Seating Configurations of the Past

[Sprucegoose]

from Dubai to Bali, it was 777 with two two configuration but it was still ok

You mean 2+3+2 ?

If so, they are not the best, a bit cramped.

It was boarding time and waiting in the queue to board that my name was called and got told that I was upgraded to Business, I was very excited to have a more comfortable trip back to Melbourne as I was starting work that morning after arriving in Melbourne.

Still, I would have been grateful despite your issues (unknown at the time). It's a QF 737 and they don't have a lie flat. I would have routed DPS-SIN-MEL on J if you wanted comfort.

the food was absolutely shocking, there was a menu and I got told to choose what I wanted and they would take my order so I decided to order the lamb sandwich which confused the hell out of the airhostess and she was asking where had I seen that, after showing her the menu and her checking it closely and then saying it was the wrong menu,

The CSM was probably having a bad day. I had a flight like that recently where they got so much wrong. Quite depressing. But at least your seat was better than Y (although row 4 is always ok for a few hours).

Have you travelled business class from Bali to Aus, what has your experience been like?

I lived in JKT, so DSP and JKT were regular ports back to Asia and Aus. Getting home (SYD) was always a shocker. It leaves mid to late evening, say 9/10 WIB (UTC+7) you effectively boarded at midnight AUS, may have gotten some sleep to say at, say, 3 am AEST or 12 pm WIB (UTC+7) and then land post curfew. It's effectively a red-eye deal. Ansett 767 was my favourite, and the QF767 service had the old Dreamtime seats - comfortable.

On the return, I also used SYD-DPS (as opposed to SYD-SIN) to get up to the Maluku Islands, which is not a bad entry into Asia - it was always depressing checking in DPS knowing you had to move on in the AM.

just a rant that it was such a waste of 38100 points, where as I would have been much better in economy. Have you travelled business class from Bali to Aus, what has your experience been like?

Depends on what you value, if you're a points millionaire maybe you won't miss them, however, if you have 40k, then yes you could have done a lot better!

How were you to know Ted Bundy was sitting next to you?

 

[Matt_01]

I lived in JKT, so DSP and JKT were regular ports back to Asia and Aus. Getting home (SYD) was always a shocker. It leaves mid to late evening, say 9/10 WIB (UTC+7) you effectively boarded at midnight AUS, may have gotten some sleep to say at, say, 3 am AEST or 12 pm WIB (UTC+7) and then land post curfew. It's effectively a red-eye deal. Ansett 767 was my favourite, and the QF767 service had the old Dreamtime seats - comfortable.

OT do you own airline seats? Are these the sames seats that were used in the early domestically in the early 1990's. I can recall travelling in blue J seats on domestic routes but not sure if it was QF or AN. It could have been on the 767, it is just to long and many flights ago.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Yes, it was a 90's thing.

No! But I did buy a 744 trolley full of cheap booze during covid to relieve the boredom!

QF seats were excellent, like falling asleep at home in the lounge.

I was a big AN guy in the day; they were my go-to, and their seats were great. I do recall QF had 5th freedom rights from HKG to JKT (please correct me?), and the 767 was the best aircraft.

 

[RichardMEL]

OT do you own airline seats? Are these the sames seats that were used in the early domestically in the early 1990's. I can recall travelling in blue J seats on domestic routes but not sure if it was QF or AN. It could have been on the 767, it is just to long and many flights ago.

When I first saw the pic my very first thought was AN to be honest, but iirc QF 767's did have some fairly furry J seats at one point..

 

[kpro]

OT do you own airline seats? Are these the sames seats that were used in the early domestically in the early 1990's. I can recall travelling in blue J seats on domestic routes but not sure if it was QF or AN. It could have been on the 767, it is just to long and many flights ago.

They do look very much like the QF Dreamtime seats. They even featured on the 747's before Skybed mk1.

VH-OGM | Boeing 767-338(ER) | Qantas | Anthony Jackson | JetPhotos

The Business Class 'Dreamtime' seat fully extended. The PTV is stowed in the armrest.. VH-OGM. Boeing 767-338(ER). JetPhotos.com is the biggest database of aviation photographs with over 5 million screened photos online!

www.jetphotos.com

 

[Sprucegoose]

They do look very much like the QF Dreamtime seats. They even featured on the 747's before Skybed mk1.

https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/152791[/URL

Now, Sir, I do believe you are correct!

 

[serfty]

They do look very much like the QF Dreamtime seats. They even featured on the 747's before Skybed mk1.

VH-OGM | Boeing 767-338(ER) | Qantas | Anthony Jackson | JetPhotos

The Business Class 'Dreamtime' seat fully extended. The PTV is stowed in the armrest.. VH-OGM. Boeing 767-338(ER). JetPhotos.com is the biggest database of aviation photographs with over 5 million screened photos online!

www.jetphotos.com

Yep, the good ol' Dreamtime seats, late 90's until the Skybeds were introduced.

Really liked row A on the 763's.

I was surprised to see the same seat on USair flight out of PHL in 2012 back in their (and my)*A days. They called them "Envoy".

 

[RichardMEL]

Yep, the good ol' Dreamtime seats, late 90's until the Skybeds were introduced.

Really liked row A on the 763's.

IIRC wasn't it just the international 763's that had the 1-2-2 config in J such that row A was the best option? Maybe not even all of those at some point. The domestic ones (mostly the ones that QF leased from BA - what was it VH-ZX? series?) and they were 2-2-2 in J.

I got that config several tines (the lone A seats) and agree they were real;y great for solo travel

 

[Quickstatus]

QF leased from BA - what was it VH-ZX?

