QF Airbus 330 with single A & K seats, are they on MEL - SYD flights?

[AustraliaPoochie]

Or do they usually go PER - east coast?
I have a J booking for a Sat in Jun, realising QF might do an equipment swap, on QF462 but if they don't, has anyone who does the regular or semi regular flight MEL - SYD in J seen this single on each side plane in use?
Not taking into account the QF PER run this time round.
The J seats with no storarge on the window side on QF462 of A & K are greyoued out, but the ones with storage are available.
Keen on no storage, but thats not possible.
Edit: OR VH-EBA - VH-EBF & EBJ & EBK if you need that.

 

[moa999]

Yes the refurbs end up on these routes ocassionally, and will do more and more as the entire fleet is refurbed.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Or do they usually go PER - east coast? I have a J booking for a Sat in Jun, realising QF might do an equipment swap, on QF462 but if they don't, has anyone who does the regular or semi regular flight MEL - SYD in J seen this single on each side plane in use?

Not taking into account the QF PER run this time round. The J seats with no storarge on the window side on QF462 of A & K are greyoued out, but the ones with storage are available. Keen on no storage, but thats not possible. Edit: OR VH-EBA - VH-EBF & EBJ & EBK if you need that.

If you are flying MEL/SYD or SYD/BNE vv on an A330 it would be safer to assume it will be on a non-refurbed bird ie with the 2x2x2 seating in J as opposed to the 1x2x1 new J suites.

It's very rare to get a refurbed bird on the above flights unless it happens to be fresh out of the hangar after the refit and is positioning BNE/SYD but that won't help you on a MEL/SYD flgiht I'm sorry to say Pooch. :-|

 

[Solid]

I've had the new J layout on MEL-SYD once. Was a late substitution as when selecting seats a few days before it was the old layout and when checking in at the lounge it was the new one.

 

[The Flying Brick]

I've had the new cofig J several times MEL - SYD Now.
With half the fleet of 332-200's now converted it should be an even bet but I am sure that the old config 332's are loaded on to the shorter QF routes.
Makes sense when you think about it but won't it be great when all othe 332's and 333's are converted and every flight will be new config! (738 subs excepted).

 

[dodgeyhack]

I've had the refurbed a330 twice on SYD-MEL/MEL-SYD since they were introduced.
Most recent flight was showing the refurbed a330 from booking date - so for a couple of months.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Thanks all.
I have booked the QF462, and the single A/K in J seating shows up when I chose my seat.
Ah well, se la vie. Checked to day, 2A/K and 4A/K still greyed out. Have to lean over the storage bit in the seat to peer out the window near arr into SYD dom.
This will my first QF Airbus330 J experience, short flight I know. Have tried the VA Airbus330 in J about 18 months to 2 years ago.
First visit to the MEL dom J lounge as well.
Will go in at 3.30pm and spend the whole time in there, till 6.30pm.

 

[eminere]

Thanks all.
I have booked the QF462, and the single A/K in J seating shows up when I chose my seat.
Ah well, se la vie. Checked to day, 2A/K and 4A/K still greyed out. Have to lean over the storage bit in the seat to peer out the window near arr into SYD dom.
This will my first QF Airbus330 J experience, short flight I know. Have tried the VA Airbus330 in J about 18 months to 2 years ago.
First visit to the MEL dom J lounge as well.
Will go in at 3.30pm and spend the whole time in there, till 6.30pm.

It's 'c'est la vie'.

 

[Mr_Orange]

It's 'c'est la vie'.

True, but not everybody speaks French or perhaps even knows the origin of the saying. However. it would be easy to have heard the saying and understand how to use it.

 

[RichardMEL]

Thanks all.
I have booked the QF462, and the single A/K in J seating shows up when I chose my seat.
Ah well, se la vie. Checked to day, 2A/K and 4A/K still greyed out. Have to lean over the storage bit in the seat to peer out the window near arr into SYD dom.
This will my first QF Airbus330 J experience, short flight I know. Have tried the VA Airbus330 in J about 18 months to 2 years ago.
First visit to the MEL dom J lounge as well.
Will go in at 3.30pm and spend the whole time in there, till 6.30pm.

