Qantas 738 Refurb: More seats, Q-stream IFE (from 2015)

[moa999]

Commencing mid-2015
- One additional row to economy
- Made possible by changes to galley and lavatory, and although the article I think miswords it, a slimline seat.

- Older 738s (ie the 38 without seatback IFE to get Q-Streaming) - presumably using the ipads from retired 767s

Qantas adds more seats, smaller loos on domestic fleet



Not clear whether this will also include the bin and sidewall upgrades that were trialled on one aircraft as part of Project Amber
http://www.australianfrequentflyer....ram/qantas-upgrade-boeing-737s-fit-41219.html
or FT for the photos of VH-VHC
737 Refurbishment - FlyerTalk Forums

 

[opusman]

I think the "slimline" in that article is referring to the new toilets.

 

[mannej]

Is it possible for the 737 lavatories to get any smaller? The ZK lavatories from last week didn't have much spare space as it was I don't imagine the VH lavatories to be any bigger.

 

[cmon0005]

One thing I've always liked with QF's 737's is they don't feel cramped as other airlines 737's.

I just hope whatever changes they make to the 737's that they don't end up feeling like VA's 737's or JQ's A320/321's.

 

[BD1959]

I feel QF has literally "missed the boat" here ....

They really should be looking to introduce a row of seats where they're removing the liferafts.

"Floor or ceiling seat" should be a new seating option on your profile.

Regards,

BD

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

On the 737, but kept the middle aisle as is, now that would be a scary thought.
Maybe its now time for me to totally ditch QF and go with VA for all my flights.
QF is really getting more and more tight, worst.

 

[yohy?!]

the gap is closing between the QF and JQ hard product

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

One plus is/was that I had the chance to try the JQ 787 recently, in Y though, and thats a (maybe an only plus) for JQ, in my pov.
If QF brought in the 787 into their fleet, good, but I don't think they will. 737-800 now are their forte.

 

[Mr_Orange]

On the 737, but kept the middle aisle as is, now that would be a scary thought.

What's your point here?

 

[moa999]

AusBT article.
Qantas Boeing 737s to get extra seats, wireless Q Streaming entertainment - Flights | hotels | frequent flyer | business class - Australian Business Traveller

Additional commentary that the older 737s won't get iPads, just BYO Q-Streaming.

 

[dougieboy]

It's most fortunate that Joyce can't remove emergency exit doors imagine how many seats he could fit then. Cram them in like a peak hour train in China/Japan. No one does cheap like Joyce can, it's the only compliment I can come up with. No one ever got laid being a cheap date. Qantas is on the cheap! Lucky I only do J.

 

[Mattg]

On the 737, but kept the middle aisle as is, now that would be a scary thought.
Maybe its now time for me to totally ditch QF and go with VA for all my flights.
QF is really getting more and more tight, worst.

Um, VA will still have more seams crammed into their 737-800s even after the extra row is added..

 

[opusman]

VA have one less row of business though.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

if theres no difference to existing seat space its not a problem. QF are just following what the worlds airlines are doing, e.g. BA

 

[eastwest101]

Just to check the actual numbers, currently its:

QF B738 12J + 156Y = 168 total
VA B738 8J + 168Y = 176 total

And commencing mid 2015ish:

QF B738 12J + 162Y = 174 total
VA B738 8J + 168Y = 176 total

Even with the slimline toilets, by QF having more J class seats than VA and what must be a larger J cabin than VA, then surely some Y seats in the new QF B738 will have to have a reduced seat pitch (< 30" of seat pitch?).

 

[roncritch]

The main reason they can put in the extra row is not all from the slimline new toilets, it's because now you only get a small pastry (trayless) they don't need such a big galley!!

 

[BD1959]

AusBT article.
Qantas Boeing 737s to get extra seats, wireless Q Streaming entertainment - Flights | hotels | frequent flyer | business class - Australian Business Traveller

Additional commentary that the older 737s won't get iPads, just BYO Q-Streaming.

Let's hope it's a better product than VA.

Still haven't managed to get video to work and I'm on an average of 4 reloads of the App running music and moving map on a SYD/MEL.

Probably doesn't help that running BB10, I'm having to side-load the Android App.

Regards,

BD

 

[JohnK]

Is it possible for the 737 lavatories to get any smaller? The ZK lavatories from last week didn't have much spare space as it was I don't imagine the VH lavatories to be any bigger.

Let's hope not as the average person is getting larger.

One thing I've always liked with QF's 737's is they don't feel cramped as other airlines 737's.

I just hope whatever changes they make to the 737's that they don't end up feeling like VA's 737's or JQ's A320/321's.

VA 737s always feel cramped to me and I am not talking about 1-2 inches of legroom.

 

[Catweazle]

For someone like me who is 6'3 this isn't the best of news. A 737 is cramped enough as it is when you don't get an exit row seat.

Generally I seem to have good luck with domestic exit row seats, however, and the leg room in those is more than enough to make my day even if you only get three and not four crackers

 

[nick.wall]

One has to wonder about some of their decisions. Why not add a 'Main Cabin Extra' aka. Domestic "Premium Economy" with the extra space instead of cramming in yet more people. When booking a flight for my holiday at the end of the year on AA the first thing myself and the travelling companion did was pay the extra for the 'Main Cabin Extra' product. Cheaper than business but the extra leg room, without having sampled the product i must admit, would appear to be well worth the extra $$. Such an initiative would seemingly be a way for an airline to be distinguished from cheap and nasty "budget" airlines. If others have done it surely it would suggest the economics of it can be made work.

So little imagination and customer focus in that press release. Might as well just put a star on the tail and be done with it :|