Originally Posted by PLeblond

Its easy to say something was a bad decision in hindsight. And judging by the variety of comments comments here, regardless of the decision, someone here will always be against a decision. Since no one is batting 1000, some decisions will inevitably go south. And inevitably, someone will say I told you so. Blind squirrel idiom.

The A340 was a good plane for a time when oil was at $15 a a barrel, Asia was growing and ETOPS at the time kept most flights (save the 747) from connecting important points.

Anyone who had predicted oil would go back to over $100 a barrel (and by predict I mean put money when their mouth is) would not currently be here with us knuckheads but on their boat living 'Freedom 35'.

ETOPS 330 changed aviation and the 777 changed the long-haul market. That does not make buying A340s at that time a bad decision, at that time.