Written by Julie Jones, Have WheelChair Will Travel, October 2, 2024
It had been a while since I had flown Qantas on a domestic flight so when I was travelling solo to Melbourne recently I decided to reacquaint myself with our national airline. There were a few reasons Qantas was appealing so as always, I thought I’d share my experience.
Qantas domestic economy class review
My overnight trip to Melbourne for a conference was all too short and I was keen to make the trip as smooth as possible. I made the decision to travel hand luggage only which may seem simple but by the time I pack a few Travel Without Limits magazines, my laptop and a change of clothes I struggle with the usual 7kg domestic hand luggage limit. Qantas offers 10kgs of hand luggage which allowed me to fit all I needed into my bag and have a kilo to spare in case I bought anything while away.
The Qantas terminal at Sydney Airport is much calmer and quieter than the Virgin/Jetstar terminal. It certainly makes for a less chaotic start to the day. Even though I was flying at peak business travel time it was still quite sane.
Qantas is trialling group boarding. Travellers with a disability still have the opportunity to board first but the rest of the aircraft is boarded according to seat location and group number. This has been in place in the US for a long time and it does seem to make boarding more civilised.
Another advantage of flying Qantas is that it is a full service airline so luggage and food is included.
Flying to Melbourne at 9am we received a quiche and a drink. After rushing to get to the airport it was a warm and welcome start to my trip.
On one of the flights I booked extra legroom seats to see the advantage. I’ve previously reviewed Virgin Australia’s Economy X seating (extra legroom seats) and it is fairly similar. On Qantas the extra legroom seating is located behind business class or in the exit rows. Keep in mind that passengers with a disability are not able to book the exit row seating as you must be able to assist in evacuating the aircraft in an emergency if seated in this row.
For a one hour flight I didn’t need the extra legroom but when we travel with Braeden I always find it helpful to have the additional space.
My return flight on Qantas domestic was at 9.30pm at night and again I was offered a snack and a drink. At this time of the evening wine was an option.
It’s always easy to overlook Qantas when booking a flight as often the prices are more expensive however make sure you take into consideration the fact the airline is full service and luggage and meals are included. If, like me, you need additional hand luggage allowance you do get an additional 3kgs with Qantas.
If you are a person living with a disability that means you require assistance to travel, you may find applying for the Qantas Carer Concession Card worthwhile. This card offers your travel companion 50% of their airfare and you are entitled to 10% off your airfare. You can read about the discounts it provides and how to apply for it in this review.
If you are curious about Qantas economy class on international services, I’ve reviewed that in this blog.
If you are keen to know about access and what facilities are available at the Qantas Club Lounge in Melbourne, make sure you check out my review.
I hope you found this Qantas domestic economy class review helpful. I paid for my airfare myself and as always my opinions are my own.