KLM's first B777-300ER is being delivered today. The aircraft, registered PH-BVA and named "Nationaal Park De Hoge Veluwe" will arrive at Schiphol on Wednesday morning. Here is a picture of the new bird:
The aircraft will be put into commercial service on Thursday, February 14, operating KL427 to Dubai as its inaugural flight with KLM. In the ensuing days, she will be deployed on the following services:
The aircraft is currently configured in a 35J/393Y configuration, but, in a strong sign that this layout may be changed in the near future, PH-BVA will have 30 non-saleable seats in front of the Y cabin, where the IFE is not yet installed. It is highly likely that these 3 rows of Y will ultimately make space for 7 or 14 additional WBC seats.
but, in a strong sign that this layout may be changed in the near future, PH-BVA will have 30 non-saleable seats in front of the Y cabin, where the IFE is not yet installed. It is highly likely that these 3 rows of Y will ultimately make space for 7 or 14 additional WBC seats.
Are you pretty certain of this? I was thinking, due to the reports of KLM doing customer surveys about a premium economy product it could be a trial of that?
Are you pretty certain of this? I was thinking, due to the reports of KLM doing customer surveys about a premium economy product it could be a trial of that?
You may well be right. I am just writing what I hear.
The inaugural revenue flight of PH-BVA is now in the air. KL427 left Schiphol for Dubai at 14.52LT with just 212 passengers on board, or merely half full. The aircraft will mainly fly to Dubai and Sao Paulo in the next couple of weeks until PH-BVB is delivered. Already, Tuesday's GRU rotation has been replaced by a DXB rotation because of low loads.
As I can notice from the schedule, Tuesdays rotation were planed for DXB anyway.
No, it was not. The B77W was supposed to go to GRU next Tuesday, but that has been changed since the expected load is only about 150 pax in both directions. My partner was supposed to be on this flight, but he will have to do with seat 01A on the 772 instead. The Sunday rotation is still scheduled with the B77W as is next Thursday's flight. After that, the 77W is planned for GRU on Tu/Th/Su, but that will be swapped with DXB in case of low loads.
Due to early arrival of aircraft the deployment of the B77W is planned on an ad-hoc basis for the month of February, this explains the first 3 flights to DXB only.
I am sure KLM knows where to deploy the B77W and if it flies to DXB and GRU or elsewhere it will need to meat market demands, and is the case of both destinations nowadays.
Programs: KL PE For Life; UA Premier; SQ; InterContinental Ambassador; BA Exec
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77w & Cpt
Judging by schedules in KVS KLM has now also pulled the 2 weekly CPT rotations in the winter schedule... Probably in favour of MNL! At the rate deployment has been changing still hoping for these to be reinstated....
Judging by schedules in KVS KLM has now also pulled the 2 weekly CPT rotations in the winter schedule... Probably in favour of MNL! At the rate deployment has been changing still hoping for these to be reinstated....
As for CPT, I really do not understand why KLM has chosen GRU as one of the first stations to deploy the B77W and not CPT. Both flights have virtually identical schedules, yet the loads to CPT have been significantly better for the past couple of months that the loads to GRU.
Now I know that my good friend Hardi will vigorously attack my position, yet I have weaponed myself with some data. Here are the loads for the past couple of weeks for both KL791 AMS GRU and KL597 AMS CPT. Both flights are operated with the 327-seat B772ER.
Passenger numbers (revenue + non revenue)
Date - KL791/GRU - KL597/CPT
As one can see, loads are consistently and significantly higher on the CPT than on the GRU route. Yet today marked the first day of the deployment of the B77W to GRU. The flight was by far not full (269 for 428 seats), yet the CPT flight was again packed to the gills, and would have carried many more passengers if the B77W had been deployed there. Return flights KL792 vs. KL598 show identical trends. So, one really wonders what is precluding KLM from deploying the B77W to CPT.
As for CPT, I really do not understand why KLM has chosen GRU as one of the first stations to deploy the B77W and not CPT. Both flights have virtually identical schedules, yet the loads to CPT have been significantly better for the past couple of months that the loads to GRU.
Now I know that my good friend Hardi will vigorously attack my position, yet I have weaponed myself with some data. Here are the loads for the past couple of weeks for both KL791 AMS GRU and KL597 AMS CPT. Both flights are operated with the 327-seat B772ER.
Passenger numbers (revenue + non revenue)
Date - KL791/GRU - KL597/CPT
As one can see, loads are consistently and significantly higher on the CPT than on the GRU route. Yet today marked the first day of the deployment of the B77W to GRU. The flight was by far not full (269 for 428 seats), yet the CPT flight was again packed to the gills, and would have carried many more passengers if the B77W had been deployed there. Return flights KL792 vs. KL598 show identical trends. So, one really wonders what is precluding KLM from deploying the B77W to CPT.
if there are 327-seats available (772ER) how do they seat/transport more on certain flights?
