QF11 Changes

[Himeno]

You can charter an A380?!

Yes, it's quite common.
Travel agents to LAS, various religious groups to Europe, international sporting events, etc
Woolworths ran a competition during their 2019 Disney collectables campaign for a trip to Disney World. Winners got 4 seats on an A380 SYD-LAX-MCO, hotels, transfers and park entry. They gave away all the J, W and Y seats in groups of 4 for the contest winners and people in head office took the F seats.

 

[moa999]

And looks like OQJ is flying back to SYD as QF332 empty..

OQB has also been sitting at LAX for a week (and then you've got the four at AUH)

So basically for the last few days QF has only had four A380s in regular passenger service.

 

[tdimdad]

And looks like OQJ is flying back to SYD as QF332 empty..

You'd think that it might take the same time & cost to ferry it to LAX to collect the overflow and take them to Australia (SYD?) instead of flying empty. Unless, of course, there's some good freight onboard coming back, or similar.

 

[elanshin]

And looks like OQJ is flying back to SYD as QF332 empty..

OQB has also been sitting at LAX for a week (and then you've got the four at AUH)

So basically for the last few days QF has only had four A380s in regular passenger service.

I didn't realise OQH had also made its way over to AUH last week. There must be some serious maintenance piled up right now with OQH and OQK both being sent recently along with OQL for the main refurbishment. I wonder if that means OQC is about to come out (although maybe still slightly broken like OQA).

 

[Flyfrequently]

No luck on moving flights. Appreciate everyone’s input re the transit in Melbourne.
I’ve used this forum for years to find info and never posted, really impressed at all the responses for what is a pretty minor issue.

A very warm welcome to posting on AFF @gls
Happy travels

 

[SeatBackForward]

Yes, it's quite common.
Travel agents to LAS, various religious groups to Europe, international sporting events, etc
Woolworths ran a competition during their 2019 Disney collectables campaign for a trip to Disney World. Winners got 4 seats on an A380 SYD-LAX-MCO, hotels, transfers and park entry. They gave away all the J, W and Y seats in groups of 4 for the contest winners and people in head office took the F seats.

I remember that, it was Feb 2020 just before Covid started up.. I happened to be flying SYD>LAX>MCO the same day, a few hours ahead of the charter into LAX, but must've arrived into MCO about the same time. Was quite amusing seeing a throng of other Aussies around the carousel.

 

[Randel]

You can charter an A380?!

Lol - wonder how much that cost

 

[Himeno]

Lol - wonder how much that cost

The total prize pool for the Woolworths Disney trip was $3,645,485.68.

 

[tdimdad]

Lol - wonder how much that cost

Let me guess at the back of a napkin.

An Y sale to LHR goes for $600 base fare for the first half of a return fare * 341 seats = $204,600.
The premium seats would cost more but let's use an average of $1,500 each * 144 seats = $216,000.
--> Total of $420,600. We'll round it up and you might get a response if you offered half a mil. Frequent leasing might attract a discount, in the best case as QFF points which you can redeem for the unicorn Y seat they'll release on Sunday the 29th Feb 3 am.

Actually, the true question is how much does it cost QF to ferry a plane SYD-SIN-LHR. Then add staff & profit margin.

 

[equus]

An Y sale to LHR goes for $600 base fare for the first half of a return fare * 341 seats = $204,600

I think your maths are way out. A single Y sale fare may go for $600 base, but they don't sell the whole lot at that rate - it is a mix, and the filed fares (for return) SYD-LHR state at around $1,600 - so $800 one way. I suspect the blended rate spread across those 341 seats is much closer to $1,000 per seat one way - so lets say $340,000
The premium cabin guestimate is even further out - and that is where the money gets made.
14 First - ranging from 9 ,000 to 15,000 one way - lets just say most are "cheap" at 10,000 average - so there is $140,000
70 Business - ranging from $4,500 to around $11,000 one way - average likely to be around $6,000 plus - so there is $420,000
60 PE - ranging from $2,400 to $4,000 - keep it low and just work with $2,500 - so there is $150,000

This is equally rough, but gives a total (admittedly for full load), more like $1,050,000 - of which two thirds or so comes from Premium cabins. That sort of ball park sits much more in alignment with @Himeno reported figure for the Woolworths trip (albeit that was US not UK).

 

[Franky]

I think your maths are way out. A single Y sale fare may go for $600 base, but they don't sell the whole lot at that rate - it is a mix, and the filed fares (for return) SYD-LHR state at around $1,600 - so $800 one way. I suspect the blended rate spread across those 341 seats is much closer to $1,000 per seat one way - so lets say $340,000
The premium cabin guestimate is even further out - and that is where the money gets made.
14 First - ranging from 9 ,000 to 15,000 one way - lets just say most are "cheap" at 10,000 average - so there is $140,000
70 Business - ranging from $4,500 to around $11,000 one way - average likely to be around $6,000 plus - so there is $420,000
60 PE - ranging from $2,400 to $4,000 - keep it low and just work with $2,500 - so there is $150,000

This is equally rough, but gives a total (admittedly for full load), more like $1,050,000 - of which two thirds or so comes from Premium cabins. That sort of ball park sits much more in alignment with @Himeno reported figure for the Woolworths trip (albeit that was US not UK).

