A330 - XFA/B - Refit?

[Grimace1]

It looks like VH-XFE is heading out of Australia

 

[TomVexille]

It looks like VH-XFE is heading out of Australia

Heading for MNL according to flightaware

 

[IainF]

MrsF Flew back on XFB overnight in J from PER-BNE yesterday. We knew to ask for a R/H side seat, but it seems so does everyone else. Failure of the IFE is expected, failure of the ovens is expected, failure of the seat is expected.
I know that a bad "J" experience is still better than a good "Y" experience but still.....

 

[hummel]

MrsF Flew back on XFB overnight in J from PER-BNE yesterday. We knew to ask for a R/H side seat, but it seems so does everyone else. Failure of the IFE is expected, failure of the ovens is expected, failure of the seat is expected.
I know that a bad "J" experience is still better than a good "Y" experience but still.....

Still not acceptable. I would hope customers that are paying J fares and IFE not working etc are requesting compensation.

Maybe VA will take it onboard and realise sooner rather than later would be great!

 

[Shano]

Seat 6F on XFA. Poor bugger assigned that seat had no tray table as a result.

Overheard from galley "these planes are a piece if cough"

 

[lovestotravel]

If there was indeed no tray table and it was a full flight the customer should have been fully informed upon check-in or if he did on-line/mobile etc check-in a phone call to explain that he won't have a tray table etc etc

 

[cove]

Nothing that gaffer tape cannot fix. Let's start on the wings...the interior can wait.

 

[Shano]

The pre departure announcement in Y was along the lines of "sorry we have a number of seats where the IFE is not working so we suggest you try and find a vacant seat"

I guess gaffa tape can't fix IFE....

 

[Clivem]

If anything ever went pear shape in a major way on either of these girls - the things, minor as some maybe, noted in this thread would travel at 'warp speed' out into the wider community as a general reflection of poor general overall maintenance.
It doesn't take much to seriously damage a brand in that regard - Something 'overall risk management' don't want to loose sight of.

 

[maninblack]

I have been flying VA a lot the past 2 years. I still think they are pretty darned ordinary in so many ways. The state of these aircraft is a reflection of that, as is their website. They are just lucky that their only competition is in the doldrums. Both of these airlines are not much better than the US legacy carriers we all used to look down on.

 

[Bofter]

Seat 6F on XFA. Poor bugger assigned that seat had no tray table as a result.

Overheard from galley "these planes are a piece if cough"

I was on XFB on VA691 yesterday and I am pretty sure 6f had no tray table on that one either as the cabin crew tried offering the occupant a purple plastic tray as an alternative.

My personal IFE worked fine - as soon as I knew I was on XFA or XFB I made sure I had a book and never pulled the screen out on once.

 

[drewbles]

I have been flying VA a lot the past 2 years. I still think they are pretty darned ordinary in so many ways. The state of these aircraft is a reflection of that, as is their website. They are just lucky that their only competition is in the doldrums. Both of these airlines are not much better than the US legacy carriers we all used to look down on.

I fly on AA a lot (probably 30 odd segments a year) and comparing AA/DL/UA to QF or VA is like chalk and cheese. There is no comparison.

All the legacy carriers in the USA charge for luggage and are buy-on-board for coach. Their 'F' is not even a patch on domestic J offerings here, and when you mention to the AA FA's that CBR-MEL gets a meal in J and a snack in coach they are dumbfounded.

For all VA and QF's faults, we have it very good here!

 

[maninblack]

and when you mention to the AA FA's that CBR-MEL gets a meal in J and a snack in coach they are dumbfounded.

I am sure they are dumbfounded as I doubt that they have any idea of what or where those cities are

I agree our airlines have better service but I think the general direction of things is toward the broader industry norm, QF domestic J is pretty similar to AA domestic F these days IMO and certainly not much better than AC domestic. As always YMMV

 

[drewbles]

I am sure they are dumbfounded as I doubt that they have any idea of what or where those cities are

I agree our airlines have better service but I think the general direction of things is toward the broader industry norm, QF domestic J is pretty similar to AA domestic F these days IMO and certainly not much better than AC domestic. As always YMMV

I'd disagree that QF J is on par with AA F. AA F serve a packet of pretzels on a 60 minute flight. QF J serve a meal on a 36 minute segment.

(I use CBR-MEL As an example, after I mentioned a 36 minute segment serves a meal). Perhaps the QF hard product yes, but the soft product is still better (Excluding the trans-con three class service SFO/LAX-JFK and the 2 class widebodies they run, as well as the international configured 757's).

 

[serfty]

I'd disagree that QF J is on par with AA F. AA F serve a packet of pretzels on a 60 minute flight. QF J serve a meal on a 36 minute segment.

(I use CBR-MEL As an example, after I mentioned a 36 minute segment serves a meal). Perhaps the QF hard product yes, but the soft product is still better (Excluding the trans-con three class service SFO/LAX-JFK and the 2 class widebodies they run, as well as the international configured 757's).

IMHO on those 2 class AA short haul sectors where a meal is served in first/business class, the catering is better than QF or VA business these days. This had not been the case for all of the last decade, but QF's offering has deteriorated.

 

[DC3]

I decided to check on the "A330 - XFA/B - Refit" and today we're discussing food/snacks on QF:VA:AA:etc.

 

[drewbles]

IMHO on those 2 class AA short haul sectors where a meal is served in first/business class, the catering is better than QF or VA business these days. This had not been the case for all of the last decade, but QF's offering has deteriorated.

Fair enough. I've not done a QF J flight in some time (I live vicariously though photos on here for that) and not done a short-haul VA J flight in a very long time (just the 330's).

 

[bass_ke]

Sent feedback regarding a sub and got this in the response

"As a result of this feedback, not only from yourself, but many of our loyal guests, we have commenced a total re-fit of our fleet to ensure we exceed your expectations."

Is this anything new or just fluff? I wasn't aware if any intention to refit apart from the botched J seat trials last year

 

[MH_fan]

I hope there is a refit for XFA and XFB. Those 2 birds really need to come up to the same standard as the other birds.

 

[bullerdude]

There was a rumor going around late last year that they will refit all the 737's again with a better and not-so-cheap J seat.... Once can only hope what the person said is true but I wouldn't be too optimistic.