Qantas Business Class: LAX-SYD B787-9

Flying First Class on Qantas’s A380 had been on my bucket list and I finally found availability in March 2022 for a flight in November 2022. I was able to book it one-way for 120,000 Cathay Pacific Asia Miles which is an AMEX Membership Rewards transfer partner. They only offer First Class on their A380. Unfortunately, due to an equipment change I was rebooked into Business Class on their new B787-9. This notice arrived on September 30th, 2022. Due to COVID, Qantas was slower to bring the A380 back from storage and into operation. They only had 1 in operation for the LAX-SYD route therefore it alternated every other day. I decided to waitlist for First Class on the day before my scheduled departure. The waitlist never cleared and Qantas is terrible at communicating updates regarding the waitlist. I was never notified if I had cleared or where I was on the list. I wouldn’t recommend waitlisting Qantas flights while using Cathay Pacific Asia Miles. Business Class was 75,000 Cathay Pacific Asia Miles so I received a refund of 45,000 miles for the downgrade from First Class.

After checking in for my flight at LAX, I proceeded to the Qantas First Class Lounge. I was able to gain access using my OneWorld Emerald status obtained with Alaska 75K Gold. The lounge hadn’t changed since I last visited it during my frequent trips to Sydney. I was able to grab a nice shower and drink to relax before the long haul overnight flight.

I was excited to try Qantas’s “Flagship” Business Class on their new Boeing 787-9. Upon boarding, I found my seat which was a window seat @ 7A. Business Class is arranged in a 1-2-1 layout on this B787-9, alternating Window (Odd Rows) vs. Aisle (Even Rows). The best seats are the window seats at the odd numbered rows as the side table provides a barrier to the aisle. The seats are spacious with plenty of storage and legroom. Flight attendants handed out PJ’s to each passenger and welcomed us on the flight with a pre-departure beverage.

After takeoff, dinner was served. I opted for a light meal due to the 10:30PM departure. A small side salad with a slice of sourdough bread was served. I selected the Moroccan Carrot Soup which was delicious. For dessert, the chocolate and coffee mousse was light and the perfect way to end the meal. I was off to bed after I submitted my breakfast order which was to be served 2hrs prior to arrival into Sydney.

With the seat in lie-flat mode, there was plenty of space to enjoy a solid nights sleep. Being exhausted from work, I was able to get a solid 9hrs of sleep 🙂 Prior to landing, breakfast was served. I opted for the eggs, a side of fruit and some pastries. The cardamom and rosewater muffin was the best part, yum!

It was a beautiful clear day upon arrival into Sydney which offered some great views. We circled the city and landed from the North offering a great view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

 

Conclusion: The service was top notch on this premium route in Business Class. I was surprised by how spacious the seat for sleeping. Unfortunately, there isn’t WiFi on this plane so you’ll be offline for 15hrs which can be hard if you are traveling for business. I’d highly recommend flying the Qantas B787-9 in Business Class for your next leisure trip to Australia!