The Airbus A380 is the most comfortable aircraft for passengers and I was excited to review a newly refurbished Qantas A380 with the latest Business Suite from Hong Kong to Sydney.
Business Class is the main beneficiary of the refurbishment with the old Skybed in a 2-2-2 layout replaced by the latest generation Business Suite in a 1-2-1 configuration. This is a slightly updated version of the Business Suite found on the 787 Dreamliner, which I flew on this exact route in October.
Waiting at Gate 62 was my ride home.
Boarding was slightly delayed but soon enough we were on our way to the upper deck to board through Door 1UL. It’s always a thrill to walk up to board your aircraft.
In this post:
Qantas A380 Business Class Suite Review QF128 (11A)
Qantas Airways 128
Hong Kong (HKG) – Sydney (SYD)
Monday, December 23
Depart: 7:30PM
Arrive: 7:55AM
Duration: 9hr25min
Aircraft: Airbus A380-800
Seat: 11A (Business Class)
First impressions were very positive with the cabin feeling modern and stylish. Materials used on the A380 are slightly different than the 787 Business Suite with warmer wood tones.
Suite 11A is one of the four extra legroom or bulkhead seats (11A, 11K, 16A and 16K) that are also by the window, benefitting from the extra storage bins on the side of the A380 upper deck.
As you can see below there is significantly more legroom than the standard Business Suite with a sizeable foot box.
When converted into a bed, the extra room for your feet make it very comfortable to sleep on your side with plenty of space to move around.
Qantas A380 New Business Class Lounge Review
In the same space that Qantas has a rather basic red couch, their partner Emirates installed two of their famous Shower Suites.
David Caon, who has done a fair amount of design work for Qantas from lounges to the 787 Business Suite, has managed to make the new Business Lounge aboard the A380 look fantastic. It’s now a space where you would actually want to spend time on a longer flight.
The use of warm wood and green leather creates a comfortable and classy space with two sets of booths with high tables on the right side of the aircraft and a sofa area on the left with a low table.
Overall a big step up from the original design and one I hope to be able to enjoy on future flights.
Qantas Business Class Food
The menu was identical to my October flight and I again went with the roasted corn soup and wonton noodles for dinner.
Upon boarding, passengers were asked to complete the breakfast order card. As with the October trip I opted to skip breakfast in favour of more sleep.
Dinner service started with the drinks trolley and warm nuts, so I went with a glass of champagne.
Once the table was set, a green salad and warm bread roll were delivered. Service was well paced with the excellent corn soup arriving shortly after.
There was a bit of a wait for the wonton noodles, understandable given the new configuration has an additional 6 Business Class Suites for a total of 70, but there was no rush as I was enjoying the inflight entertainment.
The wonton noodles had a nice ginger kick and the clean flavours worked well at altitude.
Qantas A380 Business Class Suite Review Summary
Qantas have done a great job updating their flagship A380 aircraft in Business Class.
The new Business Suites are a top tier product and the new Business Lounge is a big improvement.
Savvy frequent flyers would have opted for the 787 Dreamliner previously, but once the refurbishment is fleet wide the A380 will again be the best Qantas plane for passengers.
Read our Qantas 787 Dreamliner Business Suite Review to see how the seats compare!
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Summary – Highlights & Points Earned
