Re: Airbus A330 flights expected to include the introduction of lie-flat seats in bus
It will be interesting to see what the difference in Premium configuration is between International A332 & Domestic A332.
The International A332s currently have a flight crew rest facility in front of the starboard door number 1, and galley/storage & toilet, taking up space behind the front doors in zone A . However - Domestic configurations allow for this crew rest area to become a toilet/galley space, meaning more space for seating in zone A.
If Qantas removes the flight crews' private birth, and tells them to rest in one of these new horizontal-lay-flat business seats instead. QF will be able to move a toilet and storage area out of zone A, & into the former FCRC. And if they remove the rear galley intrusions from zone A, they will have the ability to get up to 24 J seats into zone A (2 of which will need to be withheld from sale, when required for Flight Crew use) leaving 22 seats available for sale.
Currently in zone A on international A332s QF only has 18 seats available, so this would add 4 more J seats, with this better utilisation of space in zone A.
It has another 18 seats at the front of zone B on international A332s, which would be a perfect location for Premium Economy to be added! (So let's say they do this, they can probably add 4 rows of P.E., at 7 abreast
, and still have a few inches to spare for some galley/storage space across the front of zone B.) So a total of 28 P.E. seats.
Thus, if they squeeze tightly, they might manage to turn 36J into 22J + 28 P.E ?