Signing up with Executive Traveller only takes a second and lets you one upper On refurbished A380 aircraft, the Premium Economy cabin has 60 seats in a 2-3-2 layout. 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. Well send you an email to re-activate your account and enter a new password. Therell be more than a few passengers booked on QF2 around that date keeping an eye on the seat plan. Its also worth noting that time of the year is one of the busiest times for international flights in and out of Australia. I suspect that they will be back within 18 months at the very latest. Whats the chances of VH-OQA being donated to a worthy Australian Air Museum? The Mandarin names are messed up and do not convey that it is an Australia airline. My guess is the fourth A380 wont be sighted until early February at least. And the carrier recently announced plans for new flights between Sydney and Rarotonga in the Cook Islands, starting on June 29, 2023. multiple take-off and landings from Sydney Airport. Keep it simple, a la Delta, and speak with that cheerful accent that communicates Australia to one and all. 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, https://www.ausbt.com.au/qantas-a380-refurbishment. It will be the first Qantas A380 carrying fare-paying passengers since March 2020. That plane is followed by a Qantas Dreamliner - both bound for Sydney. Resend one to yourself here. 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. Click OK to continue. 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Had choose it this time to use up my $450 Amex credit. Qantas A380 | Qantas AU Qantas loyalty bonus: should you choose points or status? The airline will also extend the range of its A330-200 aircraft in order to operate some trans-Pacific routes such as Brisbane-Los Angeles and Brisbane-San Francisco. On The Move: Qantas Relocates An Airbus A380 To Abu Dhabi - Simple Flying And its all going to be about cash when we start up international [flights].. VH-OQB is one of just two of Qantas superjumbos that were grounded at a purpose-built A380 hangar at LAX, rather than stored at the Victorville boneyard in the California desert. Cloudflare monitors for these errors and automatically investigates the cause. With the first refurbished Qantas A380 being bedded down and due to head back to Heathrow today as QF1 following a media event in Sydney yesterday, thoughts are turning to when the next refurbished A380 will roll out of the workshops. Well send you an email containing the activation link. There is an unknown connection issue between Cloudflare and the origin web server. Cathay Pacific reopens Hong Kongs The Wing Business lounge, Land up to 20% bonus points in Velocitys new transfer promo. Qantas Airbus A380 refurbishment schedule - Qantas & Jetstar The Airbus A380 has failed to win the confidence of many other operators, including Air France, which brought forward the aircrafts retirement early because of the pandemic. It's especially noticeable around the knees actually. Worse for those pax who are not native English speakers. Enjoy your QF flights, Robert R, the A380 is a joy to fly on! Already have an ET account? First Look And Flight Photos Of The Qantas A380 New Interiors - Forbes The airline notes that it expects to have a further two of the remaining 11 unrefurbished aircraft done and flying by the end of 2019. Alan Joyce, the chief executive of Qantas remains confident that the Airbus A380 superjumbo will remain an integral part of the airlines aircraft fleet even as other airlines jettison the double-deck planes. Qantas' First Revamped Airbus A380s To Begin Flying in September, This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. That would be 5 with new fit out. 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. You don't have credit card details available. 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. Even Qatar if they bring theirs back. Qantas most on-time major domestic airline for seven months in a row. These photos show the oversized 'foot nook' for seats in the A380's two bulkhead rows, those being rows 11 and 16/17. 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. It is not that significant. Its there with new seats on it and that nobodys ever sat on, which is unbelievably disappointing. To help support the investigation, you can pull the corresponding error log from your web server and submit it our support team. 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. Busiest Easter long weekend for air travel since before the pandemic. Qantas to mothball all Airbus A380s until at least 2023 The decision to reactivate the Qantas A380s with VH-OQB and VH-OQD is a slightly odd one. However, you might assume the two would come from the half dozen older yet-to-be refurbished planes. NSW residents are not allowed to travel more than 5km from home and Melbourne even has a curfew. Despite sending the majority of the airlines A380 fleet to long-term storage in the desert, Joyce has repeatedly stated that the carrier will look to reactivate its entire fleet of A380s when the pandemic subsides. See also: Airbus A320neo, Boeing 737 MAX battle for billion-dollar Qantas order. 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. And we think that's sufficient to make good money and the economics work on that business.. I concur that I will always choose Emirates over Qantas if they have the A380 in service and Qantas does not(of course on QF paper). On a long red-eye flight, I had to wake my aisle neighbour twice during the night. The summer school holidays are in full swing and the. The flights typically comprise a loop out southwest towards the Wingecarribee area before turning back towards Sydney, running out over the Royal National Park, and going out to sea before heading back into the airport. 