QF A388's out of action - who is inconvenienced? [Merged Thread]

[NM]

Our 748 from LAX - BNE ...

think you may mean 744

 

[Postcode]

I just checked the QF website and it says on the flight information popup that the flight is operated by Cathay Pacific for Qantas and I have seat allocation. Last night it just said seat not specified.

I emailed QF but have heard nothing, as I would expect, but at least I now know.

Akk I just had a thought. Will this affect my extra SG 10kg luggage allowance on top of the 30kg J class allowance as the flight will not be on QF metal?

 

[FlyboyAl]

think you may mean 744

oops, yes

 

[JohnK]

Really? Do you really think that's feasible? They already have enough to do, without adding something like that to have to bother about.

I don't see a huge problem if lounge staff (perphaps not check-in staff) took requests for complimentary exit row seats (or any seat for that matter) with the boarding pass left at the desk. If there are still exit row seats available when flight has closed then perhaps they can issue new boarding pass.

Doesn''t something similar happen on domestic flights already?

 

[NM]

I don't see a huge problem if lounge staff (perphaps not check-in staff) took requests for complimentary exit row seats (or any seat for that matter) with the boarding pass left at the desk. If there are still exit row seats available when flight has closed then perhaps they can issue new boarding pass.

Doesn''t something similar happen on domestic flights already?

To me that is starting down the slippery slope towards the upgrade list process employed by some unnAAmed US-based AAirlines. Not sure I want to see QF go down that path :-|

 

[Sprucegoose]

To me that is starting down the slippery slope towards the upgrade list process employed by some unnAAmed US-based AAirlines. Not sure I want to see QF go down that path :-|

I agree. It is easy to devalue your product for short term gains

 

[Hawkeye]

Not really an inconvenience, as such, but just checking through a few bookings, and noted that I've been downgraded from P (F award) to U (J award) on QF107 01-DEC.

A quick check on EF shows that both QF107 and QF11 are using non-F 744's, hence the change. Fair enough - far worse alternatives than that.

OT: is the points difference refunded?

 

[jb747]

I'm guessing only jb747 can answer that but I recall someone saying they're still rostered and on a salary so I'd imagine now would be a good time to do more sim training.

Basically, the rosters all still exist, though individual trips end up being cancelled a few days out. Crews are being rotated to Singapore, LA, London, so that people will be available to fly when it restarts (effectively a week long standby).

There is only one sim, and it is normally fully utilised, with training for new people, and licence renewals for the qualified. You can't suddenly create a whole bunch of extra sessions out of nowhere. Having said that though, that's more or less what they have to do, as now all of the pilots will need to be doing recency sims, to keep them current. So, instead of having the line guys going in every 3 months, they'll now have to cater for everyone coming in every 30 days. Problem is that this doesn't start in 30 days, but rather 30 days from the person's last flight, so this exercise is already under way (I did one a week ago). Privately, I've got a study program mapped out for next week....basically I'm going to redo the aircraft CBT.

I can't go back to the 747. Basically you would need to do the conversion all over again, and hopefully, this will be resolved in the 3 or so months that would take. And, you would then need to do it again to come back..... Flicking between aircraft types is not simple.

If it goes on much longer, they'll send people on leave (which may make the whole recency thing even worse), but at the moment all of the planning is based of flying again sooner, rather than later.

 

[jb747]

Most 380 pilots are ex 747 captains (there is a requirement for some to come from the airbus stable and they require less conversion time) some training on the new birds even as old as 54 and with 15000 hrs!

That was a company requirement for the initial introduction of the aircraft, but it's now just normal bidding. The breakdown (of Captains) is 58% ex 747/744, 35% ex A330, and 7% from the 767.There are a number of over 60 doing the training (with I'd expect well over 20,000 hours). Oldest guy flying it is 63.....

I am not sure when or if tbey ever lose their rating on the 747 if they convert, an insider question no doubt.

