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

[Melburnian1]

QF61 is about to land at NRT with VH-QPB doing the honours and should be about 16 minutes early pulling into NRT (at 1859 local time.) One wonders how many of the passengers would be either QF staff or 'journalists' and others on freebies.

I always wonder how objective 'airline reviewers' can be (such as the woman from News Ltd who is on board according to News.com.au | News Online from Australia and the World | NewsComAu and its far from world leading travel section) when they travel as a guest of the airline concerned and are plied with special treatment plus the usual as much alcohol and food as they want. It is just another form of advertising.

The media will say that it no longer has the budget for this, but surely these individuals should travel on the third or fourth flight, as incognito as possible, and give praise where it is due and brickbats when it is not. Later flights will be (mostly) devoid of airline management so passengers could see what really goes on, rather than the first flight fakery.

Read into this what you will given the history of JQ and QF, but this refurbished A330 is following JQ25 from CNS to NRT, B787-8 VH-VKE that is about 12 minutes late into NRT and about two minutes ahead of the A333.

That's one thing you can be sure will not be in any arguably compromised 'reports of the first flight' written by 'travel journalists' or 'aviation writers.'

I do not always share the almost complete disdain that one of AFF's most respected contributors has for the media, but in the case of travel sections, I can well understand why so many readers of the print media and viewers of websites and the occasional television program would be somewhat cynical.

Mind you, QF promised a refurbished bird for QF61 and it delivered on that promise.

 

[Mrmaxwell]

The media will say that it no longer has the budget for this, but surely these individuals should travel on the third or fourth flight, as incognito as possible, and give praise where it is due and brickbats when it is not. Later flights will be (mostly) devoid of airline management so passengers could see what really goes on, rather than the first flight fakery.

I agree and would argue that these flights are considered as marketing events and as such all media (and other) guests would be certainly written off by QF as a marketing expense. Like many things I would assume the savvy people of the world would take these 'reviews' with a pinch of salt, the SMH weekend airline reviews seem to be more realistic as most finish with the disclaimer 'the writer travelled at their own expense' (assuming 'on some random flight and the airline had no idea they were being reviewed')

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I agree and would argue that these flights are considered as marketing events...

Exactly. It's PR 101.

You get a group of people together who probably all know each other, throw in some senior management, a party atmosphere and voila... the service, free food, free booze... it's all that little bit better. And any deficiencies can be easily forgotten. Meal service takes 3 hours? Well sure.. but this was a special flight... media interviews, the aisles were busy with people talking (etc etc). Cafe breakfast? Sure - if senior management tells you this is what passengers are asking for, and you've just had a huge meal with everyone else a few hours earlier... it makes perfect sense. And a chicken sandwich might seem like a 'fun', modern, option.

If you're a solo traveller, who just made the flight after a busy day's work and went to sleep straight away... the cafe breakfast might not make so much sense for the hefty fare you paid.

 

[ajw373]

If you're a solo traveller, who just made the flight after a busy day's work and went to sleep straight away... the cafe breakfast might not make so much sense for the hefty fare you paid.

The airline needs to cater for the majority, not really possible to cater for everyone's own personal whim, even if they have paid a hefty fare.

 

[Awesom Andy]

The airline needs to cater for the majority, not really possible to cater for everyone's own personal whim, even if they have paid a hefty fare.

So the majority wants a cafe breakfast rather than a cooked breakfast?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

The airline needs to cater for the majority, not really possible to cater for everyone's own personal whim, even if they have paid a hefty fare.

I disagree on this. Premium airlines are all about providing service for the passenger... not the other way around.

For overnight flights, the option should be there for the passenger to either eat dinner/supper, or breakfast, or both. How the airline handles that is up to them... SQ is a good example however. On late night short red-eyes they have four dishes on the menu... 2 dinner, 1 breakfast (a full hot breakfast) and one choice that sort of sits in between and can be had for either.

Either do that, or start to market your flights as full sleeper services (like BA does) - no dinner on board... but everyone knows exactly what you're going to get/expect.

A full hot domestic business class meal (some of which look pretty 'light-on' in terms of cost), could easily be offered alongside the cafe breakfast offering.

SQ caters for the individual 'whim' with their 'book the cook' service - you could have a dozen (or more) different meals loaded for a single flight. Not limited to a few pre-orders choices.

 

[JohnPhelan]

SQ caters for the individual 'whim' with their 'book the cook' service - you could have a dozen (or more) different meals loaded for a single flight. Not limited to a few pre-orders choices.

But on SQ red eyes to Australia, you can have EITHER dinner or breakfast, not both. Very poor and I know several SQ pax who have changed airlines because of it.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

There was a hot option on.my last sin-mel for breakfast. It was baked eggs

 

[MEL_Traveller]

But on SQ red eyes to Australia, you can have EITHER dinner or breakfast, not both. Very poor and I know several SQ pax who have changed airlines because of it.

I'm not sure of the arrangements in business class... but they changed the policy in F quite some time ago... you can have both meals. Is business sticking by the either/or?

 

[Aussie_flyer]

I'm not sure of the arrangements in business class... but they changed the policy in F quite some time ago... you can have both meals. Is business sticking by the either/or?

The late night flights e.g SQ237 is still one meal, supper or breakfast.

Qantas do a light supper (basically straight to main course with breads, then dessert/cheese plate) then breakfast which has a hot plate, fruits, yoghurts, cereals and smoothies. You pick which components you want.

