Qantas Unveils A380 Seat Details

[serfty]

As a follow up - given I have only just woken up and not fully awake yet - is there an indication of updating of current 744 fleet with new F/J seats/

I believe one already has had the treatment ...

See here on FT: Qantas - New Fabrics/New Livery/Premium Economy/A380 Product - Page 3 - FlyerTalk Forums

 

[Shano]

As a follow up - given I have only just woken up and not fully awake yet - is there an indication of updating of current 744 fleet with new F/J seats/

There have only been reports of updating carpets / fabrics etc in the 744 fleet

See photos (links pinched from FT) here for the F cabins and here for the J cabin

 

[JG1]

Ahh - some updated pics. F looks great The J seat looks a little untidy in that pic but flat will be great (I have started reverting back to QF product recently for flights into/out of Oz).

Juts wondering in F how it will work for two people travelling together. I am assuming the two middle seats will be able to face/turn towards each other?

You assume correctly. There is a privacy divider (electric of course) that can be lowered and raised to chat with your partner if you'd like. The seats cannot turn in on each other though.

The dining table however is large enough for 2 people to dine together. The ottoman is a proper seat, with a seat belt and with plenty of room in the suite it should be quote an intimate and private dining room.

A certain Chairperson insisted on this. He/she was never happy that he/she could not dine with their husband/wife during the flight!

 

[NM]

As a follow up - given I have only just woken up and not fully awake yet - is there an indication of updating of current 744 fleet with new F/J seats/

Don't expect the 747 F and J seats will be updated to the A380 standards any time soon. They are getting new fabrics and carpets. The main update to the 747 fleet will be addition of Y+ seating.

 

[codash1099]

All totally academic as far as I'm concerned. We don't even see 744's in PER let alone A380's.

I suppose we can but dream.

 

[ozmerish]

Glad to see QF finally get this program out in the open. The product looks good and I look forward to flying on the a/c when it enters service (and the refitted ones).

Is this a standard "release" date of information on the a/c cabin, IFE, etc in relation to the timeframe the equipment / refits enter service?

Any chance the timing was done to offset UA's release of their new product? Some interesting points of view on the FT UA forum about the loss of seats in the F & J cabins and how this will impact upgrades...

Well done to the folks at QF for the work involved to bring these changes online.

My only thought as a shareholder is that I hope QF didnt spend too much on the consultant that advised on the new logo font and roo nip / tuck :mrgreen:.

 

[d15.in.oz]

...We don't even see 744's in PER let alone A380's.I suppose we can but dream.

Can you say EK (or maybe even VS)... dreaming is all about apparent incentive!

 

[sully]

I see a real negative in the availability of the open bar in Y. We are going to get all these flying newbies who will see it as their right to raid the larder with impunity. Just imagine sharing a flight with the likes of the stubby and thong set who will see it as their duty to do a Boony.

How this will be supervised is a further question as is the issue of how often it will be restocked.

All the more reason to hopefully have my employer also think about Y+ as it is assumed the levels of behaviour would be better there.

 

[d15.in.oz]

I see a real negative in the availability of the open bar in Y...

As you point out, while "raid the Y BlArder may be a mindful success", the QF Y open bar, has NOT been defined as open WET bar!

 

[simongr]

Don't expect the 747 F and J seats will be updated to the A380 standards any time soon. They are getting new fabrics and carpets. The main update to the 747 fleet will be addition of Y+ seating.

That's a real downer re the F product - who is going to pay for a 744 F seat if they can get an A380 F seat? I guess that as more A380 come into the fleet they will replace the routes being flown by 744 and the 744 might become the regional F product...

 

[ozmerish]

This may have been asked / answered - why didnt QF go with the same material in Y / Y+ as what is fitted in JQ equipment.

I flew JQ for the first time earlier this month (HNL-SYD, brand new A330) and found the seat in Y tolerable and prefer the genuine imitation leather better than fabric. I would think from cleaner / hygiene pov this would have been a no brainer? Durability issues? Cost?

 

[sully]

This may have been asked / answered - why didnt QF go with the same material in Y / Y+ as what is fitted in JQ equipment.

I flew JQ for the first time earlier this month (HNL-SYD, brand new A330) and found the seat in Y tolerable and prefer the genuine imitation leather better than fabric. I would think from cleaner / hygiene pov this would have been a no brainer? Durability issues? Cost?

Yeah but you don't get the full complement of engines.

