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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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Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
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
Annual Fee
$95
Points Earned
Transferrable Chase Ultimate Rewards
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
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists the best ever offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
Historically 80k is a very, very good offer and hit in both 2022 and 2023. 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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