Airbus' now costing more $$

[1279shp]

June 20, 2005
European planemaker Airbus has raised the list price of its A380 twin-deck by about USD$10 million, the Financial Times Deutschland newspaper said on Monday, citing a company spokesman.

The A380 superjumbo will cost USD$282 million-USD$302 million depending on how it is equipped, roughly USD$10 million more than an earlier range of USD$272.6 million to USD$292.5 million, the newspaper said.

Airbus is also raising prices on its planned A350 model, which the company hopes to begin building later this year.

The A350, which will compete with the new Boeing 787, will cost USD$158.6 million to USD$165.3 million, up from an earlier price tag of USD$153.5 million.

The larger A350-900 version will cost USD$176 million to USD$182.6 million, against an earlier price of USD$170 million.

The popular A320 will be priced at USD$62 million to USD$66.5 million, up from USD$60.8 million to USD$64.3 million.

Typically customers are given a discount that can amount to as much as 30 percent of the list price, the newspaper said.

(Reuters)

[ZFT]

With the weakening dollar, is this really such a surprise?

$ - €
2002 0.95
2003 1.14
2004 1.24
2005 1.28

[Torquelink]

I really don't know why manufacturers publish list prices - they could win the Booker prize for fiction! On the other hand suppose it gives airlines a clue as to how big a discount to demand. Recently saw a net of credit price for a new A320 - based on quite a small order - of $35m which represents a "discount" of around 45% from list. Doubt you can even get that off a new Rover!

:D

[Tristar]

:cool: PLEASE don’t tell me there are people who still consider buying a Rover!?;)

[Plastique]

Up to now only the accountants preferred Airbus.
There are very few engineers or pilots who will admit to preferring Airbus to Boeing.

With the price increases, Airbus could lose their only friends, the boring grey men in their grey pinstriped suits.

[HotDog]

There are very few engineers or pilots who will admit to preferring Airbus to Boeing

A bit of a sweeping statement plastique, thousands of bus drivers will disgree with you; and a great majority are ex Boeing operators.

[wingview]

With the weakening dollar, is this really such a surprise?
The US$ is getting stronger against the € (especially after the referendum in France and The Netherlands)!!!

Maybe Airbus is a bit afraid of the WTO after Boeings claim!

[moggiee]

PLEASE don’t tell me there are people who still consider buying a Rover!?
I've got 3!

[Bmused55]

A bit of a sweeping statement plastique, thousands of bus drivers will disgree with you; and a great majority are ex Boeing operators.

An equally sweeping statement :E

Most B pilots love their mounts
Most A pilots love theirs.

Just like some drivers prefer Ford to Vauxhall for example.

I myself prefer my Pug 406 to the fords, Renaults and Citroens I see dashing about.
Does it mean anything about the vehicles? No..

[rubik101]

It seems once again that 1279 is having a little poke at Airbus. q'el suprise!
Do you have shares in Boeing or work for their publicity division? The changes in the exchange rates recewntly have little or no bearing on the Dollar price. The long term trend of the Dollar has been a weakening against the euro, hence the changes. And as has been pointed out, these prices are a guide only.
As a pilot who has worked for two different companied which have traded 1950s designed Boeings for 1980s Airbus, I have to report that almost ALL the pilots welcomed the change and heaped praise on the new technology 'bus. If I had shares in Boeing, I would sell them yesterday!

[Bmused55]

As a pilot who has worked for two different companied which have traded 1950s designed Boeings for 1980s Airbus, I have to report that almost ALL the pilots welcomed the change and heaped praise on the new technology 'bus. If I had shares in Boeing, I would sell them yesterday!


:zzz: The ignorance of some people on these forums realy surprises me.

It would seem you are comparing the 737 and A320 to one another, one on one.

You correctly state it is basically 50s technology. But you neglect to realise that the A320 is a clean sheet design and thus has significant advantages. It is a very unfair comparison. Especially if you begin talking about ergonomics and asthetics.

The 737 as it is here and now is a derivative of a design pencilled in the 50's/60's when the industry was a whole lot different.
To Boeings credit it is a very successful aircraft and its newest line, the NG series is actualy lighter than its competitor on a seat by seat basis. No mean feat!
But its success is built on keeping each new derivative relatively common with its predecessor.
For that reason the cockpit will always be limited to a certain comfort level. The instrumentation limited by the specific needs of the airlines ordering it, most opting to keep the overhead almost identical to that of the 300 or 400 series. Southwest, purely for example, have the 200 varient overhead on their 300's and consequently their NGs largely have a 200 series similar overhead. Why? Crew Type rating is kept to a minimum. Is this a good thing? Over 4,500 units sold... I'd say yes.

This argument is largley the same for the 747 too. An aircraft Boeing had never anticipated selling in the volume it has.


For a more even comparison:
Many pilots on the 777 swear by it and I know several that have switched to it from the A340/A330 and cannot praise the 777 enough.

These are two aircraft designed a few years from one another. That is a far more balanced comparison.
And mate.... the 777 has kicked the A340's ass, in everything from performance to sales, so say you had sold any Boeing shares you had... too bad for you.

[rubik101]

Ooerr! Amazing how simple statements rub some people up the wrong way! So having said what I said I am now ignorant, says who? I thought this place was a forum for discussion, not a kiddies playground.
I was merely pointing out that those who have traded places from the Boeing to the Airbus had almost always commented favourably on the new aircraft. I never mentioned 777s or A340s and their relative merits over one another, if any.
And by the way, I am not your mate!