First flight in a QantasLink 717

[PaulST]

I've been racking up the FF miles recently with a visit yesterday to Tasmania. My flight back was in a 717 and I've uploaded a flight report.

I was flying in Y but have SG so I spent a bit of time in the QC at Hobart airport. It's fairly small, but I guess it's a small city so I can't expect too much. Still, I was hoping to fill my stomach a bit more before boarding.

Anyway, the boarding was done by a ramp (we deplaned via an aerobridge at SYD) which allowed us to get a fantastic view of a rainbow.
We were greeted with a friendly welcome, as I'd expect from QF, and I took my seat in 17K. This was my first time in a 717-200 so I was keen to get a view of the engine. I also planned to do a bit of time-lapse photography with my iPhone so I was also keen to get a decent view of the wing (but not too much so that I could get a view of the ground/clouds/ocean...etc).
The food serviced with a chicken pie and a complementary choice of wine/beer. The pie was average but I was fairly hungry...

The seats see to be the same as in the refurbished 737-800s so they were fine. But there's no IFE screen so you're stuck with an empty iPad holder and the option to stream on your own device. The problem with this, though, is that I found it fairly slow! And there were no power points so you'd have to eat into your batteries.

The flight itself was smooth and we got some great views!

[video=youtube;Mpw19cvxjaA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mpw19cvxjaA[/video]

 

[Mattg]

I spend a fair bit of time travelling on 717s as I'm a regular visitor to CBR. They're nice aircraft.

You mentioned that IFE was BYO only. Weren't you given an iPad?

 

[PaulST]

You mentioned that IFE was BYO only. Weren't you given an iPad?

Nope, I wasn't given anything. I flew on a refurbished 738 the same day (SYD-MEL) and no iPad was provided.

 

[kermatu]

Mate - what was the noise level like in row 17? Have never sat that far back but the view looked good so may try it next month out of CBR.

 

[Mattg]

Nope, I wasn't given anything. I flew on a refurbished 738 the same day (SYD-MEL) and no iPad was provided.

No iPads are provided on the refurbished 738s, but I've always had a Qantas iPad in the seat pocket when flying on a 2-class 717. Unless they've removed them in the last couple of months, I would have thought they would be on board. So that's a bit odd.

In fact, the Qantas website says:

Our new B717 offers sleek new interiors with superior seats in Business, iPad tablet entertainment for every customer and a refreshed premium food and beverage offering.

Introducing the new QantasLink B717 | Qantas

 

[kermatu]

I never use the iPads and don't like the streaming. But have often seen the iPads tucked away in the seat pockets and they can be hard to spot.

 

[RooFlyer]

I've been racking up the FF miles recently with a visit yesterday to Tasmania. My flight back was in a 717 and I've uploaded a flight report.

I was flying in Y but have SG so I spent a bit of time in the QC at Hobart airport. It's fairly small, but I guess it's a small city so I can't expect too much. Still, I was hoping to fill my stomach a bit more before boarding.

<snip>

The Qantas Club in Hobart is a toilet, and a small one at that. Yes, Hobart is small city, but since aircraft arrivals and departures tend to be bunched (eg a 717 and three 737s), the tiny QP is always full to overflowing at those times. Unless I'm there early and can get one of the few comfortable seats, I skip to QP these days and make do outside.

 

[PaulST]

The Qantas Club in Hobart is a toilet, and a small one at that. Yes, Hobart is small city, but since aircraft arrivals and departures tend to be bunched (eg a 717 and three 737s), the tiny QP is always full to overflowing at those times. Unless I'm there early and can get one of the few comfortable seats, I skip to QP these days and make do outside.

True - it was pretty full.

That's interesting that I wasn't given an iPad then. It was a 1:35hr flight so it wasn't like they wouldn't have had time. I wasn't offered an iPad on a refurbished 738 (Syd to Mel) either!

Mate - what was the noise level like in row 17? Have never sat that far back but the view looked good so may try it next month out of CBR.

I must admit that I quite like the sound so I'm probably no the best person to critique the sounds. It sounds great IMO, although certainly a higher pitch than most other aircraft around Australia.

 

[kermatu]

I like the 717s - comfortable and smooth. Floor storage not great, but otherwise seats are comfortable (J and Y). Prefer to fly these in and out of Canberra (against the Dash-8s at least).

IPads are in the seats and not offered around by the crew best I recall.

 

[PaulST]

IPads are in the seats and not offered around by the crew best I recall.

You're saying that it was possibly hidden in the seat-back pocket?

 

[exceladdict]

Mate - what was the noise level like in row 17? Have never sat that far back but the view looked good so may try it next month out of CBR.

I used to do the 717 on the way back from KTA as it worked with the client's timetable. Once I selected a back row seat purely to be away from others; as a PS the front rows were all off limits and the plane looked full.

After boarding, the CSM visited and asked if after take off, I'd like row one all to myself to be away from the engine noise! Take off was pretty noisy but being put right up front for the rest of the flight was very nice.

It was all-Y so must have been an old or pre-refurb model. Put this way, I wouldn't choose the back rows again.

 

[kermatu]

You're saying that it was possibly hidden in the seat-back pocket?

I never look for them, but often come across the by accident when putting my own device in or getting the magazine - they can be 'hidden' by accident I reckon.

 

[kermatu]

I used to do the 717 on the way back from KTA as it worked with the client's timetable. Once I selected a back row seat purely to be away from others; as a PS the front rows were all off limits and the plane looked full.

After boarding, the CSM visited and asked if after landing, I'd like row one all to myself to be away from the engine noise! Take off was pretty noisy but being put right up front for the rest of the flight was very nice.

It was all-Y so must have been an old or pre-refurb model. Put this way, I wouldn't choose the back rows again.

Thanks. Might stick with the front then!