QF announce 744's going from LAX, HNL to go all 744, other changes

[serfty]

Qantas announcement: Media Releases - QANTAS INTERNATIONAL NETWORK UPDATE

Main points:

• Boeing 747 services operating LAX flights will be replaced by A380/B789.
• 747 to operate QF3/QF4 HNL services.
• Extra SFO services.
• DFW to go 6 per week.
• Additional KIX/MNL 330 services.
• Beijing down from 7 to 5 services per week.

Qantas is making a number of adjustments across its international network in response to demand and to better utilise its fleet.

United States

From 3 December 2018, Qantas’ last remaining Boeing 747 services operating into Los Angeles will be replaced by a combination of Airbus A380 and Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.

Other changes to Qantas’ services to the US:

• From 4 December, the Tuesday Sydney-Los Angeles 747 service (QF11/12) will be replaced with an A380, providing daily A380 services to Los Angeles from both Sydney and Melbourne;
• The seasonal twice-weekly Sydney-Los Angeles service (QF17/18) will be operated by an A380 during the December-January peak;
• Capacity on the Sydney-Honolulu service (QF3/4) will be increased during the holiday peak, from 7 December until Easter, by more than 300 seats each week. The Airbus A330-300 aircraft that normally operates on this route will be upgauged to a 747, offering customers the additional choice of Premium Economy on the popular holiday route;
• From 17 December ongoing, an additional Sydney-San Francisco service (QF73/74) on a 747 will be added, giving customers the choice of a daily flight between the two cities;
• From 4 February 2019 ongoing, the Sydney-Dallas/Fort Worth service (QF7/8) will be reduced to six times per week on an A380;
• As previously announced, from 1 September 2018:
  • The 787-9 Dreamliner will operate the daily Brisbane-Los Angeles-New York City (JFK) service replacing the 747 aircraft;
  • The 787-9 Dreamliner will operate Melbourne-San Francisco four times a week.

Asia

Qantas will adjust capacity in Asia later this year to better match demand by:

• Offering an additional A330 service between Sydney and Osaka (QF33/34) from 7 December 2018, increasing the service which began in December last year, to four times per week;
• From 28 October, adding a Tuesday A330 service between Sydney and Manila (QF19/20), giving customers the choice of a daily flight between the two cities*;
• From 28 October reducing its Sydney-Beijing service (QF107/108) to five times per week, removing flights on lower demand days of Tuesday and Thursday.

 

[AviationNZ]

QF have just announced a number of equipment and schedule changes to their international network;
Qantas drops Boeing 747s from LAX, trims Dallas A380 flights

 

[eminere]

Qantas official press release here

United States

From 3 December 2018, Qantas’ last remaining Boeing 747 services operating into Los Angeles will be replaced by a combination of Airbus A380 and Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.

Other changes to Qantas’ services to the US:

• From 4 December, the Tuesday Sydney-Los Angeles 747 service (QF11/12) will be replaced with an A380, providing daily A380 services to Los Angeles from both Sydney and Melbourne;
• The seasonal twice-weekly Sydney-Los Angeles service (QF17/18) will be operated by an A380 during the December-January peak;
• Capacity on the Sydney-Honolulu service (QF3/4) will be increased during the holiday peak, from 7 December until Easter, by more than 300 seats each week. The Airbus A330-300 aircraft that normally operates on this route will be upgauged to a 747, offering customers the additional choice of Premium Economy on the popular holiday route;
• From 17 December ongoing, an additional Sydney-San Francisco service (QF73/74) on a 747 will be added, giving customers the choice of a daily flight between the two cities;
• From 4 February 2019 ongoing, the Sydney-Dallas/Fort Worth service (QF7/8) will be reduced to six times per week on an A380;
• As previously announced, from 1 September 2018:
  • The 787-9 Dreamliner will operate the daily Brisbane-Los Angeles-New York City (JFK) service replacing the 747 aircraft;
  • The 787-9 Dreamliner will operate Melbourne-San Francisco four times a week.

Asia

Qantas will adjust capacity in Asia later this year to better match demand by:

• Offering an additional A330 service between Sydney and Osaka (QF33/34) from 7 December 2018, increasing the service which began in December last year, to four times per week;
• From 28 October, adding a Tuesday A330 service between Sydney and Manila (QF19/20), giving customers the choice of a daily flight between the two cities*;
• From 28 October reducing its Sydney-Beijing service (QF107/108) to five times per week, removing flights on lower demand days of Tuesday and Thursday.

 

[mviy]

It makes a lot of sense.

Glad to see that QF73/QF74 will go daily.

I wonder if eventually QF73/QF74 will go to daily 787 and the MEL-SFO service will be increased to daily.

