The most remarkable aspect of this flight was that it took off at all . . . . the reliability of the Qantas A330s has been woeful of late, and the condition of their cabins leaves much to be desired. And as for the food  . . . more butter than beef in that main course, and surely it's time f...

"Perfectly serviceable" is an excellent description of this lounge - impressive sushi, decent selection of other a la carte options, reasonable drinks, attentive staff, functional bathrooms . . . but it all feels oddly sterile and somewhat 'awkward', for want of a better term. In contrast (and I ...

Warm service and passable F&B aside, I do not really understand the appeal of this lounge - hot, loud, hard surfaces everywhere ... it just feels like a slighter nicer part of the main terminal (to which it is essentially fully exposed). The soft, residential vibe of The Pier first lounge (an...

JAL already does this for the cardigan-like garments they offer business class passengers (which are very comfortable and relatively substantial) - a much more sustainable solution than throw-away PJs. 

They are certainly obsessed with trying to sell you wine through incessant emails and phone calls. It would be nice if this obsession extended to serving excellent examples of Australian wine onboard - recent offerings (in international J and F at least) have been decidedly lacklustre.

An early-morning arrival on the US west coast maximises options for onward connections.

The website (https://www.hvf.jp/eng/hanedaairport-grand/spa/) would suggest this is an authentic onsen - naked bathing only (sex segregated), and tattoos must be concealed by stickers.

A nice gesture, perhaps, but in the Australian context at least, I would suggest that of all healthcare workers, our CLEANERS should be the recipients of this largesse, given (a) their critical role on the frontline of keeping us all safe (moreso than mine as a medical specialist), (b) the risk t...

A great summary, David, and I agree with your conclusion that we have (had?) the world's best domestic business classes - both QF and VA are vastly superior to most US and European carriers, in both hard and soft product. The role of competition in achieving this outcome (and in cheaper fares mor...

I agree, patrickk - apart from our own personal risk assessments, insurance coverage will (justifiably) have a major role to play in when and how quickly travel returns to 'normal'. That said, as much as I miss certain aspects of travel, and the freedom to engage therein at will, I am quite enjoy...

In a good way, or a bad way? ;)

Agree, bsb (except I don't like Apple). We are very fortunate in AU for many reasons, and for those of us loyal to QF, we are fortunate that a VA business class product exists to keep QF 'honest' - one only need recall QF's plan for a premium-economy-style business class on the domestic A330s. Do...

This article may not be in particularly good taste, given the horrendous summer many Australians have had to endure. We'll soon be able to enjoy summer wines in winter too, if current trends continue ...

Agree with the above comments - I eat in the lounge whenever possible, especially on flights inbound to Australia. The champagne is excellent, but as Brandon notes, many of the wines seem to be pilfered from business class ... a shame, given the many exceptional Australian wines that could (and s...

I, for one, am relieved that the QF first product is little changed. The seats are much less claustrophobic than those on Emirates, the bed is much more comfortable than that on Etihad, and comparisons with Singapore's business class are a a bit of a stretch, given SQ's cramped quarters that - on...