QR A380 to Australia
 

Does anyone know if QR plans to put its A380 on its MEL route (like EK & EY on their respective australian destinations)?
After flying, CPH-DOH-MEL in J at a discounted price, I feel that there is a let down in hardware quality when transferring from a 787/A350/A380 to a 777.
Admittedly, the J seat on the 777 is horizontal and comfortable but the lack of privacy (the divider is a joke) and no direct aisle access for boxed-in window seats passengers is not on par with modern cabin layouts.

QR A380 to Australia
 

I had the same experience- to be fair it is still a very comfortable ride and great service. But the new A380 seats and overall J experience were really fantastic. I only wish the CDG-DOH was in the 773 and the DOH-MEL was in the 380!

It's interesting how we all have our own preferences with respect to our favoured aircraft.

As someone who travels with my wife in QR J, mainly for leisure, I much prefer the 777 over the 380; the feeling of space around you is (in my opinion of course) much better than the isolation & relatively boxed-in feeling of the 380 seat. Different for solo fliers of course.

I'm 6ft 2ins tall & my wife, who normally sits in the window seat, has never had a problem getting around me even with the seat completely horizontal. It is a bit of a squeeze though.

The issue of getting past someone doesn't ever really arise when that someone is a someone you are travelling with!

It becomes an issue when your seatmate is a complete stranger.

I politely disagree!

If Mrs IM couldn't get past when I'm asleep she'd have to wake or step across me, just like anyone else. As it happens she, or anyone else, can squeeze past when desired.

I think most travellers would prefer an empty seat beside them if they were not travelling with a friend/colleague/partner, rather than have it occupied by a stranger. It's just human nature. Even better - no seat at all, or direct access to the aisle from every seat.

Hopping over/jumping over/sliding past/interrupting the viewing/eating/sleeping of a seatmate is therefore a much larger intrusion when that person is a stranger. Even for someone nimble of foot and lithe and dextrous, sliding past a stranger is never going to be quite the same experience as sliding past a partner.

That Qatar's J seating arrangement (2-2-2) therefore even allows that strangers can be thrust together in this way is, as the OP said, clearly a step down from the 787/A380 arrangement where each J passenger has direct aisle access.

Completely agree with the majority of what you've said there apart from the bit in bold; it clearly isn't a step down for me, Mrs IM & many others I know who prefer the 777's space rather than the relatively enclosed seats of the 787/380 (especially those cramped foot wells).

Like I said, everyone has their favourite aircraft...

The info I have from a QR 777 pilot is probably not until they get SYD slots, which could be a very long time.

QR A380 to Down-Under
 

Thank you for your reply, which is, unfortunately, quite depressing.

Would you know by chance if there is any plan to retrofit the 777 to the newest J offering ?

For One World captive travellers, shuttling between Europe & Australia, QR J is miles above BA, and the pricing is almost identical.
One option to avoid the 777, is to fly QR from [insert your origin] to DOH, then transfer to CX for a comfortable ride via HKG. It certainly adds to the travel time but the hardware & service are great on all flights, and the mileage accrual is higher.

QR A380 to Down-Under
 

Well, at least we have now a DOH-SYD coming up next spring (the wait was not that long) but still on those crappy 777s.

I predict that QR will deploy their A380 to Melbourne in the next 12-18 months.

This is not based on anything I have heard, but rather my personal analysis of the Australian aviation market and QR's need for competition with EK and EY.

QR doesn't need the competition. If anything, they'd love not to have ANY competition!

QR should send the A380 fleet to JFK or LAX...much more demand for premium cabins there.
When I think about it, I don't quite understand why QR doesn't utilize its A380s on long-haul routes.

+1

I believe it's due to the amount of cargo that QR transport to the USA. A 777-300 has more space for cargo than an A380.