Been a few weeks, any update on reconfig and/or IFE?

Just waiting for the wooden bench seats and some second hand overhead "hand holds" from the london tube system so they can install them in the ceiling.

Ahhh! Retro.;)

Its apparently a $450mil intl product revamp which will apparently see:

All B744s in a 3 class config (J,Y+,and Y) featuring the A380 style seats and IFE.

Apparently the Intl A333 and A332 fleet will also recieve the A380 Y class seats and the new A380 style IFE.

Full details to be announced in the next few weeks.

Anyone know more?

only 12 A380 a/c to have f/c, last 8 will not have first class seating.
first class will be only on lax and lhr runs.
B747 a/c not being retired will be reconfigured to j/c w/c y/c over the next few years.
looks like a lot of business first flight attendants will be working in economy.... shock-horror.
with only 60 qcca left on the 747 who will be moving to the A380 (december next delivery?) more crew will be needed in economy than business/first class on the 747s. possibly a retrenchment package coming up in 2011 for b/first cabin crew with the delivery of further 380s in the future?

Qantas to dump most first-class seats
 

From "The Age" online.

Qantas to dump most first-class seats | Airlines

Qantas is planning to dump two-thirds of its first-class airline seats as part of a radical $400 million overhaul of its long-haul fleet.

The changes, which could increase economy seating areas on planes by up to 20 per cent, comes after the world financial crisis sparked a dramatic slump in demand for expensive premium seating on long-distance flights.

Under the scheme that could be announced within weeks, Qantas would retain first class seats only on its London and Los Angeles flights, slashing the number of its first-class planes to 12 from 30, the Australian Financial Review said.

The paper, quoting a leaked reconfiguration plan, said the changes would mean that sumptuous first class bed-seats would be stripped out of all the airline's Boeing 747-400s, leaving 14 first class seats in just 12 Airbus A380 super jumbos.

Qantas confirmed it was in talks with suppliers and manufacturers about implementing changes to its fleet, but declined to offer further details or to confirm the Review story.

"We are considering a number of changes to our fleet including the 747-400 and we are still in early discussions with suppliers and manufacturers," a Qantas spokeswoman said.

"We have flagged previously that Qantas is considering a number of options for our fleet, but it's too premature to provide further details on changes that Qantas may make in the future," she said.

The airline's Chief Executive Alan Joyce said Qantas would continue to offer first class seats after it completes a new seat configuration, the details of which he said were expected to be announced in a few weeks.

"There is a role for first class but it's not as extensive it was in the past," Joyce told CNBC television.

The airline's international business is continuing to suffer, he conceded, adding however that demand for air travel in the domestic market was recovering.

Qantas said last month that its international patronage was down 22.6 per cent in the 12 months to November compared with a year earlier.

The sad news is
 

by the time the make up their minds and business has improved they once again will be short of aircraft and delay reconfiguration, again continuing with a mixed product.:{

Time was when there was truth to that. Reconfigs were incorporated in the major maintenance line and turnrounds were measured in months. (Was in that time that a respected beancounter observed that the financial case for a reconfig could never be validated because the next reconfig was started before the previous one could reach its breakeven point)

This time may be different, and I speculate with no inside knowledge, because the A380 deliveries, in part, permit 744 disposal, and the 787 deliveries permit 767 disposal. So if you defer one 744 disposal and one 767 disposal you can create a 744 reconfig line and an A330 reconfig line, both independent of major maintenance and with, maybe 3 week turnrounds.

Pure speculation, but I like it. Of course where you find the hangar space and manpower is probably an industrial stoush away:E

Probably wrong. my track record, like myself, is inferior.

Perhaps being mischievious ... but ...

747-8 ... 400 pax AND their bags in 3 class config (much more than 777) PLUS freight AND able to go more places than another quad .....

oh ..

sorry, the alarm just went off ...

sigh ...

nice dream though.


oh ...yes .... no money in freight ..... doh!

