ALL QF's 330's to get lay flat Business seating - Including Domestic

[MEL_Traveller]

Safer not to fly a damaged aircraft I'd suggest....

I - like EU261 - see this as a bit of a red herring. There is no question QF or any other airline would consider taking off with a damaged plane. But accidents with catering trucks or other airport equipment happen. It's a part of running an airline. My ticket from A->B should be able to be relied upon with some degree of certainty.

 

[JohnPhelan]

I - like EU261 - see this as a bit of a red herring. There is no question QF or any other airline would consider taking off with a damaged plane. But accidents with catering trucks or other airport equipment happen. It's a part of running an airline. My ticket from A->B should be able to be relied upon with some degree of certainty.

And this is why QF should hold on to a couple of 747s after they come out of service towards the end of next year. The 747s repeatedly come to the rescue when the A380s have issues.

 

[lacuska1]

7 year for an upgrade-while the world moved on for private enclosed suits in business??? this tells a lot for those loudmouth Qf fans!

 

[Popeye]

Confirmation on airliners that EBG is finally in for refurb after QPI came out after minor maintenance.

330-300 International	330-200 Domestic	330-200 International	330-200 Old Intl
10	10	6	2
VH-QPA, VH-QPB VH-QPC, VH-QPD VH-QPE, VH-QPF VH-QPG, VH-QPH VH-QPI, VH-QPJ	VH-EBA, VH-EBB VH-EBC, VH-EBD VH-EBE, VH-EBF* VH-EBG*, VH-EBJ VH-EBK, VH-EBL	VH-EBO, VH-EBP VH-EBQ, VH-EBR VH-EBS, VH-EBV	VH-EBM, VH-EBN
28 J, 269 Y	28 J, 243 Y	27 J, 224 Y	28 J, 243 Y
J Business Suite with Cloth covered seat Panasonic ex3 16" IFE, Y Panasonic exLite 11" IFE	J Business Suite with Leather covered seat Panasonic ex3 16" IFE,Y 8" iPad Mini Inflight Internet (5 aircraft)	J Business Suite with Leather covered seat Panasonic ex3 16" IFE,Y Panasonic ex2 9" IFE	J Business Suite with Leather covered seat Panasonic ex3 16" IFE,Y Panasonic ex2 9" IFE
			To refurb to 330-200 Intl

* EBF - Internet being installed
* EBG - Refurb and internet

And hence endeth the story of the SkyBed I and the Rockwell Collins IFE system

Can you please advise whether this refurbishment includes the partition in the 2 centre seats being able to be lowered like the Dreamliner. Thanks

 

[RickyT84]

7 year for an upgrade-while the world moved on for private enclosed suits in business??? this tells a lot for those loudmouth Qf fans!

I would say the original A332 refurbishment program has finished some time ago (in late 2016) given that EBG & EBL was never intended to be refurbished as they were due to be returned to lessors. So the refurbishment program actually went for ~4.5 years.

 

[RickyT84]

Can you please advise whether this refurbishment includes the partition in the 2 centre seats being able to be lowered like the Dreamliner. Thanks

The refurbishment does not include the installation of the next gen Business Suites so they still have the non-movable partitions in the middle seats.

 

[Popeye]

The refurbishment does not include the installation of the next gen Business Suites so they still have the non-movable partitions in the middle seats.

Bugger, really inconvenient when you are traveling as a couple and one of you has a disability .. guess I will be calling QF Medical again to get some Platinum One turfed out of their seat so we can have adjacent aisle and window seats that dont have the privacy screen . Its a pain to have to this every time we fly

 

[JB expat]

Hi- Admitting to not reading the chain (took a look at the chart, but couldn't figure out how to apply it). How can i figure out if QF93 MEL-LAX 3 Sept and/or QF 94 - LAX-MEL 18 Sept will carry refurbished Business Seats? While I'd greatly appreciate knowing with respect to thos specific flights, I'd also love to know how to figure it out on my own.

Thank you

 

[moa999]

How can i figure out if QF93 MEL-LAX 3 Sept and/or QF 94 - LAX-MEL 18 Sept will carry refurbished Business Seats?

Assume you meant to post in the A380 thread (this is the 330 thread)
At the moment there are no refurbed A380s.. the first VH-OQK is currently in DRS Dresden undergoing refurb and might be released by mid-Sept.
I suspect you'll only know by a change in seatmap in the 24/48hrs before the flight.

 

[JB expat]

Assume you meant to post in the A380 thread (this is the 330 thread)
At the moment there are no refurbed A380s.. the first VH-OQK is currently in DRS Dresden undergoing refurb and might be released by mid-Sept.
I suspect you'll only know by a change in seatmap in the 24/48hrs before the flight.

Thanks. Didn’t realise there was a separate thread.