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. By the end of this upgrade, well have next-generation seating across our entire long-haul fleet of A380s, A330s and 787s.. Go figure. Even 1-2 inches extra in pitch would make all the difference. For consistent product you have to fly Delta or United. Australia is small in many ways but it has a distinctive brand, the national airline should reflect that. Meanwhile, Qantas will take delivery of three new 787-9 Dreamliners that have remained undelivered and stored with Boeing during FY23, while Jetstar will welcome its first three A321neo LR aircraft also from FY23. Can I say I never liked Qantas safety video. Staff and onlookers swarmed Sydney Airport for their first glimpse of the superjumbo. We'll see Qantas' final eight A380s re-enter the fleet by the end of 2020. Qantas Will Revamp Biz Cabin in Refurbishment of A380 Fleet - The But we do think if you look at the Qantas network, there are going to be opportunities to deploy those aircraft. The first A380 for Australian Carrier QANTAS arrived at Sydney's International Airport from Toulouse in France. 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. 198.204.249.226 OQJ is now back in the country operating QF93. You will be redirected to update payment method page. Qantas has been planning this refurbishment for a couple of years. Cos they seriously never got the uniform right cos they never bothered to tailor it. Eagle-eyed planespotters were anticipating the return to service of the second Qantas A380. Qantas to return five A380s to service 'ahead of schedule' I saw QF29 flying into Hong Kong yesterday, the usual A330. However, you might assume the two would come from the half dozen older yet-to-be refurbished planes. My problem is that Qantas seriously tries too hard to be Australian when it comes off as unauthentic. We'll see Qantas' final eight A380s re-enter the fleet by the end of 2020. Your email address will not be published. Improve earnings, maximize rewards and track progress toward dream trips. It operated QF1 from Sydney to Heathrow, departing Sunday, September 30, 2019, and arriving into Heathrow the next day. If you have not received the activation email, simply enter your email address below, then click 'Submit'. third This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. There will be 9 aircraft remaining. Currently, Qantas has been operating its A380 fleet on services between Sydney and Los Angeles, offering only Business, Premium Economy and Economy cabins. Didnt receive an activation email? Which is the best Star Alliance lounge at Sydney Airport? There is a trip report by VolvoMike on Flyertalk stating he flew a non-refurbished A380 in F on Qantas on 2/5/22. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. 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. In April, Joyce said each aircraft could potentially come back into service in as little as three to six months. The group said that it will roll out a number of customer initiatives at airports over the Christmas holidays, with a focus on making journeys easier more details will be released on this shortly. Qantas Bringing Back Airbus A380 In January 2022 A sad day for passengers. aircraft dubbed 'Queen of the Skies' by its fans, and which for decades was the backbone of Qantas' international fleet. Now Flying: Qantas' Refurbished A380 - One Mile at a Time 10 years of constant use does create some wear and tear. They'd spotted this plane doing some laps over Los Angeles in the runup to Saturday's transpacific flight. In short, about another year. Get unlimited news articles and more by creating a free account, Passwords must have at least 10 characters, one number, one lower and "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. A monthly membership is only $5.99 or save with our annual plans. Qantas has told Simple Flying that they expect to refurbish the remaining 11 aircraft by the end of 2020. We'll run a soft credit check to find special offers, but it wont affect your credit score. . . Qantas' new A380 business class reveals massive changes In terms of the A380, the forecast is still that demand will not pick up enough to sustain the superjumbo until around 2024. Seat cushions will be replaced to be more comfortable and video screens will be swapped for a larger display. First Look: Refurbished Qantas Airbus A380 - Australian Frequent Flyer The Mojave was picked over a similar storage facility near Alice Springs because engineers based at Los Angeles airport are just a two-hour drive away making routine maintenance a lot easier. we are flying Singapore to London in October on an A380 and hopefully it's with the new business suite. No Title No Description. Although all 12 A380s will remain in hibernation, the six which have been upgraded with the latest business class seats and inflight lounges would be first to return to the skies. VH-OAH,J,K ARE SHOWING 14F 70B 60PE 341E, WITH the newer stagger business seats. So it looks like the newer units got the upgrade. More bums on seats equal more dollars in Qantas pockets. All A380s to LAX refurbished?? - Qantas & Jetstar - Executive Traveller Airlines; Airports; Hotels; Lounges; Frequent Flyer; Reward Programs; Technology; Motoring; Other; Reviews. Like the business suites, these products will also feature seats currently used in Qantas' Dreamliners premium-economy section. case letter, and one special character. Just be happy our airline didnt fold during covid and have to get aircraft that spent two years in the desert in airworthy condition. And for those looking to read the tea leaves as to how long the A380s might continue to fly for Qantas, Executive Traveler writes that the refurbishment "points to the spruced-up superjumbos flying through to the end of the next decade," at the least. The A380 takes off right at the end of the footage. The only aircraft for me for Melbourne to London.Superior in every way . Refurbished Qantas Airbus A380s Will Take To The Skies In September In particular, President Carrot-top is making noises about a 6 month timeline, whilst big pharma are talking a slightly more realistic timeframe of 9-12. 