Platy

You may be absolutely right. However, it may be prudent to make a final assessment once the product is actually launched and practical realities can be experienced first hand.

In any case, as a QLD based flyer it would be welcome to have the option of the HA product out of BNE and avoid the craziness that is SYD whether on QF or HA (ignoring JQ) - a late evening flight from SYD-BNE after a full day travelling on QF4 is a nuisance

expatboy

Interesting news on the SQ forum (with a link to AusBT) that SQ are planning to roster on 777s with flat beds onto their BNE flights...wonder how much the Business Suite has pulled traffic off SQ (back?) onto QF...

moa999

QF 330-300s will be complete by end Q2 2016 and 330-200s by Q3 2016 based on the predicted schedule

Chalkie

Just to add my confirmation of the last minute aircraft swap - was booked on a flight last weekend that showed new config/seats since first booked months ago and up to about 12 hours before the flight. When we arrived at the airport and checked in, boarding passes showed an aircraft swap.

Even my mother (who flies about twice a year) has had a turn in the new config/seats (and she said she loved it). And I'm a P1 and I've not managed to bag a go on the new seats. Oh well, my time will come I am sure (2017, anyone?).

eminere

Yikes! What bad luck. I'm keeping fingers and toes crossed my flights don't get swapped out.

LinaLee

In a function organised for KrisFlyer PPS members, caught up with the SQ sales team in Brisbane and kindly informed them that they lost my business due to the chance of getting a flat bed and at a cheaper fare at that! They said that was a constant feedback that they have been passing onto management the past few years. Good to see QF is forcing all the other airlines to take notice that Brisbane is not a backwater for those flying to Asia.

Happy flying everyone in 2016. More options �� Is good.

expatboy

Good work LinaLee! Sadly we get corporate fare deals with SQ which have undercut what QF and BA can offer us to London, so I guess some of the corporate business goes their way, as in this day and age we have to take the cheapest fare...but glad that the feedback is actually being taken seriously ^

LinaLee

Yes, aircraft changed to the new business class seats about 4-5 days out and stayed that way. So, actually managed to experience the product. It's good, loved the side console space to put stuff on. You get so used to the touch screen the remote becomes too slow!

Now am keeping fingers crossed the return flight in mid-Jan stays as the new config as that's the night flight where the flat bed will be more useful.

LinaLee

That's true. SQ gives really good corporate rates but not if booking yourself. That's why work wise was always SQ. But personal travel will most likely be QF as the fares are very much more reasonable way less than SQ each time I've had to make a trip.

I think SQ will get serious now about rostering the new planes to Brisbane now that it's been talked about. There's hope.

moa999

To update the tails after QPF went back into service

A330-300 7 / 10 - QPA, QPB, QPC, QPD, QPE, QPF, QPI
A330-200 8 / 18 - EBA, EBB, EBE, EBF, EBJ, EBK, EBS, EBV

Platy

Thanks for the update.

So....a year after launch we're looking at an approximate score of just over 50% complete (15/28)?!

Why can't the muppets at QF simply come clean and make clear when this 50% of aircraft are actually scheduled to inform customers' booking choices?

They've now spent over two years promoting this product creating an expectation that on average will only apply to 50% of flights!

Would you buy any other product with such an average probability of getting the recent model whilst paying full price?

(Scratches head in abject amazement at the blinkered acceptance of such insanity by QF customers and advocates....not to mention the uncritical coverage by so-called unbiased media outlets paid by QF for their coverage by means of free flights!)

expatboy

That's a bit disingenuous - 70% of the 333s are done, which are rostered onto the international routes. More likely than not to get the new seats on the Asian routes now

Platy

IMHO my assessment is entirely fair - 15 of 28 aircraft overall have been refitted.

Perhaps you, yourself, are being disingenuous by picking the maximum spin possible in favour of the airline by selecting:

1) Optimal aircraft choice (A330-300); and
2) Optimal route choice (Asia)

To create your figure of 70%.

If you happen to be booked onto a A330-200 there is well less than even chance of a refitted aircraft.

If you happen to travel to HNL more regularly than Asia on QF, then you have (presumably) close to zero chance.

Even if we take your most favourable figure of 70%, IMHO that is still not an impressive result after two years of promotion and a year of refitting activity on what realistically is a relatively small number of aircraft out of the total fleet. There is still a significant proportion of customers who will not enjoy the excellent refit despite the expectations raised by two years of promotion.

Note that the QF web page promoting the A330 business product lists the routes operated by A330 aircraft and although QF does clearly state the product is being progressively rolled out, no attempt is made to advise the customer on the likelihood of enjoying the new product on those routes.

QF, as ever, is self focused, not customer focused.

PS. Great pictures of your adventures - that big puppy is also a winner!

moa999

Platy,
You do realise what advertising and promotion is about??
I assume EK, EY and SQ regularly run adverts of their older sloping business class products as well.

FYI. Refurb aircraft have made it to HNL, albeit certainly not regularly.
And it will all be complete (by my estimate) by Aug/Sep 2016...


Sadly, at this time, Qantas won't be able to say that all its international widebodies have fully flat beds in business (thanks to the decisions not to refurb, then subsequently retain for longer 747s VH-OEB and VH-OJM)

og

OT: OJM was at SCL a week ago. This kills the collective wisdom that the ERs only fly to SCL. Poor folk on QF J enjoying SkyBed1 when they really could have enjoyed LA's J product. And best of all, LA were waking up people less than an hour to touchdown for breakfast. Does QF do that - or do they stick to 2 and a half hours for wake-up?