Or maybe when more A380 are freed up (e.g. when direct non-stop SYD-LHR starts) some A380 will go onto the QF73/QF74 route.

Presumably SYD-HNL seasonal services will eventually use the 787 rather than the 747, but there's not many 787 with the QF fit-out yet.

 

[jb747]

Presumably SYD-HNL seasonal services will eventually use the 787 rather than the 747, but there's not many 787 with the QF fit-out yet.

Need a lot more than 8 787s....

 

[oz_mark]

Presumably SYD-HNL seasonal services will eventually use the 787 rather than the 747, but there's not many 787 with the QF fit-out yet.

JQ then

 

[RichardMEL]

HNL requires capacity in Y so the 744 makes sense, and I can't see QF putting their flagship product onto HNL... after the 747's are gone probably back to 330's or even more likely ceeded back to JQ. Still one never knows.

SFO gets a huge capacity boost with the daily SYD-SFO 747 (against UA's 789) and MEL-SFO in 798.. that's a lot of lift there specially where AA is relatively weak. However other partner AS, via VX integration(VX officially goes away today, btw), is strong, so that offers interesting options to the PNW and other locations. Interesting to see how this goes.

 

[serfty]

SFO gets a huge capacity boost with the daily SYD-SFO 747 (against UA's 789) and MEL-SFO in 798.. that's a lot of lift there specially where AA is relatively weak. However other partner AS, via VX integration(VX officially goes away today, btw), is strong, so that offers interesting options to the PNW and other locations. Interesting to see how this goes.

That aligns with this email received the other day:

---

Make the most of your stay in Silicon Valley
From 1 September 2018^, Qantas' Melbourne-San Francisco service will provide direct travel options for customers looking to do business in San Francisco and the United States. With an evening departure from Melbourne and an overnight flight on the return, our new schedule means travellers can arrive in both cities ready to make the most of their stay. Qantas' Dreamliner will fly four times per week from Melbourne to San Francisco and two times a week from Melbourne to Los Angeles. From San Francisco, customers also have the option of connecting onwards to codeshare destinations including Chicago, Honolulu and Vancouver, with partners American Airlines, WestJet and Alaska Airlines.

 

[michaele]

Still no word on the 3x daily 789 ex BNE. Does additional SFO seats mean the West Coast growth is now covered? Is there enough premium load to fly the 789 into ORD and will SYD premium traffic want to fly up to BNE first? What about given NZ's move into that market potentially days earlier (NOV 30).

I still like the idea of flying BNE-YVR given its an in demand (mostly) leisure route (as travellers don't mind flying up from SYD/MEL etc). QF infrastructure is already available from the seasonal service. AC have shown it's a profitable route.

 

[Isochronous]

HNL tag to Toronto or Vegas would be good!

 

[TheInsider]

HNL tag to Toronto or Vegas would be good!

Won't happen. Too much cost in crewing and accom.

 

[pauly7]

Great news for HNL capacity this has been bursting at the seams for a while!

 

[JohnPhelan]

HNL requires capacity in Y so the 744 makes sense, and I can't see QF putting their flagship product onto HNL... after the 747's are gone probably back to 330's or even more likely ceeded back to JQ. Still one never knows.

No chance of QF mainline pulling out of HNL - both QF and JQ make good money on the route, as AJ has noted. You don't cull money-making routes (and I suspect yield is far better on HNL than it is on BKK or MNL). Indeed, today's news is a QF capacity increase to HNL and the addition of Premium Economy to the route.

 

[juddles]

..... the addition of Premium Economy to the route.

Yes, I think this is a great move, even if it could (at least partially) have been accidental.

 

[offshore171]

Which route(s) are the 747’s being reassigned from?

 

[TomVexille]

Which route(s) are the 747’s being reassigned from?

BNE-LAX and SYD-LAX

 

[offshore171]

I wonder what the plan is for Haneda?

 

[Himeno]

Which route(s) are the 747’s being reassigned from?

Current 744 routes are
11/12 LAX-JFK
15/16 BNE-LAX
17/18 SYD-LAX (seasonal)
25/26 SYD-HND
27/28 SYD-SCL
63/64 SYD-JNB
73/74 SYD-SFO
75/76 SYD-YVR (seasonal)
127/128 SYD-HKG

The 11/12/15/16 sectors are going to 787 once the next two arrive.
The 17/18 seasonal flights might not happen this year with added BNE-US 787 flights once the 7th and 8th arrive.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Qantas has tentatively scheduled the last B747 service to Hong Kong for 12 December 2018.

Information courtesy of routesonline: QANTAS NS19 Sydney – Hong Kong service changes as of 08MAY18

 

[cjd600]

My SYD-HNL QF3 late August has just changed to 744
Same for QF4 return early Sept.