In September 2024, our company organized a trip for us to Sydney, Australia, where we attended workshops and participated in a company trade show. The trip included three full days of work, followed by two additional days for leisure. We traveled to and from Sydney with Qantas, Australia’s national carrier. This flight report will focus on our journey from Sydney to Manila on QF 19.
Join me as I share the details of flying with Qantas, Australia’s largest airline and one of the world’s safest. I will also provide insights into my experience on this daytime intercontinental flight back to Manila.
In case you missed it, I also shared my flight experience with Qantas’ Manila to Sydney on flight QF 20. Check out the flight report here.
Qantas
Qantas is Australia’s national carrier. Founded in 1920, the airline’s first flight took place in November 1922. Initially known as Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services Limited, it primarily served Queensland and the Northern Territory. Over the years, Qantas underwent several expansion and transformation programs, eventually becoming Australia’s largest domestic and international airline. It currently operates flights to over 100 domestic and international destinations from its main hubs in Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne. Qantas also flies to all habitable continents.
Qantas has several subsidiaries, including QantasLink, Qantas Loyalty, Qantas Freight, Jetstar, and Jetconnect. The airline and its subsidiaries operate a fleet that includes Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, Embraer, and Fokker aircraft. As of March 2025, the parent company, Qantas, has over 120 active aircraft, with an additional 60+ on order.
Qantas is a full-service airline offering a range of amenities, including free checked luggage, meals and snacks, personal entertainment screens, and more onboard. It is also one of the founding members of Oneworld, a major global alliance that includes airlines like Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific, British Airways, and American Airlines. Additionally, Qantas has a loyalty program called Qantas Frequent Flyer, allowing members to earn status points and miles when flying with the airline or through its non-airline partners.
As the third-oldest airline in the world, based on its foundation date (behind only KLM and Avianca), Qantas consistently ranks among the World’s Safest Airlines, a distinction it has maintained since the awards’ inception in 2014.
Do you want to know the difference between a full-service & a low-cost airline? Check out my previous post detailing the differences of these 2 types of airlines.
Airfare & Inclusions
Since this was a work trip, I did not pay for the flights. The company booked our tickets a little over three months in advance and paid ₱XX,XXX for the roundtrip. They chose a higher fare class that allows for a refund with a small fee, rather than opting for the cheaper non-refundable option.
The Qantas ticket included a 7-kilogram carry-on allowance, 30 kilograms of checked baggage, inflight meals and snacks, inflight amenities, personal entertainment screens on both flights, and excellent service from the cabin crew.
The ticket price was typical for flights to Australia—while it is not as cheap as Cebu Pacific Air, it is slightly higher than fares with Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific.
In case you missed it, I post reviews & features of my flights since June 2019. I’ve covered airlines such as EVA Air, Indonesia Air Asia, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Cathay Pacific, and Cebu Pacific Air. All posts about these flights are found under the Flight Reports category.
Travel Requirements
Philippine passport holders only need to present their valid passports and the E-Travel QR code when entering the country. Non-Philippine passport holders may be required to present additional documents, such as a valid visa or an onward departure ticket. These requirements can vary depending on nationality. It is always best to check with the relevant authorities for the most up-to-date entry requirements.
I have applied for an Australian visa several times and explained the process in a previous Tuesday Tips post. You can find the details on how to apply for an Australian visa here.
Before The Flight
Four days before the flight, Qantas sent an email to remind passengers about the upcoming trip. The email included flight details, travel document requirements such as passport and visa, baggage information, and other services like seat selection, special requests, a Qantas Frequent Flyer reminder, and information about the Qantas mobile app.
24 hours before the flight, the airline sent another email informing passengers that online check-in was now available. The email also outlined step-by-step procedures at Sydney Airport, from check-in to boarding. We all completed online check-in and received our mobile boarding passes immediately.
Aircraft & Flight Information
The Sydney to Manila Qantas flight was operated by a 20.4-year-old Airbus A330-303 (at the time of the flight). Delivered to the airline in June 2004, the aircraft is registered as VH-QPE and is named Port Lincoln. It features 28 lie-flat business class seats and 269 regular economy seats.
