First refurbished 767 enters service end of the month [Oct '12]

[oz_mark]

Anyone know if ones one the 767 refurb Y seat armrest fold away?.

Even though I am a bit long to comfortable lie across three seats, they have always folded up in the past (aside from the first row). Wouldn't have though this would change.

 

[ajw373]

Anyone know if ones one the 767 refurb Y seat armrest fold away?.

The seats are physicaly the same, just new covers.

 

[Mal Ware]

Mal ware, you are wrong

I know it is a common theme here, but no, I am not wrong.

U.S. military and civilian personnel assigned to USPACOM number approximately 325,000, or about one-fifth of total U.S. military

The United States Pacific Command (USPACOM) Area of Responsibility (AOR) encompasses about half the earth's surface, stretching from the waters off the west coast of the U.S. to the western border of India, and from Antarctica to the North Pole. All of those people are not all sitting around Hawaii

For the years when RIMPAC is not on we have Talisman Sabre, we basically sees Australia invaded when it comes to FNQ and Darwin with around 15000 US service folks, there is also regular use of Shoalwater Bay by the US including an 8 week deployment of USN assets at TSV late last year in conjunction with the USN Growlers at Amberley.

I have been involved in most of those exercises myself having been in the military and I can tell you they don't all fly J on Qantas as the OP suggested. Most military either come by ship or military aircraft for exercises.

So no reason for there to be any traffic to HNL for the Military???

I never said that. The person I quoted implied that the military alone keeps the J sector busy to HNL. I said there would be the odd officer traveling, not as many as he nor your now are trying to make out.

In fact I think you will find its one of the busiest routes the ADF spends its travel budget on, given Hawaii is so important an asset that the US went to war over it!

You have any proof of this or is this just your opinion?
The latest budgets are cutting defence travel and have done so for a number of years.

 

[ajw373]

I know it is a common theme here, but no, I am not wrong.



The United States Pacific Command (USPACOM) Area of Responsibility (AOR) encompasses about half the earth's surface, stretching from the waters off the west coast of the U.S. to the western border of India, and from Antarctica to the North Pole. All of those people are not all sitting around Hawaii

In the context of this discussion, the point that was being made was in relation to AUSTRALIA's relationship to the US and the importance of the Hawaii bases to Australia and possible ADF travel. So whilst in the grand scheme of things what is in Hawaii is a small portion of the US Defence force, to Australia's interests however it is a large part. But as I said the ADF like all Australian government departments uses best fare of the day which often ends up being Jetstar anyway.

 

[markis10]

But as I said the ADF like all Australian government departments uses best fare of the day which often ends up being Jetstar anyway.

Not quite, QF and JQ only overlap their service one day a week with QF operating the all important Friday services.

I know it is a common theme here, but no, I am not wrong.

Wrong is the word I would use to describe an assertion:

There is a few bases on Hawaii but all of the major US bases are on the mainland US.

As already stated NS Pearl Harbour which is now joint base with Hickham is one of the largest bases in the world for movements !

You have any proof of this or is this just your opinion?
The latest budgets are cutting defence travel and have done so for a number of years.

Proof, for a start we are not talking one eyed Australian traffic here, in fact as per my previous post its actually most US Military, who strangely dont seem to have budget limits when they are looking after the forward deployments of a significant portion of the US Marine force to Australia, along with other US assets in Australian territory.

I have been involved in most of those exercises myself having been in the military and I can tell you they don't all fly J on Qantas as the OP suggested. Most military either come by ship or military aircraft for exercises.

While the grunts may get substand transport, officers dont, including their own jets if they are high enough in the USN, or on commercial charters in addition to RPT, and those exercises involve year round travel and coordination which is what is fulling the HNL SYD planes in the first place.

http://cqplanespotting.blogspot.com.au/2011/08/military-exercise-talisman-sabre-2011_02.html

 

[nlagalle]

I know it is a common theme here, but no, I am not wrong.

Seems someone doesn't like to be shown he is wrong..... I think the board here would take Markis10's knowledge and experience over what you think is right or wrong.

 

[Limewood]

Not quite, QF and JQ only overlap their service one day a week with QF operating the all important Friday services.

From what I see the SYD/HNL every Friday for next 3 weeks is about one third full, might just be off time for military?.

 

[JohnPhelan]

As for there being a need for flights just to ferry Austalian military to HNL you are again way off the mark. The odd officer might need to travel there, but the amount of traffic you make out is again far from correct. They have things like phones and computer hook ups these days and there is no pressing need for Australian military to regularly travel there, except maybe just before, during and after a Rimpac Exercise which takes place every couple of years from memory.

I am not "making out" anything, simply reporting what I have been told by a senior QF staffer who deals specifically with ADF and DoD travel. Without any doubt, this person knows much, much more about who QF sells these seats to than you do!

Obviously we're talking about high-ranking officers and public servants in this discussion, not soldiers/sailors/air crew taking part in military exercises!

As for Mal Ware - run the name together, you get "malware" - a very appropriate IT term for the poster.

 

[eastwest101]

I am not "making out" anything, simply reporting what I have been told by a senior QF staffer who deals specifically with ADF and DoD travel. Without any doubt, this person knows much, much more about who QF sells these seats to than you do!

Obviously we're talking about high-ranking officers and public servants in this discussion, not soldiers/sailors/air crew taking part in military exercises!.

I would be really interested to know how/if the Australian ADF personnel are able to avoid JQ's "business class" flights. I think that even Mal Ware would accept that between the US and Australian defence travel, limited capacity, the historic high AUD prompting record numbers of Australian going overseas and the high demand for J class seats from points upgrades/and JASA etc would mean that J cabins would be fairly full and looking at even the Y fares that QF is asking I expect that HNL is quite a money spinner for QFi.