Gawd you will be bored out of your brain specially in MEL dom J which is fairly small as a "modification" to the original QC (like BNE and SYD). Seriously it is not worth all that time.

Anyway as others have said the Business Suites (new J) config show up al the time on these sectors, and as the 330's continue to be converted it will be more the norm. June is 5 months away so anything can happen but it is likely the config will stick IMHO.

Last week I even had one of the old intternational configured 330-200's (EBG) with old Skybeds in it on SYD-MEL. That was a bit of fun and had a bit of a chat with the CSM about it. Those are going away though but it was unusual enough to note. I was happy to see the config show up in expertflyer when I booked the flight.

Anyway again the MEL Dom J lounge area (since it is not separate) is really nothing special (with no offence to the lovely staffers there!). There are probably better things one can be doing (also between 3 and 6 is pretty peak time so it is likely to be quite crowded)

my 2 cents.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

I know it's no SYD F type of a lounge, but I just need it ticked off my bucket list.
PER dom J will be next, then the new BNE dom J later when it's completed.

 

[yohy?!]

i have had both refurb'd and former JQ birds on MEL-SYD in the last few months, couldn't be a more jarring comparison between the products.

+1 to minimising time in the MEL dom lounges, these are always overcrowded at peak time

 

[kermatu]

I like the MEL J lounge and the staff - but often the regular lounge is quieter and easier to get space. Peak times are hideous.

 

[RichardMEL]

I know it's no SYD F type of a lounge, but I just need it ticked off my bucket list.
PER dom J will be next, then the new BNE dom J later when it's completed.

PER J yes. MEL J.. no.

I'd also say the bar area is much bigger and staff better in the QP side in MEL. I tend to order a drink there rather than the tiny one in the J lounge and the last time the young lass was very friendly and had a quick discussion of cider with me (and I know AP loves Cider)

 

[craven morehead]

I know it's no SYD F type of a lounge, but I just need it ticked off my bucket list.
PER dom J will be next, then the new BNE dom J later when it's completed.

Was in PER dom J lounge last week it was quite good

 

[RichardMEL]

The thing with MEL and BNE (SYD less so due to the sizes) is the way the J lounges came about.

Due to the small amount of space in those terminals QF had to eat into the existing lounge spaces of the QANTAS Club and divide off a section to create the J lounge. in CBR they could have a dedicated new space when the new terminal was created, and PER has just opened and BNE is going to be oh so much better when the new space is created (I so can't wait!).

SYD is not so bad due to that huge space the QC took up across the length of that mezzanine floor(or whatever you want to call it) and they roughly cut it in half to form the J lounge, and the CL is in the middle there(where I think it always was). Certainly it feels much more natural in SYD as dedicated spaces due to the different entry points and the like, though those of us that remember when it was one massive QP know how it used to be.

However MEL and BNE are far far smaller as a result and just not terribly appealing for long periods of time specially during peak hours when they get crazy busy and things like the food area (specially in MEL, BNE is a bit better) become swamped and a mini zoo.

IMHO.

 

[OATEK]

I like the MEL J lounge and the staff - but often the regular lounge is quieter and easier to get space. Peak times are hideous.

I did that yesterday stayed in the QP, as had more space for a group of 5, and the lounge staff were scrutinising the J pax very closely as that section was very full.

 

[RickyT84]

Or do they usually go PER - east coast?
I have a J booking for a Sat in Jun, realising QF might do an equipment swap, on QF462 but if they don't, has anyone who does the regular or semi regular flight MEL - SYD in J seen this single on each side plane in use?
Not taking into account the QF PER run this time round.
The J seats with no storarge on the window side on QF462 of A & K are greyoued out, but the ones with storage are available.
Keen on no storage, but thats not possible.
Edit: OR VH-EBA - VH-EBF & EBJ & EBK if you need that.

Its very likely you will have a refurb bird by June given the timing of the refit. However, QF has a habit of switching aircraft around which happened to me recently when I saw the plane went from new suites (at the time of booking) to QF recliners (about three days from departure) to ex-JQ recliners (around 24 hours before departure). Didn't bother me too much as I was in Y.

As for seats 2A/2K/4A/4K, these are better solo seats maybe thats why they are greyed out for the time being. Got lucked out last time when I requested an ODU and was given suite 2A automatically. So there is always hope.