Qantas A380 refurbishment news and updates

[Katie]

I'm on an A380 from LHR to SIN on the 29th of January in Business.

I've been monitoring my seat selection to see if i'm on a refurbed bird (also currently have a bid in for First) but for over a week now I keep getting the "Individual seat selection isn't available for this flight" message.

On the previous screen it's still saying 18A and 18B (my original seat selection....)

Any idea what's up?

I am getting the same thing for our QF12 that went from unrefurbed to refurbed to unrefurbed.
I can see the seat assignment in the booking overview page on the QF website (not app). If I try to manage seat selection for that flight, I can’t see the seat map, and get the same message about individual seat assignment.

I’m putting it down to the system not coping with changing between refurbed and unrefurbed. I don’t know if QF is also hedging their bets a bit, and have perhaps pulled the seat maps back to unrefurbed.

 

[Kiwi_Flyer]

Hmm. This happens on QF11/12 because the system can't handle different aircraft types on multi-segment flights. Is that a possibility that one segment of QF2 on those dates has a different aircraft seat map - maybe a refurbished and non-refurbished plane, for example ?

It's the same aircraft operating both legs of QF1 and QF2. This makes sense because it reduces risk of disconnections and also reduces the risk of through passengers turning up at the wrong gate.

However, this might not apply if the aircraft goes tech while at SIN. Then QF has decide which flight to disrupt.

 

[DC3]

Someone was recently asking what QF was going to do with the spare A380. But I don’t see any spare A380 floating around.

 

[OZDUCK]

Someone was recently asking what QF was going to do with the spare A380. But I don’t see any spare A380 floating around.

Perhaps they could lease the Air France A380 that has just been returned to the lessor company.

 

[moa999]

Perhaps they could lease the Air France A380 that has just been returned to the lessor company.

Wrong engine type - it's EA.
If QF wanted more A380s (and I don't think that's true - with Sunrise they will have too many) they'd chase SQ or MH aircraft.

 

[OZDUCK]

Wrong engine type - it's EA.
If QF wanted more A380s (and I don't think that's true - with Sunrise they will have too many) they'd chase SQ or MH aircraft.

I am also sure that QF would not chase another A380 but it was just amusing that there was one just "surrendered" as this discussion was going on. (Even though it doesn't matter for this discussion I have read that at least one airline had looked at the MH ones but their condition was poor.)

 

[KSC]

I've got first-hand experience, flew QF35 MEL-SIN last Friday 1 Nov which was refurbished A380.

I will be doing this flight soon, just wanting to know how many days in advance did your seat map change to the refurb type ?

 

[theoracle30]

I will be doing this flight soon, just wanting to know how many days in advance did your seat map change to the refurb type ?

It was about a week before the flight. I didn't get any notification, just realised my chosen seats upstairs were no longer available.

 

[RSD]

When does this refurbishment program finally finish? I'm becoming a little concerned about the frequent cancellations of QF 7/8 given how often I use them - a day (or longer) delay would really screw up my diary.

 

[Katie]

Seat map changed today for Tuesday’s (3/12) QF11. EF was showing non-refurbed - and J0 - last night. Checked again today, and it’s J5, and a refurbed bird! Will see if it sticks ...
we’re in Y+ hoping to get 3 points upgrades to J.

 

[NSun]

When does this refurbishment program finally finish? I'm becoming a little concerned about the frequent cancellations of QF 7/8 given how often I use them - a day (or longer) delay would really screw up my diary.

Not until the end of 2020 but the A380 situation will improve in the next couple of weeks as VH-OQH and VH-OQJ come back from Dresden and Abu Dhabi.

 

[KSC]

Not until the end of 2020 but the A380 situation will improve in the next couple of weeks as VH-OQH and VH-OQJ come back from Dresden and Abu Dhabi.

Does this mean 3 refurbed birds in the fleet ?

 

[NSun]

Does this mean 3 refurbed birds in the fleet ?

Yes - and my understanding is no more will be sent until the Christmas/New Year/Chinese New Year period is over.

 

[RSD]

Yes - and my understanding is no more will be sent until the Christmas/New Year/Chinese New Year period is over.

Good move!!

 

[moa999]

Peak season for Aussie travel.

As well as all 12 A380s in service, you'll note there are 3 787s that have been delivered in the last couple of months, yet the corresponding 747s won't retire till next year.

 

[milehighclub]

The aircraft in AUH has had its flight loaded and will be departing on the 10th.

 

[moa999]

The aircraft in AUH has had its flight loaded and will be departing on the 10th.

Any seatmap loaded, per brettmcg's post that AUH is also doing refurb?

 

[Brettmcg]

Any seatmap loaded, per brettmcg's post that AUH is also doing refurb?

I imagine, coming from AUH, it will be ferried home empty and then operate the next day? Might have to do a bit of digging around on 380 flights around that time to see how many refurbed birds are operating on the same day.

 

[milehighclub]

Any seatmap loaded, per brettmcg's post that AUH is also doing refurb?

Generally ferry flights don’t come up on any of the normal systems. Once it’s airborne, I can see where it will go next. It’s also possible it may have some additional time in Sydney as HKG doesn’t start till the 18th.

 

[Brettmcg]

After the current two frames (OQH and OQJ) return over the next week and a bit, the next bird out will be OQG. It has an EIS of mid-April according to the schedule I've seen.