Qantas Dreamliner Flight LAX to Melbourne

Qantas’ Los Angeles Business Lounge at Tom Bradley terminal. It’s a great place to relax before the flight.  Food was plentiful. There were plenty of options on the buffet, while staff also brought around a good selection of hot food. A hot shower was a great way to freshen up before the flight.

The flight departed on time at 10.05pm LA time and arrived earlier than scheduled into Melbourne at around 7.30am.

Seat 5K. My aisle seat (the Dreamliner has a 1-2-1 seat layout) was extremely comfortable with lots of buttons and compartments to explore. One of the first things I did was watch a video explaining all aspects of the seat, which converts into a 203 cm long bed.

Storage within the seat.  I had more storage areas next to my seat compared with any other aircraft I have flown on. I could easily store and, most importantly, easily access my water, book, glasses, magazine and iPhone.

A mattress topper, pillow and blanket were already on the seat, which was ideal for those who wanted to sleep as soon as possible after take-off.

A limited edition Oroton amenities kit stocked with ASPAR products including sweet orange and Shea hand cream, orange and vanilla lip balm, ultra-hydrating face moisturiser, socks, a dental kit and earplugs.

Lighting was very efficient and included mood lighting and an adjustable and dimmable reading light.

Qantas pyjamas, which were distributed shortly before take-off.

An excellent and extensive collection of television shows and movies to watch on a very clear 16 inch television screen.

A ‘do not disturb’ button – which I didn’t use.

Ordering breakfast before take-off and most importantly, an accompanying Biro to fill in the order form!

The food.  While I normally don’t eat so late at night, in `the name of research’ I tried one of the meals offered after take-off – Black Angus beef fillet with roasted potatoes, snow peas and red wine mustard butter. It was most tasty.

Other options included roasted carrot soup with sour cream; poached ocean trout salad with fingerling potatoes, cucumber pickles and buttermilk dressing; a selection of cheese; pork and fennel seed sandwich with kimchi, harissa mayonnaise and romaine lettuce; and grilled chicken with sweet potato puree, broccolini and hazelnut burnt butter. While I didn’t need to eat between dinner and breakfast, there were options of prawn and chive siu mai with black vinegar; beef and Guinness pie with tomato relish; dips and crudités; almonds, fava beans and chickpea chips; boulder Canyon kettle chips; almond and sesame shortbread; and chocolate bars.

Breakfast options included fruit salad with yoghurt, muesli and toast, all of which were good with the exception of too much milk in the muesli!  Hot food, which I didn’t try, included scrambled eggs and French toast.

The ‘sleepy tea’ the crew member served when I woke up in the middle of the night.  I’m not sure if the tea or tiredness meant I went back to sleep for a few more hours, but I did!

While I didn’t drink on the flight, there seemed to be a good selection of wine and spirits.

A very good latte served before breakfast.

The walk through the cabin by the plane’s captain, chatting and answering any passenger questions.