May 5, 2023

Round The World Business Class: Review of Qantas A380

The Geek’s Guide Insider Tips for Travelling RTW Business Class with Qantas

If you’re looking to fly around the world in Business Class, then the Qantas A380 is for you. With a multi-million dollar makeover in 2019, the new A380 onboard lounge for First and Business Class passengers has been transformed. Before COVID-19, Qantas began the upgrade of the interiors of all of its First Class, Premium Economy and Business Class cabins, aiming to have 12 aircraft completed by the end of 2020. Fast forward to 2023, and all aircraft have been fitted with an upgrade. The Business Class section now features 70 seats, a six-seat increase from the previous 64.

Round The World Business Class Inflight Features

Airfare Geeks is zooming in on the upgrade. Here is our thorough and honest review, so you can be confident in your airline selection when booking a round the world ticket.

Upper Deck

Amongst the changes made during the refurbishment, the upper deck is the most significant. Completely transformed, the new lounge has been designed by David Caon – the original lead designer for the Qantas 787 Dreamliner. The lounge features booth-style seating for up to 10 passengers. In addition, the colour palette has shifted away from the iconic red and grey, and the upper deck features a richer and more muted palette, complemented by ambient light and a large TV screen. Each seat is complete with USB ports, powerpoints and seatbelts to accommodate turbulence. The upper deck also features a self-serve station filled with fresh fruit and drinks.

“The socialising area on the A380 is nice. Although we generally recommend choosing a smaller aircraft when flying business class (you’ll get faster service), this is still a very impressive and comfortable Business Class offering.”

Business Class Seating

The biggest perk when flying around the world in Business Class is your private seat, and the A380 does not disappoint. Qantas has now updated the seating to feature a 1-2-1 configuration, giving all passengers aisle access. All chairs recline completely so that passengers can relax and rest on long-haul flights.

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Food And Drink

Yet again, Qantas is providing its passengers with a beautifully collated menu. The Business Class menu has been carefully curated by well-renowned Australian chef Neil Perry. This has been the biggest investment in inflight and lounge dining in over a decade for international, domestic and regional networks.

Qantas has gone the extra mile and facilitated Qantas Neil Perry-picked sommeliers. To ensure passengers have the correct meal pairings, selected flights are equipped with sommeliers in the sky who are passionate about helping passengers choose a delectable drink. This offering provides passengers with a wide selection of wine from boutique producers to iconic and well-loved brands.

To complement the delicious food and drinks, Caon also designed a distinct 16-piece crockery selection featuring a five-piece brushed finished stainless steel cutlery set and glassware collection. In alignment with Qantas’ sustainability efforts, the collection saves 210 tonnes of fuel annually with an additional 11% reduction in weight.

Round The World Business Class

Entertainment

Unlike other airlines and aircraft, the Qantas A380 isn’t equipped with inflight Wi-Fi. This makes it difficult for business-focused passengers looking to book a round the world Business Class ticket and planning to complete their work during inflight. Apart from this lacking feature, passengers are equipped with inflight adjustable entertainment screens fit with movies and TV shows to keep everyone entertained for a round the world flight.

Amenities

To further embrace 100 years of Qantas, passengers flying in business class will receive one of the six amenities bags designed around elements of previous eras of Qantas. Inspiration has been taken from the 60s pilot uniform and the 2000s lounges, just to name a few. The amenities kit is packed full of sustainable and botanical options. Listed below is what you receive.

Dental kit with a bamboo toothbrush and toothpaste packaged in a recycled sleeve
Terry cotton and jersey eye mask
Socks crafted from 30% bamboo and polyester
Earplugs packaged in recycled paper
Australian botanical wellness set including lip balm, face cream and hand cream packaged in recycled craft paper
Information card

Accessibility And Exclusivity

How You Can Fly In Business Class On The New A380

If you’re looking to test out the A380 for yourself, there are multiple routes available. When planning to book a round the world Business Class ticket, chat with one of our specialised travel agents for the best and most current advice. However, to give you a guide, listed below are some routes and destinations you can take or visit that use the A380.

Australia to:

Singapore
LAX
London

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Using Points

If you’ve been banking up your Qantas Frequent Flyer points for a while, now may be the time to splurge.

“The best thing about flying on the A380 is you can upgrade to First Class using your points. This will cost you 55,300 points from Sydney to LAX, and 34,100 points from Sydney to Singapore.”

Overall Thoughts

In conclusion, is the A380 upgrade worth it? Absolutely. The upgraded design, amenity kits and accessible options through the use of Frequent Flyer Points, the A380 is a fantastic way to fly around the world in Business Class. With its only downside being no Wi-Fi, the multi-million dollar investment into the upgrade is worth testing out.

If you’re looking to book a round the world trip, get in touch with our specialist travel agents. We’re here to help, providing guidance and recommendations from years of experience. Discover the latest airfare deals to the head of on an adventure, or discover our Geek’s Guide for inspiration for your next trip.