Qantas A380 and first class returns to Melbourne
The red-tailed superjumbo bounces back onto the Los Angeles route from October 31.
By David Flynn, March 20 2023
With the Qantas A380 soaring once more, the airline is adding the superjumbo – now with new business class seats and onboard lounges – onto the popular Melbourne-Los Angeles route.
Qantas’ schedule now lists the A380 flying three days a week as QF93 starting October 30 – specifically every Monday, Thursday and Saturday – delivering a substantial boost in capacity over the Boeing 787 Dreamliners which ply the trans-Pacific corridor the rest of the week.
Some of those Boeing 787 flights also have an 11pm departure as flight QF95, reaching LAX around 6-7pm – less than ideal if you’ve got a connecting flight, especially to the US east coast – compared to the more familiar 11am take-off of QF93.
Business class on the refurbished Qantas A380s.
In addition to carrying Qantas’ latest Business Suite, the A380s of course mark the return of first class (including that ‘Harry Potter’ suite below the stairs) between Melbourne and Los Angeles.
Qantas’ sole competitor on the route is Virgin Australia partner United Airlines, which lacks first class but offers its well-regarded Polaris business class on the 16-hour trek.
With seven A380s already flying, Qantas spokesperson confirmed to Executive Traveller that another superjumbo is set to return in the coming months, bringing the tally to eight.
The final two won’t return until 2024, as each needs around a hundred days of maintenance and aircraft maintenance facilities around the world are already over-booked while airlines around the world rebuild their own fleets.
01 Apr 2014
Total posts 113
Looking at the schedules, it appears to be loaded currently as 4 days a week - Mon/Tues/Thurs/Sat.
I have already booked in F for Nov, but this is their last chance to get it right. If I have any more poor service outcomes or last minute schedule changes, they have lost me for good. I have been very patient with them, but everybody has a limit as to when that patience and goodwill runs out.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
21 Jun 2017
Total posts 39
Nice to have the A380 and the new seats in. Now if only we could upgrade the grumpy passengers who could do with a bit less "did I tell you all I booked F and I'm going to turn up with a huge chip on my shoulder ready to shred anything I find less than perfect" (Pssst - paying for F on Qantas is silly - its just not that much better than the new QF bus seats. Qatar or Singapore - yes please., but Qantas? bwahaha)
01 Apr 2014
Total posts 113
Sure - point taken, but you need to ask why soo people are grumpy / annoyed with QF. For the price you currently have to pay, I think by any reasonable measure that should come with some expectation of a good experience; especially compared to what we mostly agree is a better experience on competitors. I have had some great experiences with QF, but unfortunately a string of horrible ones post COVID (maybe I am just unlucky), and that can often come down to the attitude of the cabin crew on a particular flight, but also the actions of ground staff. Attitude is somewhat subjective and reciprocal.
Unfortunately, not everybody has the ability to choose a different airline, and not that many F options over to USA depending on where in the USA you are headed, or without a lot of extra flying time on the other airlines
Yes, F on QF is not much better than J offering, but it is nonetheless better. The price differential is a major factor for some, but ultimately people have different thresholds on that. Not entitled, and no chip on the shoulder; just genuinely hoping QF can stop what has been an incremental decline over time. Share price looking good over the last 12 months though :-)
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 May 2019
Total posts 10
Agree Chickenorbeef ,, Im happy to see the A380 back on that service & will be happy when they are all back in service
10 May 2019
Total posts 5
born2fish, QF 93 on Tuesday is operated by a B789.
01 Apr 2014
Total posts 113
From Nov onwards, there are a number of Tuesdays that are showing A380 - sometimes only on the return leg ex-LAX, possibly allowing for A380's rotating through the LAX maintenance facility.
That may well change over the coming months, but I'm currently booked on A380 one of the Tuesdays LAX-MEL, as also confirmed on QF schedules and ExpertFlyer.
Hi Guest, join in the discussion on Qantas A380 and first class returns to Melbourne