Qantas 747s to fly Perth-Sydney

[oz_mark]

Upping the ante...

Qantas is applying blow torch to Virgin Blue’s plans to snare some of the corporate market with a new business class product by introducing 747-400s on the Perth-Sydney route from May.

The new 747 service will leave Sydney at 10am for Perth and will depart Perth for Sydney at approximately 1pm.

Qantas 747s to fly Perth-Sydney - The West Australian

 

[nlagalle]

Upping the ante...



Qantas 747s to fly Perth-Sydney - The West Australian

Where's the MEL-PER route!! :evil:

 

[UP4014]

Interesting, with a 747 they could probably offer some sharp discounts if you want to sit in the back of the aircraft as well.

 

[markis10]

I was expecting this to happen:

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....330-int-config-flying-25177-3.html#post358358

 

[anat0l]

It would be nice to see these on BNE-PER and MEL-PER as well.

Come to think of it, does BNE D and MEL T1 have the capability to handle a 747-400? MEL T1 maybe is a definite 'yes'; BNE not so sure.

In any case, I think the words "apply the blow torch" is rather overrated. Reasons:

• There are no retrofitted 747-400s yet.
• My guess is that the 2-class 747-400s will be used first, unless QF will sell PE or use PE for high status pax who book Y (unlikely, but hey one can be hypothetical).
• Unless it is the new international standard J, I don't see how this will be significantly better than DJ who will roll out a very comparable product (with the added market advantage). In saying that, IMO Skybed I is sufficient for a mere cross-country flight. If they replace all the J with the new seating a la Jetconnect 738 J, then the whole effort is fairly counterproductive.
• No matter what product they put on the route, if DJ set a sharp new standard for J pricing on the route then QF will more than likely be forced to drop to a comparable or equal level for pricing. That's going to really burn the bean counters (and the customers are next in line).
• Let's not forget using a 747-400 means many more seats, more crew required, more catering, longer boarding and turnaround times and, hopefully despite using an older bird it won't be, possibly more maintenance and a very sticky situation if there are irrops (trying to reorganise a 747-400 on domestic let alone international that has gone tech or running very late is a nightmare; if not in SYD it'll be difficult and then in PER it'll be a complete cluster****).

Nice idea on paper, but I think the blow torch is on QF rather than on DJ in any case no matter what happens to the trans-continental market in the next six months.

 

[samh004]

It would be nice to see these on BNE-PER and MEL-PER as well.

Come to think of it, does BNE D and MEL T1 have the capability to handle a 747-400? MEL T1 maybe is a definite 'yes'; BNE not so sure.

Does it need to depart from the domestic terminal, couldn’t they just add it to an international route and fly it from the international terminal, thus making a lot of WP’s very happy?

 

[serfty]

It would be nice to see these on BNE-PER and MEL-PER as well.

Come to think of it, does BNE D and MEL T1 have the capability to handle a 747-400? MEL T1 maybe is a definite 'yes'; BNE not so sure. ...

Does it need to depart from the domestic terminal, couldn’t they just add it to an international route and fly it from the international terminal, thus making a lot of WP’s very happy?

Not a problem for either BNE or MEL domestic terminals; I have flown 747 domestically to/from both.

In MEL they tend to usE gate 11 and gate 25 (IIRC) in BNE.

I'm sure that Gate 23 and 21 in MEL could accommodate Jumbos as well.

 

[dk4]

My poll on AFF last year, indicated just over 8% interest by pollsters for this improvement option. http://www.australianfrequentflyer....am/back-business-feb-2011-transcon-25134.html

 

[oz_mark]

It would be nice to see these on BNE-PER and MEL-PER as well.

You could do QF8 down to SYD , then across to Perth. (Just need to fly on Wednesays)

As for older birds - they are using pretty long in the tooth 767's now, so I don't think it will make much difference. Besides, Perth used to deal with 743s and before that 742s that had their share of operational issues toward the end.

 

[anat0l]

My poll on AFF last year, indicated just over 8% interest by pollsters for this improvement option. http://www.australianfrequentflyer....am/back-business-feb-2011-transcon-25134.html

Well, the poll doesn't really work effectively when it comes to something like this.

The more objective way to gauge interest is to ask whether members would prefer a particular aircraft, or a 747-400 or not (i.e. binary decision).

For example, the poll showed a lot of people would rather see international configurations on the trans-continental, but I don't think that necessarily means all of them would only want to see them on 763s and/or 333s.

 

[drewbles]

Does it need to depart from the domestic terminal, couldn’t they just add it to an international route and fly it from the international terminal, thus making a lot of WP’s very happy?

Yes, now here's an Idea that QF can pickup and call an 'enhancement' whilst pleasing many of us! Don't care where it lands in PER, but depart from T1 in SYD? I'll go MEL-SYD-PER any day for that

 

[xt_20]

For example, the poll showed a lot of people would rather see international configurations on the trans-continental, but I don't think that necessarily means all of them would only want to see them on 763s and/or 333s.

