VH-OQB Hudson Fysh made a splashy return home and has been busy operating familiarization flights over Sydney for out-of-practice A380 crews. Talking point: have you given up on airport WiFi? We have reconfigured six of them with brand new product onboards. Qantas to return five A380s to service 'ahead of schedule' Hi Guest, join in the discussion on The CEO added that the airline won't dedicate the spruced-up aircraft to one particular route, so passengers will be "surprised and delighted" when they find themselves sitting in a new business class seat. Whats the chances of VH-OQA being donated to a worthy Australian Air Museum? But what about VH-OQI? Your complete guide to Singapore Airlines WiFi, Tips to top up your energy levels on the road, Five things to look for when buying headphones for running, Gyms closed: Schwarzenegger shares his home workout tips, Get into the holiday swing at Australias top golf resorts, Thailand wants visitors to quarantine at golf resorts, Nine new golf courses you'll want to visit in 2020, Tuscany uncorked: Inside the wine regions renaissance, Bottle shock for wine lovers as Delta moves to canned wine. Well send you an email containing the activation link. Find the right card for you. Performance & security by Cloudflare. for at least three years," Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce confirmed to media during a press teleconference following the announcement of a, its international network to reach only 50% of its pre-pandemic capacity during, the 2021-2022 financial year, Joyce said the A380s ", dont have any use during this period of time. Updates to the first-class product include material changes to modernize the look of the suites. The next two oldest A380s are Hudson Fysh and VH-OQC Paul McGinness, both of which landed at Qantas in December 2008. But I am concerned that Qantas' shine as Australia's flag carrier may not resonate with a product that doesn't look decent enough to compete with others. PrimeFlight GSE Maintenance is a leading provider of Ground Support Equipment (GSE) maintenance, fleet maintenance, and facility maintenance services with operations across the US. Qantas might like to keep them flying over the busy periods. Two more refurbed A380s have recently come out of storage from Victorville to be used on QF1/2 from 19th June. The summer school holidays are in full swing and the A380s generally fill right up. It's completely free and we'll never pass your information on to interact with our community. parties. Ansett Australia's uniform fully embued Australia too. I'm surprised it is cheaper to fly them to Mojave for storage than to Alice Springs. Qantas' A380 has all-new cabins with plenty of legroom. No major loss in Business. Sorry but I think you miss the point. The first A380 for Australian Carrier QANTAS arrived at Sydney's International Airport from Toulouse in France. Qantas is bringing its Airbus A380s back into service in January Qantas needs a proper luxury brand designer (maybe Oroton)? In short, about another year. Qantas hasn't released details of the A380's premium economy seat pitch but they have said the A380 would have the same premium economy seat pitch as the Boeing 787, and that's the real concern. Opinions expressed here are the authors alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Over Wednesday and Thursday, VH-OQB operated four flights over Sydney, each of approximately one hour's duration. We'll see Qantas' final eight A380s re-enter the fleet by the end of 2020. Even 1-2 inches extra in pitch would make all the difference. In April, Joyce said each aircraft could potentially come back into service in as little as three to six months. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). Qantas A380 | Qantas AU I loved the so-called Emerald City at the front of the upper deck. Just so quiet and smooth. Our plan was at the end of October, if the international borders were to open up, we could start 22 of the 25 destinations we had pre-COVID with smaller aircraft, smaller premium seats on it. On a long red-eye flight, I had to wake my aisle neighbour twice during the night. Qantas will reinstate its full First Class offering at the end of this month both on the ground and in the air as post-pandemic international travel steadily. Please view our advertising policy page for more information. With about five weeks to go, VH-OQI should be the next refurbished A380 set to fly around the end of October. The final section of the new all-premium upper deck will feature 60 premium-economy seats. If they stored them at Alice Springs they would have to make them airworthy again just to fly them to Mohave for scrapping. 