N

The only routes where legacy airlines like longhaul QF make money, are those where inbound freight and genuine First Class co-exist.

That is, historically, LHR, FRA, NRT, LAX, and possibly HKG to SYD and MEL.

All other combinations are less lucrative, including JNB and BUE.

There is no money in International freight outbound from Australia. That's why the wet leases allow a dead (no freight) leg out to Asia, to permit a profitable leg to USA or Europe for the aircraft operator.

I don't mean to rain on your parade noip but the A380 numbers speak for themselves.eg
SYD-SIN a380 450 pax with a fuel load of about 108-112 tonnes
SYD-SIN 744 330-400 pax 95-110 tonnes

SYD-LAX a380 450 pax about 190-200 fuel
SYD-LAX 744 307 pax(pacific config) 160-170 tonnes of fuel

Now I am no bean counter but with some simple arithmetic I reckon the fuel burn per pax is superior on the dugong.
Now there are a lot of 380 naysayers out there but at the end of the day the numbers are in its favour.

And before we start talking about on time departures etc, if you talk to those involved with the entry into service of the 744 they say it was a lot more trouble than the 380 is today. And looking at the 744 fleet today its OTP is pretty damn good for a relic of an aircraft.

Now, wasn't this thread about a reconfig or something.

BS,

I was talking about 747-8, but if you want to talk about the current 747 performance ...... A380 excels at pax numbers, however it does no better than the current 747ER at payload over long ranges (and even has problems taking all Pax baggage).

747ER LAX-MEL ... same payload as A380, 30t less fuel burn, but then I was talking about the 747-8 in 3 class ... different and better animal. From what I've been able to see, below 6,000 nm, A380 comes into its own, above that the current 747 has better payload economics.

Your statements about the 744 problems into service re the A380 are not correct. The 744 had problems for about 6 months after it was introduced. QF received their A380s at least a year after it was introduced and had significant problems. But then I'm being dragged into something I was not looking to.....

My original post was that with the 3 class config (now that QF wants to do away with much of First Class ) ..... 747-8 may well be worth looking at - 400 seats 3 class, better seat mile, cheaper overall sector cost ..... wider choice of airports, but then as I said .. not going to happen.

N

That was a lot of talk for something that's ... not going to happen!

The economics of the 747-8 are yet to be proven,so until such time as it has flown the drivel from Boeing is just that drivel.

Also I do believe bootstrap is correct about the 744 EIS. It had issues much longer than 6 months,which I think was due to the wiring termination in the MEC and quite a few software issues but then that is all history.

I will be happy to see the end of the first class pods on the 744,they are and have always been a pain in the bum. And that first class cabin is impossible to keep looking like a first class cabin. While they are there they should change the skybeds as well. they are a flimsy piece of kit that really arent comfortable.
But bring on the recaro economy chairs from the 380.they are a huge improvement.

on the 380 the IFE actually works and for 70 extra pax you get 7 extra cabin crew.
beats the hell out of the 744

744 Kangaroo config at the moment is 14/52/32/255
Total Pax 353, with 15 cabin crew.
A380 carries 450.

100 extra pax for which they get 7 extra cabin crew :rolleyes:

Who really cares, close the doors, don't let it hit your arse on the way out and bring us coffee :}

Who really cares, call us if you want something, whatever your name is? :ok:

Talking about the plastic fantasic A 380.does anyone know how many have been delivered and how many Airbus have to sell to break even let alone make a profit?
By the way this question has been asked a few times but ignored.Can anyone confirm or deny that Airbus has sent a team out to OZ to help fix the problems with the dugong?

It looks like they have a way to go before even making a profit then Trent.

My point was that the story I have heard is that a team was sent out late last year or early this year because of the on going problems with the dugong.They were not here when the dugong arrived and are only here because of the problems.

I don't recall Boeing people here when we got the 747's meeting each aircraft and seeing them off.Rockwell Collins yes but not Boeing.