Trip Report: QF BNE-SYD-BNE on a 747 and 767 (Photos)

[Brandon Giacomin]

Hi all,

Last Sunday (May 22) I went on my favorite day trip so far, an all day trip down to Sydney

Late last year I had heard rumors on the net about a new Qantas route to Dallas, and that the routing would be SYD-DFW-BNE-SYD. I was hoping this would come true and that the BNE-SYD route would be available to domestic travelers. And in early January I heard the good news, it was official Qantas would fly SYD-DFW-BNE-SYD four times a week starting May 16 and that you could fly BNE-SYD

As soon as I heard the news I went on the Qantas site to see what the fares were like, and QF8 was $157 So I thought I would just have to wait, then the next day I saw that Qantas had a sale on BNE-SYD so I looked at QF8 on Sunday May 22 (the soonest date I would be able to do it) and it was $81! So I asked my parents if I could do the trip and they were fine with it.

So I selected QF8 on May 22, all I had to do now was select my flight home, before booking I had a look at Virgin Blue, they didn’t have any sales, nor did Tiger so I had a look at Qantas. I wanted to return in the evening, there was a Jetstar flight at 6:30pm and it was $81 but then I saw QF548 which departs at 7pm which was $85, so I thought I’d pay the extra $4 and fly with Qantas and get free dinner and fly on the more comfortable 767

The day after booking I told my best mate at school, Josh, about my trip. He said he would like to go with me but he didn’t book, but then in late April I came to school and he said he had booked and he showed me his itinerary, he was on QF8 with me on the 22nd but because he left it so late, all the later flights were now around $150-200, so he picked up the cheapest flight he could which was QF520 departing at 11am which cost him around $80-90.

It sure was going to be a great day, as we got into May we started counting down the days and before we knew it the day had come!

Brisbane Airport

The flight left at 6:30am so I had to get there at 5am, so I set my alarm for 4am and planned to leave the house at 4:30. But I woke up at 3:30 and I knew I just wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep. Tried to go to sleep early the night before, thought I wouldn’t be able to because I’d be too excited but I managed to fall asleep at about 8pm. At about 4am I got a message from Qantas saying that QF8 was delayed and would now leave at 7am. Only half an hour late so not too bad.

Woke my parents up at about a quarter past four Packed my bag the night before so just did a quick check in the morning, made sure I had charged my camera battery the night before and also my phone. Had also done the online check in as soon as it opened at 6:30am on the 21st. Had requested 55A and I managed to get it, my friend requested 55B but had troubles doing the online check in, so he called Qantas and he was told to check in at the airport.

Got to the airport a little after 5am, Josh arrived a little earlier so he could check in, he managed to secure 55B. When he checked in he asked how full the plane was, he was told that about 100 people were continuing on from Dallas and around 10 people would be joining the flight for the BNE-SYD leg! Nice looked like we would have a bit of room!

So we went to security told them we were just going to Sydney, passed security no worries then proceeded to customs. Josh went first and he was fine then I went up and showed my boarding pass and also some ID, I was told that I needed a domestic sticker on my boarding pass, because I used the online check in I didn’t get one. So had to go back to the check in desks.

Very quiet at this time of the morning, was no line for check in. Went straight up to the counter and told them I needed the sticker, they printed me out a new boarding pass and put the sticker on and had me sign it. The guy and the counter said for flights like QF8 its always just best to check in at the airport.

So through security again, no problems and then up to customs, all was fine so my boarding pass was stamped and I was on my way to the gate. Checked the departure screens and we would be departing from Gate 80. Two days earlier at 1:30pm I was on flightradar24 waiting to see QF7 depart for Dallas as this would be the aircraft that would operate my flight. I wanted Wunala but the day before she went to Tokyo, so I would not get her. And about half an hour late VH-OEI took off from Sydney on her way to Dallas! So ‘Ceduna’ would be my first 747!

