ALL QF's 330's to get lay flat Business seating - Including Domestic

[Lynne Mangold]

Well if I booked a flight for next year based on the strongly reinforced 'all A330s will be refurbed by the end of the year' although they might not legally be required to I believe it would be better customer service to be practice with some form of compensation. Some airlines are better at being proactive than others. BA with NF was good I hear. QF is generally reactive which leaves a sour taste and probably ends up costing more than the cost of doing something however minor, but proactively.

Try and find a photo of Skybed 1 on their website?

Well imagine how I am feeling right now, I paid $4,700 for my return flight to HN for late november and booked in the bonus points period. shortly after they reduced the fares down to $3,500 & $3,200. at the moment the fares have risen to $4,100.
But I was happy to pay that as it's my first holiday overseas on my own, my last trip overseas was in 1975. The benefit of the business suite was going to going to soften the price of the fare.
I sort of feel ripped off on the price I paid but now I am feeling super ripped off.

 

[stevenaus]

Lynne Mangold i feel you're pain. I booked for Easter 17 during the DBL status promo. I paid $4200 even with the old seat map expecting it to change over before April 17. I think Hawaiian change over Mid 17 to a new flat bed configuration so will be interesting to see what Qantas do then. Bottom line I'm getting double status points and although i would much prefer the new seat Im getting the old one. However after that trip i will have achieved Platinum again and any US work or personal travel going forward from that will be booked on American Airlines (QF flight#) or Air NZ via AKL. I would encourage you all to contact Qantas Customer service and express you're disappointment that they promoted ALL A330 200/300 would be re fitted only to back away from the last 2.

 

[seat11a]

Sorry for posting. Thanks for reminding me of that eric2011

 

[Brettmcg]

The A330 section of the QF website states:

Get ready to enjoy a new standard of luxury in our new A330 Business Suites, to be progressively introduced on international flights to Asia, Hawaii and key domestic routes from late 2014.

and...

Note that all flights are subject to last minute change of aircraft, and not all flights outlined in the schedule operate the A330.

The fact of the matter is the fleet upgrade obviously hasn't "progressed" sufficiently to allow them to operate the refurbed aircraft on the HNL route.

My advice to those writing long posts about why they should be compensated, is to invest your energies in some other productive pursuit. It won't happen. Sorry!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

My advice to those writing long posts about why they should be compensated, is to invest your energies in some other productive pursuit. It won't happen. Sorry!

Not compensated, but if you want a refund I don't see why you wouldn't ask for one. This is not the commencement of the refurb program where only a few aircraft are configured. This is the end, when all aircraft are supposed to be the new suites. Pax booking now, or for travel at the end of the year can have every expectation of the advertising being true and correct (ie all planes configured by end 2016).

The alleged non-refurb of the final two aircraft is new and unexpected.

 

[Kefci2000]

The fact of the matter is the fleet upgrade obviously hasn't "progressed" sufficiently to allow them to operate the refurbed aircraft on the HNL route.

not at all the case, simply that trans-con and eastern corridor are worth more $ for business.

my 6am Monday MEL-SYD is refurb A330 and I am in 1A

 

[Brettmcg]

not at all the case, simply that trans-con and eastern corridor are worth more $ for business.

my 6am Monday MEL-SYD is refurb A330 and I am in 1A ��

From what I understand, the HNL route missing out is a product of the refurbed A332s not having adequate galley and storage space for two full meal services and all that is associated with that. If anything it is simply poor planning/anticipation.

As far as I'm aware EBG and EBL are leased to QF through a different company than the other A332s, which may influence their thinking in anticipation of the pending delivery of 788s. Maybe they've learnt from the 763s that it is not worth investing a bunch of money to update birds that are not going to be in your fleet much longer. This is all speculation on my part.

I would agree about CGK not being as valuable yield-wise to always deploy refurbished birds.

 

[TheInsider]

I don't understand this whole 'can't do two meal services?'
These are the same aircraft that do two meal services going to SIN, BKK, NRT etc etc? The meals aren't that dramatically different are they?

Also the fact that QF have stated only a few weeks ago that these will be done soon and all 330s will be done, in there annual results statements.

They have already used the refurbed aircraft on this route too.

 

[eric2011]

Lynne Mangold i feel you're pain. I booked for Easter 17 during the DBL status promo. I paid $4200 even with the old seat map expecting it to change over before April 17. I think Hawaiian change over Mid 17 to a new flat bed configuration so will be interesting to see what Qantas do then. Bottom line I'm getting double status points and although i would much prefer the new seat Im getting the old one. However after that trip i will have achieved Platinum again and any US work or personal travel going forward from that will be booked on American Airlines (QF flight#) or Air NZ via AKL. I would encourage you all to contact Qantas Customer service and express you're disappointment that they promoted ALL A330 200/300 would be re fitted only to back away from the last 2.

