Qantas boosts international capacity, wet lease Finnair aircraft

[Princess Fiona]

I absolutely love the AY J seat. It’s my favorite J hard product by a long margin.
The only thing that would improve it is maybe a third cushion.
I hope that the QF wetlease has at least the same two cushions that AY has. The current single white QF cushion will not be at all adequate for this seat.

 

[Lynda2475]

IME the pillows on the BA Dreamliners with new config are the best (see below) - they are full size. Not sure why most other airlines make the J pillows so small.



My AY amenity kit didn't have a toothbrush (but i didn't mind the case, useful for cables), so in that respect Id want the QF amenity kit. Although the fact AY give slippers is nice (just need PJs to go with them).

Here is a pic I took of the AY J seats a few weeks ago (and their small pillows), I've circled the retractable lap belt worn when sleeping, at my height it cut across hip tightly (if it were a standard non-retracting belt it could be looser and therefore more comfortable when put over the duvet)

 

[Himeno]

Does that lap belt detach from the shoulder strap like it does on other airlines? Anything about that retractable belt that requires its use rather then the lap belt?

I've only ever used AY flights within Europe. Never been on an AY widebody.

 

[Lynda2475]

The belt I've circled in the above pic is not used at all when in the seated position. The belt worn for take-off and landing is car-style seat belt.

Because the seat doesn't move, its not possible to reuse any portion of the seated position belt when moving from seated to lying down.

Its not like QF, BA and others where you unhook the sash and then can still use the lap belt when sleeping, because the seat moves forward.

 

[justinbrett]

Might be OK if you could fit a European pillow in your carry on - those cushions look tiny

 

[Spacetravel]

I have a flight booked SYD <> SIN, I booked during the double SC period and was planning for double SC on this flight. I have been changed to the Finnair flight (QF291 and QF292), for the purpose of double SC and loyalty bonus, will this be credited as it is a QF metal flight or a QF code share flight?

 

[wenglock.mok]

I have a flight booked SYD <> SIN, I booked during the double SC period and was planning for double SC on this flight. I have been changed to the Finnair flight (QF291 and QF292), for the purpose of double SC and loyalty bonus, will this be credited as it is a QF metal flight or a QF code share flight?

It should be credited as if it is a QF metal flight as for all intents and purposes, it is being operated as a QF-coded prime flight.

 

[PineappleSkip]

will this be credited as it is a QF metal flight or a QF code share flight?

Yes, it will. Same as a QF flight on a plane with “Alliance” on the tail.

 

[wenglock.mok]

If anything, hopefully the leased AY A330s will be less worn out than their QF counterparts. I recently flew on EBS, which is one of the more recent A330s in the QF fleet (circa-2013) and it looked very worn out inside:

• Quite a few seat belt signs were faded (all we saw was a blob of light),
• Side air vents were very dirty (with balls of black dust all over),
• Lav countertops were very worn (parts of the countertop were missing the laminate material),
• Toilet seat cover looked like it had not been cleaned in ages, and
• Tray tables not staying in place, recline mechanisms broken in quite a few seats as I counted more than 5 passengers who had to be shuffled around.

This was after the aircraft had spent 24 hours on the ground in SYD. I contrast this experience with my trip a few weeks later on a CX A330, which was about 7 years older than EBS and looked much more presentable inside. This led me to think maybe they should bring forward that A330 refurbishment exercise they had planned for 2025. All in all, not a great experience...

 

[dajop]

This led me to think maybe they should bring forward that A330 refurbishment exercise they had planned for 2025. All in all, not a great experience...

Not possible. Share buy backs are a priority for capital spend.

 

[Claudia]

As i said in my review, if you do not have knee, back or other mobility issues that make it difficult to go from lie flat to seated with nothing to hold onto or push feet against for leverage then it is fine (need strong abs).

Although I think the tight retractable sleeper seat belt would impact all, although I guess some do not wear it.

But under no circumstance could I recommend it to anyone who is elderly, there is no way they could exit in a timely manner in an emergency.