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The refurbishment will fit the cabin out with a compelling business class and a large premium economy cabin. It's quite specialised. Back in October, Australian airline Qantas announced it would undertake a massive project to refit its fleet of 12 Airbus A380 jumbo jets with new interiors. The fate of the second six will hinge on the projected recovery for Qantas' flagship routes to London and the US, and the outcome of a sweeping review of the airline's entire international fleet to reshape it around post-coronavirus travel demand. Resend one to yourself here. WA is going to miss out millions of $ in tourism, but McGowan thinks he makes plenty of money anyway from iron ore, which the Chinese no longer want to buy. Please Alan - bring back the refurbed A380. How Long Will It Take To Refurbish Qantas' Entire A380 Fleet? They have a smaller premium cabin, but a smaller cabin overall, and a bigger percentage of the revenue coming from the premium cabin.. My favourite aircraft as a long haul passenger. A380 Business was crap, droopy seats, 2-2-2 on most aircraft. Eagle-eyed planespotters were anticipating the return to service of the second Qantas A380. Joyce said that "roughly" one A380 will be redone each month. First Look: Refurbished Qantas Airbus A380 - Australian Frequent Flyer The aircraft are located close to key maintenance bases, which means reactivation can be brought forward rapidly, if demand trends suddenly upwards. Until the A380s return, the Dreamliner is picking up the slack. Woomera has a strip that could easily handlen an A380. Absolutely fabulous - layout, space, comfort 1-2-1. Improve earnings, maximize rewards and track progress toward dream trips. If demand increases beyond the 236-seat capacity of the Boeing 787-9, Qantas would likely add a second daily Dreamliner service onto the route enacting the same plan as announced in March 2020 when the Sydney-Singapore-London QF1/QF2 Airbus A380 service was set to be rerouted via Perth on a Boeing 787-9. Is Qantas just gonna standardize its widebody fleet to 787s? Well send you an email to re-activate your account and enter a new password. Granted, Qantas new Economy is kinda luxurious but Thompson Vantage XL? I always base my international flying provider based on the highest comfort ad services first, hence those flying an A380 to my destination get first byte of my dollars. As some other commentators had said in previous forums, the video is more about making us feel good about ourselves but does nothing to attract or gain loyalty with overseas clients, of which those from Asia will prefer Asian based airlines on the basis of in flight service rather than just being patriotic to their own homegrown airlines. Even at the basic level there are only four seats wide - 1-2-1, which is so good when you compare there were 10 wide downstairs. Maybe one a month would take us through most of 2020 and allow the airline to draw a line under it towards the end of the year. Qantas loyalty bonus: should you choose points or status? The last of Qantas A380s flew to the desert last September after completing a multi-million-dollar retrofit in Dresden, Germany. It was the last A380 Qantas received. We spent a lot of money on them Once demand is there, they're going to be good aircraft, get back in the air and we can cope with this lower demand environment with some time by just parking them and using the 787 system.. Here's what to expect in Premium Economy on the Qantas A380: Almost 3500 additional operational employees employed since Easter 2022 to support increased travel. They haven't been added to the map yet, but those are the six. Cathay Pacific reopens Hong Kongs The Wing Business lounge, Land up to 20% bonus points in Velocitys new transfer promo. Once demand is there, theyre going to be good aircraft, Joyce told a CAPA Live virtual conference last Wednesday. below, then click 'Submit'. Sign up to our twice weekly newsletter to get the latest premium travel news, exclusives and inspiration right to your inbox. In short, about another year. However, Qantas has been smart in its parking strategy. The airline is also reinstating services between Australia and New Zealand, projecting a re-start of the currently paused trans-Tasman travel bubble, also in December. When that happens, he says that the 787 will be picking up the slack from the loss of the A380 and 747, with all but three of its pre-COVID destinations served. Qantas Airbus A380 refurbishment schedule - Executive Traveller community discussion. My guess is the fourth A380 wont be sighted until early February at least. There is an unknown connection issue between Cloudflare and the origin web server. All three remain unrefurbished. Qantas expects two more