New QF A380 reconfiguration!!!

[cmon0005]

There's been a lot of focus on the negatives of this reconfiguration, but does anyone see any positives of the change? I see that potentially there will be some lucky Y pax upstairs are probably going to get a more premium experience than the masses downstairs for example - seems like it will be a very exclusive Y cabin.

Maybe lucky Y pax, but unlucky for Y+/PE pax. Anyone that has flown PE A380 will know how awesome the cabin is/was, it has a very private feel, easy to access toilets, good exit rows row 38.

 

[Must...Fly!]

I have flown the A380, and never again if I can help it. Their on-time reliability is awful because of the coughpy RR engines.

Surely it has more to do with the number of passengers and getting the cargo all loaded...

 

[MarcB]

Maybe lucky Y pax, but unlucky for Y+/PE pax. Anyone that has flown PE A380 will know how awesome the cabin is/was, it has a very private feel, easy to access toilets, good exit rows row 38. But now it'll be crammed in the middle like a Y cabin and shared toilets.
The above reasons are the only reasons I choose to pay the extra $$$ to fly Y+ on my leisure flights. Once the above are taken away I may as well goto Y or another airline.

I don't disagree with you - the current A380 PE cabin is great. Despite the changes, I don't see how it will be demonstrably less so - and certainly, given a large element of the QF PE offering is around food, service etc, I doubt going back to Y would be on the cards just because I couldn't get an extra bit of legroom - but that's just me. I'll take PE over Y any day. As for sharing toilets with J pax - I like the idea. They always have nicer hand cream and fancy cloth towels to dry your hands with - much better than that scratchy Y stuff.

 

[whatmeworry]

Only have flown one segment in an A380 last year, SIN-MEL in Y. Probably the best Y cabin I have been in so far however I did feel their was not enough FA's to properly service everyone.

Just remember adding that row 48 could be the difference between a profitably route or a route that has to withdrawn.

 

[rechoboam]

I don't want to start a riot as some people seem very outraged by this change, but how often does the average person use a toilet on a 12 hour flight anyway?? Once, twice, maybe 3 times??

As many times as I please and whenever I like. If I need to "time it better" to enjoy a QF trip, perhaps I would be better off elsewhere.

If I'm flying QF and using the same limited facilities I may as well pay Y+. I might still be upgraded and the seats look comfortable enough especially for daytime.

The issue with 48 might only affect three people but it is a sign of some seriously muddled thinking, and a lack of attention being paid to the person at the centre of the experience, the paying customer.

 

[TonyHancock]

The issue with 48 might only affect three people but it is a sign of some seriously muddled thinking, and a lack of attention being paid to the person at the centre of the experience, the paying customer.

It also denudes the exclusivity of F.

 

[SeatBackForward]

Its quite straightforward really, all passengers seated in row 48 will have their BP's scanned at the gate, once scanned they will step aside and let another 18people board past them, they will then board like normal until they reach their seat. When they are at their seats, a FA will place their legs in the overhead compartment, and carry them over to a spare F seat until another 23 people have boarded. At this point the First Officer will lift up the passengers and place them between the Pilots seats and the coughpit door, while the F passengers board. By now the CSM will welcome the row 48 passengers, and they will be wheelchaired in specially enhanced wheelchairs to the J lounge, where they will be told its a strict "Look but don't touch " policy. During take off they will be free to roll about the lounge of their own will. Once take off is completed, the Captain will guide them back to row 48, where the resident surgeon will replace their legs and allow their bags to be placed in the overhead comparment. At this point, they may be required to stand up off their chair and assist with the trolley meal service, by politely asking all passengers in Rows 49 to 65 whether they'd like the chicken or the beef. Of course, this might be an easy task, because most passengers by now will be lined up to use the single toilet left onboard - but boy is it a big enhanced single one!

 

[drewbles]

I have flown the A380, and never again if I can help it. Their on-time reliability is awful because of the coughpy RR engines.