ZXC,ZXD,ZXE . 31-32 years old
These were 30J = 2-2-2

The 1-2-2 were 25J config. I don't remember . I know the OG- were mainly 30J as well

These 3 ZX- airframes are still flying with a mob called goeasternairlines.com
(as are a lot of the ex QF767 - even VH-OGA, the first of the QF ordered 767-338 is still flying)

 

[serfty]

IIRC wasn't it just the international 763's that had the 1-2-2 config in J such that row A was the best option? Maybe not even all of those at some point. The domestic ones (mostly the ones that QF leased from BA - what was it VH-ZX? series?) and they were 2-2-2 in J.

I got that config several tines (the lone A seats) and agree they were real;y great for solo travel

The ex BA 763's with rego VH-ZX? were my "nemesis" and I had put them out of my mind.

Otherwise it was the Qantas 762's that had 2-2-2.

 

[mannej]

The ex BA 763's with rego VH-ZX? were my "nemesis" and I had put them out of my mind.

Otherwise it was the Qantas 762's that had 2-2-2.

It’s a pity that the Qantas Source is no longer around as I’m sure it would have had the ZX and the 2 x final layouts (Dreamtime and Millennium) of the OG 763’s

I am pushing the memory bank here a little but didn’t the ZX’s have the mini cabin in Y, and the crewed exit rows unlike the OG’s?

 

[RichardMEL]

It’s a pity that the Qantas Source is no longer around as I’m sure it would have had the ZX and the 2 x final layouts (Dreamtime and Millennium) of the OG 763’s

I am pushing the memory bank here a little but didn’t the ZX’s have the mini cabin in Y, and the crewed exit rows unlike the OG’s?

I think you're right. That rings a bell. Pretty sure there were six of those birds too in the end.

And speaking of poor configs - the initial replacemnt of those birds with those ex JQ config 332's.. I am sure those bring back "fond" memories

and yep, agree totally about the qantas source. I was quite dismayed when I found it was no more.

 

[kpro]

There's always the Internet Archive -

Wayback Machine

web.archive.org

Wayback Machine

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Wayback Machine

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Wayback Machine

web.archive.org

Wayback Machine

web.archive.org

Wayback Machine

web.archive.org

Wayback Machine

web.archive.org

Wayback Machine

web.archive.org

Wayback Machine

web.archive.org

Wayback Machine

web.archive.org

Wayback Machine

web.archive.org

Wayback Machine

web.archive.org

Wayback Machine

web.archive.org

Wayback Machine

web.archive.org

 

[serfty]

Of course, one can always scan a 2001 Qantas timetable ... bonus 747SP map

 

[SYD]

Of course, one can always scan a 2001 Qantas timetable ... bonus 747SP map

Wow, the SPs were still flying in 2001? I did not know that and maybe I flew on one after all…..

 

[serfty]

Wow, the SPs were still flying in 2001? I did not know that and maybe I flew on one after all…..

I had the one experince - afternoon flight CNS-DRW, it went on to DPS.

 

[Mwenenzi]

I think you're right. That rings a bell. Pretty sure there were six of those birds too in the end.

And speaking of poor configs - the initial replacement of those birds with those ex JQ config 332's.. I am sure those bring back "fond" memories

and yep, agree totally about the Qantas source. I was quite dismayed when I found it was no more.

I have
2007 pdf seat maps of B767-336-30J214Y VH-ZXA to ZXG.
2007 pdf seat maps of B767-338-25J204Y VH-OGA on (9 in total)
2006 pdf seat maps of B767-338-30J224Y VH-OGI, OGJ, OGL OGK

aussieairliners.org

a comprehensive history of the airliners operated by australian airlines.

www.aussieairliners.org

 

[SYD]

I had the one experince - afternoon flight CNS-DRW, it went on to DPS.

I had quite a few QF 747 flights in the 90s - I’m now wondering if any of those might have been an SP. HNL, DPS, AKL could be contenders? I’m assuming by the mid 90s SYD-LAX was a -400 and similarly SYD-BKK-LHR?

 

[Mwenenzi]

I had quite a few QF 747 flights in the 90s - I’m now wondering if any of those might have been an SP. HNL, DPS, AKL could be contenders? I’m assuming by the mid 90s SYD-LAX was a -400 and similarly SYD-BKK-LHR?

History of QF 774SP here

Australian Boeing 747 Register

australia and new zealand boeing 747 register.

aussieairliners.org

VH-EAA Boeing 747SP-38

history of qantas airways boeing 747sp-38 vh-eaa cn 22495-505.

aussieairliners.org

VH-EAB Boeing 747SP-38

history of qantas airways boeing 747sp-38 vh-eab cn 22672-537.

aussieairliners.org

QF did fly into WLG for a time with a 774 SP. Would have been interesting with that short runway

It operated the proving flight Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - Wellington - January 31, 1981
Traning flights were carried out Wellington - Wellington - February 01, 1981
Operated the inaugural Qantas SP service Sydney (Kingsforsd Smith) - Wellington as QF55 - February 06, 1981
Due to bad weather at Wellington the flight was diverted to Auckland (Captain D. McKinley)
Ferried Auckland - Wellington - February 07, 1981

 

[SYD]

History of QF 774SP here

Australian Boeing 747 Register

australia and new zealand boeing 747 register.

aussieairliners.org

VH-EAA Boeing 747SP-38

history of qantas airways boeing 747sp-38 vh-eaa cn 22495-505.

aussieairliners.org

VH-EAB Boeing 747SP-38

history of qantas airways boeing 747sp-38 vh-eab cn 22672-537.

aussieairliners.org

QF did fly into WLG for a time with a 774 SP. Would have been interesting with that short runway

Yes, I was literally just looking at those before I posted. The WLG thing was a new fun fact but I guess that was consistent in the time when QF was an all 747 fleet.