QANTAS: Fly ‘domestic’ QF5, Sydney to Perth on a Dreamliner starting at the First Class International lounge

QF5 is actually that seasonal international flight using a Boeing 787 Dreamliner between Sydney and Rome. But you can enjoy just the domestic leg between Sydney and Perth, leaving from the International T1 to enjoy the dining and drinking pleasures of the Qantas First Class Lounge.

You can sometimes do the same on QF9, the equivalent flight to London via Perth, with the added advantage that it is available all year round.

Bonus fact – travelling that Sydney Perth route in the Dreamliner costs the same as doing it in the A330 or even the domestically configured 737! That’s a one-way leg for about AU$ 500 in economy and AU$ 2,800 in business.

How to Book

First, QF5 only runs three days a week: Monday, Wednesday or Saturday. Also, the flights only run from Monday, 17 July, until Monday, 2 October this year.

Secondly, you will need to locate QF5 – probably a bit of a scroll, depending on what filters you have set on the Qantas site.

That simple!

What you get

Let’s get the negatives out of the way. There won’t be any WiFi, and you can’t book Premium Economy on this leg. You must book the full journey to Rome to get a Premium Economy seat. Finally, you must check into the International Terminal in Sydney and head through immigration with a photo ID. Your passport will definitely do. You an even use your driver’s license, but you will not be able to use the automated immigration smart-gates if you do – head over to a staffed desk for manual processing.

Just a note if you check in online. It’s not like a domestic leg, where you can head straight to the lounge. For QF5, you will still need to check in at the airport counter, get a paper ticket, and show your photo ID.

And that’s about all on the downside.

The upside is primarily the quiet cabin of the 787, its higher cabin pressure, the international standard service, and how cool it is being on a plane primarily of international travellers.

Doing Perth to Sydney on QF6

QF6 leaves Perth at 10 am on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, arriving in Sydney a few minutes after 4pm.

You catch AF6 from the T3/T4 domestic terminal, but you will be allowed entry to the Internationa Transit Lounge, but only up to two hours before the flight. ET reports that a flash of your Platinum One or Chairmans Lounge card gets you a pour or actual champagne rather than just sparkling wine.

2PAXfly Takeout

Is this worth it? I’m not sure. You have the better comfort of the 787 Dreamliner and arguably better service, but you have to go through the palaver of international travel immigration clearance. And don’t think you will be eligible for duty-free purchases, either. You also don’t get WiFi, which would be a big downer for me, who nearly always works on planes.