 

[simongr]

This may have been asked / answered - why didnt QF go with the same material in Y / Y+ as what is fitted in JQ equipment.

I flew JQ for the first time earlier this month (HNL-SYD, brand new A330) and found the seat in Y tolerable and prefer the genuine imitation leather better than fabric. I would think from cleaner / hygiene pov this would have been a no brainer? Durability issues? Cost?

According to a number of people here long haul flights on leather seats are a somewhat sweaty situation - imagine 450 people in an A380 all in leather seats...

 

[serfty]

According to a number of people here long haul flights on leather seats are a somewhat sweaty situation - imagine 450 people in an A380 all in leather seats...

Ugh! Leather is fine for day flights or otherwise those where you don't plan on sleeping; a slleper suit or some light tracky daks is IMHO necessary if you wish to sleep on these leather seats -

FWIW, I've done it twice in *Class (cf O'night, JQ30 BKK-MEL), as well as on a couple of AA red-eyes.

 

[jakeseven7]

This may have been asked / answered - why didnt QF go with the same material in Y / Y+ as what is fitted in JQ equipment.

I flew JQ for the first time earlier this month (HNL-SYD, brand new A330) and found the seat in Y tolerable and prefer the genuine imitation leather better than fabric. I would think from cleaner / hygiene pov this would have been a no brainer? Durability issues? Cost?

Leather = sweat on long haul. And you slide all over the place, hard to sleep. Give me fabric any day!

I only JUST tolerate Jetstar and Virgin Leather on domestic short haul, they use it because they are LCC and I beleive Leather lasts longer / cleans better.

I truly hope Virgin Blue fligts to America move away from leather though, please add some comfort back!

The new QF fabric looks great, a couple of domestic birds apparently have it already...

 

[simongr]

I think I had meant to type "according to serfty"

 

[Febs]

I like, I like!
Not too sure about the new domestic fabrics (grey? dull...) but apart from that, it all looks good. The screens in the A380 Y cabin look great, and the new lie-flat Skybeds are a welcome inclusion (though I never had trouble sleeping on the old Skybeds...heck I manage to sleep on Cityrail trains every morning!)

Considering splurging some points on a J->F SYD-LAX upgrade once the A380 comes out.

I guess the real questions now are around Y+ - specifically, earn and burn rates, and upgradeability.

I wonder if they will be selling ethernet patch cables in the in-flight duty-free catalogue?

Actually I think they do already - those retractable RJ45/RJ11 combo cables.

Cheers,
- Febs.

 

[pauly7]

I like, I like!
Not too sure about the new domestic fabrics (grey? dull...) but apart from that, it all looks good. The screens in the A380 Y cabin look great, and the new lie-flat Skybeds are a welcome inclusion (though I never had trouble sleeping on the old Skybeds...heck I manage to sleep on Cityrail trains every morning!)

Considering splurging some points on a J->F SYD-LAX upgrade once the A380 comes out.

I guess the real questions now are around Y+ - specifically, earn and burn rates, and upgradeability.



Actually I think they do already - those retractable RJ45/RJ11 combo cables.

Cheers,
- Febs.

I think i may be going insane but I'm SURE a 737 I was on recently had the new economy seats! The grey actually looks really smart, not as dark as Jetstar and Virgin, bit warmer.

 

[maninblack]

That's a real downer re the F product - who is going to pay for a 744 F seat if they can get an A380 F seat? I guess that as more A380 come into the fleet they will replace the routes being flown by 744 and the 744 might become the regional F product...

It will be quite a few years before they have enough A380's to cover all the 744 routes and of course many current 744 routes will never be flown by A380's. Gradually the 744 will move more into long thin routes like the proposed Santiago route, perhaps a direct SYD-YVR, perhaps HNL and will still need to cover many long "thinish" routes like JNB, SFO, BNE-LAX etc and so-on. I doubt it will be a regional product unless you call routes like SYD-NRT or MEL-HKG "regional". Also QF will start retiring some older 744's from about 2010 when the 787's come into the fleet and the A380's are there in significant numbers.

Which is the first planned A380 route? At one stage it was touted as MEL-LAX but I would severely doubt that, it would surely have to be a SYD departure, afterall, this is Qantas we are talking about.

 

[pauly7]

can't find anything yet.

I just went over the days email and got the note about all the new launches... so many to keep a track of!

Anyway QF say they will email FF's to advise when Y+ goes on sale....

Although I'm sure someone smart here will find out before!!