Anyone here travel Qantas First class on a 747 in the early 90s?

[Heritagehog]

I went to Australia as a child in 1994.
I was allowed to tour the plane, I can’t remember the cockpit (although mum tells me I did see it) but I do have a very vague memory of going upstairs to see First Class.

As I recall, it was more like a living room than anything else, with bright blue upholstery / carpet and sofa-like seats in a circular /semi circular layout.
Mum doesn’t remember this part. I’ve googled but all I can find are bar images from the 70s.

Can anyone remember this and confirm if what I remember sounds correct?

Have to check the history sites to get chapter and verse on this but from memory:

Traditionally First in the 747 was in the nose on I think all the variants, I guess there might have been first upstairs on some but never saw it myself.

The history here is that the very early 747s (early 1970s deliveries), the -100 series, were often delivered with a lounge in the "bubble" upstairs, aft of the Flight deck..that sounds like what you describe.

The accountants pretty soon collared on that the space could be better used for revenue seating, so generally the lounge idea was dropped and the area became a small cabin with maybe a dozen plus seats in rows.

Can't claim to know exactly what config Qantas had in 94 but by that time most of the ultra long range 747 work was on the 747-400 which had an elongated upper deck containing (varied) maybe up to 60 seats plus, no lounge.

Ultimately I think it's unlikely you saw an upper deck lounge on a QF 747 in 94, but I guess I'd have to say it's not utterly impossible - you'd have to check QF archives to be sure.

Thanks for your knowledgeable reply. From the little googling I’ve done I agree it does seem that what I remember doesn’t fit the timeline. But it’s one of those rare early memories that isn’t based on a photograph and so it bugs me to think it’s probably not real!

do you know where I can check QF archives?

Father flew Qantas but late 80s - It was the 747 200 with the lounge when they then put on the 400 the bump on the top was longer and used for seating . I flew a few times but the lounge was a different layout - I found thiswww.qantas.com/us/en/about-us/our-company/our-history/jet-age-1959-1995.html

Blimey, QF hanging on to the upper deck lounge on their -200s and into the 80s was really going against the trend..

@Rosa 's link looks like a good place to start..don't know wether there is anyone there who would respond to an email..

I may have some time later to dig into some links I have...

You don't remember by any chance if to go upstairs it was a spiral staircase or a straight one (knowing which would be a big clue as to wetjer a lounge was even possible), and a vague route?

As I recall it by 94 QF between Europe (certainly the UK) and also the transpacific flights to Oz would have been -400,.straight staircase and AFAIK no lounge - First, up front, could however be/appear to be very spacious, depending on the seating arrangements.

Its a good few years ago but The only time I think I went up a straight staircase was when there was economy seating up there. The spiral was only to the lounge. I do recall one flight I think it was a 200 that was half cargo and the bubble was standard seating - I cannot recall the staircase ! Somwehere I do remember they put the bar bit in the middle of first class - It was before the fully lay down beds which I never did ....But I cannot remember the years I did a fair bit of back and forth in those years and the odd one was BA

All bringing back memories!!

The 100s and 200s had the spiral that went up from the (usually) First class galley area at door 1 up into the "bubble"...

The 400 OTOH had a straight staircase from door 2 area up to the back of the long upper deck.

What was up top was a customer option, and to complicate matters customers would change configurations over the life of the aircraft...I've seen upstairs on the -400 as both in a business config and economy.

I"ll admit there is an horrendus geek factor to this and I'm sort of fascinated to know if QF hung onto the odd -200 with the Upper Deck bar into the 90s on some routes...

I flew on a Qantas 747-400 to and from OZ in 1994 (I’m a avgeek so definitely right about it being a -400 and straight staircase). Was upgraded to business!
we were definitely in the nose section so right at the front. I think row 3!
so first must have been upstairs but I was not lucky enough to be invited up

Have to say First upstairs on a 400 sounds like an interesting idea..

There was (relatively) a heck of a lot of space up there (roughly 60 economy/40 business seats worth) so the actual seating plan would be interesting to see, many First Class passengers wouldn't be keen on the stair climb, and arranging for them to disembark first could be a bit of challenge, especially if only door one was in use..

There was some sound thinking behind most airlines that operated the 747 having First in the nose, on the maindeck level and immediately adjacent to door one.

@Clearinguptheclutter

I"m very guilty of misremembering how much room was upstairs..

Seat Guru and other sites are showing an old Qantas config where there's no First (at all) onthe aircraft, but business class in the two forward cabins (so rows 1 to 8) and also business upstairs, 18 seats.

If I had to say I think it was a spiral staircase, but I’ve been upstairs in the A380 a couple of times as an adult and they have a spiral staircase, so it’s possible that this is interfering with my memory. I was only 6 at the time so it’s quite vague.

I suppose it’s possible that while I think I remember going up the stairs to seeing first, it’s possible I was actually coming back down the stairs and seeing first, having previously been up to see the cockpit.

Would First on the main deck have had the ‘lounge’ layout?

That’s definitely possible. I was in business and I’m fairly sure I was row 3. That said it was the syd-lhr flight so surprised if there was no first. But I could believe.

Oops just remembered it was 1993 not 1994. Avgeek that I am I am almost certain that it was only the -400 flying from Heathrow by 1993.

I'd be surprised on that route as well but it's a funny business, and yes by 93 pretty much everyone operating UK Aus via where ever were using the -400, though the 200s soldiered on on shorter routes for quite some time..it was 9/11 that pretty much finished the -200 off most places from a passenger POV, but many are still plodding around as freighters.

Then a couple of the 200 s went to Virgin . Father did a sector to Brise Norton when they were sold and the plane had been pretty much stipped. but the kangaroo plaque was stil there... needles sto say we have it ! they really were the golden days - lovely planes , great service . I was so sad when the 747 was pulled...

Indeed. I may be wrong but I don’t think the -200 was capable of non stop SIN-LHR which is what we (and likely the OP) did

As it happens I was working for BA on its alliance with Qantas back in ‘90s, though a little later than ‘94. From memory carriers operated 747-400s on the route by the mid 90s in 3 class service - economy, business, first. For BA that was your standard economy seat on the main deck, for business class the cradle seat on the main deck and upstairs and for first a bigger cradle type seat. In ‘95 BA put flat beds into First, and in ‘98 released details of its upcoming 4 class service with the addition of flat beds in business class and a premium economy cabin. Qantas offered a three class service with First downstairs at the front, business class upstairs and on the main deck and economy on the main deck.

The OP might be remembering the front of the first class cabin which, for both carriers, which had a wardrobe right in the nose cone but a big (ish) space in front of the two centre seats in row 2, which had a sort of platform / table area where, on BA at least, they’d leave a nice box of chocolates for passengers to help themselves to 😂