if you analyse the planning-development-delivery and delays of new aircrafts brought to the market you find that as a buffer most premium airlines order what is being brought new to the market to hedge against uncertainty. It also gives them a "true picture" of performance specs and "acceptance by the travelling public". Whatever aircraft works best they usually keep and in a timely manner dispose the other aircrafts.(including changing buy/options packages). As pointed out on many occassion the trippler would have saved a bucket load during the GFC and on many thinnner routes.The reason Geoff D did get the A333/2 is because of delays to the A380 he got them cheap(as a side note he was told when they decided to get the A333/2 he should not put the rockwell collins IFE in the A333/2 as it has a very high failure rate. again given that QF had so many problems on the 747 with the rockwell collins IFE he got a very cheap deal). SHORT term management mentality-LONG term pain to the company!!!
