QF 777's here they come ... At last.
 

The EK deal has QF getting some of their triple slots in exchange for LHR slots currently leased to other airlines.

Let's just say a mob was on board today coming out to quote on simulator and training facilities for QF ASAP.

7 in quick succession.

Who would have believed common sense could overcome the egos who have for years preached about what a useless aircraft it really is.

should this be in Jet Blast?

Group of 4 on board today who were all part of a group who said they were coming out for this reason. They also seemed to know a lot. Strange that they told me the contents of the news articles and more before they were even published.

Seems the LHR slots for EK are invaluable. Enough to throw a half dozen triplers (of their 100 still on order) for a tidy premium.

Tie up will not be good for QF international though. Probably the end of the 400. Which would make sense given the refurbishment (what else would you expect from the worlds highest paid airline management).

We don't have spare sim time and we don't have spare airframes.

Triple 7s - great!

A lovely 2 holer for the punters and the crews.

The big qestion is where will they operate?

The network is self immolating by the week.

If something isn't done soon to arrest the rot, the great white rat will become the lesser white mouse and the Flying Kangaroo will become the altitude challenged quokka.

What on earth has gone wrong?

I know there a thousand answers to that but it is a thousand times beyond quel domage.

EWL

Wow!!!! The rumours are flying thick and fast now!!!!!

Dont get too excited.There is nowhere for Q to fly the triplers given their reduction in routes. 777 to Jstar preparing for the 787 and A330's back to Q early for domestic ops.

Pacific. 744's all but 6 gone by next year. 6 triplers taken in the next 12 months.

EK need every aircraft they can get, but the LHR slots are worth gold to them hence their ability to allow QF to have some of their production slots over the coming 12 months.

Perth and Adelaide international gone. Westbound international flying also gone. One 380 per day to LHR through SIN, other LHR service via DXB. Other leased LHR slots gifted to EK.

Not the greatest of news for QF careers however. For some a triple endorsement will mean opportunity to move on to greener pastures.

It appears to be based on significant substance.

Seems there was a bit of urgent dialogue late yesterday between the Australian and NZ regulators and the red rat. Seems like it will happen quick.

Unfortunately the plan is Jetconnect. NZ based and registered. 744's to be phased out rapidly with just a few remaining.

Goodbye Europe. HK, pacific to become the bread and butter, Jetstar to take over Asia. Token 380 to LHR, the rest of the network to be cut significantly.

Rumour also has it that Simon Hickey has always been a fan of the 777. If this is true, he's now the man that could make the decision on them.

It has always made sense. I just couldn't see AJ admitting he's wrong. As recently at the last AGM he stated implicitly that the 777 was the wrong aircraft for QF, and 787 was the game changer. Well now they've abandoned the game changer, maybe the 777 is being looked at again. Personally I doubt it though. Too many egos involved.

He he he those emiratis with all their money are giving us some 777's, now we can finally compete against those pesky middle eastern airlines and use those LHR slots we've got....oh wait...

Probably all a tactical ploy so that the Pilots who would have been so stressed 12 months ago that the airline had to be grounded, can now relax for 5 days until the real news is released on the 5th. .....don't have to ground the airline that way!:rolleyes:

Ha ha ha ha.......ha. Oh my sides hurt. What are u all smoking?!!!

I heard something slightly different about QF getting 777s (from the Townsville refueler and another source).

EK gift their next however-many 77W delivery slots to QF. Boeing gives QF a good price on these to keep them on-side after the 787 debacle.

In return, QF lets EK take over all routes west of DXB (except JHB) which become codeshares as part of a wider-ranging codeshare agreement. QF may or may not take over some of the Australia-DXB flying.

QF uses the 77Ws to replace 744s to LAX and Asia and open up a few new routes in Asia. QF keeps enough 744ERs to do SCL, JHB and DFW and the rest. No idea what happens to the A380s that are freed up.

As I say, that's just what I heard.

So that mean QF would have 12 A380's, 9 B744's, 6-10?? 777's? And then a handfull of A330's still doing asian routes. 4 types between about 35 frames?

Looks like those in Avalon on death row have just had their date of execution brought forward.

That's not much different to what they have now or what would have happened with 787s. It isn't ideal but it won't be fatal.

Also note that there are domestic A330s (and more coming from Jetstar) that will boost fleet numbers of that type.

If this rumour has legs, surely the triplers would be used on DFW?

DIVOSH!

Can't imagine why anyone would want to fly on QF over EK to DXB. Even if they are outfitted as per EK-ie a real IFE, the cabin service would cripple the operation.

Given these rumours become fact, looks like Emirates will be Australia's national Airline. I can see a kangaroo wearing a hijab on the tails of these 777's!

Seriously it seems that the ME carriers will dominate the UK - OZ routes. BA's token flights do nothing to for the competition. Far East carriers don't seem to be expanding in the way everyone thought.

Correction to my post on the previous page. The dialogue mentioned to me involved another issue which will become public in time involving the NZ and Aus regulators.

But there are some interesting asides re code sharing. Does EK operate the pacific soon? Been their ambition for a while.

