YouTuber Jeb Brooks (1.04 million subscribers) boarded a 16-year-old Qantas A380 in Dallas for one of the longest passenger flights in the world, a just-over-16-hour nonstop to Sydney, and put Qantas First Class to the test. His review, “The TRUTH about Qantas First Class in 2026,” has pulled more than 536,000 views since it was published on March 28, 2026. The cash price: over $20,000. What he actually paid is the first thing worth knowing. Below are 9 takeaways from the 14-minute review, including the Dallas lounge setup, the famous Qantas bed, and his final JebScore.
By the numbers: Qantas First Class, DFW to SYD
Qantas flight QF8 from Dallas to Sydney covers 8,578 miles, or 13,805 kilometers (7,474 nautical miles), and is blocked at up to 17 hours 15 minutes on the westbound leg. It ranks as the 12th longest passenger flight in the world and the second longest nonstop A380 route anywhere, behind only Emirates’ Dubai to Auckland service, which is less than 3 percent longer with a block time just 10 minutes more. The aircraft is a 16-year-old Airbus A380, the world’s largest passenger jet, configured with 485 seats: 14 in First, 70 in Business, 60 in Premium Economy and 341 in Economy. Each leg burns roughly 323,000 liters of fuel, worth about A$252,632 at recent prices, which works out to about 23,000 liters per first-class seat. Jeb Brooks (1.04 million YouTube subscribers) published his 14-minute review “The TRUTH about Qantas First Class in 2026” on March 28, 2026; it has pulled more than 536,000 views. His final JebScore: 20 out of 25, from Lounge 4, Seat 4, Food 4, in-flight entertainment 3 and Crew 5.
1. The real price was 110,000 miles plus $35.20
Instead of the $20,000-plus cash fare, Brooks and his wife Suzanne redeemed 110,000 American Airlines AAdvantage miles each, plus just $35.20 in taxes per seat, booking only three weeks before the flight. His award tips: stay flexible with dates, use the American Airlines award-search calendar, and follow blogs like upgradedpoints.com to find deals. That makes the miles-versus-cash math even more interesting than the broader private jet vs first class debate.
2. It is 8,578 miles, the 12th longest flight in the world
Dallas DFW to Sydney covers 8,578 miles in just over 16 hours, currently ranked as the 12th longest flight in the world. Brooks calls it one of the most extreme experiences you could expect to have in First Class anywhere, and at that length, the seat-to-bed transition becomes the whole game.
The daily A380 service on DFW to Sydney only began in January 2026, when Qantas returned its tenth and final A380 to service after nearly six years in storage. Reactivating that one aircraft took more than 100,000 hours of engineering work, including heavy maintenance and a full cabin refresh. Qantas’ A380 fleet carried more than 1 million passengers across its international network last year, and DFW gives Qantas first-class flyers more than 50 onward US connections within four hours of landing.
3. The Dallas lounge has Bollinger, but not the best room
Qantas does not operate a lounge at DFW, so first-class passengers use the American Airlines Flagship Lounge. It is invitation-only for first and business passengers on qualifying oneworld flights, with bottomless Bollinger Champagne, a large buffet including sushi, a self-serve bar, and views of the DFW ramp. One catch: the more exclusive Flagship First Dining restaurant is not accessible on a Qantas first-class ticket. That requires first class on American or British Airways on an international flight.
4. Fourteen seats up front, a fresh cabin, and fiddly controls
Qantas A380s carry 14 First Class seats at the very front of the lower deck, boarded via a dedicated jet bridge. Brooks sat in 4A, Suzanne in 3A. The cabin was refurbished recently, with seat power and a massage feature, though he found the controls a bit challenging to use. The amenity kits are basic and utilitarian, and are being updated.
5. The bed is the star of the cabin
The mattress pad is roughly 2-inch memory foam, the thickest he had seen on a plane, and he called it the best part about Qantas first class. He slept about six luxurious hours. On a 16-hour flight, that bed is the product, which is exactly how the new era of luxury travel is being built: sleep as the signature amenity.
6. Dinner is dine-on-demand comfort food
Dinner started with canapés including caviar, Brooks’ favorite, plus a Bellini. Neil Perry’s steak sandwich appeared early; Brooks ate it right away and wished he had saved it for later. Suzanne’s starter was seared king prawns, followed by bread service with oil and vinegar. For mains, Brooks had sea bass while Suzanne had braised beef cheek with tortillas. Desserts were pannacotta for him and strawberry and rhubarb custard for her. Wines included a 2025 Shaw and Smith Sauvignon Blanc for Suzanne and a 2023 Luen Estate Shiraz for Brooks, and the printed wine list was wrong, so the crew made their own. The pajamas scored 4 out of 5: soft fabric, good fit, though he wanted more prominent branding.
The first-class menu on Qantas A380s was designed by Neil Perry and runs to a ten-course degustation with matched wines on the Sydney departures, though the DFW leg keeps the dine-on-demand format Brooks filmed. For context on the price gap: the cash fare Brooks avoided was over $20,000, with one-way first-class fares on this route listed around $14,708 and round trips running about $21,800 from Australia or $27,000 from the US. He and his wife each spent 110,000 American Airlines AAdvantage miles plus $35.20 in taxes, booked only three weeks out, which values each mile at roughly 13 cents against the one-way cash fare.
7. The upstairs lounge has water and potato chips
The A380’s onboard lounge sits at the front of the top deck and is shared between first and business class, with plugs, tables, benches, and a big moving-map screen. Refreshments are minimal: water and potato chips, with no dedicated mid-flight meal. It did serve as the setting for sunrise mimosas at the end of the flight, which is arguably what a lounge at 40,000 feet is for.
8. No Wi-Fi on the A380, and Project Sunrise is coming
There is no Wi-Fi on Qantas A380s, so Brooks downloaded content to his iPad as a backup. The IFE screen itself is massive with plenty of choices. Looking ahead, Qantas plans Project Sunrise nonstops from Sydney to New York and Sydney to London from 2027: 22-plus-hour flights on specially built A350s with an all-new first-class cabin of just six suites, down from 14 on the A380. Like United’s new Polaris Studio Suites, it shows how airlines are shrinking first class while making each suite bigger.
9. The JebScore: 20 out of 25
His ratings: Lounge 4 stars, Seat 4 stars, Food 4 stars, in-flight entertainment 3 stars, Crew 5 stars, which he described as every bit of a 20 star flight. The lounge lagged typical first-class offerings with no sit-down restaurant, the cabin is showing its age, and the food is homestyle comfort rather than fine dining. The crew was professional, efficient, and extremely quiet. His verdict on the cash price: “Would I pay $20,000 for it? No way.” He called it possibly the best way to fly between the US and Australia, but not matching Singapore Suites, Emirates, or Swiss First Class. For 110,000 miles, though, he said it is worth it.
Watch the full 14-minute review embedded above to see the Flagship Lounge, the steak sandwich, and the famous Qantas bed for yourself.
