An Inside Look At A 15 Hour Flight In Qantas Business Class

21.02.2024 - 20:21 / forbes.com

Fifteen-hour flights are becoming the norm these days now that aviation engineers have designed aircraft that can easily make those long-haul trips. Currently the longest journey is from New York City to Singapore (18.5 hours) but Qantas Airlines is set to debut a new offering next year—from Sydney to London, and Sydney to New York—flights that will come in at 20 hours. Most Qantas international flights are long-haul by definition (given Australia’s geographic situation) but their mastery of the business class experience makes them a pleasure to fly rather than an endurance test. During a recent 15 hour and 45 minute flight from Melbourne to Dallas I had the opportunity to inspect their business class offering on their 787-9 Dreamliner. Overall, the quality of the experience neutralizes the slog of 15+ hours with fine dining, great wines, comfortable seats and a great cabin crew.

Each Business Class Suite the Qantas Dreamliner features a spacious seat that reclines into a fully-flat bed, a large screen on-demand entertainment system, plenty of storage spaces for your odds and ends, a set of Signature Qantas pajamas and amenity kits featuring Li'Tya skincare products. All seats have direct aisle access, and once on board and tucked into your pod, the smiling service begins with a round of Lallier Champagne before take-off.

After settling in, you’ll be treated to a parade of culinary and beverage offerings that reflect a series of major culinary upgrades that started in 2023—with new dishes, and larger portions that feature high-quality ingredients from premium Australian producers—all curated by Australian Chef Neil Perry. The dinner service on my flight was a lengthy affair with an aperitif (and an accompanying arancini) followed by the starter service and then the main course. If you are ready for sleep and want to accelerate the process that’s entirely doable—they’ll serve according to your requests. My main course of beef filet was lovely, with roasted potatoes and a creamy mustard and porcini sauce, as well as toasty warm rosemary focaccia and a crisp green salad. The accompanying Australian wines were top-notch selections that paired really well with the meal. The dining program also has a plant-based offering as well. Cocktails, spirits are also on offer as well as a continually refreshed snack bar with wines and other beverages is available throughout the flight

If you find yourself hungry several hours after the meal service is over, no problem—they have a tasty selection of mid-flight dishes. After about 10 hours in the air, I needed a snack and ordered the chicken schnitzel and swiss cheese toasted sandwich with coleslaw—it was a fantastic bite to tide me over until the final breakfast