At the Jetbase
To celebrate the 91st birthday of Qantas, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner was in Australia for the first time. I was fortunate to be able to attend an event hosted by Qantas to tour the Dreamliner. There was a tour of the 787 Dreamliner, the next generation 737 with the new refreshed interior and the of course the 747. Unfortunately the refurbished 747 was not there so we had the original instead.
It was an early morning start but there were some wake-me-up breakfast treats, including:
.
The Boeing 787
In the official briefing, Alan Joyce, Bruce Buchanan and Mike Sinnett (Boeing Vice President) spoke about what the aircraft could do and the efficiency and comfort it would offer the airline and customers.
We then moved to take a tour of the 787 aircraft. I briefly spoke to Simon Hickey on board (he was next to me on the 787 tour). He was very pleased with the aircraft and discussed some of the great attributes on the aircraft which I have set out below.
It's Really Efficient – more relevant for the airline, but it could translate into lower airfares
On board we were able to sit in the coughpit and have photos taken. Warren Truss and Sussan Ley (A couple of Federal MPs) were ahead of me and spent a fair bit of time in the coughpit. The Boeing Captain was very friendly and took the time to chat.
I then spoke to the Mike Sinnett who was the Chief Engineer on the project. He said he was with the program from inception through to completion and he was one of very few (I think he said there were three people) that stayed with the program through the full lifecycle.
The Boeing 737 & 747
The interior of the 737 was indicated a much needed improvement. The business class looks awesome and apparently they have AVOD.
When I entered the 747, I was told the refurbished 747 was not available so they had the older version for us instead. Given, the older version will be eventually replaced with the three class config, this did provide me with an opportunity to pay my final respects to the First Sleeper Seats which I have been so fond of. For some reason most people don't like them, but I will sorely miss them
.
To celebrate the 91st birthday of Qantas, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner was in Australia for the first time. I was fortunate to be able to attend an event hosted by Qantas to tour the Dreamliner. There was a tour of the 787 Dreamliner, the next generation 737 with the new refreshed interior and the of course the 747. Unfortunately the refurbished 747 was not there so we had the original instead.
It was an early morning start but there were some wake-me-up breakfast treats, including:
- Mini Croissants with ham and cheese;
- Smoked Salmon brioche;
- Vegetarian quiche tarts;
- Vegetarian Frittata; and
- Mini Danishes and pastries.
.The Boeing 787
In the official briefing, Alan Joyce, Bruce Buchanan and Mike Sinnett (Boeing Vice President) spoke about what the aircraft could do and the efficiency and comfort it would offer the airline and customers.
We then moved to take a tour of the 787 aircraft. I briefly spoke to Simon Hickey on board (he was next to me on the 787 tour). He was very pleased with the aircraft and discussed some of the great attributes on the aircraft which I have set out below.
It's Really Efficient – more relevant for the airline, but it could translate into lower airfares
- Lower costs – 20% lower fuel consumption
- Enable new non-stop markets (previously only the 747 and A380 could fly those routes)
- Carry more cargo
- Lowest operating costs in class
- Electrical system which powers most of the aircraft more efficiently
- Much Larger dimmable windows – every seat is like a window seat
- Lower cabin altitude – you’re travelling closer to the ground
- Smoother ride – sensors which adjust for moderate turbulence, resulting in a smoother ride
- Cleaner air – increased humidity so don’t feel that dried-up after the flight
On board we were able to sit in the coughpit and have photos taken. Warren Truss and Sussan Ley (A couple of Federal MPs) were ahead of me and spent a fair bit of time in the coughpit. The Boeing Captain was very friendly and took the time to chat.
I then spoke to the Mike Sinnett who was the Chief Engineer on the project. He said he was with the program from inception through to completion and he was one of very few (I think he said there were three people) that stayed with the program through the full lifecycle.
The Boeing 737 & 747
The interior of the 737 was indicated a much needed improvement. The business class looks awesome and apparently they have AVOD.
When I entered the 747, I was told the refurbished 747 was not available so they had the older version for us instead. Given, the older version will be eventually replaced with the three class config, this did provide me with an opportunity to pay my final respects to the First Sleeper Seats which I have been so fond of. For some reason most people don't like them, but I will sorely miss them
.
