Sydney 2013: Best Coach Flight Ever QF SYD-DFW

This is my last post of my two week trip through Dublin, Auckland and Sydney while running two marathons on two continents, Dublin (Europe) and Auckland (Oceania)

• Planning for a two week award trip through Paris, Dublin, Frankfurt, Sydney and Auckland
• Dublin Marathon: Introduction
• Layover at CDG, The Louvre and iPass Lounge CDG
  
• Paris Layover: The Louvre In Paris
• Dublin Marathon 2013: Diverted Flight and First 24 hours in Dublin
  
• Dublin Marathon: Expo Review and Packet Pickup
• Temple Bar, Guinness Factory, Old Jameson’s Distillery
• Cheap Eats: Hot Wok and The Italian Connection
• Dublin Marathon: Race Day and Review
• Irish Food: Quay’s Restaurant and Oneil’s Pub
• National Museum of Ireland
• Clarion IFSC Dublin Hotel Review
• Clarion Dublin Airport Review
• DAA Executive Lounge at DUB and Lufthansa Business Class DUB-FRA
• Lufthansa First Class Terminal at Frankfurt
• Lufthansa First Class FRA-KIXon 747-400
• Air China Business PEK-PVG-SYD and International Connection Issues
• Rydges Auckland Hotel Review
• Auckland Art Gallery
• A day in Auckland
• Auckland Marathon 2013: Race Expo
• Auckland Marathon 2013: Race Day and Review
• Mamak Malaysian Restaurant in Auckland
• Emperor Lounge at Auckland International Airport with Priority Pass
• Introduction to Light Rail System
• Attractions Combo Pass and Sydney Wildlife
• Madame Tussauds Wax Museum Sydney
• Sea-life Sydney Aquarium
• Taronga Zoo
• Tower Eye and Skywalk
• Circular Quay, Cruise Terminal, Royal Gardens
• Beaches of North Sydney
• Bondi Beach and Sculptures by the Sea
• Kings Cross

This was the best coach flight I ever taken and beats out a couple of business class flights. I managed to sleep for 10 straight hours in coach. No one in the middle seat and I was at the window. It was a 15 hour flight so I was sleeping for most of the flight. Somehow I slept for that long without alcohol or any other sleep aides.

So I checked in at SYD. Too bad I wasn’t EXP yet so I couldn’t use the first class check-in counters. They were separated by a short wall from the other check-in counters

I went into QF business lounge at SYD. It was very large but there were also a lot of passengers there. There was two areas with food and drinks. They even have ice cream!

I hadn’t had lunch yet so I got a few things to eat and drink before my flight.

The lounge also offers showers as well.

The boarding process was pretty smooth. I was a bit too late when they first called business class passengers so I boarded after all the business class passengers boarded. I got a window seat in the forward mini cabin. There was a decent amount of leg room for me and the seats were pretty nice.

The flight wasn’t crowded at all. It was fairly easy for me to get a coach award ticket for this flight. In the forward mini coach cabin, almost every window row had the middle seat open. There were a few rows in the middle that was missing one or two people.

They had a good collection of movies and I saw one before and during my meal. The meal was very good, much better than the meal I got on business class on Air China. There was free wine as well but I decided against it.

In the middle of the night, they served hot chocolate as well! BA does this too and it was a nice desert at the meal.

Right after sunset, I went to sleep and woke up somewhere over the west coast. They served a quick breakfast and we touched down a few minutes late.

Global Entry was great at this airport. The line for immigration was really long but only a minute at the GE kiosks.

At DFW, the ground crew actually took off all the priority bags off to the side, which I didn’t know. I spent a good 15 minutes waiting for my bag until I realized they were in a separate section. A bit annoyed with it but at least I had my bag.

I had about three hours until my flight back to Boston so I went to the Centurion Lounge for two massages. I signed up for the second after the first and seeing that there wasn’t many requests for a massage that day.

I had a few bites to eat here. The apple crumb cake was amazing.

I made sure to fill up on food before my coach flight back to Boston. I had my wife come pick me up at the airport and I was home in about 10 minutes.

It was a great flight and had some good food along the way. This is one of the longest flights I’ve been on but definitely the best flight in coach. I generally sleep fairly well on flights but sleeping 10 hours definitely isn’t usual for me.