We flew Qantas Business Class direct from Melbourne to Los Angeles on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a journey of just under 14 hours.
With our system showing 18 seats available in Business Class 3 days out, this was a point upgrader’s dream scenario! The cabin was pretty much filled within 24 hours of the flight from passengers using their points.
Although I fly Qantas Business Class regularly, this review focuses on one of the most popular routes we book for our clients. I’ll happily leave full time blogging to others, but this is something we’re asked about often, so let’s dive in.
Qantas operates its Dreamliner Business Class in a 1 2 1 configuration, giving every seat direct aisle access. The cabin feels modern and streamlined, with a calm, understated design that suits long haul flying. We were seated in row 5. This offered a good balance of proximity to the galley without excess foot traffic.
The Business Class seat converts into a fully flat bed measuring approximately two metres. It offers generous legroom and practical storage. Each seat includes a large entertainment screen, adjustable lighting, multiple charging points and a privacy divider that can be raised or lowered depending on preference. Unfortunately, our middle divider would not lower. This made travelling with a five year old beside me more difficult. Overall, the Qantas Boeing 787 Dreamliner Business Class cabin feels practical and modern. It is well suited to long haul travel & has a solid seating plan that keeps comfort in mind
To #AVGeek out a little, the Dreamliner uses composite carbon fibre materials. This makes the aircraft lighter and stronger, while also improving fuel efficiency and cabin pressure. Meshing this with recent studies that CAT (Clear Air Turbulence) is increasing, each flight I have taken on this aircraft, I’ve noticed a more bumpier ride than usual. This may be coincidence, however, we have also noted this same feedback from clients. The same route serviced by the Airbus A350 doesn’t seem to have close to the amount of turbulence from both my personal experience and that of our clients.
Our flight departed Melbourne at 12 noon and arrived into Los Angeles at 7.25am. This daytime schedule made adjusting on arrival far easier.
Shortly after boarding, we were given a breakfast card to complete, allowing us to pre select our breakfast closer to arrival. The crew served supper around 1.5 hours into the flight. This aligned well with the midday departure and gave passengers time to settle in.
The crew served breakfast approximately 1.5 hours before landing. This helped ease the transition into the early morning arrival in Los Angeles. The spacing of meals felt intentional and practical for a long transpacific flight, however the cabin felt like it was completely closed off in between.
The meals were excellent, with plenty of variety. Portion sizes felt generous, and I could easily have skipped a course. The crew offered to tweak my son’s meals without asking which I thought was a nice touch, as children’s meals were not offered on this service.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is designed with long haul comfort in mind. Features such as lower cabin altitude, improved air quality and larger windows contribute to reduced fatigue over extended flights. Combined with Qantas’ Business Class bedding, the experience supports rest without forcing sleep. The service flow also felt thoughtful and well paced. The bedding includes a thick blanket. The seat also comes with a thin cover that can be used as a mattress protector for added cushioning. Let’s also not forget the famous Qantas PJ’s that rival the big names for comfort!
The new “Art from the Archives” amenity kits celebrate 90 years of international flying with some favourite historical art by Harry Rogers.
This is something I would not usually notice while sleeping. However, travelling with a child meant I observed crew passing through the cabin only three times in six hours. The offerings in a snack bar were disappointing as well compared to many other airlines at the same level. The galley offered a small selection of snack bars, chocolates and fresh fruit. Other airlines would see business class crew passing through the cabin with a slight pause to check on you and although small, it created a point of difference compared to other airlines we fly.
Qantas Business Class on the Dreamliner offers a reliable, well considered option for long haul travel between Australia and the United States. The direct routing, sensible departure and arrival times, fully flat seating and structured dining service make it particularly well suited to travellers who value comfort, efficiency and consistency on extended flights.
This product is popular with our corporate clients as well as families alike due to its loyalty program and direct services to the USA.
Qantas’ Project Sunrise ultra long haul initiative will feature the Airbus A350 1000 ULR. This aircraft will extend flying time up to 22 hours. The planned routes for these will include Sydney to London Heathrow and Sydney to New York, with Melbourne also expected to follow. Services will begin upon delivery of the first aircraft in October 2026
If you want to fly Qantas Dreamliner using points, head on over to our run down on how to make this possible HERE
Reach out to learn more and discuss your next flight [email protected]
Signature Travel Luxury Agent
Disney Accredited Agent
Hawaiian Specialist
LA Destination Expert
Australian Expert Agent
Las Vegas Insider Agent
Orlando Insider Agent
Peace of mind
