Once demand is there, theyre going to be good aircraft, Joyce told a CAPA Live virtual conference last Wednesday. Qantas can hype up the 787 and even the A350 all they want but they need to realise neither will ever be the A380. Qantas Airbus A380 Premium Economy Seat Overview - Australian Frequent Flyer Qantas Airbus A380 Premium Economy Seat Overview Qantas A380 Premium Economy. With the first refurbished Qantas A380 being bedded down and due to head back to Heathrow today as QF1 following a media event in Sydney yesterday, thoughts are turning to when the next refurbished A380 will roll out of the workshops. Login now. Some lucky Platinum One members have been offered an 'upgrade' to the First Suites, but the service has been at a Business level. The airline said total revenue loss amounted to $16 billion for the full year due to COVID-related disruptions including prolonged international border closures and multiple waves of domestic border restrictions. So much space. We know the demand will come back, its just a matter of time Weve had this forecast for some time that we dont see that occurring until 24. United are flying 787s with 2-2-2 business seating as well. and A330 aircraft without adequate crew rests. Qantas has outlined its plans for the upcoming peak summer holiday period, including new and resumed routes, and the rostering of larger aircraft. Speaking about the reasoning behind parking up the A380s, Joyce said it was largely about the high levels of premium seating on board the superjumbo. Maybe if London and LA aren't in a position to get QF A380 operations, Tokyo will be. In fact they actually become as in Express Airlines. To me, the customer it means I as a Singaporean, feel special. Whereas VH-OQD is refurbished with the latest top-notch Qantas cabin product, VH-OQB is not. If your email is already registered you will have provided it to us previously for one of our events/webcasts/newsletters. Frankly, QF doesn't have sufficient B787-9's to sustain or even revive international routes from SYD, MEL, PER and BNE as virus numbers o/s begin to retreat. On refurbished A380 aircraft, the Premium Economy cabin has 60 seats in a 2-3-2 layout. Login now. Qantas has announced it will return five of its 12 Airbus A380s to service ahead of schedule, as it prepares for international borders to re-open in December. "We're parking the A380sfor at least three years," Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce confirmed to media during a press teleconference following the announcement of a sweepingthree-year 'post-Covid recovery plan'. third He sang its praises in terms of range and economics too, saying, The 787 is such a good aircraft, it can replace the entire A380 and 747 network in terms of range, with smaller aircraft and unit costs that are even better than an A380.. The oldest Qantas A380 is VH-OQANancy Bird Walton, which arrived at Qantas in September 2008. In addition to larger screens and six additional seats in business, the updated aircraft will boast a 1-2-1 layout in business class, with aisle access for every seat. Photo: Qantas. Not to mention the actual volume of space in your "single" seat - storage, proper table, excellent TV, ideal controls etc. I think Qantas is pretty good. All three remain unrefurbished. VH-OQB Hudson Fysh made a splashy return home and has been busy operating familiarization flights over Sydney for out-of-practice A380 crews. I concur that I will always choose Emirates over Qantas if they have the A380 in service and Qantas does not(of course on QF paper). I'm sorry ladies, the uniforms makes you look tired soccer moms. Which is the best Star Alliance lounge at Sydney Airport? As there are twelve Airbus A380s in the Qantas fleet, there is still a good chance you'll receive the old configuration for the time being. The CEO added that the airline won't dedicate the spruced-up aircraft to one particular route, so passengers will be "surprised and delighted" when they find themselves sitting in a new business class seat. By subscribing, you agree to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Statement. That's the level of flexibility we have.. It's the little finer touches that matter, and Qantas lacks sophistication and finess. Until that time arrives, Qantas' fleet of 12 Airbus A380's are currently sitting in long-term storage in the Mojave desert where they are likely to remain until 2024 when Joyce hopes travel demand will have returned to pre-pandemic levels. Suggesting I and L are marked as the probably next to be upgraded. The Qantas boss will probably be on his honeymoon or kicking back at his beach house. PrimeFlight GSE Maintenance is a leading provider of Ground Support Equipment (GSE) maintenance, fleet maintenance, and facility maintenance services with operations across the US. OQJ is now back in the country operating QF93. Our plan was at the end of October, if the international borders were to open up, we could start 22 of the 25 destinations we had pre-COVID with smaller aircraft, smaller premium seats on it. You don't have credit card details available. VH-OQB will depart Sydney and operate QF11 to Los Angeles on Tuesday evening. We spent a lot of money on them Once demand is there, they're going to be good aircraft, get back in the air and we can cope with this lower demand environment with some time by just parking them and using the 787 system.. interact with our community. With Qantas forecastingits international network to reach only 50% of its pre-pandemic capacity duringthe 2021-2022 financial year, Joyce said the A380s "dont have any use during this period of time. The CEO added that the airline won't dedicate the spruced-up aircraft to one . First Refurbished Qantas A380 Now Flying The first Qantas A380 with enter service today. The airline is also winding up its Boeing 747 fleet, marking a fanfare-free end for theaircraft dubbed 'Queen of the Skies' by its fans, and which for decades was the backbone of Qantas' international fleet. Updates to the first-class product include material changes to modernize the look of the suites. Already have an Executive Traveller account? The summer school holidays are in full swing and the A380s generally fill right up. Qantas needs a proper luxury brand designer (maybe Oroton)? It's quite specialised. Thank you so much Qantas, Alan and staff. Please view our advertising policy page for more information. below, then click 'Submit'. No Title No Description. Just be happy our airline didnt fold during covid and have to get aircraft that spent two years in the desert in airworthy condition. Even the non-refurbed Business in the A380 is fine, but the refurb is fabulous! Compare a range of products that will provide rewards and benefits to frequent flyers. The seat