I'm in much the same situation. Bought 2 J class tickets to CGK earlier this year for March 2017 under the mistaken belief all flights would be operated by the new Suites aircraft. Disappointed to see both flights have now been changed to the old Skybed aircraft. If there are only 2 of these aircraft left, can't they be restricted to short domestic flights when not operating to HNL. Seems like a strange move to maintain an inconsistent fleet simply to operate 8 extra J seats to HNL and a second meal service. Can't help but think there is more to it than that. Shame to think people on 1 hour flights between SYD/MEL are enjoying international standard seats while those to BKK MNL & CGK are not.

Oh stop grumbling, Just looking at my ticket, I paid $9885.50 for my 2 J tickets for next week with no expectation of anything apart from traveling on an A330 and getting to Hawaii and having some fun. Go back only a couple of years where J class consisted of seats with a 38 inch pitch and a 9 inch recline. Geez we loved traveling back then.
I'm not saying that I wouldn't like the refurb bird on the 21st though

 

[serfty]

Weren't the 763's generally using "Dreamtime" seats on the HNL routes since around the turn of the century?

 

[GoldCanyon340]

...is a product of the refurbed A332s not having adequate galley and storage space for two full meal services...

Does this mean I can expect a full second meal on the non-refurb before descent into CGK and not the boxed noodles?

I'm not expecting compensation, just happy that (for the moment) I've got a refurb on the overnight return leg so I can get a flat sleep. 640SC for the ADL-SYD-CGK return run is compensation enough for me.

 

[whughes3]

It strikes me that there is no reason that a subset of the 332's (maybe 4-5) could not have been renovated with a modified format, say minus 2 J seats and a couple of rows of Y; this would leave plenty of room for extra toilet & galley facilities for international routes, while still being very commercially viable.

 

[docjames]

It strikes me that there is no reason that a subset of the 332's (maybe 4-5) could not have been renovated with a modified format, say minus 2 J seats and a couple of rows of Y; this would leave plenty of room for extra toilet & galley facilities for international routes, while still being very commercially viable.

Perhaps the 332s are being considered for replacement with 787s so the economics of a refit don't stack up if they end up leaving the fleet.

Also, perhaps there will be different cost offsets depending if the frame is leased or owned?

 

[TomVexille]

Perhaps the 333s are being considered for replacement with 787s so the economics of a refit don't stack up if they end up leaving the fleet.

Also, perhaps there will be different cost offsets depending if the frame is leased or owned?

Did you mean 332s? Since all the 333s are done and it's only the two 332s that have skybeds

 

[docjames]

Apologies. Post corrected.

 

[travelislife]

Perhaps the 332s are being considered for replacement with 787s so the economics of a refit don't stack up if they end up leaving the fleet.

Also, perhaps there will be different cost offsets depending if the frame is leased or owned?

Haha, like the last 2 747's that were going to leave the fleet hence not refitting them?

 

[TomVexille]

Apologies. Post corrected.

Apology not required

 

[moa999]

It strikes me that there is no reason that a subset of the 332's (maybe 4-5) could not have been renovated with a modified format, say minus 2 J seats and a couple of rows of Y; this would leave plenty of room for extra toilet & galley facilities for international routes, while still being very commercially viable.

Would take it back to the original 4 international 332s (EBG,EBL and EBH,EBI which are now with the RAAF) -- but obviously QF decided against it.

Appears VH-EBE also entered BNE for maint on 6/9, although I believe the facility can take three 330s at a time.

If QF are not going to install new J seats in EBG/EBL for now (and from brettmcg's posts its still not clear when/if they will be done) - presumably they are still going to install QStreaming for Y (and J) and new seatcovers - afterall they surely want to get rid of the last Rockwell Collins IFE aircraft from the fleet (Oh wait - they also decided to keep 747s VH-OEB and VH-OJM)

With no further info its just a waiting game at present

 

[moa999]

And EBG isn't heading to BNE, instead it's operating SYD-PVG today, first time PVG has seen a non-refurb in a couple of weeks

 

[hutch]

And EBG isn't heading to BNE, instead it's operating SYD-PVG today, first time PVG has seen a non-refurb in a couple of weeks

Pretty poor effort by QF. Plenty of public announcements about all A330 fleet to be refurbished... no public announcements to say we've decided to keep 2 x A330 with skybed 1. Show your customers respect.