Anything widebody but the dreadful 763s. Don't care if it's a DOM/INT 332, 333, 744 or 388 (wishful thinking). I prefer to fly in the mornings out of PER to SYD and my choices are: QF763, DJ737 or JQ320. Same when I want to fly back from SYD to PER in the evening.

If DJ launches a 332 with IFE and comfortable seats (i.e. NOT like their current 737s) at good timings, I will fly them.

 

[simongr]

:

• My guess is that the 2-class 747-400s will be used first, unless QF will sell PE or use PE for high status pax who book Y (unlikely, but hey one can be hypothetical).
• Unless it is the new international standard J, I don't see how this will be significantly better than DJ who will roll out a very comparable product (with the added market advantage). In saying that, IMO Skybed I is sufficient for a mere cross-country flight. If they replace all the J with the new seating a la Jetconnect 738 J, then the whole effort is fairly counterproductive.

Do you really expect DJ to bring out a DOM J class with angled flat seats with a 60in pitch?

Also some of those 744s have F seats as well - until they get retrofitted with fully flat sky bed Mk2's.

I think this is not the fix to everything they will face from a new DJ Dom J seat but I really do not imagine a product that would complete with the hard product.

 

[Princess Fiona]

One happy camper here !
Was just about to post a question asking how to avoid the Recaro seating on my June SYD-PER, now it's looking like Skybeds :mrgreen:

 

[anat0l]

Do you really expect DJ to bring out a DOM J class with angled flat seats with a 60in pitch?

Wasn't there some talk around that DJ were going to roll out fully flat seats on the trans-con?

I don't know - what do you think you would be expecting?

Also some of those 744s have F seats as well - until they get retrofitted with fully flat sky bed Mk2's.

I think QF will be quick to remove the F seats unless they are pressed for time. Still, rather interesting if they put out the 744s on the trans-con without ripping up the F seats first (note that meal carts can't fit in the "aisles" of the F cabin, which is why J service in the F cabin is done as full tray service where applicable).

Now reintroducing international standard amenity kits might be nice (but that is very wishful thinking - just as much as those wishing for departures from international terminals).

 

[futaris]

About Qantas - Media Room - Media Releases

Qantas will make a number of key changes to services operating in and out of Perth over the coming months, which will increase capacity by more than 4300 seats each week. These include:
* Sydney-Perth - B747-400 aircraft will operate six round trips per week from May and internationally configured Airbus 330 services will also be increased from three round trips per week to five. Combined, these changes will add more than 500 additional seats per week;
* Brisbane-Perth - domestic wide-body A330-200 services will be introduced on seven round trips a week in addition to the upgrading of six round trip B737 services with wide-body aircraft. This will add more than 1700 seats to the route;
* Melbourne-Perth - more than 2100 additional seats will be added each week, including three services operated by internationally configured A330 aircraft; and
* Qantas' new A330s will be reconfigured to provide more space and comfort for passengers in the Business cabin.

Shame there's no internationally configured A330s from Brisbane...

 

[pauly7]

Now reintroducing international standard amenity kits might be nice (but that is very wishful thinking - just as much as those wishing for departures from international terminals).

There is a little trick that a wise forum member taught me about securing packs on Int config aircraft operating routes they don't hand them out!!

 

[markis10]

About Qantas - Media Room - Media Releases



Shame there's no internationally configured A330s from Brisbane...

There is if your are going to DRW (not that anything is flying to DRW today).

Qantas' new A330s will be reconfigured to provide more space and comfort for passengers in the Business cabin.

Thank goodness.

 

[jakob]

I've had a (brief) look at the schedule out to early June and don't see the flights loaded in yet? I know one of the articles gave approx. times but was hoping to see them on the actual schedule.

Can anyone see them? I thought they start in May?

Maybe I'm just not seeing it...

jakob.

 

[Andyzx]

Qnatas announced today that in response to customer and AFF feedback that the Airbus A390 3-class (fully flat, air suspend Mk4 Skybed including enhanced IFE 3d), would start flying from BNE, SYD, MEL, ADE and ABX to Perth with a minimum of two flights per day. The flights would arrive or depart from the international terminals in each city. A new first class lounge would be built at Perth to handle the expected influx of platinum frequent flyers. Initially there would be a significant number of award and QJASA seats available as well as heavily discounted J and Y+ class seats. Full international award winning food, beverages and amenity kits would be available in each class. Service staff would be upgraded to 1 staff per J pax and a maximum 1 staff per 5 Y or Y+ class pax.
Bonus Qantas frequent flyer points and status credits would be offered in addition to Virgin velocity points.
Qnatas Australia Limited
For release 16th February 2101

Everyone happy now
:mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen::arrow: