QF 743s - did they have F class

[simongr]

Hi
Just reconstructing some flight info and wondering if the QF 743 birds that used to fly AKL-LAX had F at all?
Cheers
S

 

[maninblack]

Hi
Just reconstructing some flight info and wondering if the QF 743 birds that used to fly AKL-LAX had F at all?
Cheers
S

This is a good question and I am trying to cast my memory back. I am pretty sure that when QF first got the 300 series aircraft around 1984 they must have had First class. When did they change to being business and economy. I am pretty sure that I flew on the 743 to LHR in the mid 80's but...hmm seating :?: Certainly by the mid 90's they had no F seating.

 

[haydensydney]

Had a look on a.net and can't find any pics of F... all pics show J in the nose and the upper deck.

Photo Search Results | Airliners.net=

 

[richie9x]

I flew from Sydney to Auckland in a 747 in first class (was an opup from Business) in December 2001. I think it was probably a 747-300 as I can remember the cabin being a little bit old, but I am not 100% certain of the model.

 

[maninblack]

Had a look on a.net and can't find any pics of F... all pics show J in the nose and the upper deck.

Photo Search Results | Airliners.net=

Hmm. I remember those seats well, they were more comfy than the Dreamtime had the 48-50inch pitch and were the first QF J seat with built in personal IFE.
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Qantas/Boeing-747-338/0164304/&sid=a26f229c749bd185fc2c89071e584e75

Now, those photos are from 2000/1 (post 747-400) and I know that those J seats are not the originals. This further convinces me that the original delivery of the 300's would have been 3 class with 4 rows of F up front and the older 42 inch pitch J seats which QF started out their international J service with.

Thoughts?

 

[maninblack]

I flew from Sydney to Auckland in a 747 in first class (was an opup from Business) in December 2001. I think it was probably a 747-300 as the I can remember the cabin being a little bit old, but I am not certain.

Qantas brought in the F beds around maybe 1998 so in 2001 some 400's might still have had the big recliner. Perhaps it was a 300. But I think all transpac services were in 400's by then. MEL-AKL-LAX pre 744ER

It was later when QF put 300's back o AKL-LAX for a few years.

 

[haydensydney]

Unrelated but this site has heaps of vintage seat maps - ahh.... memories!

Vintage Airline Seat Maps Archive - Frequently Flying

 

[simongr]

I am guessing then when I flew in about 2006/2007 that the 743 AKL-LAX would only have had whY/J? I was on the upper deck.

 

[maninblack]

I am guessing then when I flew in about 2006/2007 that the 743 AKL-LAX would only have had whY/J? I was on the upper deck.

No question whatsoever by 2006. This was towards the end of the 743's. They had a strange split J by then with 5 rows of J in the nose with Y behind and also J upstairs. For the last few years they had Mk2 Dreamtime seats installed with the larger monitor and personal IFE in Y. This was all hand-me-downs from re-fitted 744's.

 

[whughes3]

I have unearthed an old seatmap from 1989 for the 743, and it definitely shows F in the nose (18 seats, same layout as for the Skybed Mk 1).

 

[maninblack]

I have unearthed an old seatmap from 1989 for the 743, and it definitely shows F in the nose (18 seats, same layout as for the Skybed Mk 1).

Brilliant. Does it show a 3 class configuration? Can you scan and post it.

 

[NM]

The 747-238s did not have F "beds", but certainly did have an F cabin in the nose with 2x2 recliners.

My first introduction to QF F was on a 747-200 in 1989 operating BNE-HNL, then in J (lower deck) HNL-LAX. In those days, HNL was the "hub" point for flights from BNE, SYD and MEL. Two flights continued to LAX and one to SFO so passengers swapped at HNL for their final destination.

I am not certain, but do expect, that the 747-338s would have been delivered as 3-class F/J/Y with cradle seats in F and J with the main difference being the pitch. The first of the 743s would have arrived around 1985 or so.

Once the 747-400s arrived in the early 19902, along with their lie-flat beds in Zone-A, the 743 and 742s all reverted to 2-class J/Y.

Remember that prior to 1979, the QF fleet of 747s were all 2 class, F and Y. Then they introduced business class to the world. Back then, F was more like J now, and J was more like PE today.

 

[whughes3]

This is the 1989 seatmap...



Oops, you may need to copy & paste this into "Paint" to see the detail...

 

[maninblack]

Remember that prior to 1979, the QF fleet of 747s were all 2 class, F and Y. Then they introduced business class to the world. Back then, F was more like J now, and J was more like PE today.

Qantas have always between brilliant marketers. Several airlines had a 'middle' class between F and Y under various names before Qantas but I believe they marketed it under the banner "business class", which eventually became the industry standard. When QF introduced their MEL-LAX non-stop service they marketed it as a world first and the longest scheduled non-stop service in aviation. They forgot to mention that PanAm had run this as a scheduled service with their SP's 20 years earlier.

 

[ozmille]

I love the smoking and non smoking seats, I can't imagine people smoking on an aircraft

 

[haydensydney]

I love the smoking and non smoking seats, I can't imagine people smoking on an aircraft

Looks crazy doesn't it!! Do any of our older (I mean: experienced) members remember being able to smoke inflight?

 

[maninblack]

Great seat map thanks for posting. These were clearly the pride of the QF fleet, so of course they had F class, look at the aircraft names, which nearly all got changed when the 744's arrived, to Mildura and Geraldton etc. obviously no longer the pride.

 

[serfty]

In 1989 I flew back from bali - once the seat belt signs went off the air ras rancid with the smoke of clove cigarettes.:shock:

 

[Timtammi]

I can remember flying Iberia, it would have been sometime in the 80's, and everyone was puffing away madly as only the Spanish can do. It was bizarre at the time (which is why I remember it) so it must have been after it had been banned here and in most other places but was still allowed on some airlines. The flight would have been to or from Spain from somewhere else in Europe.

Cheers

Timmi

 

[Joshua]

That seat map is from the Qantas product manual somebody linked to a while ago from here (or at least it's the same). Looks like the link is down and a few people missed it. Knowing how much people like this sort of stuff, here is the Google cache of it: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:YV7GUiWj4GMJ:www.ausairuniforms.com/documents/QantasProductManual1989PartA.PDF+QantasProductManual1989PartA&hl=en&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESjh44noW56j-7bZxydVeVhbemyHydkzY-rtVN9eVLq_3CSHfcrQr7pmv5RGUirCxwS9Lo3BeufpowqPF9ZVfLgBFwy0WNnUopcVJTzHMD3OcfpjvgwkQeYJXnAunjovEHl8i34g&sig=AHIEtbQ7g24nP7SdQoyqoAunZpJuFi_Byw

Warning: contains 80's fashion


Edit: I also have found seat maps from 1998 if anyone wants them. Mostly the same planes but retrofitted with Dreamtime seats, less F, 747SP still has a divider, also the QF A300.