Can EK operate the 777 cheaper on the pacific code shared with Qantas. Some interesting mumblings abound.

Watch this space.

Good lord, if QF does acquire 777's as part of the Emirates deal and then gives them to Jetstar that will truely be the final nail in the coffin for QF International.

Emirates to operate red tailed 777s on flights from Australia to DXB and into Europe?

Umm. Why even bother flying Qantas and why not go straight to Emirates?

Emirates operate Red Tails?
 

Keg..I dont follow this trail of thought. Why would EK operate red tails to DXB and then throught to Europe, when the can and are happily doing it all by themselves? I just dont see what possibly could be in it for EK

I see Virgin Driver has just beaten me to it....my thoughts exactly.

I'm just throwing out the most outlandish things I can think of because this management do some really strange stuff. If QF want to maintain a 'presence' in Europe perhaps EK operated red tail 777s is the way to do it. No training costs for QF, EK's cost base is supposedly lower than ours (according to Joyce anyway), etc.

Actually OnceBitten I could not agree with you more:ok:

Hey, I'm just repeating what I heard.

Hmmm, and how does this make qf any better?
I suppose it will accelerate the loss of passengers to the rivals.
QF international dies, and then the rot will set in at domestic.
Awesome plan Ace.

I honestly believe EK will fly Red tails all over Europe as they exhaust their rights into other countries a new entity ( Qantas) will be able to pick up a very large number of new destinations.
The cost base of EK is probably about 1/3 of qantas if not less.
Don't expect to fly them unless a new inferior contract comes along.

Brisnane...?
 

Is Brisbane next to close...??

:eek:

Rambo,
JQ pilots can fly them MFF style with the 787.

To think EK are going to slow down their bid for world domination for 2 slots into LHR is one very far stretch of the imagination. Particularly since the wing fix on the 40 380s needing them is going to take a long time, I don't see any aircraft deliveries being deferred. There would be a greater chance of retirements being delayed. There are 5 or 6 classic 777s leaving the fleet next year, perhaps QF wants these? 1996 models, only ever driven to church each Sunday by a little old lady.... honest.

The Don

The thing is Emirates wants more daily services to Europe but cannot get them , Rome is a good example. A red taiI can most likely get the rights or already has them.
Its the same reason etihad and emirates will never merge as separate entities they can fly to more destinations.
With qf under its belt, instead of 3 flights a day from mel dxb lon there can be almost an unlimited amount say 6 a day , a flight to london or Europe every 2 hours. It doesnt matter what color the aircraft is.
Of course as emirates gained more rights into Australia in the future it would probably be at the expense of Qf.

Who will actually fly the 777s - EK or QF pilots? Very confusing...:confused::confused::}

I dont think so..........

The rumour doing the rounds at the moment is that Jitconnict is going to be dismantled altogether. Crew to Jetstar NZ, airframes back to mainline, as they are needed in Oz.:D

To The States
 

Iver- Ek has said they are going to be basing EK crews in Oz to fly the 777s.
Part of the deal will be giving EK some QF slots into LAX.
Sounds stupid doesnt it?
So was grounding the airline.
These people have turned stupid into an art form

Yeah I bet they will wind up Jetconnect. The only part of Qantas international that makes money to give back the airframes to mainline to charge twice the price to fly them. If Jetconnect goes anywhere the Qantas longhaul pilots should put out the resume also.

Also can't see Jetconnect flying 777's at the moment. The company doesn't have the structure or experience within to pull off something that large.

In a logical word, with EK and QF codesharing, part of the deal would be for EK to take their capacity dumping superliners off the Tasman and do their Aust- NZ flights as QF codeshares. They'd probably also want codeshare flights into and out of Wellington on QF branded hulls.

This would seem to indicate a bigger role for Jitconnect, not closure.

As for EK flying Aust-USA. I don't think so. Uncle Sam would have a protectionist fit! The yanks do have some say in the matter. And anyway, it is not the great little earner it used to be.

But all the above is in a logical world. And we sure don't live in that anymore.

I think the opposite will happen.

EK in their pursuit for global dominance will take over the Tasman runs on behalf on the QF group.

Why would EK want to withdraw their brand from NZ?

Rob Gurney in FWA indicated Jetconnect was loosing money, even with a cost base lower the QF.

AJ has declared he's turning QF international around. He'll be doing any and everything possible to stem any losses.

EK is in the dominant position, why would they want to hand over the TAsman to the QF group?

What EK want is the revenue & network reach. They'll continue to operate the Tasman, code share it with QF & have increased revenue & the ability to skim coin from the bulging purse which is the QF Frequent Flyer program.

I can't see any logic why Emirates would have any desire to reduce services.

The by product of EK taking over the Tasman, would free up 737's for where the bucks are made in QF domestic.

EK's aim is to be a 'round the world' airline like Pan Am used to be. They will do nothing that is not to the direct and immediate benefit of EK (which is why I am very happy to be with them). There is only one rather large body of water which we don't yet span. EK has a commercial department second to none, and a management team that makes QF look like kindergarten rejects. The future is clear if you don't have rose coloured glasses on.