View the Airbus A380 seat map (PDF) 14 First, 70 Business, 60 Premium Economy and 341 Economy seats. Its been 10 months since Qantas sent its A380s to the Mojave Desert for long-term storage. The prospect of flying overseas might feel a long way off, especially in New South Wales and Victoria in lockdown, but the current pace of the vaccine rollout means we should have a lot more freedom in a few months time, said Qantas CEO Alan Joyce. third A degree of common sense and seasonality makes approximating the delivery schedule roughly feasible, but trying to establish the sequence of aircraft being refurbished is a fools errand. 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. With its full-length double deck, the A380 offers almost 6,000 square feet of usable floor space, about 40% more than the second largest airliner, the Boeing 747-8. All the A380s will return . My first post today - So lazy of me waiting until I have just retired to become active although I have been following the platform for years. are 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.". Qantas expects two more refurbished A380s to be flying be the end of 2019. It is just a marvelous experience to fly Business in the upgraded A380's. Cloudflare monitors for these errors and automatically investigates the cause. I wish the best however I am not going on the max. Based in the United Kingdom. In addition to larger screens and six additional seats in business, the updated aircraft will boast a 1-2-1 layout in business class, with aisle access for every seat. below, then click 'Submit'. It's been 10 months since Qantas sent its A380s to the Mojave Desert for long-term storage. Qantas CEO, Alan Joyce, is calling the process a , . The A380 is far more spacious and comfortable to fly in than the squeezy Boeing 787 nightmare plane, but it's the now-departed Boeing 747, yes, Queen of the Sky, that had most comfort. Give your Qantas hate a spell mate. Qantas most on-time major domestic airline for seven months in a row. and A330 aircraft without adequate crew rests. interact with our community. Even Qatar if they bring theirs back. The staff are magnificent, the food spectacular, the comfort superb. Well send you an email containing the activation link. 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. 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. An easy decision for the airline bean counters. Meanwhile, Qantas has pushed back its planned return to higher-risk destinations, such as Bali, Bangkok, Manila, and Johannesburg, until April 2022. 787 and 330 into Asia much better. 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. Joyce said that "roughly" one A380 will be redone each month. Granted, Qantas new Economy is kinda luxurious but Thompson Vantage XL? Actually my gripe about the current 100 years celebration version of the inflight safety video is that the background music soundtrack is so loud that I have difficulty catching what was being said if I don't already know the content and the subtitles on display (in some versions). You will be redirected to update payment method page. With about five weeks to go, VH-OQI should be the next refurbished A380 set to fly around the end of October. From far they look like Cathay Dragon and Turkish Airlines or a red Lufthansa. See what a point or mile is worth with our appraisals of a loyalty programs currency, based on redemption values. Joyce remains confident that the borders will open up in October this year. parties. And its all going to be about cash when we start up international [flights].. A monthly membership is only $5.99 or save with our annual plans. 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. Thats directed our strategy by saying that we park the A380s.. Absolutely idea. A Qantas A380 flew to Abu Dhabi on Monday after spending several weeks in Los Angeles. 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. The refurbishment will fit the cabin out with a compelling business class and a large premium economy cabin. The A380 takes off right at the end of the footage. Here are the best watches of the year: should you care? The next two oldest A380s are Hudson Fysh and VH-OQC Paul McGinness, both of which landed at Qantas in December 2008. There is an issue between Cloudflare's cache and your origin web server. 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. And communicating Australia is more important than Nancy Bird Ansett or Longreach. Seat map. That plane is followed by a Qantas Dreamliner - both bound for Sydney. Well send you an email containing the activation link. Frankly, QF doesn't have sufficient B787-9's to sustain or even revive international routes from SYD, MEL, PER and BNE as virus numbers o/s begin to retreat. Whereas VH-OQD is refurbished with the latest top-notch Qantas cabin product, VH-OQB is not. the SYD-JNB and SYD-SCL would follow., as for the A380, I see 6 culled, and maybe adding a few more 787-9. " News. It is also reasonable to factor in a lull over Christmas and the New Year. He said, They have the most premium seats of any aircraft we have. To help support the investigation, you can pull the corresponding error log from your web server and submit it our support team. 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). VH-OQB will depart Sydney and operate QF11 to Los Angeles on Tuesday evening. However, "the A380s haveto remain on the ground for at least three years until we see those international volumes brought back," Joyce said. The airline is also winding up its Boeing 747 fleet, marking a fanfare-free end for theaircraft dubbed 'Queen of the Skies' by its fans, and which for decades was the backbone of Qantas' international fleet. For consistent product you have to fly Delta or United. Thatt's the same product as China Eastern, Shanghai Airlines, SAS etc who all debuted their products back in the earlier 2010s. 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. At the time, the airline didn't think they would be . Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. That, together with being able to enjoy the usual service levels both in the lounges and on board, I think will mean that I will be looking at domestic only until late 2022 or early 2023. Scuttlebutt several days ago was that it would be VH-OQL, named. However, despite the A380s decline across airlines globally, the future at Qantas appears to be quite bright. Eagle-eyed planespotters were anticipating the return to service of the second Qantas A380. So I think WA tourism would be doing a lot better since theyre allowed out and about with no infections or deaths and have been all year. Keep it simple, a la Delta, and speak with that cheerful accent that communicates Australia to one and all. It's all about survival for Qantas but the A380 is/was simply unsurpassed experience wise. It's quite specialised. VH-OQB Hudson Fysh made a splashy return home and has been busy operating familiarization flights over Sydney for out-of-practice A380 crews. I was lucky on my most recent trip from LHR to SIN - the lady next to me who had a window seat only needed to get up once. To describe the updated look in one word, let's try "debeigified". Cloudflare monitors for these errors and automatically investigates the cause. Andrews first-hand knowledge of the challenges and opportunities facing Australian airlines adds exciting depth and color to his work. Qantas has completed its refurbishment program for its A380s during their grounding. 