Qantas A380 refurbishment news and updates

[RichardMEL]

Having stepped off a Qantas A380 in Singapore then onto a Emirates A380 I've got to say that I'm kinda cofunsed as to why Qantas even bothered - the Emirates A380 Y product is far far better - and this was one of the A380's that Emirates hasn't upgraded to their new layout yet.

Capacity.

 

[RSD]

Capacity.

Ah OK that is what their game was. The Emirates A380 interior seems 2000% better!

 

[RichardMEL]

Ah OK that is what their game was. The Emirates A380 interior seems 2000% better!

$$$$$$$$+a need for bling

 

[p--and--t]

Ah OK that is what their game was. The Emirates A380 interior seems 2000% better!

I'm not sure how a Y seat could be 2000% better.

I've flown both in the old QF config and the old EK config in 2008/2009 a month apart.

Hardly any difference except QF had a help yourself snack bar in the tail.

Also the EK staff didn't clean/attend the toilets on an 8hr flight and there was no toilet paper in two of them despite several passengers approaching the crew.

 

[RSD]

I'm not sure how a Y seat could be 2000% better.

I've flown both in the old QF config and the old EK config in 2008/2009 a month apart.

Hardly any difference except QF had a help yourself snack bar in the tail.

Also the EK staff didn't clean/attend the toilets on an 8hr flight and there was no toilet paper in two of them despite several passengers approaching them.

On my flights over the last 24 hours or so -

QF1
- my inflight entertainment screen was out for the entire flight despite several reboots
- the person in the seat next to me had a very laggy IFE system
- a large molded cover panel above my head have separated from the wall and it looked downright ugly
- there was masking tape holding things to the bulkhead wall (they must have run out of silver duct tape)
- basically the whole plane looked like it had had zero maintenance and no love or care and was from an airline somewhere in central Africa.

EK (can't remember the flight no's)
- IFE screen was significantly bigger than the QF screen - and it worked great - no lag at all
- IFE system had a lot more content to choose from
- not a piece of tape to be seen
- the entire plane looked really clean and well cared for
- crew were very helpful despite plane 100% full

 

[stm1sydney]

Qantas doesn't care, for so long as total demand is exceeding total supply (due to artificial constraints imposed by the Australian govt / CL members) QF planes are reasonably full with pax paying high prices.

 

[moa999]

I'm kinda cofunsed as to why Qantas even bothered -

There wasn't a refurb to Y.. well other than removal of the upper deck Y cabin and I think new seats covers.
The primary change was to the number and type of seats in J and PE, and then a pretty minor refresh in F (new colours, slightly bigger TV and thinner seat control unit)

 

[elanshin]

Apols if it was addressed up-thread, but why has OQC (and I think until recently, OQA) been in Abu Dhabi for so long? Surely not just others paying more for priority .... over years, when QF is so short of aircraft?

Last October view. Wonder how leaving them out in the Gulf heat and humidity for a couple of years will affect things?

View attachment 377742

QF took them into service to bring them out of storage relatively early on, but after they arrived at AUH, EY also decided to return their a380s into service.

I doubt QF could've paid EY enough money to service the QF birds before the EY birds.

 

[kpro]

- IFE screen was significantly bigger than the QF screen - and it worked great - no lag at all

This won't be the original EK A380 config, which had exactly the same screen as the QF A380. I'm not sure if any of those are still in service though.

It would've been better if QF had retrofitted the 787 Y seats when they did the A380 refurbs, instead of just putting in new seat covers.

 

[downgraded]

This won't be the original EK A380 config, which had exactly the same screen as the QF A380. I'm not sure if any of those are still in service though.

It would've been better if QF had retrofitted the 787 Y seats when they did the A380 refurbs, instead of just putting in new seat covers.

Those seats should/would have been installed with a greater pitch so they'd lose rows, and what to do with all that extra width in the A380? Add an extra seat to each aisle?

 

[kpro]

Those seats should/would have been installed with a greater pitch so they'd lose rows, and what to do with all that extra width in the A380? Add an extra seat to each aisle?

No I don't mean literally put in the 787 Y seat and layout, but they could have retrofitted generation of seat with the tablet holder, split tray table and newer generation IFE screen.

Sort of like the Business Suite which is across A330, A380 and 787 but with slight differences to cater. Or how the 744ER's had the same generation Y seat retrofitted as was on the A380.

 

[elanshin]

No I don't mean literally put in the 787 Y seat and layout, but they could have retrofitted generation of seat with the tablet holder, split tray table and newer generation IFE screen.

Sort of like the Business Suite which is across A330, A380 and 787 but with slight differences to cater. Or how the 744ER's had the same generation Y seat retrofitted as was on the A380.

I think it all comes down to how long QF planned to keep the 380s (I'd be surprised if they saw much of 2030s) so as a result they probably have 5 or so years left, its too costly to refit all the Y seats.

The 787 seats are also on the way out. I'd be shocked if they dont refit the existing 787s in another 3-5 years time when they do their first major maintenance overhaul as well as have the new planes.

The 330s they're keeping longer are supposedly getting the Y refurb into the new a350 type Y seats.

 

[kpro]

I think it all comes down to how long QF planned to keep the 380s (I'd be surprised if they saw much of 2030s) so as a result they probably have 5 or so years left, its too costly to refit all the Y seats.

The 787 seats are also on the way out. I'd be shocked if they dont refit the existing 787s in another 3-5 years time when they do their first major maintenance overhaul as well as have the new planes.

It's definitely a value proposition which is not as palatable now in 2024. But when they initially announced the A380 refurb in 2018 it may have made more sense. The 787 product at this time was only one year old.

QF certainly thought it made sense to replace the A380 J and Y+ seats with the 787 version, but thought that the existing Y seats would still be competitive. And now we're seeing that some people don't think they're very competitive.

The refurb of the 744 ER's, which included new Y seats was performed in 2011, with the original non-COVID plan of 747 retirement to be end of 2020, making 9 - 10 years of service an acceptable service life for a refit of Y on that plane.

 

[RSVKanga]

Does OQA have the old or new interiors?

 

[yachty]

Does OQA have the old or new interiors?

New... there's no old interiors flying now

 

[RSD]

I think it all comes down to how long QF planned to keep the 380s (I'd be surprised if they saw much of 2030s) so as a result they probably have 5 or so years left, its too costly to refit all the Y seats.

I guess it depends on what EK do with their A380's - I saw talk somewhere that EK were in talks with Airbus about re-engining their A380's to more modern fuel efficient engines. Who knows - the A380 could become the passenger version of the B52 and keep flying for many many years with engine upgrades etc

 

[moa999]

Re-engining old aircraft isn't going to happen.

Both RR and GE lost money on the original engine program given how small it ended up being. They aren't going to spend billions developing a new engine for such a small market.

Might have been different if say the A380 had used the 330 engine.

 

[kpro]

I guess it depends on what EK do with their A380's

Looking at FT - EK have currently have 3 scrapped and 13 parked of their ~123 A380 fleet.

The spreadsheet also confirms that there are some ~22 A380's currently with the ex2 IFE screen (same as QF's). These are the A6-EDx rego's.

 

[RichardMEL]

EK have asked several times, Airbus has said "Non"

https://www.airlineratings.com/news/emirates-chief-pleads-for-re-engined-a380/

 

[Mal P]

New... there's no old interiors flying now

Oh so all the QF A380s have upgraded premium cabins now?