 

[nlagalle]

And this is why QF should hold on to a couple of 747s after they come out of service towards the end of next year. The 747s repeatedly come to the rescue when the A380s have issues.

The issue is the cost to keep only 2 in service.. perhaps if they go the 777 path they will have something that can "jump to the rescue".

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I would say the original A332 refurbishment program has finished some time ago (in late 2016) given that EBG & EBL was never intended to be refurbished as they were due to be returned to lessors. So the refurbishment program actually went for ~4.5 years.

Except IIRC, QF advertised on their website that ALL A330s had been refurbished with the flat beds, when this clearly wasn't the case. They should have amended their cabin descriptions with a note to this effect. And arguably, compensatated passengers who received the unadvertised product (like BA did with 'old' first).

 

[tm.smile]

Except IIRC, QF advertised on their website that ALL A330s had been refurbished with the flat beds, when this clearly wasn't the case. They should have amended their cabin descriptions with a note to this effect. And arguably, compensatated passengers who received the unadvertised product (like BA did with 'old' first).

I don't recall Qantas saying that it was all. Had until recently always had the subject to aircraft and scheduling note

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I don't recall Qantas saying that it was all. Had until recently always had the subject to aircraft and scheduling note

Unfortunately not, and in any event, 'subject to aircraft and scheduling' makes no sense if every long-haul aircraft has full-flat beds. For domestic operations you might end up with a 737 instead of your A330 - but the same should't have been applying to PVG or SIN. (I believe this thread commented on QF's claim that every seat was now full flat. But that would be going back some pages now.)

 

[tm.smile]

Unfortunately not, and in any event, 'subject to aircraft and scheduling' makes no sense if every long-haul aircraft has full-flat beds. For domestic operations you might end up with a 737 instead of your A330 - but the same should't have been applying to PVG or SIN. (I believe this thread commented on QF's claim that every seat was now full flat. But that would be going back some pages now.)

There may need for recovery purposes to schedule a 747 onto a route that normally has A330. Or say for example to HKG where you may be on a 747, A330, A380 or 787 depending on the time of year and the flight.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

There may need for recovery purposes to schedule a 747 onto a route that normally has A330. Or say for example to HKG where you may be on a 747, A330, A380 or 787 depending on the time of year and the flight.

yes - and they are all full flat bed. So in terms of QF describing their on board business class seat - 'subject to aircraft' doesn't make sense given every one of those aircraft has a flat bed. There was no exception to say 'some A330s may have a different seat, the seat you end up with is subject to aircraft and schedule changes'.

 

[HS-TQE]

I don't recall QF publicly stating they'll be fitting the domestic 330s with flatbeds. Although I do think it'll probably be a good idea otherwise if they're going to use the domestic 330s on the PER transcons and/or SYD/MEL-DPS

 

[moa999]

VH-EBM back into service as 27J/ 224Y after 5 weeks in BNE

Leaves just EBN for reconfig, and 3 aircraft for Internet

330-300 International	330-200 Domestic	330-200 International	330-200 Old Intl
10	10	7	1
VH-QPA, VH-QPB VH-QPC, VH-QPD VH-QPE, VH-QPF VH-QPG, VH-QPH VH-QPI, VH-QPJ	VH-EBA, VH-EBB VH-EBC, VH-EBD VH-EBE, VH-EBF VH-EBG, VH-EBJ VH-EBK, VH-EBL	VH-EBM, VH-EBO, VH-EBP VH-EBQ, VH-EBR VH-EBS, VH-EBV	VH-EBN
28 J, 269 Y	28 J, 243 Y	27 J, 224 Y	28 J, 243 Y
J Business Suite with Cloth covered seat Panasonic ex3 16" IFE, Y Panasonic exLite 11" IFE	J Business Suite with Leather covered seat Panasonic ex3 16" IFE,Y 8" iPad Mini Inflight Internet (7/10 aircraft)	J Business Suite with Cloth covered seat Panasonic ex3 16" IFE,Y Panasonic ex2 9" IFE	J Business Suite with Leather covered seat Panasonic ex3 16" IFE,Y Panasonic ex2 9" IFE
			To refurb to 330-200 Intl

 

[Melburnian1]

And this is why QF should hold on to a couple of 747s after they come out of service towards the end of next year. The 747s repeatedly come to the rescue when the A380s have issues

As I remarked before, this is an excellent suggestion but how does one counter an airline's argument that 'to retain a couple of B744s means we have to have a whole set of B744 type-rated captains and first officers?

It isn't like a rail operator where drivers are often trained in how to drive what can be numerous classes of widely varying diesel-electric, diesel-hydraulic and electric locomotives as well as railcars (and even in a few cases steam locomotives.)

 

[pauly7]

@moa999 Don’t suppose you have a handle on the Q400 refurb progress?