737-400s

[AirKat]

Ok so I am going to have a bit of a whinge here. Have had to do a bit of Mel-BNE flying in the last couple of weeks and far too frequently boarded the plane to the horror of seeing the dreaded 400 series lay out. My 4C seat has no additional leg space and the head rest is impossible for sleeping... I think row 6 is the preferred Y seating on these flights!

Mel-Syd is my main route and it has taken this long for me to work out that the 400s are actually scheduled on certain flights. I had this idea that they just got brought out of storage when other planes were being serviced... like the old trains in Mel for example. So I've worked out that no, they are permanently on some routes and find myself with another 400 flight on Monday morning.

Does anyone know what Qantas's plans are for these awful planes? Are they being refitted? Or replaced? And is there a time frame for the last of them to be shipped off to some small pacific nation?

 

[markis10]

They are being retired as new ones come on board, which is around 1 a month.

 

[mannej]

There are those who believe that the 400's are better in Y then what the 800's are (referring to the older 800's).

From experience, for the routes they are on (except when they were on PER-ADL vv.) they are fine, and I would not call them awful if in economy.

However in Business different story.

As Markis has stated, they are being replaced by the newer 737-800's.

 

[Awesom Andy]

They certainly aren't perfect, but I think it's fine (in Y, at least) for the short hops such as SYD-CBR and SYD-MEL). Never actually tried J on this product though.

 

[AirKat]

I think by awful I'm talking specifically about row 4... when compared to the other 737s it is remarkably different. The head-rests I find particularly tough in 4 and 5 given they don't bend. And yes... J is horrible... surely we can all agree upon that!

Happy to hear they are being replaced... slowly

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Got one of these in November BNE/MEL on QF637 & I'll have to admit that when I first got onboard for a millisecond I though it looked like an all whY configured a/c as there was no divider between J & Y. I actally had a flashback to the days when Compass operated the A300-600 that had no centre bulkheads & there was just a sea of faces.

The "J" seats on the QF 734 did look a bit funny & I'd definitely opt for an -800 over a -400 given the choice if flying QF.

 

[harvyk]

There are those who believe that the 400's are better in Y then what the 800's are (referring to the older 800's).

Such as me, if I'm in Y I'll usually chose a 400 over an 800. I believe the early 800's where in AA config (part of the reason QF got hold of them so quickly, catch was they had to stay in AA config) and thus where absolutely terrible (a typical AA Y hard product IMHO).


J on the other hand, I have yet to fly in an 800 in J, but the 400's are nothing to write home about. (Esp during a "snack" flight)

 

[dsotm]

I think the aging 767's are maybe even worse than the 737-400's. It's one reason I have diverted much of my travel to Virgin, especially with their nice Row-3 seats. I still use Qantas to keep my SG up, but if QA would fix the old fleet quicker I would do more Qantas.

 

[Flying Fox]

I try and avoid the 400's too.

I thought that row 4 & 5 were more generous on the 400's.

I have even flown J in the 400's but I can't complain since it was an OpUp so no matter what you say, it better than flying Y (and it was at the right price).

I always aim for the 800's and am looking forward to the BSI 800's experience soon.

 

[elbarto]

I think the aging 767's are maybe even worse than the 737-400's. It's one reason I have diverted much of my travel to Virgin, especially with their nice Row-3 seats. I still use Qantas to keep my SG up, but if QA would fix the old fleet quicker I would do more Qantas.

The plan seems to be replace one 734 with one 73H and the one 767 with one A330 which comes from JQ after the delivery of one 787. QFs wide body replacement plans have been shafted by factors beyond their control, the 787 delays.

 

[oz_mark]

The plan seems to be replace one 734 with one 73H and the one 767 with one A330 which comes from JQ after the delivery of one 787. QFs wide body replacement plans have been shafted by factors beyond their control, the 787 delays.

What was in their control, though, was the number of A330's they chose to send to Jetstar for it's expansion, rather than for replacement of the older 767's in Qantas.