All my recent long haul flights were over nighters and I got the least sleep in this seat (even though DFW-LHR was a shorter flight).

YMMV of course, but i expect the lovers are fortunate to have great mobility and dexterity no matter what their age.

I flew in this seat last week from Helsinki to Osaka (13 hour night flight) and I hated the seat. You need to lie diagonally in them, the back doesn’t recline so either you are sitting bolt upright or lying Flat (no inbetween). The worse bit lying flat is that when you lie on your side you can’t easily bring your knees to your chest, with long legs anyway, your knees bump into the side of the footwell and you have to manoeuvre yourself up a bit in order to accommodate bringing your knees up. Hard to get in and out of, just about have to roll out onto the floor.
Cost cutting as well. Finnair have taken the Blueberry Sky off the menu (their signature drink!), and as of last month when they celebrated their centenary they no longer offer the Seafood Menu or the Raw Food menu as options. I had chosen the Seafood menu prior to them taking it off but they failed to notify me in advance. The stewardess told me she did see that I had chosen it and that my request had dropped off, and that other people also didnt have their requests fulfilled nor were they notified beforehand.
The amenity kit is sparse, just eye mask, ear plugs and toothbrush/paste.
In 2019, when I flew with them (different aircraft, fabulous service, full amenity kit, Seafood menu option and with a reclining/flat bed) they used to leave a snack tray on a counter where you could help yourself to their yummy Finnish chocs, but now they just go around once offering them and too bad if you blinked as they passed.
Finnair is no longer my first choice when flying Business. It no longer feels like a luxurious product to me.

 

[Lynda2475]

The amenity kit is sparse, just eye mask, ear plugs and toothbrush/paste.

Well in August HEL-JFK it just had eye mask, ear plugs and small moisturiser no useful toothbrush or tooth paste. But they did have blueberry juice in abundance.

Is ok on a day flight but i would preference other carriers overnight.

 

[AIRwin]

Looks like QF291 SYD-SIN has been running late on consecutive days since commencement

 

[PERLHR]

Outsource all you can. Experienced the Finnair aircraft on Sunday between SIN and SYD. Different world compared to QF metal for sure. Mood lighting, clean and sparkling, excellent seats even down the back with good recline without impeding person sitting behind, active seat in upright position during meal times done in a friendly nature by the excellent on board team. Friendly in flight crew, good IFE screen.Breathe if fresh air I can tell you. Only food bit rubbish but that is unfortunately provided by Qantas!! We left a little late, arrived early!

 

[Himeno]

OH-LTR positioned HKG-SIN on the 29th as AY8879, and has been shuttling between SIN and SYD as QF291/292 since. Are the aircraft going to get rotated back to HEL at some point, or will the same aircraft stay on the SYD route for the duration of the lease?
The QF website seat map pdf does list all the AY A330 regos...

 

[tdimdad]

Given that all of AY's routes to Asia operate on A359's, the only non-QF use for A330's in or from SE Asia would be charters or ferrying them back to Europe for other routes. Of course, they may rotate the aircraft for maintenance etc purposes but I'd hazard a guess they keep selected aircraft in the region.

 

[jase05]

Given that all of AY's routes to Asia operate on A359's, the only non-QF use for A330's in or from SE Asia would be charters or ferrying them back to Europe for other routes. Of course, they may rotate the aircraft for maintenance etc purposes but I'd hazard a guess they keep selected aircraft in the region.

Do they still use the A330’s on their Indian routes?

 

[HS-TQE]

Do they still use the A330’s on their Indian routes?

It'll be from the same group of aircraft that operates BNE-LAX. I'm assuming they're operated by Jetconnect crew.

 

[tdimdad]

Do they still use the A330’s on their Indian routes?

Usually HEL-DEL is on A359, as well, but they seem to have subbed it for A333's just recently.

 

[RickyT84]

Maybe the next Qantas bound AY A333 will be OH-LTT as it ferried from HEL to HKG for maintenance last Friday (the 27th)...