QF A330s or B747s on MEL-SYD?

[Oliver Gigacz]

I was wondering are there any flights for MEL-SYD or SYD-MEL with A330s or 747s anymore and what days?

[NickN]

The only SYD-MEL flights for the 744's are ferry flights to re-position aircraft.

[Michael Wright]

For MEL-SYD you could get on the A330. Take QF 420 on a Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday or Friday. According to the Qantas timetable, the Friday flight is operated by an A330-200, with the rest operated by A330-300.

[Gareth U]

For MEL-SYD you could get on the A330. Take QF 420 on a Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday or Friday.

It operates down to MEL earlier as QF409. (Once arriving back in SYD it operates to PER and return. QF577 / QF566.)

[Oliver Gigacz]

How many A332s are domestic fitted as this will be the one I will go on? And how long have the 300s being doing domestic and are they domestic fitted?

[Jason Carruthers]

There are 2 Domestic 332's (EBJ and EBK) I'd say there is a good chance you'd get the one of the Domestic 332's but an International 332 might turn up if your lucky. The 333's actually started off on domestic routes in late 2003 the first three (QPA/QPB/QPC) had a Domestic config similar to the 332 although 7 abreast in J. However from mid August 2005 the 333's got deployed on International sectors and the three 333's got the current International config as well as the subsequent seven 333's delivered. Since then the 333 has always done the odd domestic sector although I've noticed it's become a lot more common in the last 12 months. As far as I know at least one daily SYD-PER-SYD rotation is scheduled as a A330-300. But all A330-300's are in International config with AVOD and Skybeds in J



Jason

[Ricky T]

There are 2 Domestic 332's (EBJ and EBK) I'd say there is a good chance you'd get the one of the Domestic 332's but an International 332 might turn up if your lucky.

For QF409/420, you are more likely to get an international configured A332 as both EBJ and EBK are usually on the MEL-PER-MEL-PER-MEL or SYD-PER-SYD-PER-SYD rotation except Tuesday when the SYD a/c flies to MEL and pick up the rotation on Wednesday.

Furthermore, as Gareth pointed out, once QF420 gets back to SYD, it will opearate SYD-PER-SYD (QF577/566) which is different from the domestic A332 rotation.

[Jason Carruthers]

from mid August 2005 the 333's got deployed on International sectors


that should say August 2004

[Oliver Gigacz]

Ok booked for Tuesday June 2nd for QF going there on QF420 and return QF467. Does anyone know if I will get a domestic or international config A332?

[Oliver Gigacz]

Do they still use A333s?

[Arthur T]

I am planning to Melbourne from Sydney late November planning a dinner flight out and possibly a dinner flight back.

Although it may a bit out of topic as I don't think there's A332/A333 operating at those times. But I know there are various B763s are in International Config like those who had flown to MNL in past years and they may have PTVs on their seats? (Economy Class)

So can anyone tell me when will those B763s with PTV operates during dinner time? That'd be great if I go to Melbourne without paying anything extra for luggages, on board with free newspapers, free Personal TV in front of me and then be served with a great hot dinner and a bottle of wine! :D

Furthermore, there are some dinner flights operated by B737-800 as well, is there any schedules/chances that we will be able to fly the new B738s on SYD <> MEL service during the day with new international config aircraft? (AVODs attached)? And how likely will those B738 flights be cancelled? Last time I went to Melbourne and I was so angry that Qantas cancelled my B738 flight (QF490) due to low partonage :mad:

But back to the topic, I actually saw a Qantas A330 operating the 7.30pm service to Sydney one time... So that would a ferry flight? And any possibility to catch a ferry flight like the B747/A330 does for the new Airbus A380?