This route will eventually get better equipment once HA either expand enough or start taking market share from QF or indeed even from JQ, so even then - the prescence of JQi tends to muddy the waters and raise questions about what is really the long term goal of The Qantas Group management when it comes to Hawaii.

 

[markis10]

I would be really interested to know how/if the Australian ADF personnel are able to avoid JQ's "business class" flights.

Travel over Sunday back Friday!

 

[JohnPhelan]

I would be really interested to know how/if the Australian ADF personnel are able to avoid JQ's "business class" flights.

I'm sure that sometimes they do end up on JQ - but it's easy to ensure you are on QF - you just pick a travel date that QF flies to HNL, but JQ doesn't! (There's only one day that's common to both airlines - Wednesday).

 

[ajw373]

I'm sure that sometimes they do end up on JQ - but it's easy to ensure you are on QF - you just pick a travel date that QF flies to HNL, but JQ doesn't! (There's only one day that's common to both airlines - Wednesday).

Where I work our corporate travel agent is smart to that one so always quotes with Jetstar on different dates. The bosses then say move the dates of the trip. Of course everyone knows that Jetstar business is not really business but because they sell it as business the Government thinks it is business. The same is true in the US with domestic first. Everyone knows it is another name for business (except on a few routes). I recall a few years back being booked on a QF code share from Honolulu to Los Angeles in business class because American only offered first class, this despite the fact that the Qantas code share ticket was more expensive than American first. Of course they were the same seats on the aircraft.

 

[eastwest101]

Where I work our corporate travel agent is smart to that one so always quotes with Jetstar on different dates. The bosses then say move the dates of the trip. Of course everyone knows that Jetstar business is not really business but because they sell it as business the Government thinks it is business. The same is true in the US with domestic first. Everyone knows it is another name for business (except on a few routes). I recall a few years back being booked on a QF code share from Honolulu to Los Angeles in business class because American only offered first class, this despite the fact that the Qantas code share ticket was more expensive than American first. Of course they were the same seats on the aircraft.

Yes it seems there is unlimited amounts of idiocy from some corporate travel agents, the old pinch the pennies and throw away the pounds!

Maybe wait until your corporate travel agent is going somewhere for work, and suggest that Tiger also fly there! Of maybe start of a new OT thread:

Where and on what airline would you like to send your corporate travel agent?

 

[ozbeachbabe]

I was surprised to find that a J fare on NZ AKL/HNL is around AUD1,754.00 one way. It's also a day flight outbound but an overnight on the return so the opposite of what QF/HA/JQ offer.

You would need one night in a hotel in AKL the night prior due to the 1100 departure & you need to book HNL accomm from the previous night eg Tue 09 Apr departure will have you arrive in HNL 2145 on Mon 08 Apr.

One good thing about NZ fare structure is a return fare is just double the one way levels like a LCC model similar to JQ so you're not penalised if you only want to travel one way.

If you price HA return SYD/HNL/SYD in J the fare is around AUD4,400.00 but about 75% of that to go one way. Haven't priced QF but the fare structure is similar to HA.

 

[Mrmaxwell]

QF3 on Feb 3 was full in J and 19 free seats in Y. The CSM advised me it would taper off now through Feb and dips right down until June where it peaks again and remains steady through to Feb next year. I also asked about the iPads and was told the crew don't even know until they are prepping the plane and there are no iPads loaded. Luckily I had my own and the streaming worked perfectly not sure how it goes with 200+ pax all streaming at once.

With the worlds airlines focusing on young advanced fleets QF needs to catch up...

 

[Flying Fox]

With the worlds airlines focusing on young advanced fleets QF needs to catch up...

Whilst I agree, at least the 767s are flying vs the delayed 787s which are all presently grounded.

 

[Limewood]

QF3 on Feb 3 was full in J and 19 free seats in Y. The CSM advised me it would taper off now through Feb and dips right down until June where it peaks again and remains steady through to Feb next year.

We are going 1st March SYD/HNL and return 8th March in Y on these old QF 767 refurbed clunkers. Looking at seats available its only showing about 35% full (same next 2 Friday departures), I think the reason so many seats are not taken is due to the new HW aircraft SYD/HNL/SYD plus the addition of new HW flights BNE/HNL, plus currently HW are about $200 cheaper anyway. Qantas will have to lift their game on these sectors (as many have been telling them for yonks). If I wasn''t using QFF points would be going with HW instead.

 

[Newk]

I was surprised to find that a J fare on NZ AKL/HNL is around AUD1,754.00 one way. It's also a day flight outbound but an overnight on the return so the opposite of what QF/HA/JQ offer.

You would need one night in a hotel in AKL the night prior due to the 1100 departure & you need to book HNL accomm from the previous night eg Tue 09 Apr departure will have you arrive in HNL 2145 on Mon 08 Apr.

One good thing about NZ fare structure is a return fare is just double the one way levels like a LCC model similar to JQ so you're not penalised if you only want to travel one way.

If you price HA return SYD/HNL/SYD in J the fare is around AUD4,400.00 but about 75% of that to go one way. Haven't priced QF but the fare structure is similar to HA.

Thanks for that info..it all adds to my knowledge base

 

[cmon0005]

Flew on one of the refurbed birds yesterday in Business, definitely a huge improvement on what was offered before.
The iPads with QStreaming were great, also the fact that they were in the seat pockets already was good, worked flawlessly. I originally thought they would be a pain in the butt but QF's implementation is fantastic.

 

[Mrmaxwell]

Both QF3 and QF4 were missing the iPads on my recent trip to HNL...I guess these won't be on the HNL flights? The streaming worked perfectly from my own iPad however so BYO with cover to use the backseat hanger it seems.