End of an Era? QF ends A380 operations ex MEL 24 October 2026

[esseeeayeenn]

Aside from Japan and the US domestic widebody flying isn't much of a thing anywhere. Those places have huge populations in comparison

Aside from Australia and the US, 5 hour domestic flights aren't much of a thing anywhere.
Unless you count flights between metropolitan France and La Réunion as domestic.
And Australia is unique in having cities separated by thousands of kilometres of nothing at all.
Even in the US, millions of people live in the so-called flyover states.
These factors limit the relevance and usefulness of such comparisons.

 

[Quickstatus]

Thanksfully BA will be starting soon and first out of MEL on a OW airline remains an option.

Note that the demise of QF A380 from MeL just means there is no F class.

QF still operates international out of MEL

Unless you are planning to fly First Class, there is no significant change.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

Note that the demise of QF A380 from MeL just means there is no F class.

QF still operates international out of MEL

Unless you are planning to fly First Class, there is no significant change.

This implies that the much touted benefits of the A380 such as the lounge and self-service area are not in fact significant.
I think being able to leave your seat and wander around and sit somewhere else for a while is a significant benefit.
Notwithstanding the fact that on a QF A380 the lounge is using leftover space rather than being a really pleasant social venue as on EK or EY A380s.

 

[Quickstatus]

This implies that the much touted benefits of the A380 such as the lounge and self-service area are not in fact significant.

No, no implication.
The QF A380 "touted benefits" are now irrelevant as the QF A380 is no longer operating from MEL. Whether they were significant is now a historical discussion

I think the only A380 service ex MEL is the double daily EK MEL-DXB

BA/SQ/QR/AY/TK are not operating the A380 to MEL either.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Aside from Australia and the US, 5 hour domestic flights aren't much of a thing anywhere.
Unless you count flights between metropolitan France and La Réunion as domestic.
And Australia is unique in having cities separated by thousands of kilometres of nothing at all.
Even in the US, millions of people live in the so-called flyover states.
These factors limit the relevance and usefulness of such comparisons.

I actually don't get your point sorry. Aircraft like the A321neo and 737 max are designed for 5 hour domestic flights.

No, no implication.
The QF A380 "touted benefits" are now irrelevant as the QF A380 is no longer operating from MEL. Whether they were significant is now a historical discussion

I think the only A380 service ex MEL is the double daily EK MEL-DXB

BA/SQ/QR/AY/TK are not operating the A380 to MEL either.

Everyone flying on SQ228 each day would disagree with you

 

[Aussie_flyer]

With the plans to bring forward getting rid of the QF A380s it would seem unlikely they would come back to Melbourne for long if at all. Though if QF can’t get new planes as quickly as they currently expect they may have to revise their plans. I would really love to do MEL-LHR on the QF A380 the whole way again, but that now seems extremely unlikely to ever happen again.

Airlines review there plans continually. There's no certainty it won't be back

 

[Quickstatus]

Everyone flying on SQ228 each day would disagree with you

Ah thanks. Missed that

 

[esseeeayeenn]

I actually don't get your point sorry. Aircraft like the A321neo and 737 max are designed for 5 hour domestic flights.

Everyone flying on SQ228 each day would disagree with you

(1) If the A321s with business suites ever fly to or from PER they might be suitable replacements. I am not paying QFD J fares to sit in a recliner that is a PE hard product.
(2) I don't want to fly on a Boeing death trap.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

No, no implication.
The QF A380 "touted benefits" are now irrelevant as the QF A380 is no longer operating from MEL. Whether they were significant is now a historical discussion.

Noted,

Unless you are planning to fly First Class, there is no significant change.

 

[Saab34]

Probably a few charters planned for next year like every other year. Plenty to see yet.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

(1) If the A321s with business suites ever fly to or from PER they might be suitable replacements. I am not paying QFD J fares to sit in a recliner that is a PE hard product.
(2) I don't want to fly on a Boeing death trap.

Well I think your expectations are out of touch with economic realities of the current world. Boeing death trap? Now you're just being absurd.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

Though Singapore currently operates 4 Air force bases one of which is the old International airport of Paya Lebar.
We flew into Paya Lebar on the last QF flight to land there. That night they removed all equipment and setup ready for operation next morning at Changi. We stayed 5 nights in Singapore and then flew CX from Changi.

The fact that they closed Paya Lebar as a commercial airport when they opened Changi just underlines my point.

 

[Quickstatus]

It's not just their main hub. It's all they care about

Other airlines also do not equally serve all the major cities in their country.

BA does not operate international flights from Manchester for example. MAN had 32million passengers last year with lots of international airlines operating there. Why not BA?.

Should BA be called "Heathrow Airlines" ?

BA has many hubs?. Which ones operate international flights or are they just the spoke for the LHR/LGW hub.

AA does not operate international flights out of SLC and lots of other American Cities. Should AA not use "American". ?.

The only change made with respect to Qantas and Melbourne is a change of aircraft from the A380 to A350 - which means no F. QF has been operating without F to a lot of destinations since the 747 was removed from service. I don't see an issue.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

I don't see an issue.

I doubt that anyone who lives in NSW sees the issue.

 

[dajop]

BA does not operate international flights from Manchester for example. Should BA be called "Heathrow Airlines" ?

It’s not uncommon for people to jokingly refer to BA as “London Airways”.

It does have international flights from airports other than Heathrow, it also has such flights from Gatwick, London City and even Stansted

 

[Quickstatus]

I doubt that anyone who lives in NSW sees the issue.

Referring to F? After all this is the point of this thread - the change in aircraft has meant no more F out of MEL on QF for the foreseeable future until Project Sunrise.

What about those NSW passengers flying to Asia like HKG, HND, SIN (some flights), JFK, CDG, ROM, HNL?

 

[Quickstatus]

It does have international flights from airports other than Heathrow, it also has such flights from Gatwick, London City and even Stansted

As does QF from MEL.
But BA does not operate the A380 from those airports either

 

[esseeeayeenn]

As does QF from MEL.
But BA does not operate the A380 from those airports either

Exactly which cities in the UK are a minimum of 5 hours travel time from London?
Also the second largest city in the UK is Birmingham with a population of 1,171,467.
A third the size of Melbourne, and smaller than BNE & even PER.