Airline review: Qantas economy surprisingly good, despite codeshare woes

The airline: Qantas

• Route Santiago, Chile, to Sydney, flight QF28
• Frequency Four times a week, increasing to daily over December/January
• Aircraft Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
• Class Economy, seat 43K (window)
• Flight time 14 hours, 20 minutes (lands 11 minutes ahead of schedule)

Qantas codeshares with LATAM on its Santiago route. Credit: Nor for syndication

Check in

Following an Antarctic cruise, I check in for my two-part hop home in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I’ve booked my flight through Qantas codeshare partner LATAM. You know how they say it takes two to tango? Qantas and LATAM are like incompatible dance partners – one doesn’t want to talk to the other. The check-in kiosk in Buenos Aires can issue only my LATAM boarding pass to Santiago; I must see a human attendant to receive my Santiago-Sydney boarding pass for the Qantas flight. In Santiago, there are just 70 minutes to make the connection so it’s a bustle (though, in the end, a saunter would have sufficed). Squirrelled within the air bridge is a surprise liquids check that slows boarding, but we depart only 24 minutes late.

Baggage

Economy passengers can carry on one bag up to seven kilograms and check one bag up to 32 kilograms.

Loyalty scheme

If you’ve managed to earn Qantas Frequent Flyer points after flying on a Qantas plane as a codeshare passenger, congrats. LATAM exited the oneworld alliance in 2020 but, as it’s a Qantas codeshare partner, you still earn Qantas points flying LATAM. I duly receive Qantas points for my LATAM sectors but, at the time of writing, none for the leg flown on the actual Qantas plane. I submit a missing-points claim to Qantas; it’s rejected on the basis the points have been allocated to my Qantas account or that of the airline partner. When Qantas advises contacting LATAM to sort it out, my heart sinks – I am never seeing those points.

The seat

Qantas provides blankets and pillows in economy.

The 166 economy seats, with 32 inches (81cm) pitch, 17 inches (43.6cm) width and 6 inches (15cm) of recline, are arranged 3-3-3. I’m in the cabin’s five-row forward section, which feels cosier than the vast rear section. With blanket and pillow provided, I duly catch some sleep in the comfortable seat.

Entertainment + tech

There’s a wide selection of entertainment options available on the seatback screens.

Entertainment options run deep, with categories including Marvel icons, Spielberg, HBO and Paramount+. I find myself engrossed by The Baby Daddy documentary and uplifted by Dublin-set movie, Flora and Son. A small tray below the TV screen holds a personal electronic device and, once flipped, reveals a USB charger. Between seats is an international AC outlet.

Service

Upon boarding, we’re greeted with a broad “G’day!” Hola, Spirit of Australia. One attendant, we’re told, is fluent in Spanish. Service is pleasant throughout the flight, during which many passengers stubbornly stay awake as we’ve departed Chile at lunchtime.

Food

Both lunch (braised beef with rice pilaf) and dinner (parmesan-crumbed chicken with quinoa) are lip-smackingly delicious. I pair the latter with an Aussie chardonnay that boasts it’s “sunlight in a glass”. There’s a stream of snacks but I’ve BYOed alfajores (biscuits sandwiched with dulce de leche) smuggled from the breakfast buffet at Hilton Buenos Aires, where I started my day.

Carbon emissions

641.5kg for flying economy-class. Qantas has committed to a 25 per cent reduction in net emissions from 2019 levels by 2030. Passengers can offset their flights during booking.

One more thing

I was unable to preselect my seat, with LATAM’s app insisting I contact Qantas and Qantas unable to recognise LATAM’s booking reference. I call the travel agent who booked my flights. He selects my window seat, saying it’s a common problem for mix-and-match passengers like me.

The price

From about $2300 return, Sydney to Santiago economy class.*

The verdict

Flying economy on this long trans-Pacific flight feels surprisingly luxe thanks to the modern seat, bountiful entertainment and tasty meals; the only bumps come from Qantas-LATAM’s deep-reaching incompatibilities.

Our rating out of five

★★★★

The writer travelled to South America as a guest of HX. See qantas.com; HXexpeditions.com

*Fares are based on those available for travel three months from the time of publication and subject to change.

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