Flight QF 19 took off from Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport at 12:33 p.m. local time, cruised at an altitude of up to 38,000 feet, and landed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 6:32 p.m. local time. The flight duration was 7 hours and 59 minutes.
Ground & Airport Experience
International Qantas flights depart from the International Terminal at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport.
CHECK-IN & BAG DROP
Qantas check-in kiosks are located at Counter C. Passengers are required to check in using the kiosks, print their boarding passes and bag tags, and then proceed to the bag drop area to check in their luggage for the cargo hold.
The check-in and bag drop process took less than 5 minutes. The Qantas check-in area was well-staffed, and one of the attendants kindly assisted my friend/colleague with checking in his luggage.
PRE-DEPARTURE
After check-in and bag drop, we proceeded through immigration and security. My friend and I stopped by The House Lounge by Aspire to grab a bite before the flight. The lounge offered a great selection of food and drinks, along with an excellent view of the tarmac. It even had unlimited sparkling wine and Aperol spritz, which the Filipina bartender recommended.
Around 11:30 a.m., we left the lounge and walked to our assigned boarding gate, Gate 31.
BOARDING
At 11:35 a.m., the ground staff announced boarding for premium passengers and status holders. Economy class passengers were called to board next, organized by row.
The cabin crew closed the airplane doors at 12:15 p.m. The entire boarding process took 40 minutes. The plane was pushed back at 12:20 p.m., five minutes later, and made its way to the runway for takeoff.
Inflight Hard & Soft Product
SEAT FEATURES
This Sydney to Manila flight was operated by a 20.4-year-old Airbus A330-300 (at the time of the flight). The aircraft features 28 lie-flat business class seats in a 1-2-1 configuration and 269 standard economy seats in a 2-4-2 layout.
According to SeatGuru, each lie-flat business class seat offers a seat pitch of 73 inches and a seat width of 23 inches. The seats provide spacious legroom, a large entertainment screen, a seat console, and several storage compartments. Additionally, passengers are provided with a large pillow, blanket, and noise-canceling headphones. The business class cabin consists of 7 rows arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration, ensuring that each passenger has direct aisle access.
The middle and rear sections of the aircraft are equipped with 269 economy seats in a 2-4-2 layout. Each economy seat offers a seat pitch of 31 inches and a seat width of 17 inches. Amenities include a personal entertainment screen, a foldable tray table, a coat hook, a USB charging port, a power outlet beneath the seat, and small under-screen storage. The seats also come with an adjustable headrest, a pillow, a blanket, and a seatback pocket containing an aircraft safety card, a magazine, duty-free pamphlets, and headphones. Additional features include individual air vents and a cabin crew call button.
For my daytime flight to Manila, I chose seat 46B in the rear economy cabin. I found Qantas’ seats to be quite comfortable, and I appreciated the provided pillow and blanket. The recline function worked well, making the flight more relaxing.
INFLIGHT MEAL & SNACKS
Once we reached cruising altitude, the cabin crew distributed a bottle of water to each economy class passenger. The pre-lunch service began with a pack of crackers and a drink of choice, and I opted for a small bottle of white wine.
About an hour after takeoff, the cabin crew started serving lunch. They offered three meal options: Sichuan tofu with oyster mushrooms and rice, chicken schnitzel parmigiana with mashed potatoes, and stir-fried black bean beef with capsicum and rice. Each main meal came with rosemary garlic focaccia bread, ice cream, wooden cutlery, and a drink of choice. The crew also went around for a second drink service, offering coffee, tea, or water, along with Tim Tam chocolates.
I chose the chicken schnitzel parmigiana and paired it with apple juice. Unfortunately, I found the chicken a bit bland. However, the caramel maple ice cream helped redeem the meal, providing a sweet and enjoyable finish.
Throughout the flight, the cabin crew made several rounds offering random snacks like chocolates, cookies, and crackers. About an hour and a half before arrival, they served the pre-landing snack, which included veggie pizza and a butter chicken puff. I chose the butter chicken puff and had another glass of apple juice. While it was not exactly to my taste, it was decent and filling.
Qantas certainly ensured that passengers would not go hungry on this daytime flight to Manila.
INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT
All Qantas aircraft used on international flights are equipped with entertainment screens. The airline offers a wide range of entertainment options, including movies, television shows, audiobooks, and music playlists.
