Sandra Conchie flies from Melbourne to Hobart with Qantas
The plane: A Boeing 737-800. Class: Economy. Price: You can fly from Auckland to Hobart, via Melbourne, return in Economy Class, for $866.
Flight time: One hour 15 minutes. Bit of a delay disembarking, but well worth the wait.
My seat: 15A, I’m in an aisle seat over the wing, one row back from an emergency exit.
Fellow passengers: Mainly Australians, including some expats, other Kiwis on holiday, plus a group of Asian businessmen, including a friendly South Korean man seated next to me also making his first visit to Tasmania.
How full: No empty seats. Seating consists of 12 Business and 162 Economy seats. Lots of frequent fliers.
Entertainment: Full seat-back touch screens for each passenger with a selection of 300 movies and TV programmes includes G-rated kids zone. Or live stream entertainment to your personal device via Qantas Entertainment App.
Service: Great. Very attentive flight crew who provided extra comforts on request.
Food and drink: I forwent a hot snack for a punnet of Aussie-made spiced banana and apple muesli. Great choice. Toilets: Impeccable.
Luggage: Only one checked bag allowed but Qantas allows a generous 30kg weight limit.
Airport experience: Seamless check-in, well sign-posted. Being swabbed for narcotics going through security was a bit of a novel experience. In Hobart, I had ready, helpful assistance from an airport ambassador.
Bottomline: I usually travel on Air New Zealand or Emirates, but I would definitely fly Qantas again.