Qantas recently announced their international fleet would be grounded until mid-2021 and the flagship A380 for potentially longer. Without the A380, Qantas will not be offering First Class for the foreseeable future.
But for those with withdrawal symptoms fear not, you can always recreate the experience on the ground with the help of the Qantas Store and eBay.
In this post:
Qantas First Class Pyjamas & Amenity Kit
Typically the only ‘take home’ part of a First Class flight experience are the pyjamas and amenity kit. Qantas has comfortable pyjamas, without the zips that Singapore Airlines and Japan Airlines seem to feel are suitable in sleepwear.
Fortunately, both the pyjamas and amenity kits are usually available on ebay:
Qantas First Class Sleep Experience
The good news is your own bed at home is probably more comfortable than Qantas First Class.
My last flight in Qantas First pre-dated the refresh, but the bed was exceptional and equal to Singapore Airlines Suites.
That said, you can now purchase the current Qantas First Class blanket by Sheridan direct from the Qantas Store.
Qantas First Class Dining Experience
Neil Perry, of Rockpool fame, has curated the inflight dining experience at Qantas for over twenty years, and the tasting menus in First Class on flights departing Australia are very good.
Sadly his Rockpool Group don’t participate in UberEats at this stage, but the Qantas First Class dining experience can be recreated with the help of the Qantas Store.
The Marc Newson designed cutlery is a new addition to the Qantas Store and distinctly Qantas.
The cutlery joins the Noritake flatware that has long been available, including a range of plates and distinctive cups. I’ve enjoyed using mine over the years as they combine Noritake quality with the simplicity of Marc Newson design.
What About Wine?
And no First Class experience would be complete without a top quality champagne, and here Qantas excels with the Taittinger Comtes de Champagne ($330 per bottle at Dan Murphy’s).
Qantas Wine sells a selection of wines served on board, with a helpful filter under ‘Sales & More’ titled ‘Inflight/lounge’. Wines served in Qantas First are marked as such.
Summary
Naturally, first class travel is about the destination as well as the journey. But with Qantas First Class grounded for the foreseeable future, it’s nice to know that we can recreate some of that magic at home.
