There are many aircraft around the world that capture the eyes and minds of AvGeeks, and the Airbus A380 is definitely one of them. Even decades after it first flew, the airplane still remains the largest passenger aircraft ever built, not only in terms of the number of passengers it can carry, but also in absolute size. It is so large that airports actually had to take special precautions to make sure they had the correct taxiway, gate requirements, and runway thickness to handle the aircraft. It even has its own identifier, with any A380 callsign followed by “Super.”
This “Super” aircraft, despite not being that old compared to other aircraft still flying in large numbers, is already being phased out by airlines around the world due to its poor fuel and economic statistics. Carriers would rather operate a route many times a day with smaller airplanes than once with a giant aircraft.
Despite this, Qantas is not only still flying the A380 but actually returning the aircraft to airports that haven’t seen Superjumbo service since before COVID-19, when many other airlines retired the type.
Dallas/Fort Worth finally saw the return of King Roo, and we had the privilege of going on the maiden re-inaugural flight in Business Class on the upper deck of the A380 on Qantas’ route from Texas to Sydney.
This also marks the return of four-class Qantas service to Dallas/Fort Worth, as the airline’s A380 features a First Class cabin, along with Business, Premium Economy, and Economy.
Day of the Flight
The day of the flight, I was coming from another flight, but for those connecting to Dallas, especially on flights from fellow oneworld partner American Airlines, make sure to give yourself ample time in case of delays, especially in the summer months when thunderstorms plague Dallas/Fort Worth and cause massive flight delays.
I was taking this flight down to Sydney in the airline’s Business Class cabin, and with that, I also got access to the American Flagship lounge at DFW. I made great use of the lounge as I had connected to Dallas/Fort Worth 10 hours before the Qantas flight was scheduled to depart.
If you arrived on a connecting flight and have not yet spoken with a Qantas agent, you will need to do so to have your passport scanned and boarding pass printed. This can be done at the ticket counter or at the gate, but you must complete this step before boarding.
As an AvGeek, this flight was really special for me. In addition to it being the re-inaugural of King Roo from Dallas, it was also my first time on an A380, a double-decker, or any quad-engine jet, so I was having a blast from the moment I showed up at the gate.
My aircraft for the flight was VH-OQK, an A380 that was delivered directly to Qantas in November of 2011 and carries the names John Duigan and Reginald Duigan, pioneers in Australian aviation, who built and flew the first Australian aircraft.
This aircraft has four cabins, and before the actual boarding process, I was able to get a quick tour.
On the lower deck was First Class with 14 seats in a 1-1-1 configuration.
Also on the lower deck were 341 Economy seats in a 3-4-3 configuration.
One interesting thing Qantas does is give Economy passengers the option of paying a little bit more to sit next to an empty seat or a couple of empty seats. It’s a smart move by the airline to try and get a little bit of profit from seats that would otherwise sit empty anyway because of the weight restrictions. The cost of sitting near these empty seats varies, but it is not as expensive as paying for another seat on the flight.
On the upper deck were the Business and Premium Economy cabins. The Business Class cabin, with 70 seats, is configured in a 1-2-1 setup. There are two sections of Business Class seats split up by a galley, as they take up such a large part of the aircraft.
And finally, there were the 60 Premium Economy seats in a 2-3-2 configuration at the back of the upper deck.
At the front of the upper deck on Qantas’ A380s, there is an onboard lounge for passengers in First Class and Business Class. There is plenty of couch space as well as a handful of table spaces for working and power outlets to charge devices.
Once the tour was over, I was led back out into the gate area for the boarding process to begin. Even though it was a double-decker aircraft and I was sitting on the upper deck, it didn’t feel like it since the jet bridge was connected right to the second floor, so we didn’t need to climb stairs during the boarding process with our carry-on bags.
I took my seat in 20A, a window seat on the left side of the aircraft in Business Class. Waiting for me were a pillow, a blanket, and a comforter, as well as the dinner and breakfast menu, headphones to borrow during the flight, and a bottle of water. If you’re in a window seat, there are also cubbies on the side between you and the window.
Before boarding was complete, flight attendants came around with champagne or water for passengers in Business Class, along with Qantas PJs for us to wear during the long flight down to Sydney.
We did push back from the gate a little bit late, but that is expected, as this was the first time Qantas has sent the A380 to Dallas/Fort Worth since 2020, so a lot of the ground staff and ramp agents were training and making sure everything was done 100% correctly.
The Flight
Once in the air, we had some nice views of the Dallas/Fort Worth area lights before going above the clouds. It also didn’t take very long for those of us in Business Class to head to the bathroom to change into our PJs before the flight attendants came around with drinks and food.
I took the time to explore my seat and its features a little bit more before settling in. The cubbies were plenty big to fit not only my clothes but also the blankets and comforter when I wasn’t using them, and my camera as well.
The large in-flight entertainment screen (IFE) in front of me had plenty of movies and TV shows. It also had videos on exercises you can do from your seat, which are meant to keep your blood circulating. Also on the IFE is a feature called “seat chat,” where you can message other people on the airplane if you happen to be sitting apart from the people you are traveling with.
Another section on the IFE is called “wine notes” and goes over the wine selections that Qantas offers. And of course, the AvGeek favorite, your moving map and in-flight data such as altitude and speed.
Our initial cruising altitude was 37,000 feet, or 9,753 meters. With such a long flight like this and a lot of fuel required, the cruising altitude towards the end of the flight would be higher once we burn more fuel.
