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I was VERY excited to experience Qantas’ new business class aboard their A330. It’s fitted with all aisle access, Vantage XL seating ( very similar SAS business class ) and we chose to sit in the mini cabin between the main business class cabin and economy. Since this is a domestic flight, it’s sort of a taster course to see how the seat and cabin feel, but with barely over an hour in the air – there’s no time to get a full business class experience. Here’s our review of Qantas Business Class A330 from Melbourne to Sydney.
The Deets:
- When: April 2018
- Route: Melbourne to Sydney
- Flight Time: 1h 25m
- Aircraft: A330
- Seat: 8E
- Loyalty: This was part of our LAX-MEL-SYD redemption of 70k Alaska + $45
Boarding:
We lined up first, scrambled ahead, and luckily we entered the plane between the front cabin and cockpit, grabbed a great main cabin business class photo, and I thought it was super handsome. As you can see the seating is 1-2-1 with alternating seats to the aisle vs set in a bit.
The very best seats for singles are set in against the window. These give you maximum privacy, window views, and shield you from the aisle.
Seat:
We sat in the Mini Cabin. As you can see the screens pivot, there is a small storage area in the center along with seating controls, and tray table.
The seat goes completely flat, however, I found the footwell to be a bit tight. I wear a size 12 shoe, but compared to what you’d find on AA’s 772 with Super Diamonds or the 77W business class of Cathay or AA it’s quite a bit tighter.
Food and service
We had a quick snack and the staff seemed a bit stressed getting it served, and I have no idea how I ate again, but I did. That’s breakfast on the Qantas First Flight, a snack in Qantas Business Class lounge, and now again…I’m stuffing my face. It was tasty and far better than what you’d find on a commensurately long flight in the states, or even a longer business/first flight. Very impressed with the food.
Overall:
We had under 90 minutes to experience this flight and it was great, no complaints, and I’d happily fly it much further. Is it my favorite business class design? No. I prefer the privacy and space that other reverse herringbone configurations provide, but it’s a big step up from their older business class offering ( which you’d find on the A380 I flew over on.)
- How I found and booked 2 Qantas First Class Tickets
- How I landed Qantas + Cathay Biz/First to/from Australia – $40k in value
- How I used Alaska Miles to bake in a stopover in a Hong Kong
- Review: Qantas First Class Lounge LAX
- Review: Qantas First Class LAX-MEL
- Review: Qantas Business Class Lounge Melbourne
- Review: Qantas Business Class A330 Melbourne to Sydney
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- Review: Qantas Business Class Lounge Brisbane
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The Chase Sapphire Preferred is a great starter card that earns Premium Ultimate Rewards that can be transferred into over a dozen partners many of which are US based.
Welcome Offer
60k Points after $4k spend in 3 months
80k offer in branch currently – I think this should be online soon
Annual Fee
$95
Points Earned
Transferrable Chase Ultimate Rewards
Super solid welcome offer.
If you carry this card alongside Chase’s cashback cards like the Chase Freedom Flex℠and Chase Freedom Unlimited® or the business versions: Ink Business Cash , Ink Business Unlimited you can combine the points into Preferred account and transfer into hotel and airline partners
Annual fee is quite low at $95 a year + you get a 10% anniversary bonus on points + $50 hotel credit in Chase travel.
- 3x on dining
- including eligible delivery services for takeout
- 3x on select streaming services
- 3x on online grocery purchases
- (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)
- 5x on all travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards – Chase Travel Portal
- $50 Annual Credit on hotel stays purchased via Ultimate Rewards/Chase Travel
- The begins immediately for new cardmembers and after your account anniversary for existing cardmembers
- 10% Anniversary Bonus
- Every year you keep the card, your total spend will yield a 10% points bonus. If you spend $10k in a year, you’ll get 1k bonus points
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® continues to redeem at 1.25c in the Chase Travel Portal and the slew of other benefits remain in tact including primary rental car insurance, purchase protections, etc.
- Points are transferrable to 13 Ultimate Rewards partners
- Redeem in the Chase Travel center for 1.25 cents per point
- No foreign transaction fees
- Suite of Travel and Purchase Coverage
- Primary rental car coverage is my favorite
There is currently an 80k offer after $4k spend in 3 months available in branch, and up to 90k after $6k spend in 6 months. I suspect some version of this will be online soon if you don’t want the hassle of going into a branch.
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists the best ever offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
Historically 60k is a very, very good offer. In 2021, we saw the offer hit an all time high of 100k. Who knows if that will ever come back. .
Main Cast:
Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.
Supporting Cast:
Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on.
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