QF3 Syd-HNL - Q-Eat & Aircraft Question

[becinbloom]

Hi All
We are flying out on Sunday QF3 to Honolulu from Sydney - the aircraft is said to be an Airbus Industrie A330-200 -- we are flying ECONOMY

I am hoping this is a newer plane than our last flights to HNL it was old and awful

in term of meals we have the choice of the Q-Eat Meals or choosing once on board --- what is the best option? how can i find out what the on board options will be?

Also, it says they serve DINNER/REFRESHMENT --- i hope this means breakfast as my kids will be hungry once they wake up...

Thanks
Bec

 

[mannej]

How long ago did you fly this route? (I.e what In flight entertainment did the flight have, as this will help determine if you were on the 767 or A330)?

 

[becinbloom]

about 3.5 years ago - it was an old and awful plane ....

 

[mannej]

about 3.5 years ago - it was an old and awful plane ....

More than likely it was a 767. They have now left the QF fleet.

The 330's are currently being refurbished, so at a minimum you will have seat back IFE, but potentially a refurbished plane as well.

 

[becinbloom]

i think i posted this in wrong section -ill delete it and ask in qantas forum re meals

 

[downgraded]

Assuming q eat selection is available which i didn't check, go to your booking on the qf website and follow the links to the q-eat section.

You can see the meal selections that are standard as well as the extra selection, or choose no meal.

You can back out at any time as well as go back in and change or cancel your selections after you've made selections so don't be afraid to explore.

 

[Traveller1955]

I have flown both 767 and A 330. yes the A330 much better. Recently used Q eat from Honk Kong, brilliant food as we asked for!

 

[becinbloom]

It still says its the A330 so i assume thats what it will be ...

 

[mannej]

It still says its the A330 so i assume thats what it will be ...

Well one thing is for certain is that it won't be a 767...

 

[maninblack]

It's 99%+ chance an A330, I mean only other possibility is a relatively last minute tech issue change to a 744. Serious question though I wonder if QF will still use A330-200 to HNL once the upgrades are complete? Only one lavatory for Business class with the new configuration, on a 10 hour flight!

 

[JohnPhelan]

It's 99%+ chance an A330, I mean only other possibility is a relatively last minute tech issue change to a 744. Serious question though I wonder if QF will still use A330-200 to HNL once the upgrades are complete? Only one lavatory for Business class with the new configuration, on a 10 hour flight!

Once all the conversions are done the A330-300s are supposed to be used for international flights, the -200s for domestic (in fact, the configs are specifically named that way). That said, logistically there will still need to be the odd -200 used for the odd international on some days, but I'd be tipping they'll only normally appear on CGK, SIN and MNL , as the shortest international flights where the single toilet is going to be the least problematical. The longest A330 flights are PVG, HNL and NRT, so these should always get the 300s.

 

[moa999]

If you look at the latest seat maps, EBS/EBV are also tagged as International.

Given QF previously had a subfleet of 4 international 200s, and since then more 747 retirements with a few to go, makes sense that the 8 latest aircraft (with Panasonic IFE) will be Dom/Int.
Map notes a J-Class seat would be reserved in this situation.

 

[maninblack]

Sounds like they are a few 300's short to cover the network. I'm sure everyone would be far happier if they just dumped JQ from the route and ran a daily QF B744. I wonder what the actual economics of this would be. They would certainly have many more J and Y+ seats to sell.

 

[2tall4Y]

Yesterday I booked SYD-HNL-SYD J return for mid-June 2016, and MMB shows a A330-200 with skybeds for both the outbound and inbound.

My reading of the A330 refurbishment thread (excellent work by the way moa999) is that on current pace the A330-300s should be just about done by then - hopefully QF indeed prioritises the 300s for the longest routes as suggested by JohnPhelan above, and I find myself subbed onto refurbed 330s.

 

[mannej]

Plenty of time to find your seatmap change prior to June 2016

 

[ChrisGibbs]

The longest A330 flights are PVG, HNL and NRT, so these should always get the 300s.

From memory when I used to fly QF's SYD-BOM direct flights they used the -200's as it could deliver the 13-14hr endurance. The longest sector the QF -300's was the SYD-PEK direct sector at around 12hrs. I remember talking to one of the A330 drivers who said the -200 had a range of 1000nm+ over the -300. Not sure the numbers are exact but someone will have them close at hand.

 

[maninblack]

Didn't the BOM route have a fuel stop on the westbound flights? At DRW?

 

[ChrisGibbs]

Didn't the BOM route have a fuel stop on the westbound flights? At DRW?

Back in 2004 Qantas commenced a direct SYD-BOM-SYD service 3 times per week using an A330-200. It lasted approximately 24 months before being replaced by the QF51/QF52 service on the BNE-SIN-BNE run with the SIN-BOM-SIN extension being run 3 times per week using an A330-300. In May 2012 the SIN-BOM-SIN legs of the service were discontinued leaving it to the various codeshare services with Jet Airways.

 

[maninblack]

Back in 2004 Qantas commenced a direct SYD-BOM-SYD service 3 times per week using an A330-200. It lasted approximately 24 months before being replaced by the QF51/QF52 service on the BNE-SIN-BNE run with the SIN-BOM-SIN extension being run 3 times per week using an A330-300. In May 2012 the SIN-BOM-SIN legs of the service were discontinued leaving it to the various codeshare services with Jet Airways.

See about halfway down the press release. https://www.qantas.com.au/travel/airlines/media-releases/sep-2006/Q3480/global/en

Aha, I think this article gives the answer. http://m.theaustralian.com.au/busin...e-mumbai-flights/story-e6frg90f-1111118454916