It must have been on the back of a Rudd napkin then?…

 

[tdimdad]

If you use the commercial ticket prices as the reference point, you also include the risk margin QF would have baked in for the cases they can't fill a cabin or a plane. If you called them and asked for a fixed fee to lease a plane, you'd take the commercial risk away and I guess that the price level would drop. Perhaps we can agree that it might go up to $1M and in all cases most likely over $0.5M (i.e. don't even ask if your check bounces soon after that).

 

[jb747]

Try about $50k per hour.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

No, dont phone up about moving flights, if that is what you were thinking about doing.
Oh, you mean, probably you have something to do, that stops you from going to SYD T3 earlier in the day.
My idea was to turn up as early as possible to plead your case at SYD T3.

 

[moa999]

From plane spotters at LGW another return charter departing LGW on 30 Apr.

Looks like OQB back into service operating QF6006 LAX-SYD. Plus two other 789s on the same route tonight.. so presumably QF had a lot of disrupted pax stuck at LAX.

OQJ also back into regular service after the charter and seemingly empty return.

Hopefully for the return charter they can activate one of the aircraft in AUH to minimise the empty flying.

 

[equus]

Try about $50k per hour.

Total elapsed time, or block to block? I assume parts of both would come into it. Either way, makes it around the $1m order of magnitude for SYD-LHR. Assuming that there would be costs for repositioning as well, would make it even more than that to do two one-ways some time apart.

 

[bertair]

How long before QF 11 returns to its normal scheduled departure from SYD to LAX .ie 1735 I wonder ? I have QF 11 booked for July 3 and if it is still departing at 1100 on that date, I hope Qantas informs me as I have connections at the other end that will cost me $$$ to change. I booked my US legs separately therefore I am left to make my own changes if I need to. It QF 11 remains a 1100 departure, I need to make changes ASAP, including hotel and other reservations, meetings etc. Hopefully this is just an aberration on the part of QF

 

[RichardMEL]

How long before QF 11 returns to its normal scheduled departure from SYD to LAX .ie 1735 I wonder ? I have QF 11 booked for July 3 and if it is still departing at 1100 on that date, I hope Qantas informs me as I have connections at the other end that will cost me $$$ to change. I booked my US legs separately therefore I am left to make my own changes if I need to. It QF 11 remains a 1100 departure, I need to make changes ASAP, including hotel and other reservations, meetings etc. Hopefully this is just an aberration on the part of QF

I don't quite understand this?

I understand you are currently booked on the QF11 departing 1735 and arruving 1420.

Yes there have been some retimings to morning departures on some dates recently including today.

(Of course the morning departures are the "traditional" timing of the 11, but I digress).

So IF the departure is brought forward to say 1100 - the big change is you arrive around 0700 in LAX, or 7 hours earlier. Yes, that is a lot of extra time to deal with, but zer effect on your separate bookings so would not cost you anything on that count (unless, understandably, you might want to try and go earlier).

It would be FAR worse if you were retiming the other way and getting in 7 hours later.

Of course, booking same day connections on separate tickets is a risk either way - specially as a 1735 departure could be delayed a few hours regardless of short term schedule change.

Anyway, there's no reason to think July schedules would change. This is a temporary issue going on unfortunately.

 

[bertair]

I don't quite understand this?

I understand you are currently booked on the QF11 departing 1735 and arruving 1420.

Yes there have been some retimings to morning departures on some dates recently including today.

(Of course the morning departures are the "traditional" timing of the 11, but I digress).

So IF the departure is brought forward to say 1100 - the big change is you arrive around 0700 in LAX, or 7 hours earlier. Yes, that is a lot of extra time to deal with, but zer effect on your separate bookings so would not cost you anything on that count (unless, understandably, you might want to try and go earlier).

It would be FAR worse if you were retiming the other way and getting in 7 hours later.

Of course, booking same day connections on separate tickets is a risk either way - specially as a 1735 departure could be delayed a few hours regardless of short term schedule change.

Anyway, there's no reason to think July schedules would change. This is a temporary issue going on unfortunately.

Thank you. You've explained it quite well. My anxiety is really a loathing of waiting at airports between connections. More often than not, the waiting time on a lay over is extended due to one reason or another. Fingers crossed the current situation, what ever the cause is over by July.

 

[RichardMEL]

Thank you. You've explained it quite well. My anxiety is really a loathing of waiting at airports between connections. More often than not, the waiting time on a lay over is extended due to one reason or another. Fingers crossed the current situation, what ever the cause is over by July.

Imo it is FAR better to have way more time at a connection point than potentially not enough - even more so with separate connections. Not sure what your current buffer is, but more time at LAX can only benefit imo. At the very worst - you can get a day room or something.

Anyway, I doubt this will be an issue. I'd be far more concerned about possibly not having enough time (trust me, I've had this happen at LAX myself).

Hopefully your flight is on time and you have no probs or issues connecting at LAX to your other flight(s).