refurbished A380s to be flying be the end of 2019. Its been 10 months since Qantas sent its A380s to the Mojave Desert for long-term storage. The Mandarin names are messed up and do not convey that it is an Australia airline. Watch on. Airbus 380 seat map | Qantas US OQH is in Abu Dhabi doing its C check and will be back soon and OQG is in the Los Angeles hanger ready to come home. I also don't like the tail and the use of kangaroo anymore. SQ is very Singaporean, from the moment you arrive at the gate for a SQ flight you feel that. Can't wait. Because there's more to long term storage than what you mentioned. I had to cancel a RTW classic reward booking utilising 2 Qantas A380 legs and now my focus is on the complete travel experience rather than getting from A to B as quickly, economically and as comfortably as possible. "That will depend on what the recovery scenario looks like. we dont know when the big markets like the US and the UK, which use the A380s, will open, and when, Joyce added. As there are twelve Airbus A380s in the Qantas fleet, there is still a good chance you'll receive the old configuration for the time being. Since the middle of last week, that plane has made multiple take-off and landings from Sydney Airport. Login now. I wish the best however I am not going on the max. The Qantas operation across the Pacific right now is a mess. Lead Journalist - Southwest Pacific -.A Masters level education and appetite for travel combine to make Andrew an incredible aviation brain with decades of insight behind him. View the Airbus A380 seat map (PDF) 14 First, 70 Business, 60 Premium Economy and 341 Economy seats. Thatt's the same product as China Eastern, Shanghai Airlines, SAS etc who all debuted their products back in the earlier 2010s. For the time being, the aircraft will remain parked until such time as demand signals that its the right moment for them to return. Qantas has a full refurbishment on offer for the A380, including the updated 14-seat first class cabin that it has decided to keep downstairs on the double-decker, rather than replacing it with an upstairs cabin and new seats. Username or email already exists! You will be redirected to update payment method page. Can confirm my booking 1 July 2022 SYD-LAX (booked 2 weeks ago) x 2Pax business class, our seats have already been changed today from a 787-9 to a refurbished A380. . interact with our community. It's completely free and we'll never pass your information on to It's scheduled to fly tonight from London to Singapore, and the seatmap reflects that (here's the business class seatmap, showing the new 1-2-1 configuration, compared to the old 2-2-2 configuration). Andrew is based in Sydney. Etihad Airways has also said it will likely never fly the A380 again, while Singapore Airlines will retire seven of its A380s. Alan Joyce says the mighty superjumbo is likely to stay grounded "for at least three years.". Cloudflare monitors for these errors and automatically investigates the cause. In fact they actually become as in Express Airlines. Andrews first-hand knowledge of the challenges and opportunities facing Australian airlines adds exciting depth and color to his work. Already have an ET account? There's plenty of dry flat land, a railway and a major highway at the front door, plenty of vacant accommodation, an airport with flights to Adelaide every few hours just 70km away, a dry climate and most importantly, plenty of security. Some lucky Platinum One members have been offered an 'upgrade' to the First Suites, but the service has been at a Business level. I get butterflies when United's vid flashes a moment of Singapore's skyline. parties. The aircraft was delivered to Qantas in December 2011. Based in the United Kingdom. Operating at some of the country's busiest airports, we are dedicated to supporting the daily operational performance of airlines and service providers across our . I would have thought storing them in Alice would be better than flying to California to store them. The Airbus A380 touched down in wet and overcast conditions just after 06:00 on Monday. . In the meantime, Qantas has been operating special repatriation flights between London and Darwin where passengers spend two weeks in hotel quarantine before being allowed to return home. However, you might assume the two would come from the half dozen older yet-to-be refurbished planes. If you have not received the activation email, simply enter your email address below, then click 'Submit'. The thrice-weekly flights are a stop-gap measure to solve a problem caused by out-of-action 787-9 Dreamliner crews. We have been replacing the bigger aircraft with the 787s. Putting in the new seats took too long, are still not on