 

[drpurpleturtle]

QPI is back in service operating QF61/QF62 sectors today. QPE is now in the hangar after arriving from SIN this morning.

 

[moa999]

Updated based on Qantas Source posts / FR24 data / YSSY board / above. Slight format change from previous

-- Current aircraft in Brisbane maintenance
VH-EBK 330-200 In 22/7 Expect to paint shop in late-Aug (still JQ paint)
VH-QPE 330-300 In 4/8 (SIN repaint 25/4-12/5) Expect out early-Oct

-- Summary
Refurb complete
A330-300 5 / 10 - QPA, QPB, QPC, QPD, QPI
A330-200 5 / 18 - EBA, EBB, EBJ, EBS, EBV
330-300s - 28J/ 269Y, J Panasonic ex3 16" IFE, Y Panasonic exLite 11" IFE
330-200s - 28J/ 243Y, J Panasonic ex3 16" IFE, Y Panasonic 9" IFE (8. EBM-EBS, EBV), 8" iPadMini (10. EBA-EBG, EBJ-EBL)
Notes.
- QPI yet to be painted to New Roo
- 18 final 330-200s expected to be EBA-EBG, EBJ-EBS, EBV (EBH, EBI to RAAF, EBT, EBU never registered)
- Currently 16 330-200s in QF colours

-- Refurbishment history
VH-EBV 330-200 - 1mth 15days - In 16/11/14 Out 31/12/14
VH-QPA 330-300 - 2mth 13days - In 3/11/14 Out 16/1/15, C8 check (SIN repaint 2/8-20/8 )
VH-EBA 330-200 - 1mth 12days - In 1/1/15 Out 13/2/15
VH-QPC 330-300 - 2mth 6days - In 17/1/15 Out 23/3/15, C8 check (SIN repaint 16/7/15-2/8/15 )
VH-EBJ 330-200 - 1mth 3days - In 14/3/15 Out 17/4/15 (fresh from SIN repaint from JQ from 27/2-13/3)
VH-QPB 330-300 - 2mth 7 days - In 16/2/15 Out 23/4/15 (fresh from SIN repaint 31/1-16/2, C8 check)
VH-EBS 330-200 - 30days - In 26/4/15 Out 25/5/15
VH-QPD 330-300 - 2mth 2 days - In 23/4/15 - out 25/6/15 (SIN repaint 15/3-30/3)
VH-EBB 330-200 - 27 days - In 8/6/15 - Out 4/7/15
VH-QPI 330-300 - 28 days - In 7/7/15 Out 3/8/15 (Still needs repaint, no C check)

-- In Singapore for painting (presumably) -300s only (all the -200s are already New Roo apart from the JQ aircraft)
None

-- Likely next
VH-QPF 330-300 SIN repaint 13/7-29/7
VH-EBE/F 330-200s with JQ expected to depart with delivery of VH-VKK/VKL - reported EBF to paint 5-Aug

-- 330-200 unrefurb configs remaining
3 - Intl with SkyBed I, RC AVOD - EBG, EBI, EBL
4 - Dom with J workbench, Panasonic AVOD - EBO, EBP, EBQ, EBR
2 - Dom with 2x2x2 J, Panasonic AVOD - EBM, EBN
2 - Dom with 2x2x2 38 seats, no AVOD - EBC, EBD
11 - Subtotal
-1 EBI back to lessor
+3 Still with JQ / being refurbed, no AVOD - EBE, EBF, EBK
13 Total

 

[Mrmaxwell]

QF19 tomorrow is looking good for me

 

[ajw373]

I hear through the grapevine that a refurbished -200 will by flying to Jakarta and Singapore on and off over the next few months, with Jakarta being scheduled for tomorrow (5/8), Friday and Monday (not on Sunday). Then more next month. One did this flight a week or so back.

 

[moa999]

I hear through the grapevine that a refurbished -200 will by flying to Jakarta and Singapore on and off over the next few months, with Jakarta being scheduled for tomorrow (5/8), Friday and Monday (not on Sunday). Then more next month. One did this flight a week or so back.

Also reported on YSSY board that the future plan is the 10 older -200s (fitted with iPads in Y) will be used exclusively domestically, whereas the 8 newer -200s (with Panasonic AVOD in Y) will be used on international and domestic

 

[kevinkhchan]

I'm not sure of the arrangements in business class... but they changed the policy in F quite some time ago... you can have both meals. Is business sticking by the either/or?

My recent SQ flight SIN-SYD was either/or. I had picked lobster for my BTC and wasn't giving it up without a fight. Was lucky that a steward ‘accidentally’ set up my table for breakfast.

 

[drpurpleturtle]

I hear through the grapevine that a refurbished -200 will by flying to Jakarta and Singapore on and off over the next few months, with Jakarta being scheduled for tomorrow (5/8), Friday and Monday (not on Sunday). Then more next month. One did this flight a week or so back.

YSSY post says VH-EBV will operate today's QF41/QF42 sectors.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF19 tomorrow is looking good for me

You may wish to clear your private messages inbox. It's full.

 

[Mrmaxwell]

You may wish to clear your private messages inbox. It's full.

Done. Thanks.

 

[Mrmaxwell]

Now seated on a refurbed QF19 - yay!

May I ask how often the whY menu changes as it has been the same three options for 5 months running...