Spare A380 from MEL-LHR retiming

[Simo]

Maybe put a A380 on QF8 route.

 

[straitman]

It is the case because they had Nancy + another A380 out for maintenance. If Nancy hadn't have been out, they wouldn't have needed 744 subs.

Since the QF32 incident the schedules (read utilisation) have changed and the part you keep missing is the a/c are older and are coming up for more major work which requires more time offline and this will only continue to get greater.

 

[RSD]

Maybe put a A380 on QF8 route.

That's mostly what we've been talking about for the last eight pages!

If QF are looking to get rid of the 744's then maybe they might get rid of two of those by leasing two A380's if they are available from somewhere and putting them on the DFW run. I haven't seen actual load figures but from what I've heard and seen it goes out of Sydney packed to the rafters most days.

 

[Flyerqf]

If an A380 pilots tells me they have no spare, a maintenance boss tells me they have no spare as they did this last last year, I believe them, especially in the context where we are talking about adding a new service more than one or two days a week.

For all the reasons you have mentioned, there is not currently a spare because the 12th frame is going to be in heavy maintenance and part of the 11th frame each week for line maintenance.

However when the extra frame becomes available from QF9, it's a spare. If you take A380 off HKG, that's almost another frame.

If there was no change to QF9 they would still be able to operate the current timetable even if an aircraft was under heavy maintenance. Case in point OQA was in Manila recently for 5 weeks and the timetable wasn't altered.

 

[Isochronous]

That's mostly what we've been talking about for the last eight pages!

If QF are looking to get rid of the 744's then maybe they might get rid of two of those by leasing two A380's if they are available from somewhere and putting them on the DFW run. I haven't seen actual load figures but from what I've heard and seen it goes out of Sydney packed to the rafters most days.

Those pax even have the privilege of paying a Q Charge! Just imagine if QF just changed the aircraft to one with more seats to sell!

(would it be too much to ask for the 744s freed by that change to be put on MEL-AKL-DFW?)

 

[markis10]

If there was no change to QF9 they would still be able to operate the current timetable even if an aircraft was under heavy maintenance. Case in point OQA was in Manila recently for 5 weeks and the timetable wasn't altered.

The timetable was altered as she was not expected to run a D check duration, you might which to revisit that scenario

 

[RSD]

Starting to sound like running A380's to DFW isn't going to happen then (sadly)

 

[smit0847]

So much random speculation. I think you're all going to be pretty disappointed.

I think they'll just do SYD-HKG daily and thats it. Having the A380 on this route is the only advantage they have over CX (who have endless advantages over QF).
I don't think it'll be DFW as it'll be too infrequent and just annoy pax who see the advertising but end of up on 747 - either do it properly or not at all.
MEL-HKG is nonsense - if the demand was there they would be running a refurbed 747 - they're not going to upguage from an A330 to an A380.
BNE-LAX won't happen because they are the only direct service so there's no competition on product.
SYD-NRT will be too tight to do a daily.
PER-DXB is about as likely as PER-HKG. QF could have tried to reason with EK when they originally did their tie-up that 'you stop flying to Australia and we'll stop flying to Europe' and just hand over each others passengers at DXB. QF could have run flights to DXB from each major city and EK could have taken them all from DXB onwards.

Given SQ's A380 changes I would have thought SYD or MEL-SIN daily would be the best option. 'Melbourne's only A380 to Asia' would be quite a marketing tool.

 

[Simo]

Bit left of centre but put it on a SYD MEL BNE PER SYD leg every day. Could be a good SC run in F for the day.

Or MEL PER SYD and have one leg as a Red eye flight.

Not sure how the domestic terminals would handle a A380 but they could do it via International... Flounge here we come...

 

[anna2103]

if they do syd to hgk daily - how would they manage this as the route they are retiming to make this happen is LHR-DBX-MEL?

 

[smit0847]

Bit left of centre but put it on a SYD MEL BNE PER SYD leg every day. Could be a good SC run in F for the day.

Or MEL PER SYD and have one leg as a Red eye flight.

Not sure how the domestic terminals would handle a A380 but they could do it via International... Flounge here we come...

I don't even know where to begin.....

 

[smit0847]

if they do syd to hgk daily - how would they manage this as the route they are retiming to make this happen is LHR-DBX-MEL?

Apparently they already can now, they just choose not to (as they want a spare for emergencies and maintenance).

 

[docjames]

BNE-LAX won't happen because they are the only direct service so there's no competition on product.

/techincality/

Dont VA do 4/week?

 

[smit0847]

/techincality/

Dont VA do 4/week?

Ooh - good point. But VA don't offer F and provided QF already have a refurbed 747 on the route its arguably a better Y+ and J product than VA anyway.

 

[Simo]

I don't even know where to begin.....

Ok I am not trying to feed the trolls....

 

[RSD]

I don't even know where to begin.....

I would probably start with describing it as FUBAR and then...

 

[JohnPhelan]

/techincality/

Dont VA do 4/week?

Correct. VA7/8, four times weekly.

 

[Himeno]

SYD-NRT will be too tight to do a daily.

How so?
They would need to retime QF22 to be a day flight back south (instead of having an aircraft sit around for 14 hours at one of the most expensive airports in the world), but if they can do SYD-HKG daily, they can do SYD-NRT.
They could do:
QF21 2130-0620+1
QF22 0830-1910

 

[Timba-Jet]

How so?
They would need to retime QF22 to be a day flight back south (instead of having an aircraft sit around for 14 hours at one of the most expensive airports in the world), but if they can do SYD-HKG daily, they can do SYD-NRT.
They could do:
QF21 2130-0620+1
QF22 0830-1910

This efficient use of aircraft schedule seems logical. This May free up 0.5 of a 747 bird, maybe increase SCL services??

Perhaps the Japanese business market want overnight flights so they can arrive into Sydney at peak hour scrum and head to work.

 

[Simo]

This efficient use of aircraft schedule seems logical. This May free up 0.5 of a 747 bird, maybe increase SCL services??

Perhaps the Japanese business market want overnight flights so they can arrive into Sydney at peak hour scrum and head to work.

I have a friend who is a Chinese businessman and he prefers to fly at night as business managers are not in the office so he doesn't need to be in contact at night like during day time.