Qantas May cut Premium Seats

[iriver88]

This was just before the Swine Flu outbreaks with EEC urging its citizens not to go to Mexico and USA

A top European Union official has warned against travel to areas hit by a outbreak of swine flu, amid growing concern over the spread of the virus. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8020676.stm)

Too many Bfirst!


Bloomberg News (http://www.bloomberg.com/avp/avp.htm?N=av&T=Joyce%20Says%20Qantas%20May%20Cut%20Premium%20Seats%20on%2 0Lower%20Demand&clipSRC=mms://media2.bloomberg.com/cache/vjpouzg.rpac.asf)

[AWB_Clerk]

Please do not feed the troll.

[Ultergra]

MY GOD! What is WITH you iriver!

[slice]

Ultergra

iriver88 - 43 posts, almost all since the 18th of April, the vast majority in D&G with a few in Cabin crew. Someone I think that has suddenly found themselves with plenty of time to sit and troll.:ooh:

[parabellum]

Approx 34,000 people in the USA die every year from ordinary 'flu.

Please wake me when the Mexican Pig 'Flu fatalities reach even one quarter of that.:zzz::zzz::zzz::zzz::zzz:

[c100driver]

Qantas: 'We have too few seats'

Tuesday April 28, 2009


Qantas announced a comprehensive review of its seating configurations, with many premium seats expected to get the ax as business travel plummets.
The reassessment comes as QF is suffering the worst decline in business travel in decades with a fall of up to 30% in premium travelers, who are paying up to 50% less than the normal premium fare. CEO Alan Joyce conceded to ATWOnline yesterday that "we have too few seats on some of our aircraft," with premium seats making up 40% of the total on some.
He said the airline has been too focused on premium classes and pointed to one configuration on the 747-400 that features only 307 seats:14 first, 66 business, 40 premium economy and 187 economy. "That is just not enough seats," he said.
QF's A380s have only 450 seats, the lowest of any operator so far. It already has removed first class from some 747-400s on routes to Frankfurt and between Auckland and Los Angeles. The industry expectation in Australia is that first class will be removed from more 747s while business class will be reduced across the fleet, providing more room for premium economy and economy.
From ATW today by Geoff Thomas

[SkyScanner]

There hasn't been first class on the 5 or 25 for the last 5 years, another inspiring journalistic piece:cool:

[ampclamp]

Yes they may cut seats but wont be long term.bad timing but we'll get over it imho.

just to put it into perspective malaria kills up 3 million a year and TB around 1.6 million per year.
I would not wish to downplay the seriousness of any new flu, but it appears that when developed countries are threatened the efforts to fix / contain / immunise becomes far more urgent and newsworthy.

[another superlame]

QF used to tun 747-400s in 2 class config with 440 seats, now to have a plane that has only 10 seats more and weighs up to 160 tonnes more it doesn't take a mathematician to work out that the dugong really isn't that economical.

QF need to have their next dugongs delivered with more seats and fly more people with less frequency until this recession thingy blows over.

Or (tongue in cheek) they could order 777s. Hang on I forgot that scrotum face reckons they are old technology

[Transition Layer]

The 744 ERs have only just had Premium Economy fitted, in fact some of them still haven't been done yet...why did they persevere with the re-fit program at the end of last year when the writing was on the wall?

Yet another ****ty decision from QF management!

[Short_Circuit]

AND the 747-300 had 2 class 452 seats - more than the Big Slug! :}

Rotting in the desert........... :\

[Angle of Attack]

B777 completely destroys the fuel economies of both A380 and B747-400!
It's really simple! But while Bean counters make decisions in any company they will fail because they are like a deer with no eyes!

No Idea!

[lowerlobe]

Angle of Attack.....You forgot to mention that the 777 is so good on fuel that it seems as though the engines have shut down ....:E

I agree with you about the bean counters and I heavily suspect that aircraft selection is more than a little like the selection process for the Olympic Games.....a lot of behind the scenes maneuvering ....

[ditch handle]

I've had QF's decision not to buy the 777 described to me as, "jeff dickson's retirement plan".:ugh:

[denabol]

A family friend in the airlines told me that failure to buy 777s has cost Qantas billions of bucks they can never get back in fuel and maintenance, and just when they need every dollar too. The Virgins got that one right. Pity about being right at the wrong time.

[VH-Cheer Up]

So let's get this right:

In thirty years we've seen a gradual overhaul of all airlines products from a basic first and economy configuration, through the invention of J class, consistent improvement of first (P) class so it's always just that bit ahead of J, improvements to Y to give us premium Y, and so on...

Now the Premium first gets dumped, J becomes the new front seat, Premium economy becomes like the original barely-worth-it J class, and Y stays down the back of the ship.

I dunno, was it all worth it?

[aulglarse]

AirNZ remove first class from it's 744's and replace them with business class a few years ago I think? also this produced a 6% saving across the seat plan.

[ditch handle]

How would QF senior executives transport themselves around the world if Qantas were to do the same???

They'd have to fly other [read proper] airlines........

[Angle of Attack]

Remember when Bank executives and economists were the Bee's Knees? They knew everything until they totally failed! The sad thing was most people knew it was coming. So it is quite saddening that while (what? for the last 5 years?) everyone knew QF's equipment choice was a fail to the max! But during the Boom times any ba$tard can run a company, only good managers can cope in the down times! They put all the eggs in one basket with a $hitload of kero burning monsters to boot! The only good thing I believe of this downturn is that actually the management can be skewed towards workers again rather than pimply 20's something fools that know nothing! ( As Proved! ) Is it just me? Or have I become the old generation! lol! haha It's interesting the wheel has turned again and its fun! hhe!