I flew out of Melbourne the day after parts of the city were placed in hard lockdown and neighbouring states were not accepting visitors from hot spots. I used points to book the flight which give me the flexibility to bring it forward. Five hours before the plane was due to leave I recieved a message that it was cancelled and I was placed on an earlier flight.
Qantas Airlines 0462
Melbourne (Mel) to Sydney (SYD)
Seat: 4F (Economy Class)
Aircraft: Boeing 747 800
Arriving at the airport was simple with very few cars and the terminal empty with only five flights due out for the remainder of the day.
Checkin was available at the kiosk as well as at the counter, I chose the kiosk but still had to go to the counter so they could open up oversize baggage.
In this post:
Increased Security
With parts of Melbourne already in lockdown they had two security staff checking drivers licences of all passengers and where I had spent the past 14 days.
Melbourne Domestic Lounge Was Closed
Passing through security I turned right to find the lounge was closed temporarily. The only other option was a coffee and muffin from the only food outlet open, I passed.
Boarding
We boarded through Gate 2 however with social distancing only one third of seats were available and they were all taken. I chose the floor where I could watch the gate. Premium flyers were boarded first and the plane quickly filled up.
Seating
Normally as a platinum flyer I have an empty seat next to me. As they cancelled the 5pm flight and put passengers on the 4pm flight the plane was full. 8A was squeezy although my legs didn’t touch the front. Fortunately the row in front did not put back their seats.
In Flight Entertainment and Wifi
While back seat entertainment was available it was restricted to the flight path. WFi was available but there is a hack to getting it to work. Make sure you have the Qantas Entertainment app on your phone. Once you are in the air you can then access the internet via the app. It was slow but it worked.
Food Service
Economy class customers were provided Berenberg salsa crackers and water. Business class were offered trolly service and wine.
Amenity Pack
Earphones have been replaced with amenity packs consisting of facemasks, hand wipes and disposable bags. Not all passengers had their masks on.
Deplaning
Unlike the trip from Sydney passengers were deplaned two rows at a time. We had to wait until our row was called and everyone cooperated.
Health Checks at Sydney Domestic Airport
All passengers had their temperature checked, drivers license sighted and were asked whether they had stayed in the Melbourne hotspot. Police were on hand to ensure everyone complied.
Summary
Things are very fluid at the moment. Make sure you have lots of points ready in case you need to change your plans quickly. Qantas is doing a great job in keeping Australian moving safely. I plan to keep flying in the months ahead.
