VZL has IFE and red leather seats

[ecg]

I flew VZL recently and was very surprised to find that it had both IFE and the red leather seats in business. It did not have the BSI, which came much later. This is odd because I was of the understanding that the first aircraft to be delievered with IFE was VZM. Furthermore, I have flown in both VZM and VZO and while they have IFE the business seats are the fabric PE seats lifted straight from the A380. The red leather seats didn't come until later.

So the only possible explanation, unlikely as it is, is that VZL has been refurbished with IFE. The other explanation, and equally unlikely is that the fabric business seats have been swapped out for the leather ones. Strange indeed.

 

[Fruitcake]

This is odd because I was of the understanding that the first aircraft to be delievered with IFE was VZM.

Looks like VH-VZL was actually the first. From the esteemed Aussie Airliners site:
VH-VZL Boeing 737

First Qantas aircraft to be delivered with Recaro Business Class seats and in-flight entertainment thoughout

 

[ajw373]

I flew VZL recently and was very surprised to find that it had both IFE and the red leather seats in business. It did not have the BSI, which came much later. This is odd because I was of the understanding that the first aircraft to be delievered with IFE was VZM. Furthermore, I have flown in both VZM and VZO and while they have IFE the business seats are the fabric PE seats lifted straight from the A380. The red leather seats didn't come until later.

So the only possible explanation, unlikely as it is, is that VZL has been refurbished with IFE. The other explanation, and equally unlikely is that the fabric business seats have been swapped out for the leather ones. Strange indeed.

As mentioned VZL was fitted with in seat IFE but without the BSI. Additionally some of the Jetconnect a/c are the same. If you ever look at a Qantas fleet list you will see 8 missing registrations (VH-VZF thru VZK and VZN and VZQ), these are reserved for the 738's that operate for Jetconnet as NZ ZK registered a/c. So really ZK-ZQA (which would have been VH-VZF) was the first 'Qantas' 738 to have in seat IFE.