New Domestic 332 Configuration - 34J/265Y

[Wunala Dreaming]

Qantas will shortly take delivery of its next wide-body aircraft, VH-EBJ, a domestic configured A330-200.

It has long been speculated (and to be honest, expected) that the new domestic 332 aircraft would retain their predecessor's configuration (38J/265Y - aircraft that are now with JQi), although Qantas has opted for a 34J/265Y configuration.

To see the seatmap, click here [PDF file ~ 4mb]

This results in a J cabin that is 2x2x2 abreast

Cheers

 

[ejb]

Hi all,

Does this setup include AVOD (same as Int config) or overhead screens?

Also is this one of the planes set to replace the 747's domestic duties on MEL/SYD-PER?

ejb

 

[oz_mark]

Interesting that they do that, although they are only losing 4 seats, I guess there must have been sufficient feedback for them not to go down that path again (or maybe business travellers on the 'selected routes' have got used to a certain level on the existing 743 flights!)

 

[tuapekastar]

Nice that it's 2x2x2 - no middle seats - but even though the blurb on QF's website now has two seat maps, and still only mentions skybeds and AVOD, I would be surprised if the 34J/265Y config will have either. But we can live in hope!

 

[maninblack]

Very odd. What seat are they using? Millenium would leave very wide aisles and to what purpose. Is it a new seat type? Wonder what the pitch is.

 

[markis10]

still only mentions skybeds and AVOD, I would be surprised if the 34J/265Y config will have either. But we can live in hope!

Your hopes might come to fruition, note the lack of screens/monitors indicated on the seat maps, might not result in AVOD but at least gives rise to the less problematic possibility of multiple channel loop based video, after all not everyone loves raymond!

 

[serfty]

Almost certain to be "Millenium" - If the seat map is to be taken as an indication, the left aisle would be wider than the right aisle.

 

[oz_mark]

Very odd. What seat are they using? Millenium would leave very wide aisles and to what purpose. Is it a new seat type? Wonder what the pitch is.

Given the same number of rows, I don't think the pitch has changed.

 

[maninblack]

Almost certain to be "Millenium" - If the seat map is to be taken as an indication, the left aisle would be wider than the right aisle.

Why would QF do this? There isn't a lack of space and it's not like QF to give up potentially high revenue seats just to make passengers happier. I think that they must have not had any triple Milleniums immediately available and just wanted to get the aircraft into service.

 

[Flying Fox]

Also is this one of the planes set to replace the 747's domestic duties on MEL/SYD-PER?

Since the seat map is titled - A330-200 Domestic Long Range Operation - I would say that you are correct.

 

[jpk]

Why would QF do this? There isn't a lack of space and it's not like QF to give up potentially high revenue seats just to make passengers happier. I think that they must have not had any triple Milleniums immediately available and just wanted to get the aircraft into service.

There's no possibility they have old Dreamtime seats lying around they could use? Would they even fit? (size/weight).

Also it appears to have several galleys, which is from memory one of the reasons they couldn't use the old 332's on long haul international - couldn't do 2 meal services? (plus the lack of strengthened floors for skybed, but let's be honest that doesn't stop QF subbing dodgy domestic planes on int routes). So I am wondering if they might be trying to make sure they can sub this plane onto BOM or PEK runs occaisonally as needed...

 

[aus_flyer]

There's no possibility they have old Dreamtime seats lying around they could use? Would they even fit? (size/weight).

They will soon - they're currently in the 743s!

 

[maninblack]

There's no possibility they have old Dreamtime seats lying around they could use? Would they even fit? (size/weight).

Also it appears to have several galleys, which is from memory one of the reasons they couldn't use the old 332's on long haul international - couldn't do 2 meal services? (plus the lack of strengthened floors for skybed, but let's be honest that doesn't stop QF subbing dodgy domestic planes on int routes). So I am wondering if they might be trying to make sure they can sub this plane onto BOM or PEK runs occaisonally as needed...

There is no way they will put the Dreamtimes into this aircraft, they are for the scrapheap, or sale yard. The new aircraft can be reconfigured, with a refit, to take Skybeds though and with the second galley etc be used for international. They also would not sub this onto long-haul routes like PEK or BOM except in an actual emergency. They may get used for Tasman or shorter international, but unlikely. In general they will go to PER and perhaps MEL-SYD or AKL on occasion.

