As Qantas continues to retire its fleet of Boeing 747-400s , routes are being taken over by smaller, more efficient aircraft such as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A330.
The latest to receive the capacity hit is the Sydney – San Francisco route, which will see the 747 replaced by the 787 from the 4th of December this year.
Qantas already operates the 787 on the sister route being Melbourne – San Francisco four times weekly. It’s understood the changes to the Sydney route will see a roughly 33% reduction in capacity.
Passengers will benefit from the modern cabins the 787 Dreamliner has to offer, including greater pressurization and humidity paired with mood lighting to reduce jet lag as well as newer, more sophisticated seats across economy, premium economy and business.
Acting CEO of Qantas International, Naren Kumar, reflected on the changes in the following statement:
” Our Dreamliner is the most comfortable aircraft we have ever flown. Customer feedback on the cabin environment, from the seats to the anti-jetlag measures, continue to exceed our expectations.”
Kumar also noted the Airbus A380 fleet will soon be receiving cabin upgrades, meaning all flights to the United States “will have never been better”.
Qantas has a fleet of eight Boeing 787 Dreamliners with six more arriving in October 2019. The 787s have proven to be an extremely valuable aircraft for Qantas, allowing the airline to operate one of the world’s longest non-stop flights being Perth to London as well as long, thin routes across their network.
Sam Chui has flown London – Perth on Qantas’ 787. Watch the video here:
Frequent travelers in the Qantas 787 have stated the cabin product is excellent, with business class reportedly nicknamed “mini first class”.
The backbone of Qantas’ international fleet for the last 40+ years has been the Boeing 747, however with more fuel efficient and advanced aircraft coming to market, the four-engine aircraft are no longer competitive.
What are your thoughts on this change?