all. Which is the best Star Alliance lounge at Sydney Airport? Well send you an email containing the activation link. Even Qatar if they bring theirs back. Login here. However, you might assume the two would come from the half dozen older yet-to-be refurbished planes. And its not just the revenue potential from the premium seats that makes the 787 attractive to Joyce. The airline said it will use the five A380s to fly between Sydney and LA from July 2022, and between Sydney and London, via Singapore, from November 2022. English. Keep it simple, a la Delta, and speak with that cheerful accent that communicates Australia to one and all. The plane was moved in order to undergo a scheduled landing gear update, according to Qantas, and will remain in storage at Dresden Airport, before undergoing a refurbishment ahead of its planned return to service. The airline said total revenue loss amounted to $16 billion for the full year due to COVID-related disruptions including prolonged international border closures and multiple waves of domestic border restrictions. Then transit SIN, enroute Europe, including maybe some new ports there. You'll see improvements in each of our cabins with a change in the seat mix offering more space and refreshed interiors to enjoy onboard. Qantas A380 NEW Business Class & Premium Economy - YouTube Had choose it this time to use up my $450 Amex credit. Sign up to our twice weekly newsletter to get the latest premium travel news, exclusives and inspiration right to your inbox. 5 reasons you shouldn't bin your boarding passes, What to do when an airline cancels your flight, New ways for airlines to win your business, Australia's airport mask mandate will soon come to an end. one upper Whether Dresden winds down over January or not, most of Australia does. There is a trip report by VolvoMike on Flyertalk stating he flew a non-refurbished A380 in F on Qantas on 2/5/22. By the southern autumn, we might expect to see the refurbished A380s coming into service fairly regularly. Those seats are 11A, 11E, 11F, 11K, 16A, 16K, 17E and 17F. Travel onboard the A380 is just so superior to alternatives and I will be now be looking at Emirates for our regular trips to Switzerland & UK particularly as EK will be introducing PE next year. It is also reasonable to factor in a lull over Christmas and the New Year. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Airlines; . we are heading back from our trip on a 787 -9 via LAX which I am really looking forward to. the SYD-JNB and SYD-SCL would follow., as for the A380, I see 6 culled, and maybe adding a few more 787-9. " They are so good. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. The route is currently being done by the refurbished OQD & OQK aircraft. It's completely free and we'll never pass your information on to Because in aviation, situational awareness is everything. ", Joyce said he doesn't expect the Qantas' international network to restart "in any real size from July next year", with those flights led by the smaller Boeing 787 and Airbus A330 jets "to establish the network as fast as possible.". The initial reactions to the first refurbished A380 are broadly positive, but when will the project be completed? If they give these seats an extra couple of inches then I reckon you'd find the seats are very good expect for that cradle legrest. It is too Australian, for customers who are primarily not actually Australian. Qantas loyalty bonus: should you choose points or status? The airline said this involves some technical changes to be finalised with Airbus. Whereas VH-OQD is refurbished with the latest top-notch Qantas cabin product, VH-OQB is not. The planned refresh includes touch-ups to both first and economy classes, overhauled business and premium-economy products and mechanical maintenance good for 10 more years of service for the airline's superjumbos. Im not sure what sort of tourism you think operates under those conditions. Joyce said, If demand comes back earlier, we can reactivate the A380s within three to six months. Wonder if G would get an upgrade as that would be 6. Sounds like a real issue to me. On Saturday and Sunday, VH-OQB operated ten flights around Sydney. Qantas plans to reactivate 10 of its 12 Airbus A380s. VH-OAH,J,K ARE SHOWING 14F 70B 60PE 341E, WITH the newer stagger business seats. I don't understand why Jetstar branding and uniform comes off as so much more Australian and classier. I suspect that they will be back within 18 months at the very latest. Its there with new seats on it and that nobodys ever sat on, which is unbelievably disappointing. We know the demand will come back, its just a matter of time Weve had this forecast for some time that we dont see that occurring