Qantas set a new benchmark for domestic business class travel in 2014 when it launched the ‘Business Suite’ on its refurbished A330s.

I often fly between Perth and Melbourne in the Business Suite and, when it’s coupled with good meals and service (as it usually is), it’s a fantastic experience in the air.

Upgrading or booking an award seat outright to enjoy the Business Suite is a great use of Qantas Points, especially on longer domestic flights.

I usually buy the cheapest red-e-deal fare (about $200) and upgrade for 25,000 points, though on my most recent flight I used purchased American Airlines AAdvantage miles to book the seat, which cost about $500.

Here are the highlights of my recent Perth-Melbourne flight, and what you can expect if you fly in the Business Suite.

The lounge

Domestic business class passengers always have lounge access prior to departure. At major airports, Qantas operates a separate business lounge to the Qantas Club, but in smaller locations there’s usually just a Qantas Club for everyone.

The two standout business lounges in Qantas’ domestic network are in Brisbane and Perth. Both were refurbished recently and offer great seating, drinks and food (including fresh pizza in Perth and Mexican in Brisbane). Melbourne is reportedly the next city to get a lounge a refresh, due in 2018.

The fabulous business lounge in Perth

The seat – excellent

The Business Suite is spacious and comfortable and can be easily reclined into various positions, including fully lie-flat. They’re arranged in a 1-2-1 layout, with every passenger getting direct aisle access.

There’s lots of storage space for laptops, books, shoes, drinks and other personal items, and AC power and USB ports for your gadgets.

There’s also plenty of leg room (of course) and an ottoman / foot rest that provides extra space when fully reclined.

Unfortunately, the divider between the middle two seats doesn’t retract and isn’t couple friendly, but hopefully you’ll be enjoying yourself too much to worry about your partner (and Qantas is rectifying this issue in the next generation of the Business Suite).

The customer service – superb

Customer service can make or break your experience in the air, and I find Qantas’ service to be consistently top-notch.

On my most recent flight, I was greeted as soon as I boarded and the team provided friendly and attentive service throughout the journey (as is usually the case).

Highlights included a fast and efficient food and drink service, free flowing wine and other beverages throughout the flight, and an all-round friendly and positive attitude.

The food and drinks – very good

Qantas provides good quality food and drinks in business class on domestic flights.

Shortly after take-off, a full drink service begins, typically with two white wines, a red and a sparkling choice, as well as beer, spirits and non-alcoholic options.

Sometimes it takes a while for the drinks service to begin – anywhere between 15 and 45 minutes in my experience – and I’ve never been able to figure out why!

Shortly after the drinks are served, a crew member will come around to take food orders from the ‘Neil Perry inspired’ menu.

Here’s the menu from my most recent flight.

To start with, I chose the sweet corn and basil soup, which wasn’t as enjoyable as the soups I’ve had previously. The consistency was a bit strange and it tasted a bit bland. Normally, the soups are great!

For my main, I chose the prawns and chorizo. This was a nice contrast to the starter, with lots of flavour and just the right amount of chilli. The grilled baguette didn’t taste the freshest, though.

Qantas doesn’t provide big desserts and this time around the crew offered a Maggie Beer ice cream stick, which was delicious.

A cheese and fruit plate was also available along with fresh fruit and dessert wines.

The entertainment – very good

What I like most about the entertainment system on the A330s is the large 16-inch LCD screen. It’s a great way to enjoy the visual effects of contemporary movies and TV shows.

I forgot to take a photo of the films on my recent flight, so here’s one from 2016!

Also on hand are Qantas-branded noise-cancelling headphones, though I prefer to use my own trusted Bose set.

Qantas seems to have improved the range of movies on offer. It used to bug me how few choices there were, but this time there was a noticeably larger selection of films (around 20 I think). Of course, there are other entertainment options including TV shows and music.

Overall conclusion

I really enjoyed my latest flight in the Business Suite, as I almost always do.

The seat and customer service were excellent, and the food and drinks good – though not as good as on previous flights (hopefully this is a one-off aberration!).

I appreciate the high quality experience Qantas consistently provides to its domestic business class passengers. It’s miles ahead of what people get in other countries.

I would definitely recommend this is as a great use of Qantas points or purchased AAdvantage miles.

If you’re looking to supercharge your Qantas Points balance, check out the current credit card offers here.

Emirates is regarded as one of the world’d best airlines, thanks in no small part to the excellent business class experience onboard the airline’s flagship A380s.

