A380 LHR?
#16
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Melbourne, Australia
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I think at Thai they make a difference between "new" and "refurbished".... they have recently finished to "refurbish" six "old" aircraft with personal entertainment system in Economy Class and do now start to equip six other aircraft (previously deployed on Scandinavian routes with Premium Economy Class) with completely new seats in all three service classes, including 9 First Suites, new Business- and new Economy Class seats, which they brand as 747N(ew) and which show a common product with the A380 and B777 currently used on routes to PAR and FRA....thus at year end they might count totally 12 (in Economy Class) "refurbished" Jumbos .....
#17
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Portland OR & Bangkok
Programs: United GS, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 662
I don't think that's all correct. 74N will not have a common product with the A380 and 77W. It won't even have 'new' business. The seats might be fresh out of the factory but I believe they are the same angled lie flats currently found on the 777-300 & 777-200ER. A380 will have a different lie flat business product. I don't even think the 74N and A380 F cabins are the same and neither will be the same as the 77W. Basically, there's still nothing common about any of it...maybe Y class will be close!?
#18
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Italy
Programs: LX, OS (VO)
Posts: 22
I think at Thai they make a difference between "new" and "refurbished".... they have recently finished to "refurbish" six "old" aircraft with personal entertainment system in Economy Class and do now start to equip six other aircraft (previously deployed on Scandinavian routes with Premium Economy Class) with completely new seats in all three service classes, including 9 First Suites, new Business- and new Economy Class seats, which they brand as 747N(ew) and which show a common product with the A380 and B777 currently used on routes to PAR and FRA....thus at year end they might count totally 12 (in Economy Class) "refurbished" Jumbos .....
I know that there will be 6 refurbished/retrofitted and 6 "new" aircraft (6 of them spotting new economy seats with PTVs and 6 of them with new first class seats (the number goes down from 10 to 9), new/old business class seats and economy seats with PTVs.
What I was referring to is that the seat maps for specific flights in December all of a sudden show a 9-seat first class cabin for routes such as BKK-FRA, BKK-MUC, BKK-FCO, BKK-MAD and BKK-SYD (both flights!).
Given that Thai has always stated that they would equip only 6 of their newest 747-400s with the new first class cabin, something must be wrong there. 6 retrofitted/refurbished/new aircraft with 9 first class seats (whatever these aircraft may be called) are not enough to serve all these routes. This is the discrepancy I was referring to.
In addition, it will be interesting to see whether Thai will receive 1 or 2 A380s in 2012. They may very well end up with only one A380 delivery this year, so they would need 6 "new" aircraft for their routes to Europe...
#19
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Melbourne, Australia
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According to the A380 schedule suggested by the United website TG920 will be operated by A380 from December and TG922 still by 77W...so possibly at that time there will be no 74N operating to FRA at all. I'm not sure that other routes were promised a daily service? The schedule document that covers up until Oct has MAD/FCO/MUC being operated by a mix of 74R and 74N...surely that could mean that SYD could also go 74R/74N mix??
#20
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Italy
Programs: LX, OS (VO)
Posts: 22
That could very well be the case, that would mean that the Thai lottery continues :-))
All I am saying is that people should not get too excited over a certain product they expect to find on their aircraft on their "special" day...
The way things stand now, it is more than likely that Thai will have only 1 A380 by this year's end (given the repair that needs to be done to the A380 before its delivery)... And then it is not even sure that Thai will be done with the refurbishment of the 6 newest 747s by December...
So, there are a lot of unkown variables in this equation...
All I am saying is that people should not get too excited over a certain product they expect to find on their aircraft on their "special" day...
The way things stand now, it is more than likely that Thai will have only 1 A380 by this year's end (given the repair that needs to be done to the A380 before its delivery)... And then it is not even sure that Thai will be done with the refurbishment of the 6 newest 747s by December...
So, there are a lot of unkown variables in this equation...
#21
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Portland OR & Bangkok
Programs: United GS, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 662
Retrofit = Gutting the interior, taking the old seats out and then install new ones.
Refurbish = making the same thing better (or renewing it) ie. Apple is selling returned iPads as "refurbished" iPads. Or re-upholstering the seat materials.
"Refurbish(ed)" really shouldn't be used when referring to Aircrafts that are being installed with new type of seats.
Refurbish = making the same thing better (or renewing it) ie. Apple is selling returned iPads as "refurbished" iPads. Or re-upholstering the seat materials.
"Refurbish(ed)" really shouldn't be used when referring to Aircrafts that are being installed with new type of seats.
#22
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what about the A340-600 I guess its staying with the same First seats.... they look very dated.
Is Thai sending these 340-600 planes to the scrap pile when the 380's are delivered?
Is Thai sending these 340-600 planes to the scrap pile when the 380's are delivered?
#23
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Programs: Flying: VA; Buying: AA, AS, AV, BA, UA!
Posts: 2,349
As is KVS...TG600.
It also shows '380' on TG920 (FRA in 2013) but only when searching awards...not general availability so hard to tell when it starts.
EDIT: UA shows TG920 as A380 from either Dec 15 or 16 2012. It also seems to show zero award availability in C and F every day!
It also shows '380' on TG920 (FRA in 2013) but only when searching awards...not general availability so hard to tell when it starts.
EDIT: UA shows TG920 as A380 from either Dec 15 or 16 2012. It also seems to show zero award availability in C and F every day!
#24
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Portland OR & Bangkok
Programs: United GS, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 662
TG is certainly not going to retrofit these birds. It is just a matter of how soon they are going to get rid of them!
#25
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Warks.England
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#26
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: VZ
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Posts: 1,028
I would assume that LON and SYD will probably become A380 destinations when TG has received the whole bunch of 6 birds.
Currently the A380 looks probably a bit too big for double daily services to London and they surely do not want to give up any slot in Heathrow....
Currently the A380 looks probably a bit too big for double daily services to London and they surely do not want to give up any slot in Heathrow....
#27
Join Date: Jan 2010
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I would assume that LON and SYD will probably become A380 destinations when TG has received the whole bunch of 6 birds.
Currently the A380 looks probably a bit too big for double daily services to London and they surely do not want to give up any slot in Heathrow....
Currently the A380 looks probably a bit too big for double daily services to London and they surely do not want to give up any slot in Heathrow....
#28
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Programs: Flying: VA; Buying: AA, AS, AV, BA, UA!
Posts: 2,349
#29
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: London
Programs: BD *Gold; BAEC Gold; Flying Blue Gold; SPG Gold; HH Gold
Posts: 120
380 schedule
Thought you might like to have a look. Something someone posted in another thread.
http://airlineroute.net/2012/04/23/tg-w12update2/
http://airlineroute.net/2012/04/23/tg-w12update2/