ALL QF's 330's to get lay flat Business seating - Including Domestic

[JohnPhelan]

These two aircraft QPJ and QPH recently spent a few weeks each in maintenance in Australia. Could the paintwork have done during that time?

Yes, but then every man/woman and their dog would have seen it! I suspect the whole point of VCV, and the route of the flight back (in the dark) via KOA, was to keep it as a complete surprise - at which QF certainly succeeded!

 

[JohnPhelan]

The other 7 333s (QPA-QPG) and the ex-JQ332s were repainted over the last 18 months in Paya Lebar QPG in Singapore.

I wonder whether these aircraft will need a full repaint or if they can just redo the tails, titles and belly

If you look at the time delay video of the new paint job, they stripped the aircraft right back to the skin and did a complete repaint.

I watched it yesterday, but don't have the link at hand, unfortunately .....

 

[eminere]

Yes, but then every man/woman and their dog would have seen it! I suspect the whole point of VCV, and the route of the flight back (in the dark) via KOA, was to keep it as a complete surprise - at which QF certainly succeeded!

Seems like a lot of money to spend just to keep the element of surprise...

 

[JohnPhelan]

Roughly double the distance - 7687mi SYD-HNL-VCV versus 3614mi SYD-SIN-QPG.

Note both require two landings as the pilot/crew have to undergoing immigration at SIN.
Might be cost differential, might be availability

If the first one was done at SIN or MNL, way too many people would have seen it; if not during the process, certainly when it came out of the paintshop to commence its flight back to Australia. The whole point of the exercise was for no-one to see it until it landed in Sydney in front of the assembled masses.

 

[Quickstatus]

Yes, but then every man/woman and their dog would have seen it! I suspect the whole point of VCV, and the route of the flight back (in the dark) via KOA, was to keep it as a complete surprise - at which QF certainly succeeded!

Maybe but the timing of the morning event necessitated a night transpacific flight -as all the westbound transpacific flight currently do

 

[JohnPhelan]

Seems like a lot of money to spend just to keep the element of surprise...

Yes, I know - but the routing via KOA confirms that secrecy was the key element in the whole process.

 

[eminere]

Yes, I know - but the routing via KOA confirms that secrecy was the key element in the whole process.

Understandable for the premiere unveiling of the new livery I suppose but I can't imagine they'd need to do the same for the rest of the repaints...?

 

[moa999]

If you like at the time delay video of the new paint job, they stripped the aircraft right back to the skin and did a complete repaint...

I realise they stripped QPJ back - but it's paint job was almost 11 years old (Nov-05 delivery).

Was querying whether they need to do a full paint job on those painted more recently or can do a quicker job, potentially locally.

Black stencil on the bottom, probably need to strip and redo the tail (there are differences to legs and tail as well as the paws), and then the titling.

 

[JohnPhelan]

I realise they stripped QPJ back - but it's paint job was almost 11 years old (Nov-05 delivery).

Was querying whether they need to do a full paint job on those painted more recently or can do a quicker job, potentially locally.

Black stencil on the bottom, probably need to strip and redo the tail (there are differences to legs and tail as well as the paws), and then the titling.

Good point - yes, I would think they could get by with just repainting the tail and redoing the titles.

 

[Quickstatus]

So its just a paintjob and a font change.

Big announcement for a change of letterhead. "New Era same spirit" which was confirmed the by the announcement next day that baggage fees are increased. Should pay for the change in letterhead.

And lets not dwell on the fact that its same pitch but narrower than VA777

 

[tm.smile]

Has been confirmed final two A330s won't be getting suites.

Per:
https://australinea.com/austraday-report-28-october-2016/

 

[Lynne Mangold]

Has been confirmed final two A330s won't be getting suites.

Per:
https://australinea.com/austraday-report-28-october-2016/

so they are handing them back when the lease expires

 

[Quickstatus]

so they are handing them back when the lease expires

They will be 10 and 11 years old when that happens. Very young airframes. They are due to be handed back but not necessarily will be. Best way to get a better price at lease renewal is remain disinterested.

 

[Flyerqf]

so they are handing them back when the lease expires

So the Beijing route they just announced will need to go to a 787 or 747...

 

[Lynne Mangold]

So the Beijing route they just announced will need to go to a 787 or 747...

they are not going back for 2 years

 

[moa999]

So the Beijing route they just announced will need to go to a 787 or 747...

Mid to late 2018 they will have almost 8 787-9s, but these 8 were meant to replace the 5 oldest 747-400s.

So either more 787s need to be ordered or the 747s need to stay on.

 

[JohnPhelan]

Mid to late 2018 they will have almost 8 787-9s, but these 8 were meant to replace the 5 oldest 747-400s.

So either more 787s need to be ordered or the 747s need to stay on.

The 744s will stay. I doubt any of them will go before 2020.

 

[Happy Trails]

The 744s will stay. I doubt any of them will go before 2020.

I tend to agree, as long as the price of fuel stays low.

 

[Quickstatus]

The 744s will stay. I doubt any of them will go before 2020.

Except the geriatrics OJM will be 29 and OEB (1 previous lady driver in Asiana) will be 27 by 2020.

OEJ "the last of the 747 era" will be 17
OQA Nancy Bird will be "middle aged" at 12

 

[moa999]

The 744s will stay. I doubt any of them will go before 2020.

I think OEB and OJM have to go -- the internal product in then will be two generations behind and quite a bit older

Other three (OJS,OJT,OJU are 99/00 deliveries) could possibly hold on for a little while longer.
And the younger five OEE-OEJ are 02/03) onto at least 2022/23

But all probably subject to the timing of heavy maintenance checks, and whether QF orders more 787s or adds the 350/777X to the mix.

Will be interesting to see whether the five get an internal refurb as is expected for the 380s