The new look cabins heading to Heathrow on the refurbished Qantas A380 aircraft
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It is around 18 months since Qantas announced the refurbishment of its A380 fleet, but only now is the first new-look aircraft getting close to taking to the skies. Flights are scheduled to start in March, with the full A380 fleet of 12 planes completed by the end of 2020.
It isn’t clear yet if the refurbished aircraft will be assigned to specific routes or not. You would expect that Heathrow will be prioritised.
Remember that Qantas flights can be redeemed with Avios and that you can earn Avios and British Airways tier points when you fly with them. Qantas now flies from Heathrow to Singapore and then onwards to Sydney. It no longer flies Heathrow – Dubai – Sydney.
What can you expect on the refurbished Qantas A380?
First Class
The Qantas A380 fleet has 14 First Class Suites on the lower deck, designed by Marc Newson.
These will not see major changes. We are promised a bigger IFE screen (17 inches) and changes to the materials and cushioning used, but the seat will still look the same.
Qantas is also introducing a lounge at the front of the cabin on the upper deck. It isn’t a full bar, by any means, with Qantas choosing a layout aimed at business class passengers who want to sit together and work during the flight. Drinks and snacks will be self-service.
Business Class
This is where we see the biggest change. The existing Skybed seats have been ripped out and replaced with a version of the Business Suite used on the Boeing 787 fleet. Very nice it looks too.
The key change is that every seat will have direct aisle access for the first time. You will recognise the alternating left/right seat layout from various other airlines including Iberia and Finnair, which will see your feet disappear under the back of the seat in front.
There is also a substantial increase in the size of the IFE screen, from 12.1 inches to 16 inches, and more storage space. There will be 70 business class seats compared to the current 64.
Premium Economy
The Boeing 787 Premium Economy seat will also appear on the A380.
There will be 60 seats in a 2-3-2 layout. Business Class and Premium Economy will be on the top deck, with First Class on the lower deck.
Conclusion
Overall I’m very impressed with what Qantas is offering here. I genuinely can’t see any reason – unless it is substantially cheaper – to take British Airways over Qantas to Sydney once the refurbishment is complete.
Both flights hub via Singapore, both flights earn you Avios and tier points, but Qantas will be offering a far better quality of seat in both First Class and Business Class. Hopefully I will able to take a look in the flesh when it arrives at Heathrow.
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How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (January 2025)
As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Avios points from UK credit cards. Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses!
In February 2022, Barclaycard launched two exciting new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard cards with a bonus of up to 25,000 Avios. You can apply here.
You qualify for the bonus on these cards even if you have a British Airways American Express card:
Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard
Get 25,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £10,000 Read our full review
Barclaycard Avios Mastercard
Get 5,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £20,000 Read our full review
There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:
British Airways American Express Premium Plus
30,000 Avios and the famous annual 2-4-1 voucher Read our full review
British Airways American Express
5,000 Avios for signing up and an Economy 2-4-1 voucher for spending £15,000 Read our full review
You can also get generous sign-up bonuses by applying for American Express cards which earn Membership Rewards points. These points convert at 1:1 into Avios.
American Express Preferred Rewards Gold
Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review
The Platinum Card from American Express
50,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review
Run your own business?
We recommend Capital on Tap for limited companies. You earn 1 Avios per £1 which is impressive for a Visa card, and the standard card is FREE. Capital on Tap cards also have no FX fees.
Capital on Tap Visa
NO annual fee, NO FX fees and points worth 1 Avios per £1 Read our full review
Capital on Tap Pro Visa
10,500 points (=10,500 Avios) plus good benefits Read our full review
There is also a British Airways American Express card for small businesses:
British Airways American Express Accelerating Business
30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review
There are also generous bonuses on the two American Express Business cards, with the points converting at 1:1 into Avios. These cards are open to sole traders as well as limited companies.
American Express Business Platinum
50,000 points when you sign-up and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review
American Express Business Gold
20,000 points sign-up bonus and FREE for a year Read our full review
Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Avios. This includes both personal and small business cards.
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