Airliner World – May 2018

http://www.airlinerworld.com 47

reiterated the historic nature of the flight
over the P/A, as with the Dreamliner’s
arrival, our departure was also marked
by a goodly gathering of flag-waving
Qantas staff – and that kangaroo! We
were held on the taxiway for a few min-
utes before moving off to the west to
join the queue for runway 09R.
There were 13 cabin crew on this
flight, one more than usual due to the
need to get staff more acquainted with
the Dreamliner; all were UK-based.
It was almost three hours after
take-off that the meal service reached
my location. We’d heard much of how
the airline had hired nutritional experts
to create a menu specially optimised
for ultra-long-haul travel, and how the
meals were designed to keep passengers
hydrated. However, if I am honest, back
in the cheap seats, the food seemed
rather bland to me. Perhaps I shouldn’t
have been surprised − everyone knows
only things that are bad for you
taste nice!
Below the 12in (30.5cm) IFE touch-
screens, but above the usual fold-down
food tray, the economy seat backs

incorporated a useful electronic device

tray, with a USB charging point imme-

diately alongside, but once the person in

front of me had reclined their seat, there

was virtually no room for manoeuvre.

I found it physically impossible to reach

the main power socket located between

the seats about a foot above floor level.

However, with such an early start, it

had already been a long day and by that

stage my thoughts were mostly

about sleep. Nevertheless, gazing out

of the tinted window at the world some

35,000ft below made me think of how

the long-haul travellers of yesteryear

must have felt. Yes, their seats and the

food must have been better, but they

would have needed to take out a

mortgage to be on board and the

hours – if not days – of engine noise

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce,

together with the flight

crew and VIP guests from

the Western Australia tourist

board were cheered by

airline staff as they

appeared at Heathrow’s

arrivals area in Terminal 3.

TOP RIGHT • Handshakes

all-round: Captain Lisa

Norman, commander of QF9,

celebrates the completion of

the inaugural service with

her crew.

ABOVE RIGHT • Initial flights

are being operated with full

fuel tanks, several economy

seats ‘blocked out’ and no

freight in the hold until the

carrier refines the service

and proves the operational

range of the aircraft.