Flying from Brisbane to Tokyo on a direct day flight with Qantas? I’ve done it — all nine hours of it — and lived to tell the tale (with Tim Tams in hand). From digital check-in to creamy desserts at 35,000 feet, this Economy Class Flight Review Brisbane to Tokyo shows you what to expect in Qantas international economy, along with a few cheeky travel tips to make your own journey even smoother.
Brisbane to Tokyo Direct Flight Check-in & Airport Experience: Digital, Fast and Early
I was after a daytime direct flight from Brisbane to Japan, and Qantas was the obvious choice. We arrived at Brisbane International Airport 3.5 hours ahead of our 9:20 am departure, only to find the terminal already buzzing. It took about 45 minutes to get through to the departure gates.
Top Tip: Link your pre-booked Uber airport journey to your flight departure, and the app will suggest the best time to leave home depending on traffic and airport conditions.
Thankfully, Qantas’ digital check-in system made things easier. Scan your passport via the Qantas app at home, and your details are populated like magic. Once at the airport, scan again to receive your boarding pass and bag tag, then head to the self-serve bag drop (30 kg bag allowance). Staff are around if you need help.
Top Tip: The earlier the better — even at 6.15 am, this airport attracts a crowd.
Qantas economy review Australia to Japan flight route
Brisbane Airport Bites Before Takeoff
While we waited, we fuelled up at Windmill Café with a classic bacon-and-egg breakfast and a decent coffee — nothing fancy, but it hit the spot.
Bonus moment: Two Qantas staff members complimented my outfit — a black skirt and Dharma Bum T-shirt. Clearly, good travel style doesn’t go unnoticed.
Top Tip: This outfit, Dharma Bum T-shirt and skirt, is a favourite in my capsule travel wardrobe.
Economy Class Flight Review Brisbane to Tokyo
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Economy Class Flight Review Brisbane to Tokyo
Economy Class Flight Review Brisbane to Tokyo Boarding Process: Firm But Fair
Boarding was handled in strictly enforced groups. Turn up early and out of order? Straight back to the waiting area. It felt like airport school, but the result was one of the smoothest boarding experiences I’ve had.
What Do I Pack In My Hand Luggage?
I like to travel with a small cross-body bag and a small roll-on suitcase as hand luggage.
The cross-body bag is for items I will need quickly and frequently, like my passport, a pen, earphones and a water bottle. Inside my roll-on is a small soft black backpack which I take out once onboard, and it can go at my feet with items I’ll need while flying like an eye mask, neck rest and my iPad. There’s also an empty water bottle that I fill up after airport security. The backpack is also handy for day trips when travelling.
Top Tip: My crossbody bag comes from Uniqlo and my backpack from Target. Both cost around $15. I love Lula warming eye masks as the warmth helps me fall asleep. I reuse them after the warmth has gone because they block out the light well.
Qantas Economy Class Seat View
Seat Comfort in Qantas Economy Class
We flew on an Airbus Industrie A333 Jet. Once on board, you’re greeted with a blanket, pillow, and headphones. Seats offer reasonable legroom, with three seatback pockets and a fold-out tray. The USB charger under the screen didn’t work at my seat or my companion’s.
I didn’t like the foot net very much. It was hard to get my feet into it and not comfortable, however this economy seat was more comfortable than my seat on a recent Qatar economy flight.
Top Tip: Choose a seat mid-cabin for quicker meal service and fewer foot traffic interruptions.
What to Expect from the Qantas Economy Food Menu
Post-Takeoff Snacks:
We were quickly served a bottle of water and a snack mix of pretzels, rice wheels, and almonds.
Lunch:
Meal service starts around 11 am and has three options: Spicy chicken noodles, vegetarian tofu, and braised beef with mashed potatoes. The beef didn’t win beauty points, but it was packed with rich flavour, served with soft focaccia (none of those hard football-shaped breadrolls), cheese and crackers. I chose Chardonnay.
Sweet Extras:
My eyes lit up at dessert – a Bulla chocolate-coated ice cream which I managed to eat without getting any chocolate on me! Later came a hot tea trolley with Tim Tams. I tried to save mine for later but…
Bulla Ice Cream Dessert Qantas Economy Flight
Qantas Inflight Entertainment: A Solid Line-up
The seatback screen offered a wide selection of movies and TV series, including new releases, however the seat feature and menu buttons weren’t working. I found it hard to hear the dialogue over the plane noise as the headphones didn’t fit very well.
Top Tip: Bring your own headphones if you’re picky about sound quality.
Mid-Flight Vibes: Snacks, Sleep & Sunshine
After lunch, the lights dimmed. The occasional rebel opened their window shade, flooding the cabin with light. Four hours in, boredom crept in — just in time for some Byron Bay cookies to appear. Cabin staff frequently wandered the aisles offering water and more snacks.
