(I flew on a 747 from SYD to SIN recently and I could not believe the state of inside. Plastic panels loose, broken seats, dirty carpets, dodgy seat back TVs. Having flown into Oz on a QF A380 I was very disappointed as to how shabby the jumbo was.
My previous BA experience was on a 777 and coud not fault it.)
I love the 744 but by God BA need to refresh them soon.
BA have refurbished First (mostly) and Business class, the problem is however both economy classes
However BA's LHR-SIN-SYD flights will be getting the 777-300ER (which has the latest versions of all 4 classes)
Some of them are definitely a bit shop-soiled - presumably they were scheduled for replacement by 787/380's and no -one bothers to keep them in a decent state
With BA buyout of BMI (which has caused a shortful of long-haul planes), I am hearing that BA has decided to keep the 12 "mid-J" 747-400s that where due for withdrawal after the first 12 A380s are delivered
The 787s (which are not replacing the 747-400 fleet) are now expansion aicraft rather than replacing 767s
What sort of timescale is the Boeing "Y3" project? In service by around 2025?
Since the 777X project has been delayed until 2020, I would say 2030, by then it would be too late to replace any of BA 747-400s (the same goes for the 777X, of which EK will take the first aircfraft)
BA's 747-400s (and the stopgap 777-300ERs) are likely to be replaced by the Airbus A350-1000/A380-800
All of the 747's are equipped with AVOD in the same way as the long haul 767's and the RR powered 777's. All of them have 'New Club' and the standard Traveller and Traveller Plus cabins (non-Thales).
The majority have New First installed. The older ones are not having New First installed as they will be retired first on delivery of the A380's. As far as I'm aware, this strategy is not changing even with the acquisition of bmi but I stand to be corrected. 747's NOT fitted with New First include:
G-BNLF
G-BNLI
G-BNLJ
G-BNLL
G-BNLM
G-BNLR
G-BNLS
G-BNLW
G-BNLX
G-BNLY
G-BNLZ
G-CIVA
G-CIVB
G-CIVC
These aircraft are all the oldest 'Mid-J' configured aircraft(14F/52J/36W/235Y). Only G-BNLU and G-BNLV have New First installed as 'older' Mid-J aircraft as these two aircraft were brought back from storage last year and BA took the opportunity to refit them as part of the ensuing D-check - even though they are older than 'NLY, 'NLZ etc. There are a number of newer Mid-J's and all the Hi-J's have been fitted with New First.
Thanks for the info!
According to CAPA, BA is to delay the retirement of the 747-400s (and 767-300ERs) that was due happen after all the A380/787 orsders have been fullfilled (Note: BA has not corfirmed this as far as I know...)
So they will have all 52 747-400s still flying until the end of the decade at least...
Also will any of their 747-400s gain Thales AVOD IFE and the latest version of WT/WT+?
Also should we rule out any chance of a 747-8 order? (it would make a good aircraft for premium heavy routes too small for a A380, as LH has shown)