Qantas Power: 737-800 Business Class??

Those from "down under" have been very helpful as we plan for our Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Celebrity Solstice cruise, Sydney to Auckland. Booking our flights down and back is coming together with American Airline frequent flyer miles, including a couple of business class flights, Melbourne to Cairns and Auckland to Sydney. These two flights would be on Qantas 737-800 equipment. Not long, long flights, but like to know more.

The SeatGuru website says these seats have no power, but from the Qantas website, they say: "Business customers will enjoy Qantas' Marc Newson designed seat, furnished in soft luxury leather with a 37" seat pitch and up to 22" width between arms. Seats also feature a 10.6" in-arm inflight entertainment touch-screen, extendable leg rest with fold-out footrest, ergonomic cushions, cocktail table, PC power and a USB port."

My questions or clarifications?:

1. How does their power work for which I can plug in with my MacBook Pro? Does it use a cigarette-lighter type of hook-in, AC plug or something else? Type of plug? Assume SeatGuru was not correct in saying there is no power at these seats.

2. How does the USB port work and/or connect? For power and/or connection to an entertainment system?

3. How are the Qantas First Lounges at Sydney and Melbourne international airports? The website says those have been recent re-done by Qantas Creative Director Marc Newson. I assume if you are on business class ticket you will have access there without added cost, right?

Any other tips, info, suggestion and/or insights on Qantas business class in these types of planes? It looks like we'll only have two flights in business class with Qantas or their related companies. Our other two area flights for our overall schedule, Cairns to Adelaide and Adelaide to Sydney, will be without AA points and will be just in regular coach. Assume no power ports with those seats on this type of plane, right?

THANKS for the help! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 119,944 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

Don't assume anything with Qantas re flying Business Class and access to their lounges.

If you are a Qantas Club member then in you go . If you are an American Airlines FF Club Member then you will probably be elgible for Club access at Qantas . Check with AA or check lounge access here under Qantas Club :

http://www.qantas.com.au/travel/airlines/qantas-club-lounge-access/global/en

There are two different Qantas Club Lounges in both Sydney and Melbourne. The special First Class Lounges in both cities are only for International Passengers and then only for 1st Class Passengers. Qantas Business Class has a different lounge in each city for International passengers.

As you are flying Business Class you will be in the Business Class lounge in International in Auckland and the Business Class Domestic Lounge in Melbourne whch are completely different.

They are still 100% better than the American Airlines lounges that we were in on our U.S. trip a few years ago. Qantas provides food and drink gratis though I think the alcohol isn't available until say after 11am. I know you cannot start drinking too early or that used to be the case when I used to visit the Lounges. Whereas in the U.S. there wasn't any food at all and I remember having to leave the lounge to go and find somewhere to buy food as we had an 6 hour stopover.

The 737 isn't a big plane so I am not sure about the equipment for laptops etc. You probably would find more information on the Qantas website. Being such short flights of just over 3 hours each, you may find it more relaxing to just sit back and read.

Jennie

As well as different international lounges, as Jenny has explained, there's also different domestic lounges for Business in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane (at the very least). They're always next door to the Qantas Club and offer nothing more than a more 'exclusive' (supposedly) atmosphere and a better outlook across the tarmac. So if you're flying domestic business, look for the Business lounge entry and present your boarding pass.

In Auckland you'd use the Qantas Club lounge.

Qantas' 737-800s have a curtained off 'cabin'. Two seats per side instead of three with a small drinks table in between the seats. You'll get greeted by name as they ask what you'd like to drink (prior to take off) and then served wine from bottles instead of getting the little mini wine bottles you get in economy. Meal will be on crockery blah blah blah

I've never flown international business on a 737 but would presume it'll be the same as the domestic planes. Your description from the Qantas site seems to point more to business on an international A330, 747 or A380. The trans-tasman flights normally use domestic configurations so check those out on Qantas website. Maybe they're picking up the game on their smaller planes, but I'd be surprised. They've only just started flying 737-800s with in seat entertainment, economy and business.

pete

I've flown the trans-Tasman in business on Qantas lots of times. It's hit-and-miss; the international product on this route is much more like domestic business class. You have a fair chance of getting a prehistoric plane with no power and a very tired product delivered by indifferent staff. You'll get big comfy seats - nothing else is certain.

Your same-day international business-class boarding pass will get you into the lounges. Business-class is the equivalent of first-class in the US; first-class in Australia refers to the premium international product and is not offered on your route by Qantas.

To get an experience like long-haul business class then you'd need to fly someone like Emirates. Alternatively, you could choose an airline that uses long-haul configured aircraft with short-haul service as Air NZ does on a very small number of flights (these planes arrive from the US in the early morning into NZ, they do a return trip to Australia during the day, and then fly out to the US again at night).

Here's the thing. It very likely will cost the same or less to get a long-haul business experience if you fly another airline on the AKL - SYD leg. Emirates is probably the best bet - if you book an A380 then you'll be getting a superb product.

Don't assume anything with Qantas re flying Business Class and access to their lounges.

With an international same-day business-class or first-class boarding pass you can get into the lounges including domestic lounges.

With an international same-day business-class or first-class boarding pass you can get into the lounges including domestic lounges.

We flew Qantas business class from Brisbane to Auckland in January on a 737. The seats were very comfortable. Breakfast was actually better than the breakfast on Qantas business from Dallas to Brisbane. We had access to the business class lounge in Brisbane which was very comfortable. I did not use my computer so I don't know about power ports. The entire flight experience was very enjoyable.