The boarding process was quick and efficient, a great start to the journey. All Qantas staff were incredible (as always!) The no Wi-Fi situation was a bit of a downer—no, you can’t even buy it—but knowing this ahead of time, I pre-downloaded a ton of content. Pro tip: Do the same, or you might find yourself in a mid-air boredom crisis!
Settling into my economy seat, I was pleasantly surprised. Yes, it’s a long haul (17 hours if you’re counting), but the bulkhead legroom wasn’t bad at all. Even just the little touches of having lady products in the toilets (shout out to Libra) were nice.
Dinner service was quick, and the lights were dimmed soon after—clearly they wanted us to sleep. The beef dinner was actually great. The food was surprisingly good overall; a hot breakfast of bacon and eggs stood out as well as mid-flight pizza. The subtle lighting changes really helped adjust to the new timezone.
Qantas nailed the service. The crew was attentive despite some light turbulence; they managed the 17-hour marathon impressively by likely taking turns for breaks.
While the movie selection wasn’t mind-blowing, it sufficed for the 17-hour journey. The high-definition touchscreen had everything needed from movies to music to an interactive flight map.
Leaving Perth at night and waking up just in time for breakfast in Paris felt surreal. Arriving refreshed and ready for a croissant made it an unforgettable experience.
Landing in Paris was smooth; customs lines at CDG were quick and baggage arrived within 10-15 minutes—a rare occurrence at CDG! Greeted by kangaroo and quokka mascots along with French accordion music added charm.
The real hero here is undoubtedly the direct flight itself: no more juggling kids during stopovers or finding decent meals while watching clocks tick away precious minutes between flights.
The convenience far outweighs any minor issues making this direct route especially beneficial for families traveling between these two cities.
EDITOR Note: Airlineratings.com paid for Sandy West’s flight; she was not a guest of Qantas.