Business travellers and frequent flyers zipping between Australia and Auckland are the big winners following this week's debut of shared Qantas/Emirates flights across the Tasman.
We've previously wailed on the paucity of real business class on the trans-Tasman routes – a sad situation made all the more obvious by Virgin Australia's international-grade business class on its Airbus A330 Coast to Coast services between Australia's east and west coasts.
If you're jetting between Sydney or Melbourne to Auckland, the best seat in the sky is on the daily Emirates' Airbus A380 which makes a side-trip between those city pairs before heading back to Dubai.
Forget about the domestic recliners at the pointy end of Qantas' trans-Tasman flights. We're talking about the same top-notch business class seats and creature comforts as you'd experience on a trip to London.
Those wide spacious seats convert to a fully flat bed in case you need some shuteye, or you can plonk your laptop onto the large tray table, plug it into the at-seat AC socket and get super-productive.
There's even a personal minibar next to each seat and of course the business class bar at the back of the upper deck if you want to stretch your legs and socialise.
Here's the kicker: if you've got some Qantas Frequent Flyer points to burn, Emirates' A380 is is hard to beat for sheer value.
A business class return ticket on Emirates' Airbus A380 for Sydney-Auckland (EK412/413) or Melbourne-Auckland (EK406/407) will cost you just 72,000 Qantas points as a Classic Award seat plus around $150 in taxes.
That's the exact same rate as you'd pay for a vastly inferior Qantas business class seat without all the trimmings.
That same rate also applies to Emirates' forthcoming Dubai-Brisbane-Auckland A380 service (EK434/EK435), which kicks off on October 2nd to replace the Gulf carrier's current Boeing 777-300ER.
Want to spoil yourself with a spell in Emirates' first class suites or reward yourself for landing that new client? You can luxe it up across the pond and back again for 108,000 Qantas Frequent Flyer points and the same add-on taxes and surcharges.
There are some other handy benefits to taking a trans-Tasman trip on Emirates' superjumbo under the Qantas/Emirates partnership.
You can enjoy the excellent Qantas First or Business lounges, depending on your travel class or Qantas Frequent Flyer membership status, at the Australian end of your trip; and in Auckland, duck into the well-appointed Emirates Lounge which offers great food and superb wine (although it gets pretty crowded during peak times).
Read: Expert tip – book Emirates A380 flights to NZ under a Qantas flight number
All things considered, there are worse ways to spend a slab of Qantas Frequent Flyer points than crossing the Tasman in true business class style.
Follow Australian Business Traveller on Twitter: we're @AusBT
David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
05 Apr 2012
Total posts 57
https://www.qantas.com.au/fflyer/dyn/partners/airline/emirates Is the latest link (31st March 2013) for Earning Points. No Status Bonus on Emirates but Cabin Bonuses at a reduced rate I think ? Any changes to this AusBT ? Thx
14 Jun 2013
Total posts 352
That's right Smithy, a bit of a rough deal if you fly on an EK code, book it as a QF flight and you'll be set though.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
16 Aug 2013
Total posts 8
Can I do this directly from the QANTAS website?
14 Jun 2013
Total posts 352
Definitely better value than blowing the same number of points on a Qantas flight! EK A380 First would be a real indulgence and not a sensible one but Business sounds good. Wonder how the paid fares compare?
Qantas
22 Oct 2012
Total posts 318
It's a pity that the Qantas website doesn't show any option for First on the Emirates A380 flights between SYD & AKL despite the QF flight number, yet the Emirates website does show it for the same flights.
24 Oct 2010
Total posts 2560
If you mean booking first with cash, Phil, Qantas says that'll be coming online very soon.
15 Mar 2012
Total posts 9
Here are the fare details for the QF code from SYD to AKL
I just booked tickets on QF8764 in First (over the phone) and the total cost for one person was 2580.00 for First Flex
******************
V FARE BASIS BK FARE TRAVEL-TICKET AP MINMAX RTG 1 ASNAU A X 1043.00 ---- -/? -/ - EH01 PASSENGER TYPE-ADT AUTO PRICE-YES FROM-SYD TO-AKL CXR-QF TVL-28SEP13 RULE-5041 IPRPG/8 FARE BASIS-ASNAU SPECIAL FARE DIS-E VENDOR-ATP FARE TYPE-FOX OW-FIRST CLASS ONE WAY EXCURSION AUD 1140.00 0511 E14AUG13 D-INFINITY FC-ASNAU FN-84 SYSTEM DATES - CREATED 13AUG13/0128 EXPIRES INFINITY PUBLISHED RTG SYD-AKL/QF511 /TAR-TGRG EF-14AUG13 DIS-INDEF /WITHIN THE EASTERN HEMISPHERE/ 1. SYD-QF/EK-AKL 2. SYD-AKL .
16 Aug 2013
Total posts 2
I tried to book first on QF code share online with no luck. I was then told by P1 team that it was not available. Did you just call QF?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
12 Aug 2013
Total posts 11
Shame the SYD-AKL flight leaves so early in the morning. wouldn't give you much F time.
Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer
25 May 2013
Total posts 8
Previously I travelled every month on business ( class and work-wise) from Sydney or Melbourne to Auckland, and always the BEST price and service was Emirates. The fare was slightly higher than economy on Qantas/ANZ/Virgin, but when considered $90 each way taxi Sydney to Airport return, $60+ Melbourne to Airport each way return PLUS $55+ each way Auckland taxi, speedy check-in, lounge access, etc etc the Emirates business fare INCLUDING chauffeur drive made perfect economic AND comfort sense EVERY time!!! Pity they dont do chauffeur drive now, but Emirates is STILL the best way to NZ - why fly cattle class on a 737?????
Emirates Airlines - Skywards
07 Sep 2012
Total posts 146
As a regular traveller on the MEL-AKL route via EK in Business Class my greatest fear with the QF/EK tie-up has been that we Skywards members will suddenly find ourselves haveing to fight to get upgrade seats on these flights in the face of an influx of QF Frequent Flyers.
Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer
16 Aug 2013
Total posts 8
Expensive!! Sydney-Hong Kong on Singapore Airlines (so SYD-SIN-HKG) on the amazing A380 Suites is 75,000. Just 3,000 more than QF and EK are chagrin for Business class between east coast AU and NZ!!
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