Alan Joyce confirms 9 across Y for QF 787

[Altair]

Not surprised.
IMO it will be 32' as QF use 31' in the A380, 747 and they consider it good, so very good is 32'.
Regarding luxurious I think they will throw some little bits around the seat, eg. tablet ledges, wifi, powerports and even a Y snack bar.
In the end I would not choose to fly the QF 787 in Y, would think about PE as I do like the product and J, well if I can afford it and there are not better offerings on the route.

 

[Mr_Orange]

I mocked up a couple of economy seat designs which both address legroom, knee space and quad pain which tall people experience frequently. Anyone know how to go about showing someone without losing the ip?

Apply for and obtain a patent.

 

[Deleted member]

Couldn't care less what's in the premium cabins. Majority of the passengers down the back.

Doesn't sound like 9 abreast is a smart move for an airline that will operate aircraft with this config on most long haul flights. Can get extremely uncomfortable.

looks like you will need to fly J from now on

 

[Deleted member]

Apply for and obtain a patent.

in 42 different countries, after 2 years and a few hundred K in costs you will be ready to rock

 

[Mattg]

Well, I guess the 9-abreast configuration was inevitable. But still very disappointing, considering the ultra long-haul routes QF plan to operate these 787s on. Will be a very uncomfortable journey in Y, and QF will lose much of its competitive edge as a result.

I've flown on the JL 787 in a 2-4-2 configuration, as well as the JQ 3-3-3 version in Y. The difference is chalk & cheese - the JL flight was a very pleasant experience, while a JQ overnight flight in that configuration was simply awful.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Well, I guess the 9-abreast configuration was inevitable............................ while a JQ overnight flight in that configuration was simply awful.

Ah huh - I know some people who did o/n DPS-MEL and they definitely said never NEVER again.

 

[Mr_Orange]

in 42 different countries, after 2 years and a few hundred K in costs you will be ready to rock

Well, that is the downside unfortunately.

 

[russ]

Couldn't care less what's in the premium cabins. Majority of the passengers down the back.

Interestingly, the article says "almost half the aircraft's seat count given over to business class and premium economy..." Is this a normal ratio or is QF's strategy to move passengers into Premium Economy?

 

[Mattg]

Interestingly, the article says "almost half the aircraft's seat count given over to business class and premium economy..." Is this a normal ratio or is QF's strategy to move passengers into Premium Economy?

That would be a pretty high ratio, but not unheard of - particularly on aircraft configured for long-haul operations. For example, check out this BA 777 configuration with 102 premium cabin seats and 122 economy seats: SeatGuru Seat Map British Airways Boeing 777-200 (772) Four Class

 

[BD1959]

That would be a pretty high ratio, but not unheard of - particularly on aircraft configured for long-haul operations. For example, check out this BA 777 configuration with 102 premium cabin seats and 122 economy seats: SeatGuru Seat Map British Airways Boeing 777-200 (772) Four Class

What? :-|

There are seats behind the wings?? :shock:

I thought we still had combis and it was all freight behind the comfy chairs!!

Regards,

BD

 

[juddles]

Interestingly, the article says "almost half the aircraft's seat count given over to business class and premium economy..." Is this a normal ratio or is QF's strategy to move passengers into Premium Economy?

In this case it is just that the reporter does not handle mathematics very well. It is half the area, not number.

And I wonder what seat pitch the new QF A350's will have for their 19hr flights?

Qantas ultra-long range Airbus A350-900ULR Boeing 777X - Australian Business Traveller

 

[docjames]

Interestingly, the article says "almost half the aircraft's seat count given over to business class and premium economy..." Is this a normal ratio or is QF's strategy to move passengers into Premium Economy?

Do they really mean seat count, or do they actually mean floor space?

I suspect as others have mentioned, "really good" = 32" since current product is 31".

 

[wandering_fred]

It will be interesting to compare the QF layout with that of the LAN 787. The SYD-AKL flight on the LAN 787 was bearable (especially compared to the QF 737s) though I will withhold opinion on 12-15 hour legs. Whatever QF decides, it shouldn't be worse than the Y seat CX used on 747s four or five years ago.

Happy wandering

Fred

 

[levelnine]

Exceptionally disappointing yet entirely predictable.

It makes flying long-haul QF in Y a vividly mixed proposition. A380 Y is one of the best products out there while B787 Y will be a decidedly mediocre product (even if they throw us an extra 1" of pitch). It will feel like it currently is with EK -- search out the A380 and avoid the B777 if at all possible.

Probably will hurt MEL/BNE/PER flyers the most given that they are probably the cities that will see the most B787 traffic with SYD retaining the larger aircraft.

 

[moa999]

Have you actually flown on the 787?

I'm 6ft3 and not small and have happily flown the 787 on a number of LCCs (Jetstar, Scoot and Norwegian) without noticing any width issues - pitch definitely

 

[dajop]

Have you actually flown on the 787?

I'm 6ft3 and not small and have happily flown the 787 on a number of LCCs (Jetstar, Scoot and Norwegian) without noticing any width issues - pitch definitely

I actually felt (didn't take out a tape measure) that Scoot's seats were wider than TG's and even UA's. Plus seats had limited recline which meant legroom was preserved.

 

[DavidFlynn]

In this case it is just that the reporter does not handle mathematics very well. It is half the area, not number.

Yeah, my bad, but it was just a silly transposition while writing up the yarn quickly and in a tired state: what I meant was that in the config we've seen, there are almost half as many 'premium' seats (business class and premium economy) as economy [42+28 premium = 70, with 165 in economy].

 

[Himeno]

I never expected anything but 3-3-3 on the Qantas 787-9, and I don't understand why anybody else would, either – as far as I know, the only 787s which saw a lesser config were those run by Japanese airlines on domestic routes (domestic config vs international config).

When the 787 first entered service with ANA and JAL, they fitted their aircraft with 8 across in Y as that is what Boeing designed it for. After other airlines fitted it with 9 across, ANA changed theirs. JAL kept it, even when they started changing their 787s to SS8/SS9 config.
JALs first 787-8s were 42J ("JAL Shell Flat Neo") 144Y. These have been/are changing to 38J (Sky Suite) 35W 88Y.
Their 787-9s are 44J (Sky Suite) 35W 116Y, all 3 configs are 2-4-2 in Y

 

[JohnK]

Argeed that 3-3-3 was always going to be adopted by QF.

The question of interest is what is a 'very good' seat pitch in Y? I would think a minimum of 34 inches is 'very good'. A 'good' seat pitch is 33 inches, an 'average' seat pitch is 32 inches and 31 inches and below is 'poor' and then 'very poor'.

What's the current seat pitch on Qantas economy? 31 inches or 32 inches? I find that seat pitch quite good. Taller people would struggle. I have been on worse. Can't see Qantas more generous on the 787s.

 

[timster]

What's the current seat pitch on Qantas economy? 31 inches or 32 inches? I find that seat pitch quite good. Taller people would struggle. I have been on worse. Can't see Qantas more generous on the 787s.

Mostly 31 if you believe Seatguru ... and my knees would tend to agree. It was one of the reasons I gave up on QF/BA. I'm too tall for 31 long haul. SQ and TG are mostly 32 (A380/777) and much more comfortable IMHO. It's surprising how much of a difference an inch makes (no blue jokes please). TG's 787-8 is 3-3-3 and 32. TG's 747 is 34.
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