[Nick Te Mata]

Arthur, no 767s have PTVs in economy; they are equipped with loop PTVs featuring about 8 channels in Business. The only chance you'll have for a PTV on SYD-MEL is with an A330; international A332s and A333s occasionally operate one rotation daily SYD-MEL-SYD. As you say, though, this rotation is not during the times you need.
Travelling Y, there is really no difference between travelling on a domestic or international 767. The seats are the same, possibly .5" more pitch on international equipment, and on all CityFlyer services the soft product will be the same, regardless of equipment. This includes the newspaper, free alcohol and hot meal you mention.
The international configured 738s with Y PTVs are operated by JetConnect, which is essentially a completely different company, although fully owned by Qantas. Because of this, all JetConnect aircraft are NZ-based and their rotations are always trans-tasman; once they arrive from NZ, they return without touching the domestic network.
(edited to include the following)
Ferry flights are always conducted without passengers, so no chance you can get a seat on one. If Qantas choose to operate heavy equipment between SYD-MEL for repositioning and sell those seats, they are sold as any other service would be and can be booked through qantas.com. In the past, flights such as QF2, QF22 and QF4 have often had a tag-leg onward to MEL though currently Qantas are only operating ferry flights in the QF61** series -- not for passenger sale.

[Jason H]

Just a side note;
last week Qantas were selling seats on a one-off 763 ferry service BNE-SYD, which, fortunately for anyone on board, left the gate with just 9 passengers on board. :D

[Arthur T]

Please refrain from quoting the entire previous post - mod


It will be fortunate for the passengers, not for the airline. Qantas may even have to lose $ because of the staff/food costs incurred in such an empty flight with just 9 passengers on board.

[Rhys Xanthis]

Please refrain from quoting the entire previous post - mod

That's right!

Would have been cheaper to run it empty!

[Jason H]

Yes it would not of been good for the airline. Apparently they were having computer issues at BNE with booking people on that flight and so could only get 9.

[Arthur T]

Re Jason: True. But can't Qantas simply cancel other flights and protects its customer onto the ferry flight?

[Jason H]

I think the problem was that Qantas put the flight up for sale on the day, and it was not available for sale prior to the departure day, and the 9 people that booked were people who booked a flight to SYD last minute. So i guess it was too late to change other passengers around as the flight had to depart, and as I said, they were having problems with the booking system

[Oliver Gigacz]

What is the current schedule of A332, A333s and B747s on Domestic routes at the moment?

[Wenglock M]

As far as I can tell, the more regular rotations for the domestic (D) and international (i) A330-200s are as follows -


332D#1 - (Mon-Wed) QF575/580/467 ... (picks up the MEL rotation the next day)
332D#1 - (Thu-Sun) QF485/802/481/648
332D#2 - (Mon & Wed) QF485/802/481/568 (and then picks up the SYD rotation)
332D#2 (Tue) QF485/802/460 (and picks up the SYD rotation on Wed)
332D#2 (Thu-Sun) QF575/580/583/568
332D#3 (seems to be daily) QF412/581/582/497
332i#1 (Mon-Fri) QF409/420 (picks up 577/566 after)
332i#1 (daily) QF577/566 (from 420 on Mon-Fri)
332i#2 (Tue) QF447/481/568 (this is a slightly funky one... it goes off from SYD to MEL to pick up the evening PER service, and then comes back to SYD on the red-eye from PER)
333i (Fri) QF447/460


However, I have seen 332s sliding to a different rotation in PER, especially between QF481>QF568, and QF583>QF648, so it isn't quite so fixed that way (not so much on the daytime flights, because of the schedules).

The international 332s also appear on random other SYDMEL flights, especially so on QF435/444, and QF447/460 usually.

Wenglock.

[Adam.S]

What is the current schedule of B747s on Domestic routes at the moment?

Non existent unfortunately.

[Oliver Gigacz]

It seems like the A330-300s will stop in April on the SYD-MEL. Can't find them anywhere.

[Oliver Gigacz]

I am booked on QF420 next Wednesday. Will this be a Internantional A332 or a Domestic.

[Wenglock M]

QF420 is likely to be an international config A332.

[Dan Hammond]

QF420 on a regular basis seems to be either EBG or EBH

[Adam.S]

EBI and EBL are also 'regulars' on this flight.....when they are in the country.