The comforter they gave out before departing also acts as a fitted sheet, and I decided to have it set before getting more comfortable. About 40 minutes after takeoff, they came around with warm nuts as well as a drink, and I chose a Qantas Avro Sprtiz.
As far as the main course, they had a handful of options, and I chose the red mole beef with blistered cherry tomatoes, char-grilled broccolini, carrots, and potatoes. There was also corn puree, but I opted out of that. On the side came a green leaf salad with Neil’s vinaigrette.
Once I was finished with my meal, they cleaned it up and brought around dessert, which once again had a handful of different options. I chose vanilla ice cream.
Everything was served and presented wonderfully, and was on glass plates and actual glassware.
Once I was done with my ice cream, given the time of night and the long flight ahead, I decided to put my seat into lie-flat mode and went to sleep.
I actually got some decent sleep and got probably just over eight hours in before waking up, and by this point, we were somewhere over the South Pacific with about six hours left in the flight. I decided to stretch my legs a bit, but had to be careful since the cabin lights were still dimmed and most people were sleeping.
In the galley areas and lounge, there were snacks and drinks that you could grab throughout the flight if you wanted something to snack on between meals or in the middle of the night
I spent some time exploring not only the lounge but also the forward part of the lower deck. Unlike a lot of airlines, Qantas leaves the stairs open and accessible during the flight.
There really wasn’t much to do at the bottom of the stairs, other than use the restroom, but it was still nice being able to walk up and down the stairs to get your circulation going and stretch your legs a little bit.
I also used this time to explore the onboard lounge located on the upper deck. The lounge had plenty of seating and was very nicely set up, with lamps and charging ports.
At the back of the lounge on the wall, there was a larger screen that displayed flight information, such as the moving map, altitude, and speed. You could also watch a movie on the big screen using headphones placed in the lounge.
Now with snacks and candy in hand, I headed back to my seat to go over some of the features of the seat and the IFE, as I wasn’t able to do that before I fell asleep earlier.
There were plenty of outlets as well as USB ports for devices. You get an amenity kit with lots of items, including an eye mask, socks, moisturizer, and hand lotion, which are perfect for a long flight like this. There were plenty of cubby spaces in and around the seat, so no matter what you were traveling with, there was always a place to put it without it getting in the way of your seating or sleeping area.
Now with about five hours left on the flight and it still being dark out, I decided to start a second movie. A flight attendant saw I was awake and offered me a mid-flight meal, to which I absolutely said yes. My meal was a chicken sandwich with avocado, lettuce, and green sauce.
It was the perfect small item to keep me satisfied enough until breakfast was served a few hours later. After my movie was finished, there were about three hours left on the flight, and I decided to get up and stretch my legs again. I walked around a little bit more and hung out in the onboard lounge for about 20 to 30 minutes before heading back to my seat once again.
Even though the sun had not yet come up, I was able to see the lights beneath me on what was the first land I’d seen since leaving Texas, which was New Caledonia.
With about two and a half hours left on the flight, I started a third movie, and not much longer after that is when the sun started to come up over the horizon. By this time in the flight, we had gone up to a higher cruising altitude, which was 40,000 feet or 12,192 meters.
The smell of breakfast and hot food filled the cabin, and it smelled really good. My breakfast choice was a waffle with spiced berry and apple compote, with yogurt and toasted pecans.
It wasn’t very long after breakfast was all cleaned up that the cabin crew started getting ready for our approach into Sydney. Before starting the approach, they also showed a video explaining how bringing fruit and vegetables along with other produce into Australia is prohibited, and they came around with a special collection for anybody needing to throw out these items, even if you got them on board the plane.
Not only is this the longest Qantas A380 route in its network, but it’s also the second-longest A380 route in the world by any airline. Given this, and the fact that it is close to the max range of the A380, they do have to restrict these airplanes a little bit on the Dallas/Fort Worth to Sydney flights, which usually happens in the Economy section.
Now that the sun was up, I could truly comprehend the size of the wing of this A380, and it’s absolutely fascinating being on an aircraft this big with four massive engines and huge wings.
While on approach to Sydney, I also used the tail cam to get a nice look at our approach.
We touched down at Sydney Kingsford Smith International just before 7 a.m. after exactly 16 hours of flight time from Dallas. Also, because of the International Date Line, we skipped a day completely, with our takeoff from Dallas/Fort Worth being on Monday night and the landing in Sydney being on Wednesday morning.
I had an absolutely wonderful time on the re-inaugural flight of King Roo from Dallas. While Qantas currently operates a mix of the A380 and 787 between Dallas/Fort Worth and Sydney, soon it will switch to all A380 service, bumping up the capacity and giving more passengers access to Qantas’ four-class cabins and AvGeeks more opportunities to experience the Superjumbo.
The service was absolutely amazing, and the onboard lounge was also a really neat feature; it gave you a nice spot on the airplane to hang out if you didn’t want to sit in your seat for over half a day. There was plenty of food, and I wish I could’ve ordered more food to experience and enjoy all of it.
The A380 remains one of the most comfortable ways to cross the Pacific, and with its refreshed interiors and genuine Australian hospitality, the return of the King Roo to Dallas/Fort Worth feels like a milestone worth celebrating, especially for AvGeeks like myself.
A video account of this flight can be found below:
Editor’s Note: Qantas provided AirlineGeeks with a seat on this flight, but this trip report is an objective portrayal of events and is in no way swayed.
