is an example of good value for the QFF program.

Expertflyer the previous afternoon had been showing down to O9, so I knew that the flight would only be lightly loaded. Being WP I was one of the first to board to make sure I could stow my bag and backpack close to my seat. I then waited for my seat mates in 46J and 46K to show (whoever that was going to be) and was pleasantly surprised when it was clear I would have the row to myself. Alas, not new interior on this bird.


Actual departure was not until 11:06 due to a “technical issue” with Captain Cook (seriously) hitting to go pedal down runway 16R at 11:17.

There has been some discussion about the CSM personally greeting platinum status passengers flying. For this flight I was greeted by the Y cabin manager Russ (didn’t catch his surname – too busy thinking about what I could bludge from QF) who greeted me with: “Hi Mr Shano, I am Russ the cabin manager. You obviously fly a lot with us (well not as much as some – my comment not his). Obviously I can’t get you a seat up the front (must be a common request) but if I can get you anything else please ask. So I requested, and received, newspapers, noise cancelling headphones and a glass of champagne from the J cabin (with a few refills too). Small consolation for the lack of a skybed, but I’ll take what I can get. I don’t really know why I asked for champagne as I rarely drink the stuff – usually only when flying J (infrequent) or at weddings (even more infrequent at the moment) – but figured it was a bit too early for a glass of wine and the beer they serve on board is never cold enough (maybe not for you lot from the mother land). So bubbles it was.

Sitting opposite me in 47G was sausage man. I named him this because not long after take-off he proceeded to pull out a Styrofoam package containing what appeared to be a mixed grill (where do you buy a mixed grill airside at SYD???). Now I like a barbequed sausage as much as the next person, but the thought of said sausages sweating in someone’s carry-on for a couple of hours before consumption was not overly appealing.

Lunch was served some time after, consisting of some chicken and beef concoctions. As typically J and F menus are posted in these sorts of reports I figured that the Y swill that was offered was not really worthy of a mention. That didn’t stop me from eating it, although by this time was tempted to snag a sausage (no pun intended) from my mate in 47G.

The AVOD worked perfectly for this flight, although I struggled to find something to watch that particularly interested me. I started with Oceans 13 (below par), then on to some Nicholas Cage movie (purely to watch co-star Jessica Biel) and then an English movie. Despite this boredom I barely slept for more than about an hour on the flight.

A flight attendant came through the cabin with US immigration and customs forms. He asked me if I had a visa and I told him I wanted a visa waiver form, at which point he handed me the whiteform. I handed this back and asked for the green form. Poor mistake from QF – I hope that no first time visitors to the US ended up with the white form when they were eligible for the visa waiver program.

Breakfast (mixed grille) was served about 2 hours out of LAX. We landed about 7:10 am and were disembarking about 10 minutes later.