HKG1111

Four A350 might go to Swiss incl FCL

https://www.aero.de/news-41103/Lufth...uer-Swiss.html

Nick Art

EAF has five A350s listed on order for Swiss and there have been numerous news articles about Swiss getting A350s, however, I can't find any reliable source for this anywhere. The only thing I could find, was an article by SamChui about Lufthansa fleet strategy where it is claimed that the four leased A350s might go to Swiss, for which there is no evidence and which would make even less sense given that the A343s will remain in the fleet until 2025 and the leased A350s are already available now and have already been confirmed to go to LH?
Last thing I heard was that a decision about future LHG fleet strategy (including distribution of A350s and 787s) would be made in May 2022.

What I could see happening is that the A343s and after the A333s are replaced by A350s, with the A343s being retired and the A333s being moved to LH or wingsdings.

I wonder what the LX A350s cabin would look like, given the size increase I would think that it will retain 8F seats, with the addition of the new PE, which would make the other cabins similar or grow a bit in size compared to the A330/340, but I wonder if LH will want to play their synergies card and have the same layout as the LH A350 subfleet with First which will be based in MUC.

LXA350

The main idea of the fleet syngeries is to use the same hard product and same galleys however the amount of seats per cabin would need to match the requirements of the actual airline / hub where they are utilized. In case at some point aircraft should be moved, removing a row of F and adding more C seats etc would not be such a big deal I guess. Let's see, in case LX will get rid of A333's in the shorter term, we might see LX receiving up to to A35's between approx 2025-2027 in case demand will require it and then as of around 2029 the A333's could get replaced by the A359's. Depending how the future develops, they could replace the 77W's as well with A359's or with A5X / a mix depending on capacity needs.

HKG1111

but not for this A340 - they claim it will be replaced by an A330 from storage; may be with the next batch A340 going in x years they get the new 359/789

oliver2002

The A330 were supposed to come from storage for the S23 season anyway. An A330 doesn't have the range of a A343... the replacement has to be a B789 or A359. Which will happen in 2023-25.

Nick Art

2025 at the earliest imho.

HKG1111

I agree given the speed they have in introduction of new product/aircraft

LXA350

They will have a whole set of cabin seats they can use to install into one A330 as a test plane.

I think it still isn't quite clear if the A333's will stay in the LX fleet or they will be replaced rather sooner than later. However the current situation is not satisfactory and either we will see getting A330's replaced between 2024 until 2025 or between 2023 and 2024 the whole fleet needs to get refuribished to keep flying until 2030+-

oliver2002

Refurb of the A330 to the LHG interiors is slated for 2023-25. Since the new cabin will be common to LH/SN/LX/OS it can be reassigned to others once the A359/B789 allocation decision has been taken.

Nick Art

Except F is to remain on the LX aircraft, so the cabin layout will be different anyway...

oliver2002

Hmm... lets see if the LX A330 get F. My bet is on a vanilla C/E/Y A330 config that goes to which ever LHG subsidiary once the B789/A359 with F arrive at LX. In the interim they will market the 'premium C' seats to be a alternative for the crowd that usually flies F. The reason for my bet is that the team designing the premium C offering right now is based at LX in ZRH

behuman

Makes sense, a F8 cabin is labour intensive.
What will the "premium C" look like, kind of a 4 A throne without the cofffin feeling with millésimé premium Champagne and Balik salmon (in the same cabin as the unwashed C . Perhaps it will be even accesssible without extra charge to HON/SEN, wishful thinking.

oliver2002

Premium C seems to be a business seat with extra features (suite like door, mini bar fridge with drinks and snacks etc) and no, its not available for free to SEN/HON.

vantage03

The thing is, the non maximising/miles crowd who fly F don’t do it for the “comfort” of a flat bed and a champagne, they do it for privacy and elevated service. The cabins are referred to as “classes” for a reason.
That isn’t solved by a door added to a seat in a cabin of 40 pax sharing 3 lavs. LX knows this, and in these times where F8 actually is selling out to become F0 gives us hope they’ll preserve First Class in the near-middle term as it stands today (even if that means 4 seats instead of 8).

behuman

Wishful thinking: It is 62 pax sharing 3 lavs, definitely bad.

4 seats, 2 lavs and how many FA, doesn't make sense economically.