747 Business class - Qantas?

[Adam.S]

^
I see, thanks very much.

[Adam.S]

I've booked business class on QF8, BNE-SYD and have the option of selecting seat 4A or 4K on the 747.

Now I know it probably comes down to personal opinion; however is there much of a difference between F and J class for a one hour flight?
I can see the advantage of sitting in 1st class on a long haul flight, however for shorter travel a window seat would be preferable and I am not sure how good seats 4A or 4K would be for looking out the window given they are the bassinet seats.
The upper deck of the 747 seems a little more appealing at this stage for me......any advice?


On a related note, I've booked a 2nd flight on QF8 (BNE-SYD) again later in the year after purchasing 2x discounted business class tickets as a birthday treat for a family member.
Again on this particular flight, all seats in row 4 of the 747 are currently available to be selected. Given these are discounted business class tickets, are we less likely to gain access to these 1st class seats if we go ahead and select them?

cheers

[Weiwern H]

Had the same things to consider on an upcoming 744 flight QF581 SYD-PER. I opted for upstairs in the end. Hope to post a trip review upon my return.

[Kelvin R]

As I have mentioned previously if the seats are available then they are yours. Even with the bassinet the view from 4A/ K is better than the upper deck as with the upper deck you look down and out the window. The upper deck also has the lockers between the seat and window. I would select row 4 on the hope that the cabin was empty and that you could change to 1A and 1K after takeoff.

[Adam.S]

OK thanks for that Kelvin.

A final question, if sitting in F class on this short 1.5 hour flight, how important or what is expected of a passengers dress code/appearance?

I will be making an effort to look 'nice', however I am not a suit and tie kind of person and for me 'nice' would be clean joggers with cargo shorts and an untucked dress/business shirt.

These being my 'best clothes' (!), would this appearance be seen as too casual and inappropriate for first class travel?

If so I might look at business class travel instead.

cheers

[Raymond Rowe]

Never flown first class on a international but from what i have heard the attire you have spoken about Adam would certainly not suit first class.I believe there is a dress code.

[Kelvin R]

For paid travel in F their is no dress code. I have never had QF ask me to change.

I don't fly in shorts or sandals because I get too cold on the plane but if that's what you want to fly in, as long as it is clean (ie not dirty) and does not have offensive material printed on it, go ahead. I also avoid shorts and open toe shoes because I worry about evacuation. I dont want slide burns on bare skin or cuts to feet from loosing flip flops or sandals on the way down.

I even change out of my suit before boarding and get into trackpants or jeans for the flight. It is just more comfortable to fly long haul and when you do a lot of it, comfort is everything.

[Ryan N]

Long gone are the days when people dress up to catch a flight. It's now as common as catching a bus.

[John Arena]

A friend of mine flew BA first, turned up Cargo Shorts, Birkenstocks, sunglasses and a T-Shirt. This was also an award booking, not once was he questioned about his dress

John

[Adam.S]

With thanks to the reassurance provided in this thread, I kept my original seat selection and last week flew in the first class cabin of QF8, BNE-SYD.

Being a domestic leg and a short flight I believe 'first class' is treated as pretty much as Business class. Not that I required any fancy treatment, however was just curious to see what travel was like at the pointy end of the jumbo.

Would be interested to see if there are any differences in 'treatment/services' on the longer SYD-PER domestic flight if one had a seat in the F cabin on a 4-class jumbo.

Other then the seat itself, the only main differences I noticed between first class and economy on this flight were the offering of a beverage prior to take-off, as well as the use of actual silverware cutlery. Perhaps I was expecting too much when thinking the quality of the breakfast meal would be a little 'better' then what is served in economy, however I didn't feel that was the case on this flight.


Regardless, I enjoyed the experience however do not really think the $700 ticket and service that comes with it, was that much better then the $110 I could have paid for an economy class ticket on the same flight. Although at a discount price I would do it again.

First class on a longhaul flight does sound a little more comfortable, although I still struggle to see how anyone can justify spending that much money on a first class ticket on any kind of regular occurrence for an international flight (Emirates A380 and their onboard showers may be the exception).


Regarding dress code, I spoke with the cabin crew about my attire and as confirmed previously in this thread, its importance is somewhat a thing of the past.
I was told my appearance was "totally acceptable" and there were other adult passengers in the same cabin who were wearing jeans with sneakers and polo shirts. I was glad to see there is not a great emphasis on dress code anymore.


I recommend the flight to others, who like me could never afford a first class ticket on an international flight, but would like to try the experience on its domestic leg.
My thanks again and regards.