The entertainment system also features an inflight map that tracks the flight path and provides details about the journey to Manila. I tried to watch a movie during this daytime flight, but I did not manage to finish it. Instead, I spent most of the flight chatting with my friend.
INFLIGHT CONNECTIVITY
The aircraft used for this flight was not equipped with Wi-Fi at the time, which means we did not have Wi-Fi connectivity during this flight to Manila.
LAVATORY
I used the middle lavatory twice and found it to be spotlessly clean. It had the basic amenities, though it was missing the toothbrush and napkin provided on our Manila to Sydney flight. Additionally, it did not have moisturizer or perfume, which are available on some other airlines.
Cabin Crew Encounters
Just like on our Manila to Sydney QF 20 flight, the cabin crew on this flight was friendly and chatty. I also noticed that during boarding, the crew welcomed us aboard and addressed each passenger by their last name. Additionally, the cabin crew made inflight announcements in both English and Filipino.
Disembarkation & Luggage Claim
The plane landed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 6:32 p.m. local time. Disembarkation and immigration took less than 30 minutes, and we were at the luggage claim area by 7:00 p.m.
Flight Experience
It was another pleasant flight experience with Qantas, this time on a daytime intercontinental flight from Sydney to Manila. The positives of the flight certainly outweighed the negatives. Allow me to list them below.
I mentioned this in my previous QF 20 flight report, and I will mention it again here: In a world where checked luggage allowances are often limited to 23 or 25 kilograms, Qantas offers a generous 30-kilogram checked luggage allowance, regardless of fare class.
Secondly, the seat comfort and amenities on this flight were top-notch. While the seat may not have the thick padding of Cathay Pacific’s, it still provided a comfortable experience on this nearly 8-hour flight to Manila. Third, the seats featured individual air vents, allowing passengers to control the airflow at their seats—a feature that is slowly disappearing in many new aircraft.
Fourth, the cabin crew ensured that all passengers stayed well-fed throughout the flight. They made several rounds offering snacks between meals. For me, the caramel maple ice cream was the highlight of the lunch service. Lastly, despite handling numerous requests from passengers, the cabin crew remained friendly and chatty. The service was relaxed and not rushed.
Now, for the aspects that felt lacking. First, the lunch meal did not include an appetizer (such as a salad) or a fruit bowl. Airlines like Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific often include these items even on shorter flights. Additionally, I found the chicken parmigiana to be bland and not to my liking.
Second, the middle lavatory lacked some essential amenities, such as dental kits, which are especially useful on long flights like this. While these can easily be requested from the crew, it would have been more convenient to have them available for use from the start.
In summary, this daytime intercontinental flight was pleasant. While it may not have been perfect, it was definitely an improvement over my QF 20 experience to Sydney. Though I would consider flying with Qantas again if the price is right, I am more likely to choose another airline for a better overall experience.
Here are more details about my flight from Sydney to Manila on Qantas QF 19:
Airline: Qantas
Flight Date: 29 September 2024
Flight Number: QF 19
Route: Sydney, Australia (SYD) to Manila, Philippines (MNL)
Duration: 7 hours and 59 minutes
Seat Number: Seat 46B (aisle)
Aircraft: Airbus A330-303
Aircraft Registration: VH-QPE
Engines: 2 x General Electric CF6-80E1A3
Age: 20.4-years-old
Delivered: June 2004
Thank you for joining me in today’s flight report. I hope I gave you a comprehensive review of my first time flying with Qantas on their QF 19 route from Sydney to Manila. From the generous luggage allowance to the friendly crew and the comfort of their Airbus A330, I have shared the highlights and areas for improvement during my flight experience.
Have you flown with Qantas before? How was your experience with the airline? Are you considering booking a ticket with them for your next trip to Australia or beyond? If you have any questions or would like to know more, feel free to post them in the comments section below, or send them via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com. I would be happy to respond!
I hope you will check out my previous flight reports with Singapore Airlines, as well as other airlines like Emirates, EVA Air, Cathay Pacific, Air France, Vietnam Airlines, Cebu Pacific Air, and Philippine Airlines. I also hope you look forward to more flight reports in the future.
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PS. Photos were taken using my Google Pixel 8 Pro.