Had a look to see if there were any aircraft at the international, Strategic Airlines A332 VH-SSA was there after flying BNE-DPS-BNE the day before, today she would fly BNE-HKT-MEL, took a few shots of here, no to good though as it is still dark at 5:30am. A Pacific Blue 737 was the only other aircraft there but didn’t take any photos as I see them all the time.

At about 5:45 Royal Brunei B772 V8-BLD arrived so walked to Gate 78 I think, to get some shots of her. Sat down with Josh, was using the free Qantas Wi-Fi, went on Planefinder as balus wasn’t working, and saw that VH-OEI was on short finals for RWY19 with VH-OJN not far behind coming in from LAX. Took some great shots of OEI taxiing and pulling into the gate and also of VH-OJN taxiing behind.

Enough talking for now, time for some photos!

Check in area with the very large departures screen


Strategic A332 VH-SSA


Royal Brunei B772 V8-BLD


Qantas B744ER VH-OEI pulls into Gate 80


VH-OEI completes the 16 hour flight from Dallas


Qantas B744 VH-OJN arrives from LAX, taxiing behind VH-OEI


Emirates B77W A6-ECI arrives from Dubai


Departure lounge

[Brandon Giacomin]

Korean Air A332 HL8211 taxies behind VH-OEI after arriving from Seoul


At 7am boarding commenced so Josh and myself lined up, had our boarding passes scanned and we were boarding the mighty 747!

May 22, 2011
Qantas
QF8
BNE-SYD
VH-OEI
Seat 55A

Was welcomed onboard and we made our way down to row 55, had a quick peak in first class, looked very nice! Josh and I took our seats, 55C was occupied, the plane was very empty! At 7:30 we pushed back (an hour behind schedule).

Anyway, here are some more photos.

Boarding


Foggy window


It started raining so that cleaned my window up


Front economy section on OEI


Back economy section, very empty!


Push back


Nice lineup


Taxiing to RWY19, passing VA, BI and QF A333


Passing the domestic terminal, I spot Virgin Australia B738 VH-YFC for the first time


Lined up on RWY19, had no aircraft to wait for


Roaring down RWY19, kicking some water up


Josh took a video of the takeoff, he is having problems uploading it at the moment though, will post a link when he gets it up

Qantas Hangar 2


Qantas Hangar 3


Banking left

[Brandon Giacomin]

Brisbane Airport, some low cloud around


Passing Cleveland


Once the seat belt sign was switched off the lady in seat 55C moved to a different seat, she was looking at her itinerary and I saw that after QF8 she would be on QF63 to Johannesburg

Above the clouds


Breakfast


Because it was such a short flight I didn’t really use the PTV, just used the flight map the whole time. We were cruising at 28 000ft


Newcastle, according to the map


Descending into Sydney


Flying over a very smoggy Sydney


Passing Sydney Airport, you can see JAL Boeing 777-200ER JA707J (Oneworld Livery) rotating


Looked awesome


Banking left


And again


Over Botany Bay


On finals for RWY34L


Nearly down passing Korean Air B772 HL7765

[Brandon Giacomin]

And were down!


Aircraft parked at the international off bays


Singapore Airlines B772ER 9V-SQK, British Airways B772ER G-YMMG, British Airways B744 G-CIVP 'Oneworld livery', United B744 N177UA and United B744 N122UA


Malaysian Airlines B744 9M-MPM, Emirates B77W A6-ECP, Thai Airways A346 HS-TNC and Air Canada B77L C-FIUA


Jetconnect B738 ZK-ZQF (Great Crusade Wallabies livery) and LAN A343 CC-CQA


Qantas A333 VH-QPA, Hainan Airlines A332 B-6519 and Cathay Pacific A333 B-LAF


Jetconnect B738 ZK-ZQB, Qantas B744 VH-OJO, Qantas B744ER VH-OEG and Air China A332 B-6090