until 24. Qantas to mothball all Airbus A380s until at least 2023, Qantas will ground its entire flagship Airbus A380 fleet until at least the middle of 2023. as the airline comes to grips with what's expected to be a prolonged downturn in international travel. Further, whilst Australians have been compliant in lockdown for the past 3 months, I doubt strongly that those same people will sit back and accept no international service from QF for the next 12 months when competitors are to be flying from October / November this year. Qantas has completed its refurbishment program for its A380s during their grounding. parties. If youve forgotten your password, simply enter your email address Seat cushions will be replaced to be more comfortable and video screens will be swapped for a larger display. The first refurbished A380 will start flying at the end of September and three more will take to the air by the end of the year. Over the next few years, the Boeing 787-9 will become Qantas' international workhorse "to Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, London and Asia," Joyce said. third Both Lufthansa and Qatar Airways will keep their A380s in long term storage for the foreseeable future and might not ever fly the planes again. Qantas has told Simple Flying that they expect to refurbish the remaining 11 aircraft by the end of 2020. Theyre directed towards the big premium market. We flew to London in a refurbished Business Class in February and it was amazing. "The aircraftare being put into the Mojave Desert, where the environment protects the aircraft (because) we have the intention at the right time to restart them, but that is a considerable amount of time away.". Its also worth noting that time of the year is one of the busiest times for international flights in and out of Australia. To describe the updated look in one word, let's try "debeigified". It's all about survival for Qantas but the A380 is/was simply unsurpassed experience wise. This week Qantas launched flights between Brisbane and Tokyo Haneda, and will launch flights between Melbourne and Dallas this weekend (December 3), as well as flights between Sydney and Seoul on December 10. Already have an ET account? It is not that significant. Hi Guest, join in the discussion on GSE Maintenance | Primeflight interact with our community. Six still sport previous generation cabins. Vannus, Im not sure if youre aware but the majority of Australias population, which lives in just two states VIC & NSW, are currently in lockdown and have been for some time and expect to remain in lockdown for quite sometime. Can anyone clarify if it is the newest 6 that are refurbed or a mix?..if its a mix doesn't make sense they'd refurb the older iterations as I understand some had issues. Maybe if London and LA aren't in a position to get QF A380 operations, Tokyo will be. Qantas haven't updated their seat maps for a while so they only show OQH OQK and OQK on their seat map. Managing Editor - Joanna has worked in publishing for more than a decade and is fast becoming a go-to source for commercial aviation analysis. 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Stay informed:Sign up for ourdailyandweeklyaviation news digests. Economy aisle would have been better. The superjumbo had covered 7,641 miles (12,297 kilometers) on this flight. It's especially noticeable around the knees actually. Qantas launches upgraded A380 aircraft - Business Traveller Qantas noted that it takes about eight weeks to refurbish each A380. The aircraft was delivered to Qantas in December 2011. Additional troubleshooting resources. Qantas international flights: Airbus A380 superjumbos to return to At the time, the airline didnt think they would be needed again before around 2023 to 2024. I know it needs to be viable but I wouldn't be too hasty in ditching the fleet. I have to say that I loved flying the Qantas A380 for many years primarily to Europe via LHR with the occasional trip to USA. It's been 10 months since Qantas sent its A380s to the Mojave Desert for long-term storage. View the Airbus A380 seat map (PDF) Compare the cost in points or miles to cash, and see which option is best. Sure not every flight was great, often depending on the crew but I found the comfort level (and wine selection!) Prestige and Profit, that's what will deliver a vaccine/'s from a US pharma/'s most likely by end of 2020, let's face it Armstrong walked on the moon 51 years ago. The first of the airline's 12 A380s will enter maintenance next month and is set to return to the skies in September. 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By the weekend, the tempo of flying was really picking up.

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