itself may be great, but that doesn't mean much if passengers are lacking sufficient room to effectively experience it shame Qantas hasn't listened (at least as far as we know). It comes as the airline continues to prepare for international borders to re-open in December 2021, once Australia reaches its 80 per cent vaccination target. This post has been updated with new information. Stay informed:Sign upfor ourdailyandweeklyaviation news digests. He commented, We think we will reactivate all of the A380s. Qantas Airbus A380 refurbishment schedule - Executive Traveller community discussion. Scuttlebutt several days ago was that it would be VH-OQL, named Phyllis Arnott. With the pandemic eating into that time, it remains to be seen whether Qantas will continue with the expensive refresh on the other A380s in the fleet. They are so good. Until that time arrives, Qantas fleet of 12 Airbus A380s are currently sitting in long-term storage in the Mojave desert where they are likely to remain until 2024 when Joyce hopes travel demand will have returned to pre-pandemic levels. Click OK to continue. The first A380 for Australian Carrier QANTAS arrived at Sydney's International Airport from Toulouse in France. The only criticism I've heard is that they're squashed together although I suspect this will be dependent on the specific aircraft and, considering how much criticism QF have received, they'll probably spread them out a little. As a result Qantas is bringing back a sixth refurbished A380 superjumbo into operation from the middle of this month, "providing more operational resilience over the busy Christmas holidays".. Like the business suites, these products will also feature seats currently used in Qantas' Dreamliners premium-economy section. The airline has already refurbished six; VH-OQD, VH-OQG, VH-OQH, VH-OQI, VH-OQJ, and QH-OQK. Australia is small in many ways but it has a distinctive brand, the national airline should reflect that. Factoring in the eight week refurbishment time frame, might we see the refurbished A380 VH-OQL, in the air around November 30, 2019? They haven't been added to the map yet, but those are the six. Andrews first-hand knowledge of the challenges and opportunities facing Australian airlines adds exciting depth and color to his work. Click to reveal Resend one to yourself here. I was lucky on my most recent trip from LHR to SIN - the lady next to me who had a window seat only needed to get up once. We think we will reactivate all of the A380s. "That will depend on what the recovery scenario looks like. we dont know when the big markets like the US and the UK, which use the A380s, will open, and when, Joyce added. These photos show the oversized 'foot nook' for seats in the A380's two bulkhead rows, those being rows 11 and 16/17. The Qantas operation across the Pacific right now is a mess. Please include the Ray ID (which is at the bottom of this error page). "The aircraftare being put into the Mojave Desert, where the environment protects the aircraft (because) we have the intention at the right time to restart them, but that is a considerable amount of time away.". Qantas reactivated another A380 in early November. "Were reconfiguring the A380s nearly as we speak, the (first) aircraft goes in next month and comes out September," Joyce said to the publication, adding that he expects the effort to be completed by the end of next year. parties. But all aircraft should finally be refurbished by the end of 2020. Etihad Airways has also said it will likely never fly the A380 again, while Singapore Airlines will retire seven of its A380s. Initially Qantas won't be selling first class on the A380, but rather will be seating top tier . Sharp-eyed flyers reckon they had the next refurbished A380 nailed. Andrew is based in Sydney. I get they are a bit tight for space currently at Alice, but thought I read somewhere that they could increase capacity very quickly if required. Theyre directed towards the big premium market. We all know that Qantas is kicking off its A380 refurbishment with the first upgraded A380 to fly in September, see https://www.ausbt.com.au/qantas-a380-refurbishment. My focus has changed a bit I guess now concentrating on leisure rather than business travel. Qantas might like to keep them flying over the busy periods. Woomera has a strip that could easily handlen an A380. It's not known which two A380s will not return to service. Manufacture/ Distribution of the vaccine worldwide, time related just as I'm sure a priority list will be established. We do have scheduling windows, because if you if youve ever been in LA, at between 10 oclock and midnight, you see six or seven Qantas aircraft departing to Australia, because its the only time that works with curfews, so instead of flying multiple frequencies right on top of each other. Qantas resumes scheduled A380 flights between Sydney and Los Angeles on Tuesday, January 11. With about five weeks to go, VH-OQI should be the next refurbished A380 set to fly around the end of October. Talking point: have you given up on airport WiFi? In short, about another year. Until the A380s return, the Dreamliner is picking up the slack. interact with our community. My problem is that Qantas seriously tries too hard to be Australian when it comes off as unauthentic. And communicating Australia is more important than Nancy Bird Ansett or Longreach. After the hoopla surrounding the reactivation of the first Qantas A380, the return of the second A380 was a far quieter affair. If anyone knows, please let me know when VH-OQK is ready to do the Melb to Dallas run. See also: Qantas unveils replica Boeing 747-200 first class lounge in a museum. Qantas are not mucking around . Qantas have already confirmed the PE seats on A380 won't have more pitch than on the 787. oqh, oqj and oqk sorry. WA is going to miss out millions of $ in tourism, but McGowan thinks he makes plenty of money anyway from iron ore, which the Chinese no longer want to buy. Can confirm my booking 1 July 2022 SYD-LAX (booked 2 weeks ago) x 2Pax business class, our seats have already been changed today from a 787-9 to a refurbished A380. As an engineer the plane is inheritably unstable and placing rotational forces on the wings that no previous 737 has had to encounter. An A380, thats fully or nearly fully written down, if it generates cash, will absolutely work. 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But I am concerned that Qantas' shine as Australia's flag carrier may not resonate with a product that doesn't look decent enough to compete with others. Absolutely idea. The A380 is far more spacious and comfortable to fly in than the squeezy Boeing 787 nightmare plane, but it's the now-departed Boeing 747, yes, Queen of the Sky, that had most comfort.