My seat: 3A, a window seat in the 2-2 configuration cabin. In business there's a generous (94cm) pitch - that's the space between seats - and the seats are 55.8cm wide. A modest recline, but who's complaining? It's less than a three-hour flight, with a footrest. In economy the seats are 43.1cm wide and with a 76cm pitch in a 3-3 configuration.
Passengers: A 50/50 mix of business and leisure for the late afternoon departure from Auckland. Close to full in economy, just over half full in business.
Entertainment: A (26cm) touch screen in business, (slightly smaller in economy) with a good range of recent release movies and TV shows, without being overwhelming.
The service: Attentive and efficient. I was able to get a slightly nerdy question about the plane answered easily. Qantas subsidiary Jetconnect runs the airline's transtasman business, the crew are New Zealand-based, predominantly Kiwi and very friendly.
Food and drink: No shortage, an extensive range of wines, beers and spirits if you wanted to push the boat out. I had a hearty soup and a fairly heavy beef dish so opted for a shiraz to wash it down.
The toilets: The one near the flight deck for the front of the plane was just fine.
Luggage: An impressive 46kg in the hold when flying business class but just carry-on for me.
The airport experience: The Qantas lounge in Auckland was fine, not too crowded. The lounge in Sydney is more swept up with a great view of the city and the airfield and a very pleasant place to work or relax.
Would I fly this again? Yes. Besides the mystery late departure, the service could not be faulted and it's an extremely pleasant way to go if you or your boss have the money to spend.
The writer travelled courtesy of Qantas.
