When will QF release F seats on the A380

[fiscal]

Hi All,

After following a thread on which F class is better QF or BA, prompted me to post this question.

I have asked Qantas when this will happen, but to no avail. I was bumped from dept to dept - no one seems to have the authority to say when, or even if.

On the SIN - LHR sector, I can pick up heaps of BA, only a sprinkling of QF and NO A380 F seats.

TY

 

[ejb]

Hi,

While there is only 1 A380 doing the LHR run I don't think QF will release many seats on it due to the number of people who would be willing to change plans slightly to ride the new bird. This will ensure QF have high loads for the flights operated by the A380.

YMMV

ejb

 

[moa999]

Whilst they only have 1 or 2 planes and people keep paying to fill the seats, I doubt they will.
When loads come off, expect some to be released.

 

[simongr]

I did not think the current A380 was flying to LHR yet?

 

[NM]

I expect the reason you had problems finding anyone at Qantas who was able to provide an answer is because they just don't know yet. I expect they will wait and see what happens with loads and demand on existing 744 services. All anyone can do at this time is guess and speculate. My guess is that its not going to happen until the the F capacity to any particular destination is significantly >50% operated by A380 aircraft.

Paying F passengers are likely to favour the A380 due to the new product, reducing demand for existing 744 services to the same destination. So QF is more likely to want to push award redemptions to existing 744s and retain the A380 seats for paying passengers.

This is the same as we saw when they introduced Skybeds on some routes. Until the route was almost exclusively Skybeds, award seats were generally only available on the Dreamtime flights. On some routes (e.g. to NRT) they were even able to charge a premium for the Skybed flights.

I would think the best chance of a F award seats on a QF A380 is to book on a 744 flight that later gets changed to an A380. Some people who booked to/from LAX have now found themselves on A380 scheduled services.

 

[Alanslegal]

If you really want to fly QF A380 F and destination is flexible I have come across some award availability (abliet small numbers) on the SYD-LAX routes.

Comes to think of it - I really should have booked one instead of the damn J award.