Sorry bit off topic...
I always had assumed the reason Qantas never bought the 777ER models was because they didn't have the range for AUS-LAX routes fully loaded, but obviously I'm mitsaken.... So anyone know why QF never bought any 777s? I would have thought they'd be great for expanding Asian routes too.
The original 777 models did not have the legs to do SYD-LAX ecconomically. The later models (such as -300ER and -200LR) do have the ability. So the early model 777s were not as attractive to Qantas as the 747-400, and they committed to the 744 for their trans-Pacific and Kangaroo routes as they were the best option at the time.
When the longer range 777s became available, QF had to decide between taking on a new aircraft type, with all the associated costs of crewing, maintenance etc, or stick with the current fleet for the short term and wait for the next generation of long-range airliners. They chose the second option, being a mix of A380 (and the A330s thrown in by Airbus to sweeten the A380 deal) for the major trunk routes and 787 for the thinner point-to-point routes.
Of course QF was then fairly heavily affected by the delays to both the A380 and 787 deliveries, making the gap between the current fleet and future plans look like they really are missing the long-range 777 models.
QF did look very closely at the 777-300ER and 777-200LR in recent times, especially as they considered the possibility of SYD-LHR and LHR-SYD non-stop services. But they determined that neither aircraft was truly capable of year-round economical operation of that mission.
So yes, the 777-300ER would have been good for trabs-Pacific services. However, the A330s are good for the shorter distances required for Asia, and they came at a significant discount as an incentive for QF to commit to the A380. And the 777-300ER remains quite an expensive aircraft compared with what QF paid for their A330s - both the initial orders as part of the A380 deal, and the later orders discounted as part of the A380 delivery delays.
And the mix of A380 and 787 aircraft to operate trans-Pacific will give QF an operational model that will be hard to beat.
So it was really just the timing of the fleet decisions that means QF did not commit to the long-range 777s, and for the same reasons its unlikely to take them in the future.