Economy Class Flight Review Brisbane to Tokyo Pre-Landing Meal: Better Than Expected
Two hours before landing, the second meal arrived: Pumpkin ravioli or Beef with rice and shiitake mushrooms. I chose the ravioli. The dessert was a crème caramel, and the garlic bread stood out.
Arrival in Tokyo (Narita Airport)
Disembarkation was prompt and painless. Immigration at Narita moved quickly although we did have several forms to fill out on arrival. We were out with our bags in no time for a one-hour transfer to Yokohama to board our Princess Cruises 10-night sailing around Japan on the Diamond Princess.
Top Tip: Save time and fill out your arrival forms online here.
This airport transfer was a real surprise as the limo had reclining seats! With a tv and water supplied, all that was missing was a massage function. I was in heaven after nine hours in a cramped economy seat.
We stayed at Intercontinental Yokohama Grand in Yokohama. It’s close to the shipping terminal and we could see Diamond Princess waiting for us. The room was spacious and breakfast downstairs in the morning, delicious.
Intercontinental Yokohama Grand in Yokohama room view
Return Flight: Tokyo to Brisbane – Qantas Economy, Take Two
We arrived at Narita airport well ahead of our flight time. Diamond Princess offered a debark tour that took us to a few Tokyo highlights and then straight to the airport with our luggage on the same bus. This proved a perfect last day in Japan.
Narita Departure: Sayonara, Efficiency
Too early to check our bags, I made good use of the time by browsing the airport Uniqlo store and found some must haves. There’s a bonus because if you spend around $50 AUS, you get a 10 percent discount.
This flight left Narita at 20.00 (8pm) and arrived at Brisbane at 6.10 am the next day.
The Qantas digital check-in was easy and efficient, and we were quickly dropping our bags and processing through airport security. I hit a snag, forgetting that I had packed my vinegar farm purchases (more on this later) in my carry-on. The customs officers were so helpful and sent me back to check the bag rather than lose my salad dressings!
Still with plenty of time to kill, we enjoyed a late lunch in the Japanese food-themed food court and some duty-free shopping.
Top Tip: Japanese airport staff are incredibly polite, but don’t dawdle — security can take time.
Cabin, Comfort & First Impressions (Take Two)
The seat was exactly the same as our first flight and it was well presented and clean of any previous passenger’s rubbish. This time, the USB port was working, which was another bonus.
The In-Flight Experience: Round Two
Food & Drink
The return journey is provisioned in Japan so there was a different menu. This time the screen showed the alternatives, which made choosing easier.
Supper was served about an hour into the flight with three alternatives – Penne Pasta with a tomato herb sauce, Japanese beef rice bowl, or grilled chicken with mashed potatoes. Snacks, including fruit, cheese and biscuits and chocolate, were available on request but as most people were sleeping, there wasn’t a lot of action here.
I’m always tempted to sleep through breakfast when a flight arrives at 6.30 am but the aromas usually wake me! This time the choices were cheese omelette with bacon or grilled chicken breast with miso sauce. It came with a blueberry Danish and orange juice.
Entertainment
The entertainment options had not changed, and the earphones were not improved sitting in a different location.
Grilled chicken with mashed potatoes Qantas Narita to Brisbane
Arrival Back in Brisbane
The plane touched down in Brisbane a few minutes early and we were picking up our bags and heading through biosecurity early. I filled in an online immigration card which made the process easier. I declared my vinegar bottles and was waved through without inspection.
Final Verdict: Qantas Economy Class from Brisbane to Tokyo
With friendly service, solid food, regular snacks, and a well-curated entertainment line-up, Qantas economy class to Japan surprised me — in a good way. It even edged out my past experience with Qatar.
Would I book the Qantas direct flight to Tokyo again? All in all, my economy class flight experience from Brisbane to Tokyo and back wasn’t nearly as terrible as I had feared. Yes, the economy seats were a bit cramped, and yes, the food wasn’t five-star, but overall, it was pretty smooth sailing. With flight check-in, airline service, and a whole bunch of Narita tips in my back pocket, I’d do it all again. Except for the jetlag. That part’s just cruel.
Top Tips for Flying Qantas to Japan in Economy
- Use digital check-in to skip the stress and save time.
- Choose a daytime flight — less jet lag and better movie binging.
- Don’t underestimate the meals — they’re better than they look.
- Bring a power bank, because seat USBs may not deliver.
- Pack your patience for early morning airport queues.
More Places to Explore
Disclaimer: Eat drink and be Kerry travelled as a guest of Princess Cruises.