I recently added another continent to my travel list and checked an item off my bucket list as I was lucky enough to be invited to visit Australia with Qantas Airways and Langham hotels.
“Wow” is the best word to describe this trip. It was a whirlwind week of seeing the best of what Sydney and the Gold Coast have to offer and can’t wait to go back and experience more of this amazing country. The journey started in the Qantas Business Class lounge at LAX while waiting on my other traveling companions. Easily accessible are unlimited self-serve food and drink, quiet spaces, and even showers are available to patrons. First class flyers have a separate lounge with table service meals and the same amenities.
Once it was time to board our 15-hour flight to Sydney I settled in to my lay-flat window seat on the Air Bus A380 on the top deck of the aircraft. I’ve flown first and business class long-haul flights before but this was my first time in a lay-flat seat. These planes have a 1-2-1 configuration in business class so I had a solo seat by myself. The seating areas had plenty of storage, my own noise-canceling headphones for the entertainment system, amenity kit, cotton duvet and mattress, pajamas (tip: change into your pjs before the plane departs), and a food and beverage menu for the flight. Since we boarded close to midnight the crew served us a late dinner and then we all headed to sleep but not before placing our breakfast order. Flight attendants are able to make your bed for you but it was easy enough to do on my own. The flight was so smooth that I was able to sleep around 6 hours or so.
The upper deck is dedicated to business class and premium economy while downstairs is all of economy and first class. At the front of the plane is a lounge for first and business class passengers with a large monitor for watching movies, seating around a table with seatbelts if needed, and a pantry with snacks and beverages. This is a great spot for families with young children who may need a bit of space to move around during a long flight.
First class has a 1-1-1 configuration with each passenger having their own suite. At this time there’s not a door to the suite but the upcoming A350 will have 6 first class suites and 50 business class suites with closing doors.
We departed LAX just before midnight on Saturday and arrived to Sydney at breakfast time Monday morning.
My trip was relatively fast with just 4 nights in country so having the business class lounge at the Sydney airport was a huge bonus. Unfortunately our flight was cancelled but Qantas took care of us and provided a hotel stay for the night. Back at the airport the next day and we flew home on time.
Look for my review of my hotel stays at Langham Gold Coast and Langham Sydney!