 

[serfty]

Being convertible seats in rows 1-5, rows 4, 5 & 6 have the same pitch as rows 2-3. Very good for economy.

 

[medhead]

I find no difference between rows 4, 5 and 6. Snacks flight in J SYD-ADL, Hhave superior meals over Y. It's actually a meal for a start.

 

[richie9x]

I use to avoid 737-400s often taking an earlier or late flight if a 737-400 was scheduled, of course on routes greater frequency this is easier to do. But now I grown to tolerate them a bit more. I think Qantas are using them when they expect a light load on that flight.

You are right about the rows. On 737-800 row 4 has a seat pitch of 37 inches (I have measured it) the same as business on 737-800s, but row four has even more effective leg room as the economy seats are thinner. On the 737-400s the seat pitch of rows 1-6 have a seat pitch of 35 inches, because they are a lot thicker the effective leg room in row 4 is much less than on a 737-800. Row 6 on the 737-400s are the start of the ordinary economy seats, so on the planes with the thinner seats row 6 has the best effective leg room (apart from the exit rows).

Also there is quite a difference in the cabin noise. On a 737-400 in row 4 it usually measures at 85db while cruising. The older 737-800s measure about 80db, while the newer 737-800s can go down to 75db.

Also if you pick a 737-800 there is a chance it will be one of the new ones with the personal AVOD.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

I use to avoid 737-400s often taking an earlier or late flight if a 737-400 was scheduled, of course on routes greater frequency this is easier to do. But now I grown to tolerate them a bit more. I think Qantas are using them when they expect a light load on that flight.

You are right about the rows. On 737-800 row 4 has a seat pitch of 37 inches (I have measured it) the same as business on 737-800s, but row four has even more effective leg room as the economy seats are thinner. On the 737-400s the seat pitch of rows 1-6 have a seat pitch of 35 inches, because they are a lot thicker the effective leg room in row 4 is much less than on a 737-800. Row 6 on the 737-400s are the start of the ordinary economy seats, so on the planes with the thinner seats row 6 has the best effective leg room (apart from the exit rows).

Also there is quite a difference in the cabin noise. On a 737-400 in row 4 it usually measures at 85db while cruising. The older 737-800s measure about 80db, while the newer 737-800s can go down to 75db.

Also if you pick a 737-800 there is a chance it will be one of the new ones with the personal AVOD.

The new 738's which is VH-VZL onwards seem to do BNE/CNS even BNE/TSV a fair bit.

 

[VHOEJ]

738s should be kept to the longer segments - I would classify BNE/MEL as one of those. 734s should stay for CBR runs and other short sectors only. I think you will find the difference in seat numbers between the 400 and 800 is more of an issue.

 

[ajw373]

I think by awful I'm talking specifically about row 4... when compared to the other 737s it is remarkably different. The head-rests I find particularly tough in 4 and 5 given they don't bend. And yes... J is horrible... surely we can all agree upon that!

Happy to hear they are being replaced... slowly

Back when the 734's had the same seats from row 1 thru to row 6 or so always tried to get one of the forward rows to get these seat. I actually like the hardness especially on the longer flights I was doing at the time (SYD or BNE to DRW). Overall though I don't reckon the 734's are all that bad actually and being in Canberra we see more than our fair share of them.

 

[Ewing]

Overall though I don't reckon the 734's are all that bad actually and being in Canberra we see more than our fair share of them.

They're not bad in Y.

J is a different story.

Having said that, I've had some of the best Qantas service I've ever received on the 734 in J - and most of that flying BNE-CBR or vv. Inversely the worst Qantas service I've ever received is on the 744 in J.

 

[serfty]

734's are often used in/out of CBR in the 20 J seating configuration.

 

[NM]

737-400 generally provide more chance of an enhance leg-room econpomy seat than the 737-800. As noted above, rows 4, 5, 6 all have extended pitch on 734, while on 738 its only row 4. While row 4 on 738 may be even bigger seat pitch than rows 4, 5, 6 on 734, I would rather be in row 5 on a 734 than row 5 on a 738.