New QF A380 reconfiguration!!!

[GoldenWinger]

That Row 48 boarding process is a mess. Wouldn't it be a far simpler process that when they check-in, if they are in 48/have requested it they are given J Lounge passes in exchange for being boarded last because of the position of their seats and told they will be collected from the J Lounge personally by a ground staff member in the final stages of boarding and escorted to their seats? They could also be told that because of the position of their seats if they choose to leave the J Lounge early and try and board at the gate themselves they will have to wait until everyone else has boarded. If they are not willing to agree to this J Lounge perk (i.e. maybe they're WP) they can be moved to another exit row and 48 can be given to someone who does agree (I imagine this would become a highly sought-after perk for some customers - I would happily sit in a J lounge on a non-status Y ticket and wait until everyone else had boarded!

Even if it was a WP/WP1 that had selected the seats again, surely they would be fine sitting in the F Lounge until someone came and personally escorted them to their seats?

The idea of row 48ABC given lounge access was considered and rejected...

In any event it shouldn't even be happening if they got the design right from the start. What a joke.

 

[amaroo]

Think it would be quite appropriate to install a ticket machine queueing facility for the toilets... Take a number & wait till your '3 mins toilet allocation" shows up on a big screen then it is your turn..... much like Bingo!! & perhaps have some priority toilet facility convenience charge to ascend in the queue..
I sure hope Red Roo is taking into the consideration threads posted here..
Think I'lll stick with the SQ 380s'..

Hello Sir, No 1 or No 2

 

[ozmille]

Think it would be quite appropriate to install a ticket machine queueing facility for the toilets... Take a number & wait till your '3 mins toilet allocation" shows up on a big screen then it is your turn..... much like Bingo!! & perhaps have some priority toilet facility convenience charge to ascend in the queue..

You must swipe your FF card to get a ticket, CL and WP1 skip the queue to the first available toilet, WP trumps SG and so on... A NB in J would possibly never get to go though unless they head downstairs :shock:

For the changing in PJ's they could put a couple of cubicles next to the gate where we can get changed prior to boarding

 

[JohnPhelan]

The boarding signs at LHR will have to be changed, it was quite simple before, Upper deck business and premium, lower deck economy and first. now they will need to have a certain group of economy passengers going to a different queue, makes it more confusing.

I suspect the Y upper deck pax will still have to board via the main deck, walk to the aft, and then go up the stairs to their seats at the rear of the upper deck. Way too confusing to start allowing some Y pax to board via upper deck.

 

[jetlagger]

You must swipe your FF card to get a ticket, CL and WP1 skip the queue to the first available toilet, WP trumps SG and so on... A NB in J would possibly never get to go though unless they head downstairs :shock:

For the changing in PJ's they could put a couple of cubicles next to the gate where we can get changed prior to boarding

That would certainly be an 'enhancement" for the premium pax!

 

[Pushka]

It will be interesting to see how Qantas deals with PE passengers whose seats now lose the "Help yourself" gallery at the rear and no longer have the 'self contained' cabin, both of which are advertised when the seats are purchased, and are still being advertised. Just hope this doesn't change for our flight to London in a couple of weeks time.

 

[yohy?!]

Couldnt they just board 48ABC last so that once they are on the door is shut while they are stowing their baggage and they can sit down? If they're high status Pax they're probably going to wait for the final call in the lounge anyway right? They are in Economy after all!

I seem to recall a number of undesirable Y seats like these in some of the 747 configs where QF just avoided selling them unless totally unavoidable.

 

[Pushka]

If they're high status Pax they're probably going to wait for the final call in the lounge anyway right?

Depends on hand luggage. My hubby often boards as soon as he can so that get stored right above his seat.

 

[samh004]

But these PAX may have paid an additional $540 between tham for the "privilege" of row 48.

At least there's no bassinet.

Money talks, but honestly think 3 less seats and starting at row 49 would have worked a lot better. Possibly even with a partition to make it like a bulkhead. Time will tell if it’s a bad move, and I can’t imagine removing 3 seats down the line will be too much of an issue.

