Qantas builds A330 rollout to Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Singapore
By David Flynn, February 17 2015
As Qantas' refit program for its Airbus A330 jets gains momentum the airline has now rostered the first two domestic A330s with Business Suite business class seats onto the Perth-Sydney and Perth-Melbourne redeye flights.
Those overnight flights are where travellers will most fully appreciate the fully lie-flat beds compared to the reclining seats of the original A330s.
Qantas says that the final evening services on Melbourne-Perth (QF653) and Sydney-Perth (QF583) as well as their overnight flights back to the east coast (respectively QF648 and QF568) will now run on the reconfigured A330s from Monday to Friday.
Brisbane to follow...
A third domestic A330 will rejoin the fleet in early April to bolster the Sydney-Perth and Melbourne-Perth routes as well as upgrade selected Brisbane-Perth flights, the airline says.
A second international A330-300 jet is expected to begin flying by the end of March, which will see the Sydney-Singapore QF81/82 and Melbourne-Singapore (QF35/36) flights both boasting the new Business Suites on a full-time roster rather than sharing the same jet across alternate days.
After Singapore, Hong Kong is shaping up to be the next city on Qantas’ roadmap for its upgraded Airbus A330 fleet.
Exclusive AusBT review: The Qantas Airbus A330 Business Suite
“Our focus is on Singapore and getting penetration on one route so customers will know they’re going to get that product every time” Kylie Morris, Qantas’ Head of Creative Development and Customer Experience, told Australian Business Traveller last month. “We’ll then look for penetration on other routes as the numbers (of aircraft) allow us.”
“Hong Kong is another important market for us” Morris said, “and we have aircraft flying there every day from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.”
The bustling city also happens to have a dashing new lounge (below) along the same lines as Singapore which can dovetail into the new Sleep Sooner service.
Morris says the decisions on the A330’s roll-out include consider “our competitors on that route, how often we’re servicing that route, and markets where we can help drive revenue.”
The A330 Business Suite will eventually extend to all of Qantas' Asian destinations – Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo, Bangkok, Jakarta and Manila, as well as Honolulu – with the entire A330 upgrade program being complete by the end of 2016.
Also read:
- 10 things you didn't know about the new Qantas Business Suite
- Up close with Qantas' next-gen business class
- Qantas clarifies A330 inflight entertainment, Q Streaming
- Best seats: Qantas A330-200 domestic Business Suite business class
- Best seats: Qantas A330-300 international Business Suite international business class
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David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 Apr 2013
Total posts 388
Will the Sydney - Hong Kong 747 be replaced with a refurbished A330?
Lufthansa - Miles & More
29 Jul 2014
Total posts 185
We can only hope becuase the 747 seats are horrible the a330 product is amazing to say the least but the VA experience may put a dent in the a330 busniess suite
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
25 Sep 2013
Total posts 1243
“Our focus is on Singapore and getting penetration on one route so customers will know they’re going to get that product every time”
Consistency. A sensible idea.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 Jan 2013
Total posts 715
Sadly I'll miss the refurbished A330-300 on an upcoming trip on QF35 (must be an alternate day), but I agree getting consistency in product on the route within another month or so is the right move.
QF Platinum
24 Jan 2013
Total posts 141
I wonder when the SYD-HKG route will have the refurbished A330? I'm due to fly in business late October - hope they will be out before that (although I will miss flying the good old Queen of the skies B747)!
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
10 Jan 2012
Total posts 269
So they say that SYD/MEL-SIN will get the refurbed A330 on a full time roster before HKG gets them. What about BNE-SIN? If they want all SIN flights to have it, do they only mean those from/to SYD and MEL?
07 Aug 2012
Total posts 197
Probably because SQ only uses A330s to BNE. The J seat on these is angled-flat. On the other hand CX has a far superior J seat so QF needs to catch up.
12 Feb 2014
Total posts 230
Very happy that Qantas will put the new suite on the red eyes, where they will have the most impact. Excellent decision.
QFF
19 Sep 2013
Total posts 164
Not sure if the redeyes PER-SYD or PER-MEL are used by business folks much, unless you're flying onto LAX.
I suspect that the real focus of this move is to place these aircraft on the SYD-MEL daytime flights, where they will be of more use to the business folks.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
21 Aug 2014
Total posts 513
I guess they maybe get on those flights because they could well be sleeping on the flight before the meeting at 9am. Or maybe they come the day before because of the hotel check-in times.
12 Feb 2014
Total posts 230
Business is always booked out when I fly a red eye Per-Syd. If not on business, not sure who they are.
12 Dec 2012
Total posts 1000
They've already said that the new BNE-NRT will have the new seats when it starts in August.
QFF
18 Feb 2015
Total posts 6
Would be nice on the PER-AKL route...
20 Feb 2015
Total posts 2
Does anyone know how to find out which days the new config flies on the MEL/SIN route?
Qantas
07 Mar 2014
Total posts 9
Still no international flights from Perth, even just to Singapore by QANTAs
Qantas
07 Mar 2014
Total posts 9
What about Perth to Singapore will that ever come back by QANTAS
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