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. Thats directed our strategy by saying that we park the A380s.. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Already have an Executive Traveller account? Meanwhile Jetstar will begin flights with three new A321 neo aircraft in the coming weeks, initially on domestic services and its routes between Australia and Bali. All 10 returning A380s will have their interiors refurbished prior to their return to service. We now have even more details from Executive Traveler on the rollout of the new interiors. 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. 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. But if you have any insights, insiders tips or knowledge, wed love to know. Its obviously up to the government exactly how and when our international borders re-open, but with Australia on track to meet the 80 per cent trigger agreed by national cabinet by the end of the year, we need to plan ahead for what is a complex restart process.. Six still sport previous generation cabins. If you have not received the activation email, simply enter your email address below, then click 'Submit'. 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. Qantas has completed its refurbishment program for its A380s during their grounding. 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. Got a points upgrade from Economy aisle to premium economy window. 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. This is in competition with QSuites, SQ fugly but okay "lar" seats, EK pastel but at least bed is comfortable All this dark coloring is not seen in good light by Asian customers who, if Qantas wakes up, is actually their biggest customers. Until that time arrives, Qantas fleet of 12 Airbus A380s are currently sitting in long-term storage in the Mojave desert where they are likely to remain until 2024 when Joyce hopes travel demand will have returned to pre-pandemic levels. Looks like QF will scrap PER as a port, whilst its Premier wants to segregate his state from the rest of our Country. He commented, We think we will reactivate all of the A380s. third Wonder if G would get an upgrade as that would be 6. In short, about another year. 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. Qantas A380 refurb schedule, Executive Traveller is published by Business Travel Media Pty Ltd, a corporate authorised credit representative (#515763) of MGS FINANCIAL PTY LIMITED (#337568). Makes sense if they are scrapping the older ones. It's all about survival for Qantas but the A380 is/was simply unsurpassed experience wise. To help support the investigation, you can pull the corresponding error log from your web server and submit it our support team. On Wednesday, Australian Aviation revealed that one of Qantas A380s was flown from storage at LAX to a facility in Dresden, Germany, for maintenance ahead of its planned refurbishment. 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So we do believe theres a need for that fleet. Reopen QF21/22 and SYD-NRT (HND will only accept A380s during the overnight hours, only 1 on the ground at a time and they can't be there during the day slot hours). Qantas has told Simple Flying that they expect to refurbish the remaining 11 aircraft by the end of 2020. I don't understand why Jetstar branding and uniform comes off as so much more Australian and classier. From a passenger's point of view, it's a lucky dip as to what plane you get. You can use your existing password to login, or if you can't remember it, you can reset it using the link provided here. 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. Over Wednesday and Thursday, VH-OQB operated four flights over Sydney, each of approximately one hour's duration. Qantas might like to keep them flying over the busy periods. Log in below. Qantas opens new Club lounge at Rockhampton airport, See a whole year of Reward Seat Availability on one page at SeatSpy.com, Michelin-starred Yannick Allno to open restaurant at Four Seasons Park Lane, Pan Pacific Orchard to open in Singapore in May 2023, Live life in the fast lane with Avis Preferred, Connect with Business Travelers Worldwide with MeetWiv, Lufthansa operates A380 to Bangkok this winter, Qantas celebrates 25-year partnership with chef Neil Perry, Qantas unveils new domestic economy inflight menus, Qantas reports improved performance in September, Qantas to launch nonstop Auckland-JFK service, To see our latest subscription offers for Business Traveller editions worldwide, click on the Subscribe & Save link below. Meanwhile, Qantas has pushed back its planned return to higher-risk destinations, such as Bali, Bangkok, Manila, and Johannesburg, until April 2022. The airline is also set to resume the following seasonal domestic routes this month: Qantas said that across its domestic network the group is now operating at 95 per cent of pre-Covid levels. GSE Maintenance | Primeflight Thank you so much Qantas, Alan and staff. Qantas has outlined its plans for the upcoming peak summer holiday period, including new and resumed routes, and the rostering of larger aircraft. "We're parking the A380s for at least three years," Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce confirmed to media during a press teleconference following the announcement of a sweeping three-year 'post-Covid recovery .