Qantas to recommence A380 services

[ComeFlyWithMe]

No - always expect to travel in the class booked.

...or your next flight is free

 

[JohnK]

No - always expect to travel in the class booked.

Exactly. Which is why I have chosen 40G....

 

[Nigelinoz]

Travel Today is reporting that SQ will restart A380 services to SYD and MEL from mid December.
http://www.travelweekly.com.au/getattachment/cf9de402-2de1-4c6f-ac5a-8f1a6a31b032/pdf.aspx

 

[oz_mark]

Reports that A380 services to LAX have been pushed back to January.

And if you're on QF11 on Dec 11, you're in for a surprise :shock:

 

[serfty]

Reports that A380 services to LAX have been pushed back to January.

And if you're on QF11 on Dec 11, you're in for a surprise :shock:

Yep, work associate with booking for herself and three others on 15th found out when I was showing her how to easily check. :shock:

The whole lot are NB; I did find out though that NB can preselect seating at t-7 days.

As for QF11 on the 11th; what's wrong with AKL? At least it'll keep the few on QF134 company for a few minutes.

 

[maninblack]

Reports that A380 services to LAX have been pushed back to January.

Qantas are not confirming or denying this. Certainly everything up until Jan will be 744. QF93/94 still shows A380 for Jan but I doubt it very much at this stage. They have stripped the capacity back to 744ER numbers in anticipation I was told (well implied) by a QF rep. You will see many flights in Jan are now showing 0 available in most classes because of this. (whereas a week or so ago there was capacity and it's not because they sold all the seats!)

We shall see but my antenna tells me A380's may not be flying to LAX in Jan or at least until late Jan.

 

[docjames]

Qantas are not confirming or denying this. Certainly everything up until Jan will be 744. QF93/94 still shows A380 for Jan but I doubt it very much at this stage. They have stripped the capacity back to 744ER numbers in anticipation I was told (well implied) by a QF rep. You will see many flights in Jan are now showing 0 available in most classes because of this. (whereas a week or so ago there was capacity and it's not because they sold all the seats!)

We shall see but my antenna tells me A380's may not be flying to LAX in Jan or at least until late Jan.

Ah, just run them with a tech stop in NAN....

 

[maninblack]

Ah, just run them with a tech stop in NAN....

HNL stopover would be better...and then just leave the service in place permanently...would suit me fine

 

[straitman]

HNL stopover would be better...and then just leave the service in place permanently...would suit me fine

I'll vote for that option.

 

[pblackm]

Are any AFFers on QF31 this Saturday? it would be interesting to read a little TR

I came back on QF32, departing LHR Thurs 2nd Dec. Wheels up was delayed one hour due to snow:

1. Waiting for cargo being road-freighted
2. Additional flights that were diverted from Gatwick, which had been closed by then.

J class cabin had a few empty seats (6-8?) on Syd/Sin sector, and then about half full for Sin/Syd.

This the Lawrence Hargreave (Larry H to friends) being prepped at LHR.



Great flight. Surprised to hear on landing that they had just found out about the pipe.

 

[JohnK]

Is there any truth to this news article that QF is taking Rolls Royce to court due to new restrictions limiting the number of passengers on the A380s to 80 on the Pacific services?

Qantas is ready to sue the maker of its A380 engines, Rolls Royce, alleging new rules for its engines mean it can only carry 80 passengers across the Pacific in its Airbus 380s.

Qantas says it will sue Rolls Royce if the pair cannot agree to a settlement figure for losses caused by November's mid-flight explosion, the Herald Sun reports.

The airline filed papers in the Federal Court on Friday saying it bought the Airbus superjumbos because they could carry 450 passengers from Australia to the US.

But the new rules mean the superjumbo is not worth using on flights to the US

 

[oz_mark]

It is just part of the legal posturing that goes on sometimes. I would expect they will be working toward a commericial settlement, and if they fail to come to a commercially acceptable arrangement then they have some legal work to do.

As for the 80 passengers, this is based on a calculation on the maximum payload they would be able to take with the reduced maximum thrust being used:

"If Qantas is to avoid using the maximum takeoff thrust of 72,000 pounds, in accordance with a Rolls-Royce directive, on departure from Los Angeles, Qantas must ensure that any Trent 900-powered A380 aircraft carries no more than a payload of approx 30,000 kilograms on one runway or 20,000 kilograms on the other runway at Los Angeles," a Qantas spokesman told AFP on Saturday, reading from the airline's statement of claim.

"The operation of the Los Angeles routes at the reduced payloads makes it uncommercial for Qantas to use a Trent 900-powered A380 on the LAX routes at all, since operation at that reduced level involves a reduction in carrying capacity so that typically only 80 passengers will be able to be transported."

Qantas claims A380 'uncommercial' for LA flights - Yahoo! UK & Ireland Finance

 

[samh004]

I’d be quite happy with 79 other pax on an A380 service to LAX, would be very much like the flying of old

 

[cove]

Ok if the A 380 needs a stop over from LAX to OZ what are the choices based on runway capacity and readiness for a normal payload?

 

[Sprucegoose]

Ok if the A 380 needs a stop over from LAX to OZ what are the choices based on runway capacity and readiness for a normal payload?

Nadi........

 

[cove]

Fiji is off limits at the moment.
Is their military main man a General or is he staying a Colonel.

 

[Oneworldplus2]

Fiji is off limits at the moment.
Is their military main man a General or is he staying a Colonel.

Helen Clark compared Bainimarama as the Mugabie of the Pacific.

 

[cove]

Ok so if he grabbed an A380 he would be the first in the Pacific islands to have one using Mugabe method.

 

[Oneworldplus2]

Ok so if he grabbed an A380 he would be the first in the Pacific islands to have one using Mugabe method.

Ha ha. Good one Cove. Don't give him any ideas

 

[bossreggie]

What about AKL? Very stupid routing as it would add at least 4 hours to the travel time. But I think it would allow QANTAS to avoid the "maximum thrust" which seems partly to blame.

Also I think NAN would have to upgrade the runway AND terminal. IIRC when an A380 had to divert to NAN in the past.... The PAX had to be transferred to a 744 as even if the A380 was good to go...... The runway at NAN was not long enough for a fully laden A380 to take off safely.