 

[docjames]

Given the seatmap has changed on my September SYD-LAX flight, cant say i'm happy about the changes. No exit row Y+ for me. What will be equally annoying is an aircraft sub at the last minute and then i dont get an exit row anyway haveing gone in months before to select one, then got stuck with the a/c reconfig.

Time to start praying for a points-up although new config J not sounding as appealing as previously. Still better than Y+.


Trip home showing old seatmap - exit row Y+ snagged. Let's hope it stays that way.


Re: Y boarding row 48 - just crazy.


Re: pyjamas - they are a great feature, emphasised when a J pax spilt their whole glass of red wine on me about an hour out of LAX on way to JFK (AA) - all over my shirt, pants etc. I had spare clothes in my carry-on, but it would have been simpler to just throw the pjs rather than deal with a wet set of clothes, still 6hrs from reaching a hotel and being able to put into laundry. The shirt took three dry-cleans to get the stain out (and as a result shunk, or maybe I just had too much travel food.....). I've always thought they should have a "change area" that can pretty much be a curtained off area rather than filling the toilets with people changing. This would now be an even better idea given the reduced number of toilets.:idea:

 

[Pushka]

My seat map hasn't changed for either into or out of Heathrow for July. Having booked the prize PE seats a year ago, I would be so antsy if they changed, due to Qantas changing their config for anything other than a maintenance/safety issue. Bummer docjames.

That boarding re Row 48 is simply ridiculous - whoever dreamed that up!

One day I will get some of those PJ's. It's on my bucket list.

 

[moa999]

I would have thought the simpler way on Row 48 is simply to keep them in the pen until everyone else in Board. Just redbeep a Row 48 boarding pass until 98% loaded.

 

[GoldenWinger]

Just an update for everyone...the QF11 today which was meant to be operated for the first time with the new config by aircraft VH-OQD has been cancelled. The QF11 is now delayed by 3 hours and will operate with another A380 - VH-OQI.

Looks like one monumental screw up by QF. About to be repeated 11 times over.

 

[cmon0005]

Will this be for all A380's or just the SYD-LAX route?

If it is for all A380's I would be very disappointed, I love the PE cabin on QF A380 and with this change I don't think I would want to fly PE anymore, i'd rather just go back to Y.

 

[Pushka]

Just an update for everyone...the QF11 today which was meant to be operated for the first time with the new config by aircraft VH-OQD has been cancelled. The QF11 is now delayed by 3 hours and will operate with another A380 - VH-OQI.

Looks like one monumental screw up by QF. About to be repeated 11 times over.

Sure it wasn't a left over April Fools Day joke or something? And where do they get a spare A380 from, anyway.

 

[GoldenWinger]

Yes it for ALL aircraft - all reconfigs are expected to be completed by April 2013 from VH-OQA to OQL. that's why the QF11/12 during Sep-Nov is dropping to mainly 5 x weekly with 747s servicing other days.

 

[markis10]

Will this be for all A380's or just the SYD-LAX route?

If it is for all A380's I would be very disappointed, I love the PE cabin on QF A380 and with this change I don't think I would want to fly PE anymore, i'd rather just go back to Y.

Great "enhancement" NOT

All the current A380 fleet are getting a reconfig.

 

[GoldenWinger]

Sure it wasn't a left over April Fools Day joke or something? And where do they get a spare A380 from, anyway.

they don't - it will have a flow on effect - the QF1 SYD-SIN-LHR is likely to either be cancelled or re-timed. It's all fun and games. at the moment I wouldn't touch QF long haul anywhere especially A380 flights if you need to be somewhere on time. The reliability is pathetic.

 

[sydfflyer]

GoldenWinger - your information sounds extremely 'insider', which I think means you would struggle being a WP1. Another round of Qantas bashing if you ask me...

 

[GoldenWinger]

welcome sydffflyer or should I maybe say RedRoo...no I am not an insider but have many friends on the "inside"...as for you believing whether I am WP1 or not - I don';t really care.