I choose my flights specifically to avoid the A380 - gve me a reliable 747 any day!

I've not yet been on a delayed 380 flight (admittedly, only 2). My QF7 was delayed 45 minutes due to a tech problem. I've had to taxi back to the terminal in HKG due to a tech fault that took too long to resolve so they had to re-fuel in HKG, i've been on 747's probably 100 times, and the on time has not been great on most of them.

RR engines != coughpy. They had issues that have been resolved. Any new a/c type does. And I say this as someone who does love the 747's, but give me an A380 long haul as a pax any day.

(and if you remember the 747-300's they only retired in the past few years, and their shocking OTP; regular 1 hour delays).

 

[paxman]

I will miss that lovely little cabin at the back of J with only 12 seats and the exit row it was a great space.

Not wild about the loo situation either with the loss of the large WC/change room, the remaining WCs have a curvature to the wall where you either have to ram your head into the wall or lean back to pee!

 

[rechoboam]

It also denudes the exclusivity of F.

It's like paying to hire out Aria and having waiters bring through people wanting to check out the menu.

I don't fly F but when you are paying for that privacy you deserve to have it respected.

 

[MarcB]

As many times as I please and whenever I like. If I need to "time it better" to enjoy a QF trip, perhaps I would be better off elsewhere.

If I'm flying QF and using the same limited facilities I may as well pay Y+. I might still be upgraded and the seats look comfortable enough especially for daytime.

The issue with 48 might only affect three people but it is a sign of some seriously muddled thinking, and a lack of attention being paid to the person at the centre of the experience, the paying customer.

I'm not saying the changes are great...just that IMHO, I do feel there is a slight, dare I say it, over-reaction to what I perceive to be small changes that, on the whole, will not affect most pax in a noticeable or detrimental way. If people expect to be able to use a toilet without ever waiting, then, yes, these changes make that more of an issue - but I don't honestly believe that is anyone's reasonable expectation.

 

[spentan]

I'm not saying the changes are great...just that IMHO, I do feel there is a slight, dare I say it, over-reaction to what I perceive to be small changes that, on the whole, will not affect most pax in a noticeable or detrimental way. If people expect to be able to use a toilet without ever waiting, then, yes, these changes make that more of an issue - but I don't honestly believe that is anyone's reasonable expectation.

As I said, they are canning the large toilet (pardon the pun),

this is very sad news for me

 

[kamchatsky]

Whilst the changes is not great, I would not call it a "disaster". AF incident at Atlantic Ocean, SQ incident at Taipei, KE incident over Russia, now that's a disaster.

 

[MarcB]

As I said, they are canning the large toilet (pardon the pun),

this is very sad news for me

Agreed it was a great size (I often wondered why it was so big) - is a toilet of such large proportions offered on any other carrier such that it now represents a commercial advantage for them?

 

[Princess Fiona]

I seriously think the row 48 boarding procedure was drummed up by someone on drugs. IMHO there is no way that the F cabin should be used as a public thoroughfare except in an emergency, end of story.
Cannot comment on the changes at the back of J/W/whY upstairs as I haven't sat there before.

 

[TonyHancock]

Whilst the changes is not great, I would not call it a "disaster". AF incident at Atlantic Ocean, SQ incident at Taipei, KE incident over Russia, now that's a disaster.

...and running out of spirits in the F Lounge QF uses at PVG that's up there too.

 

[Pushka]

Does this mean that the door hatch in row 48 can't be accessed in an emergency?

 

[simongr]

So emerald city hasn't changed? I think as more people are on board with the PJ thing that I might need to dig out the CX F PJs...

 

[stark]

Must echo everyone else who's disappointed with the changes to the PE cabin. It was really nice.

 

[JohnM]

Still no seat map on the QF web site. I'm wanting to print a clearer copy than that inserted by the OP to compare it more closely with the existing configuration.