The endorsement doesn't disappear, but, depending upon how long ago you did the type course, you would basically have to do the entire conversion again.

You would be amazed at how good people are at dumping the details of an aircraft they no longer fly (though for some obscure reason, I can still remember the Macchi downwind checklist).

 

[DeKa]

One thing I have noticed is that in the couple of weeks before Christmas, getting to Singapore is significantly more expensive than Hong Kong. I need to go to India, and the only affordable way is via Hong Kong because the flight from SYD-SIN is either fully booked, or so expensive it makes Economy more expensive than SYD-HKG in Business. I wonder if this is because of lack of capacity with no A380 Qantas flights?

 

[samh004]

Not really an inconvenience, as such, but just checking through a few bookings, and noted that I've been downgraded from P (F award) to U (J award) on QF107 01-DEC.

A quick check on EF shows that both QF107 and QF11 are using non-F 744's, hence the change. Fair enough - far worse alternatives than that.

OT: is the points difference refunded?

I think I’d rather keep the original routing SC’s, than get the points back, but YMMV.

 

[Paddy55]

Found out early today that QF12 (LAX - SYD) on 1 Dec has changed from A380 to 2 class 747 - Downstairs 2 rows of J seating being sold as PE according to Expert Flyer.

Winners - PE travellers who now have Skyslopes seating
Losers - F Class travellers, those with F upgrade requests (incl moi) and J travellers moving from SkyBeds II to I.

Oh well... at least the engines should work as advertised!

Paddy

 

[Sprucegoose]

One thing I have noticed is that in the couple of weeks before Christmas, getting to Singapore is significantly more expensive than Hong Kong. I need to go to India, and the only affordable way is via Hong Kong because the flight from SYD-SIN is either fully booked, or so expensive it makes Economy more expensive than SYD-HKG in Business. I wonder if this is because of lack of capacity with no A380 Qantas flights?

I believe the 747 and 380 have a similar capacity, put it down to the festive season I suspect.

 

[samh004]

I believe the 747 and 380 have a similar capacity, put it down to the festive season I suspect.

The two-class is only 38 seats less than the A380, but the others are nearly 100 seats to nearly 150 seats less.

 

[Harriet Vane]

QF11 on 1 December is now showing as a 747. Have managed to get online and change our previous seats (55A and B) to 39 A and B, as the other half prefers being as far forward as possible (at least, as is possible in Y!).

 

[Alanslegal]

My next 388 flight, which is QF31 for 16 June 2011, still remains a 388. Its good to see QF not expecting this issue to drag on for more than half a year :mrgreen:

 

[straitman]

You would be amazed at how good people are at dumping the details of an aircraft they no longer fly (though for some obscure reason, I can still remember the Macchi downwind checklist).

As do I and it is nearly 40 years since I flew the Macchi in anger :!:
(It must be an easy checklist:shock

 

[ab156]

QF11 2/12 now showing aircraft change. Unable to allocate seat. Understand the issue is out of thier control but to be told by Premium Help desk to "show up as early as you can to get the seat you want" is below par. Might as well fly Air Asia :shock:

Advised the flight is 100% full, interesting given I can still book Y or J now Looks like there is room on 107 or 15 so they are still accepting bookings and will shuffle / force people to move.

Feel for the front line people however enough flights have had to be change that they surely can manage a bit more professionally as an organization.

At least if I decide to change can still use anytime access .... hmmmm, VA do have fares at reasonable prices......

 

[Sprucegoose]

What is the latest on the RR saga. When do QF expect their A380 fleet back in the air?

 

[MatF]

Nobody knows (or nobody not in the know knows, and those who know aren't saying anything ).

QF31 7/12 is still showing as an A388 for me. I'm checking it daily.
From that I'm inferring they hope to have them back in the air sometime between 2/12 and 7/12 at this point in time (though in reality my guess is the forward schedule is only being changed out a certain number of days anyway)