Flying with Emirates is a convenient and popular choice for travellers around the world.

In Australia we have the added benefit of the airline’s partnership with Qantas, which includes codesharing and reciprocal frequent flyer benefits.

If you are a Qantas Frequent Flyer member, Emirates A380 business class is a superb use of Qantas Points.

I really enjoyed my recent flight from Melbourne to Singapore, which I booked for 60,000 Qantas Points + $319 in fees.

Here are the highlights and what you can expect if you fly business class on an Emirates A380.

Before departure

The customer service was one of the best aspects of this flight, and it began before we even reached the airport, with a driver picking us up from home.

Emirates’ complimentary Chauffer Drive service is offered to all business and first class passengers (including on award tickets) except those flying to New Zealand. It’s a great way to start a trip!

Emirates Chauffeur Drive service

At Melbourne Airport, the check-in process was very smooth and soon we were relaxing in Emirates’ gorgeous lounge.

Emirates Lounge Melbourne Airport

Emirates Lounge Melbourne Airport

Emirates’ lounge at Melbourne Airport is relatively new. It’s spacious and elegant, with a nice selection of hot and cold food and drinks, including Veuve Clicquot champagne on tap. It’s definitely a step-up from some of Emirates more dated-looking lounges around the world.

Boarding

Upon boarding the plane onto the upper deck, we were greeted by the friendly crew, who provided consistently good service throughout the flight.

Emirates’ customer service can be hit and miss, but on this flight it was relatively warm and attentive.

At the start of the flight, we were given amenity kits with all the products one would expect in a premium cabin, including some items from Bulgari.

Emirates amenity kit

The comfortable seat

Business class on the A380 features fully lie-flat seats in a 1-2-1 layout, with every passenger enjoying direct aisle access, as is the norm with premium airlines.

Emirates A380 business class seats

The seat felt quite spacious and comfortable, though it’s not as wide as you might expect due to the large minibar and console. Bigger people may find it a bit narrow.

The layout of the middle seats alternates between rows so that some are couple-friendly while others provide more privacy for adjoining passengers.

Emirates A380 business class cabin

There is plenty of storage space, and each seat has its own iPad to control the seat and entertainment system.

The minibar contains water, juices and soft drinks, but all are at room temperature so you’ll probably need to ask for ice.

The seats have adjustable positions, reading lights, massage features, USB ports and AC power. Mattresses are also available if you want to sleep (we didn’t).

The food and drinks

The food and drink service on our flight was good, though not at the level I’ve experienced with other airlines.

Upon being seated, we were offered a welcome drink of water, juice or champagne. I chose the champagne, which was Moet & Chandon NV – a pretty good drop.

Shortly after take-off the crew began a full drink service, where I was a bit surprised to see that three of the four wines on offer were French (and the other was Australian). More variety would be an improvement.

Wine menu

There were also various beers, cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks on the menu.

The dinner included an option of a three course meal or some ‘light bites’. I chose the full meal, which included an appetiser, main and dessert.

Dinner menu

My starter was a Thai-style prawn salad, which was zesty and refreshing.

Dinner starter

My main dish was the braised lamb shoulder, which didn’t pack as much flavour as I hoped.

Main course

Overall, both courses were pleasant but not particularly memorable.

The chocolate and caramel dome I chose for dessert was way too sweet.

Dessert

When the meal service finished, we proceeded straight to the on-board bar for the memorable experience of sipping cocktails at 40,000 feet. It was a bucket list moment!

The iconic Emirates A380 on-board bar

The staff were happy to make any cocktails we wanted (that were in their recipe book, so nothing too fancy) and the drinks were pretty good. It’s all about the novelty factor here and being able to enjoy a change of scenery on longer flights.

The top-notch in-flight entertainment

Emirates regularly wins the SKYTRAX award for ‘World’s Best Airline Inflight Entertainment’ and it shows. A380 passengers enjoy a high-quality LCD screen which measures at a generous 20-inches.

Entertainment screen

There was a huge variety of films and TV shows on offer from all around the world, as well as music and games. I definitely wasn’t bored!

Conclusion

On this particular flight, I enjoyed the customer service, seat and other comforts on board – especially the bar and lounge – and while the food and drinks could have been better, this didn’t dampen my experience overall.

I would definitely recommend Emirates A380 business class to Australian travellers, especially those using Qantas Points to fly to Asia, Europe or the Middle East.

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