QF upgrading SYD-DFW to A380

[eolesen]

Interesting move. Frequencies go to 6x per week, but they're eliminating the technical stop in BNE as a result.

http://australianaviation.com.au/2014/05/qantas-to-fly-a380-to-dfw/

Qantas will operate the Airbus A380 on its services between Sydney and Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) from September 29 this year, as part of network changes that include reducing Sydney-Hong Kong A380 services and the retiming of Melbourne-Dubai-London flights.

The 484-seat, four-class A380 will replace Boeing 747-400ERs which have been operating the DFW services since May 2011, and unlike the 747 is able to operate the return journey from DFW direct to Sydney, negating the need for the current fuel tech-stop in Brisbane. The current daily frequency will be reduced to six times weekly (Tuesday flights will be dropped) but Qantas says the A380 will bring a net 10 per cent increase in capacity on the route, as well as introducing First Class to DFW services.

 

[700UW]

http://youtu.be/Efg1nl9XDV0

 

[jimntx]

How long will the DFW-SYD flight be? I know that LAX-SYD was over 14 hours. This would have to be 16+ hours.

 

[FWAAA]

At almost 8,600 miles, flying westbound into the wind, I'm going to guess an average of 17 hours west.   Ouch, unless you're up front in the bigger seats.   Even then, that's a very long flight  (and I like long flights).   
 
It's got first class, at least until QF abandons first class like every other airline seems to be doing.   

 

[eolesen]

It's 600 miles longer than LAX-MEL, which was the longest flight in QF's network.

Given their association with EK and BA, I don't see QF abandoning First. On those 12+ hour flights, there really is a demand for privacy, and a larger proportion of QF's network involves ultra-long flying, as does BA's.

 

[jimntx]

Well, I consider myself a good traveler, but I know that when we arrived at SYD from LAX, I was READY to get off the airplane. And, we were on Air New Zealand which has(had?) one of the most comfortable coach cabin environments I have ever experienced in 57 years of flying.

 

[slipnutwrench]

Two Qantas aircraft depart LAX for Sydney at the same. One aircraft, the A-380. The other is a 747-400. The Boeing arrives 1 hour earlier than the A-380. Both aircraft using NORMAL cruise speeds. Was told this by a Qantas check airman when service first began to LAX.

 

[eolesen]

Yes, that's true. When I was doing some work in SYD, I got to fly out on the first SYD-LAX A380 flight, and it longer was a legal connection to my normal flight home from LAX.

 

[AdAstraPerAspera]

To be fair, it's as much that the 747 is a fast airplane as it is the A380 is slow

 

[traderjake]

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