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. To help support the investigation, you can pull the corresponding error log from your web server and submit it our support team. Signing up with Executive Traveller only takes a second and lets you Qantas have already confirmed the PE seats on A380 won't have more pitch than on the 787. They haven't been added to the map yet, but those are the six. 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. The thrice-weekly service departs Sydney as flight . And beyond that, trying to figure out the refurbishment schedule and which plane is going where is speculation and not particularly useful. 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. Further, as of today there is significant talk that a selection of vaccines will be available within 6-12 months. Over Wednesday and Thursday, VH-OQB operated four flights over Sydney, each of approximately one hour's duration. And we do believe that it will generate cash. Andrew is based in Sydney. Qantas are not mucking around getting these A380 back. 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. I know it needs to be viable but I wouldn't be too hasty in ditching the fleet. "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. The first of Qantas' refurbished Airbus A380s will begin flying in September, with the remaining 11 A380s in the carrier's fleet set to be overhauled through the end of this year and next. 198.204.249.226 Correct - OQB/OQF/OQJ are currently at the QF LAX maintenance facility which only has limited ramp space, which will likely be needed for B787 work when USA services resume. I can see myself waiting until I can travel on the A380 again (preferrably Qantas but, if not, Emirates, Qatar or Etihad). 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 is too Australian, for customers who are primarily not actually Australian. 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. VH-OQD departed Los Angeles mid-evening on Saturday for the 14 hour plus flight down to Sydney. Maybe operating QF2 out of Heathrow that evening? For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit, Executive Traveler (formerly Australian Business Traveler), Business Suite that Qantas currently offers on its Dreamliner flights, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Once demand is there, theyre going to be good aircraft, Joyce told a CAPA Live virtual conference last Wednesday. There is a trip report by VolvoMike on Flyertalk stating he flew a non-refurbished A380 in F on Qantas on 2/5/22. 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. 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. Youtube channel LA Flights has some nice footage of the jet pushing back in Los Angeles on Saturday evening. The CEO added that the airline won't dedicate the spruced-up aircraft to one . Significant changes are also planned for the onboard business lounges, according to Executive Traveler. Qantas has told Simple Flying that they expect to refurbish the remaining 11 aircraft by the end of 2020. It actually feels very authentic to me, faults and "she'll be right' attitude and all. Qantas is bringing back the Airbus A380 and soon. There are some of us that flatly DON'T buy this "mothball the A380 for 3 years". Sharp-eyed flyers reckon they had the next refurbished A380 nailed. Qantas' First Revamped Airbus A380s To Begin Flying in September, This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. When Qantas began ferrying its 12 A380s to the Mojave Desert for storage last June, many thought it would be the last time wed see the type fly for the Australian airline. Additional troubleshooting resources. Even 1-2 inches extra in pitch would make all the difference. However, CEO Alan Joyce has said today that he fully expects to bring back every A380 to the fleet, and can reactivate them as quickly as three to six months if needed. I get butterflies when United's vid flashes a moment of Singapore's skyline. 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. Qantas has outlined its plans for the upcoming peak summer holiday period, including new and resumed routes, and the rostering of larger aircraft. Worse for those pax who are not native English speakers. So we do believe theres a need for that fleet. There are two maintenance facilities being used for refurbishments, including one in Abu Dhabi. 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. It's the little finer touches that matter, and Qantas lacks sophistication and finess. By the end of this upgrade, well have next-generation seating across our entire long-haul fleet of A380s, A330s and 787s.. As a result Qantas is bringing back a sixth refurbished A380 superjumbo into operation from the middle of this month, providing more operational resilience over the busy Christmas holidays. These eight seats on Qantas' refurbished Airbus A380 offer maximum room for your feet. 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. Not to mention the actual volume of space in your "single" seat - storage, proper table, excellent TV, ideal controls etc. In basic economy, travelers can expect new seat cushions and improved inflight entertainment. 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. Two more refurbed A380s have recently come out of storage from Victorville to be used on QF1/2 from 19th June. It that case it's very close. The aircraft are located close to key maintenance bases, which means reactivation can be brought forward rapidly, if demand trends suddenly upwards. In fact, one aircraft just being reconfigured flew directly to the Mojave Desert, said Joyce at the time. If they stored them at Alice Springs they would have to make them airworthy again just to fly them to Mohave for scrapping. It went to Abu Dhabi three week ago and there has been no flight activity since. A380 Business was crap, droopy seats, 2-2-2 on most aircraft. 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). OQJ is now back in the country operating QF93. Andrews first-hand knowledge of the challenges and opportunities facing Australian airlines adds exciting depth and color to his work. It's especially noticeable around the knees actually. It's completely free and we'll never pass your information on to Stay informed:Sign up for ourdailyandweeklyaviation news digests. However, Qantas has been smart in its parking strategy. I get they are a bit tight for space currently at Alice, but thought I read somewhere that they could increase capacity very quickly if required. Qantas has revealed its new Business Class and Premium Economy cabins aboard its A380.