Syd - Bkk J class BA up... cattle back :-(

[hgwells01]

Ok... long time between J class o/s flights, last being a QAN flight in 93 to LA... so was pretty impressed with it. We were in the old business lounge at Syd, the QAN passengers are placed elsewhere and BA FINNAIR CATHY etc etc are sharing a small section whilst the renos are being done I presume. After the tips here (thanks all) checked in online with Seat Guru open, and found we had been allocated up top, front seats, which we swapped for two back, since Guru said they were better away from the loos. I sipped my cold champers and sighed happily, yes... I could get used to this. Checked out all the tv selections, found my pillowS (oh yes two) and my little duvet, found the footstool and played with all the positions in my seat, bliss was found. Dinner was some extremely tasty prawns for starters in a salad, and I had the fish pie, a very tasty morsal of crisp potato stuffed with about half a dozen more prawns and fish in a creamy sauce, went very nicely with the white wine, and I picked the french one just cos I could. My hubby had the steak... not such a good choice, rather chewy, and he pinched bits of my fish pie over the divider and made faces at me whilst I slapped him for it. Lovely dessert of pecan pie, and hubby had king island cheeses and port, settled back and watched the tv and napped into Bangkok. All in all, I rated it very very highly, and I was even picked to complete a random survey. Alas it was all about to change.... for the worse. Our return trip was in economy, I checked in online again, managing to snaffle one of the few 2 on their own seats together at the back of the plane, only to find that the flight wasn't full and if we'd gone to the row opposite, probably could have had it to ourselves, oh well. We squeezed in to our seats, throwing up the middle armrest to give us a little more space, and tried to adjust our knees around the seats in front. After takeoff the lady in front promptly put her seat back and almost kneecapped me in the process and knocked me out as I was bending forward trying to adjust the video screen. My hubby wasn't having much luck with his, he turned it on... selected videos.. and then it turned itself off. His headphones didn't work, and neither did mine, we ended up going thru 5 sets before we got ones that did work. After about 45 mins... finally someone rebooted my hubbys sytem for him in thehope it would work, alas they rebooted mine instead of his and stopped my movie I had started and it took me 30 mins to get back in again. His screen never worked, fortunately the guy behind was on his own, so hubby moved behind to watch some tv. On to dinner, was a dry chicken breast and deb mash potato, also dry and lumpy, something resembling dessert, which had no flavour, a hard bread roll and a kit kat... thank god for chocolate. Wine was ok, so I contented myself with wine and chocolate, what more could a woman want? Breckie was totally inedible, with a dry pastry and warm yoghurt, I didn't bother, even a maccas at the airport could beat that meal. Pity they didn't give me another survey to fill out... comparison was very sad. Guess i'll have to flog the amex into submission for a full business class trip next time on points, woo hoo its xmas, i'm sure I can rack up a few points for next years trip

[littl_flier]

Thanks for the report hgwells01. There seems to be a general consensus that QF economy is better than BA economy on the Kangaroo route.

Did you travel backwards in Club World? How did you find this?

[Evan]

Thanks for the report hgwells01. There seems to be a general consensus that QF economy is better than BA economy on the Kangaroo route.

Did you travel backwards in Club World? How did you find this?

I would have to agree about QF being better in economy (sadly i did this trip too many times last year down the back, and it starts again in feb next year...). The worst thing about J is knowing possibly or probably for your next flight your back in whY and wonder how you will survive !

I have traveled backwards and its fine, i just wish clubworld was longer... for me it was not that comfortable to sleep but great for relaxing when awake.
E

[straitman]

I have traveled backwards and its fine, i just wish clubworld was longer... for me it was not that comfortable to sleep but great for relaxing when awake.
E

Evan,

I agree with both these comments. Once you are flying who knows if you are going backward or forwards. Also the clubworld seats/beds are not long enough for me either though the new clubworld solves this problem as it is considerably longer.

[hgwells01]

I was backwards, and it didn't bother me at all, apart from having to climb over the other person to go to the loo somehwat awkardly when they had their bed all set up. I also found that I could kinda spread out more as the bins along the windows give you an extra place to rest stuff, so I liked the window seat best. I notice all the QFF award seats are BA again for thailand next year, seems no Q seats in any class being offered. I'll have to hope for enough points for a full trip and shop hard... and fast - egads is it almost xmas

[Reggie]

I have traveled backwards and its fine, i just wish clubworld was longer... for me it was not that comfortable to sleep but great for relaxing when awake.
E

At 6'2" nearly all the seats are too short for me. The worst J I can remember was on CX LAX-HKG.

I didn't mind sitting backwards on BA, it was strange on take off and landing. Again due to me height, stepping over the fellow pax was not a problem.

[hgwells01]

and being ex RAAF, i've flown backwards on a HS748, sideways on a C130 Hercules, straight up on a Iroquois and hanging out the back of a Chinook with a tether back to the plane feeling my feet drop from me as the Pilot stood it up on its arse, and believe me, BA J beat em all, and besides, the drinks trolley doensn't come around at all on the others lol

[Reggie]

BA J beat em all, and besides, the drinks trolley doensn't come around at all on the others lol

And BA has Southern Comfort, unlike QF

[Evan]

And BA has Southern Comfort, unlike QF

Havn't had Southern for years ! maybe because last time i drank it straight and even after a beer you can still taste it.

The German's are often tall guys, i have flown LH but never noticed that it was any longer than the others... Unlike CX that would have in the past mostly been looking after generally smaller Asian body's so i can almost understand that.

E

[serfty]

... We were in the old business lounge at Syd, the QAN passengers are placed elsewhere and BA FINNAIR CATHY etc etc are sharing a small section whilst the renos are being done I presume. ...

Yes, you were in what was the J lounge of the mid-late 90's.

Early this decade, Qantas opened New J & F lounges upstairs at the mezzanine where currently "BA FINNAIR CATHY etc etc are sharing a small section" and closed the lounge downstairs near gate 31.

This was reborn as a pay per visit lounge but was not commercially variable so it's doors were again closed.

Early last year re-opened the old "gate 31" J lounge as a temporary F lounge Qantas and closed the upstairs F lounge while the New First lounge was being constructed above it. This new lounge opened in May this year and the Gate 31 lounge was again closed.

As noted it has now been re-opened as a temporary J lounge for Qantas PAX while the J lounge on the Mezzanine is being renovated in stages, BA/ZY/CX PAX being able to use the parts of the lounge awaiting renovation.