Into the Gate next to Air China


De boarded the plane we were going to ask to go into the cockpit but because Josh wasn’t in Sydney very long we gave it a miss so he could have more time at the observation deck

Air China at the gate, was the first time I have seen Air China


Didn’t know VH-OEG had the new livery


Went straight to customs, no problems there, then up to Quarantine and Boarder Protection, the line was huge, luckily there was someone calling for domestic passengers. We had our boarding passes checked by a guy at quarantine; he said that was fine and we can go straight through. Unfortunately he walked off with our boarding passes! We both wanted to keep our boarding passes. Oh well, I still had my original online boarding pass so it was ok.

So after all of that we went straight up to two ladies who work at the terminal and asked where the observation deck is. They gave us directions and we found it easily. Caught the lift up to the observation deck and enjoyed 3 hours of Plane spotting.

Plane Spotting in Sydney

Spent just over 3 hours at the observation deck, will let the photos do the talking

Qantas B744ER VH-OEI, Qantas A388 VH-OQB, China Southern B772ER B-2055, Singapore Airlines Cargo B744F 9V-SFJ and Jetstar A332 VH-EBJ


Emirates B77W A6-ECP – EK418 to Christchurch


Qantas B744 VH-OJS ‘Socceroos Livery’ is towed over to the international


United B744 N122UA – UA839 to Melbourne


Asiana B772ER HL7500 – OZ602 to Seoul

[Brandon Giacomin]

LAN A343 CC-CQA – LA800 to Santiago via Auckland


Just before 10am, Josh left for the domestic terminal, met Adam P from Mackay who had also just flown on QF8

Delta B77L N708DN – DL16 to Los Angeles


Hainan A332 B-6519 – HU7914 to Hangzhou via Shenzhen


China Southern A333 B-6112 – CZ326 to Guangzhou


Qantas B744 VH-OEG – QF63 to Johannesburg


Cathay Pacific A333 B-LAF – CX162 to Hong Kong


Observation Deck


Thai Airways A346 HS-TNC – TG476 to Bangkok


Air China A332 B-6090 – CA176 to Beijing via Shanghai


Qantas A332 VH-EBO – QF581 to Perth


Vietnam Airlines A332 VN-A376 – VN782 to Hanoi via Ho Chi Minh City


Singapore Airlines Cargo B744F 9V-SFJ


Air Canada B77L C-FIUA – AC34 to Toronto via Vancouver


Qantas B744ER VH-OEI – QF107 to Los Angeles


Malaysian Airlines B744 9M-MPM – Being towed to the international

[Brandon Giacomin]

Atlas Air B744F N409MC – Taxiing to the cargo area


Cathay Pacific A333 B-LAL (brand spanking new!) – CX101 from Hong Kong


Singapore Airlines Cargo B744F 9V-SFJ – Not sure where she was going


United B744 N177UA – Fridays UA840 to LAX I believe, was delayed due to fog in Sydney and diverted to BNE


Aeropelican J-32 VH-OTH


Qantas B744 VH-OJS ‘Socceroos Livery’ – QF127 to Hong Kong


Qantas A388 VH-OQB – Being towed to the gate I used, she later operated QF11 to Los Angeles


Air Pacific B744 DQ-FJK – FJ911 from Nadi


China Eastern A333 B-6127 ‘Shanghai 2010 Expo Livery’ – MU562 to Shanghai


Qantas B763 VH-ZXF – QF520 to Brisbane, with Josh onboard, taxiing out to RWY34R


Air Vanuatu B738 YJ-AV1 – NF11 to Port Vila


Garuda Indonesia A332 PK-GPJ – GA713 to Jakarta



Singapore Airlines B772ER 9V-SQK – SQ232 to Singapore


Qantaslink Q400 VH-QOH ‘BCF Livery’

[James Thomson]

Great Trip Report Brandon !! I am doing QF8 on the 20/1 so excited and Can't Wait!!
Keep Up the Good Work!