 

[oz_mark]

They may get used for Tasman or shorter international, but unlikely. In general they will go to PER and perhaps MEL-SYD or AKL on occasion.

Wouldn't at all be surprised to see some SYD-MEL sectors in the rotation somewhere.

 

[NM]

Also it appears to have several galleys, which is from memory one of the reasons they couldn't use the old 332's on long haul international - couldn't do 2 meal services? (plus the lack of strengthened floors for skybed, but let's be honest that doesn't stop QF subbing dodgy domestic planes on int routes). So I am wondering if they might be trying to make sure they can sub this plane onto BOM or PEK runs occaisonally as needed...

When has QF substituted a "dodgy domestic plane" on a long-haul international route? Yes they use Millennium seats for trans-Tasman, but that is not a long-haul service and its not a substitute, but a planned aircraft type for the route.

As far as I am aware, long-haul international flights are always either Dreamtime seats (767-300 and 747-300) or Skybeds (A330-300, A330-200 and 747-400).

Which specific international routes are you being honest about receiving dodgy domestic aircraft substitutions?

 

[jpk]

When has QF substituted a "dodgy domestic plane" on a long-haul international route? Yes they use Millennium seats for trans-Tasman, but that is not a long-haul service and its not a substitute, but a planned aircraft type for the route.

As far as I am aware, long-haul international flights are always either Dreamtime seats (767-300 and 747-300) or Skybeds (A330-300, A330-200 and 747-400).

Which specific international routes are you being honest about receiving dodgy domestic aircraft substitutions?

I'd swear they had used Millenium 767's before on PER-SIN but I could be wrong. My sentence probably should have read "dodgy aircraft" without mentioning domestic. Anyone paying $$$ for a J LAX-AKL-MEL and getting a 743 would not be happy I am sure. The point I was making was they may have considered fitting the new 332's with something other than M seats to allow emergency long haul subbing.

 

[NM]

I'd swear they had used Millenium 767's before on PER-SIN but I could be wrong.

Really? I have not heard of it being done - but that does not mean it hasn't. QF71 and QF77 PER-SIN are schedules as A330-300 services. They do sometimes sub for a 767-300 when an A330 is not available, and that in itself would be a point of annoyance for J passengers expecting a Skybed and AVOD and receiving Dreamtime with loop IFE. But to sub a domestic 763 on that route would be an absolute last resort and I am not aware of any such reports of it happening.

 

[sarlatcycles]

I'll be really happy when they replace the 743's on the Perth - Melbourne and Perth - Sydney. The last few times I travelled to these cities has been on 743's and there has just about always been a delay due to mechanical problems

To top it off I flew to Paris via Singapore last month and at the last moment they substituted the 330 with a 743 (probably the same pile of cough from the domestic route).

 

[maninblack]

Really? I have not heard of it being done - but that does not mean it hasn't. QF71 and QF77 PER-SIN are schedules as A330-300 services. They do sometimes sub for a 767-300 when an A330 is not available, and that in itself would be a point of annoyance for J passengers expecting a Skybed and AVOD and receiving Dreamtime with loop IFE. But to sub a domestic 763 on that route would be an absolute last resort and I am not aware of any such reports of it happening.

Agreed. As I commented earlier, it would only be in the case of an actual emergency, otherwise domestic configured aircraft are simply never used on the main long-haul international services, they are not set up for it. Remember of course the 743 was a standard longhaul aircraft that has been subbed into domestic service.

As to the use of "dodgy" aircraft jpk commented on, well I must confess I wouldn't be too happy on a 743 across the Pacific AKL-LAX these days. I doubt that they are dodgy as such but there do seem to be regular problems. Even my last flight on one in Dec 2006 SYD-HNL we were more than an hour late out of SYD due to a fuel filling problem and subsequent spill, which had to be cleaned up. May have had nothing to do with the aircraft itself, or maybe it did. That being said there are many older 747's in service around the world, but they are generally freighters.

 

[oz_mark]

I'll be really happy when they replace the 743's on the Perth - Melbourne and Perth - Sydney. The last few times I travelled to these cities has been on 743's and there has just about always been a delay due to mechanical problems

To top it off I flew to Paris via Singapore last month and at the last moment they substituted the 330 with a 743 (probably the same pile of cough from the domestic route).

In general, the 743's flying PER-SIN a month or so ago were not last minute substitutions, but had been in the timetable sometime before they operated on the route.

Other than that there may have been some subs when the A333 burnt its tailpipe