Qantas and the A300?

[Jack B]

After the TAA merger, where did QF utilise their small fleet of A300's? Were they used entirely on domestic flights, and were the interiors upgraded/changed by Qantas?

[steve k]

After the TAA merger, where did QF utilise their small fleet of A300's? Were they used entirely on domestic flights, and were the interiors upgraded/changed by Qantas?
Just domestic i believe Jack, saw the odd one occasionally, here in ADL, mostly east coast service I recall!

[Nadia B-J]

I recall flying on a QF livery A300, Dec 1996 / Jan 1997 from Sydney to Melbourne return. It was great fun :)

[Robert S]

I did a SYD-BNE flight on a QF A300, also great fun. :)

[Ryan K]

I remember flying in the A300 between SYD and OOL. There may have been a time where I also flew between OOL and MEL. I'm fairly sure the interiors were upgraded from the Australian Airlines interior.

[Craig Sandford]

I remember a points flight SYD/MEL in one not long after QF took over TN. Booked the flight in J as back in those days, a J points flight was only 25% more points than one in Y. :D No surcharges to points flights back then either.

Really enjoyed turning left when boarding the plane. I don't get to do that often enough. :rolleyes:

[Grahame Hutchison]

I searched the archive today and came up with the following images of the A300B4s in the early years at Trans Australia and Australian Airlines. Trans Australia became Australian in 1986 and Qantas took over Australian in September 1992 in preparation for the shutdown of Australian on 30th April 1996. VH-TAA entered the Australian register on 29th June 1981 and was delivered to Melbourne on 13th July 1981. After 17 years of service, VH-TAA completed its final revenue service on 13th August 1998. Unfortunately I have not been able to find any A300B4s in Qantas livery. Apologies for the first three images, they are scans directly from very old negatives.

After delivery to Melbourne on 13th July 1981, this was the first touchdown of VH-TAA at Mascot in July 1981
http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/VH-TAA A300B4 Mascot 198107 01.jpg

VH-TAA taxiing to the terminal after completing the first revenue flight from Melbourne to Sydney in early July 1981
http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/VH-TAA A300B4 Mascot 198107 02.jpg

VH-TAA taxiing to the terminal after completing the first revenue flight from Melbourne to Sydney in July 1981
http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/VH-TAA A300B4 Mascot 198107 03.jpg

VH-TAA taxiing to the terminal after completing the first revenue flight from Melbourne to Sydney in July 1981
http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/VH-TAA A300B4 Mascot 19810700 01.jpg

VH-TAA climbing out from Runway 16R in August 1982
http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/VH-TAA A300B4 Mascot 19820800 01.jpg

VH-TAB lined up for a departure on Runway 25 on 9th September 1983
http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/VH-TAB A300B4 Mascot 19830909 01.jpg

VH-TAC in Australian livery taxiing to the terminal on 30th July 1988
http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/VH-TAC A300B4 Mascot 19880730 01.jpg

VH-TAD braking with reverse thrust on Runway 16R in August 1982. Note the high security fence we would often sit on to photograph.
http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/VH-TAD A300B4 Mascot 19820800 01.jpg

VH-TAD flaring during a Runway 25 arrival on 18th November 1982
http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/VH-TAD A300B4 Mascot 19821118 01.jpg

VH-TAD taxiing to the terminal on 7th October 1985
http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/VH-TAD A300B4 Mascot 19851007 01.jpg

[steve k]

Brilliant to see these again, thank you, very nostalgic indeed !!:)

[Matt D]

A little off topic but still A300 - a couple of the old Compass A300's are still plying the skies of the Europe daily for Monarch.

I came across one of them when passing through Gatwick recently, G-MONR (ex VH-YMJ). G-MONS (ex VH-YMK) is the other and they've both massive number of cycles over the years. This time of year they're on the Gatwick/Manchester to Egypt route.

A rushed snap through glass below

[Robert S]

Looks awesome in Australian colours. Damn I miss that livery. :(

[Zac M]

I have vague memories of doing Sydney to OOL when I was about 4 years old in one of there:
http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?regsearch=vh-TAA

In the above link there are may pictures of VH-TAA in Qantas livery.

[Jack B]

Did QF or TN operate them in F/J/Y or J/Y config?

[Gareth U]

TAA was the first to introduce domestic C class in Australia and I believe the A300s were delivered as three class. Business was, put simply, economy seats with first class legroom and service. There was a fixed bulkhead between C an Y. First class was forward of doors 2. See YouTube link below for an early advertisement.

TAA Ad from early 80s (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ysg4CZX8R9Y)

TAA Business Ad showing A300 cabin (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iId-4CZ0Yk8)

When Ansett finally introduced business class (it resisted for longer than you would think!) they made business class 2 abreast, with wider seats than economy class. I think this was with the introduction of the A320 Skystar in 1989 and they called it 'Executive' (first was 'Premier'). On the narrowbodies, this involved the familiar converter seats. I do not know if they were not available on widebodies at the time, though Lufthansa later had them on their Euro A300-600s. Ansett and Australian then had fixed J (the identifier for 'premium' business) seating on their widebodies and converter seats on narrowbodies. First had fixed seating on narrowbodies by then. On the A300 there was two rows of first class and three of business class in the same cabin with no bulkhead. Ansett had this also on their 762s. There was a small divider mounted on the top of the last row of first class (sometimes only one row), on Ansett at least. In the combined F/J cabin, Ansett had a different model of seats for first class as opposed to business, not sure about Australian.

TAA's A300 delivery configuration was 30/56/143. Ansett's 762s were 48/153 (no business class).

Around 1990-91, first class was sold at business fares and business at full economy fares (renaming business as 'Club'). Not sure of the date, but Qantas was the first to scrap domestic first class and offer an upgraded business product. Ansett followed in 1997.

Australian Ad for new cabin/fare structure (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEPZB0wwCDc)

[Mike W]

Great finds Gareth. I only moved to Australia in '96 so I'm totally ignorant of TAA and it's place in Aviation History. I enjoyed the ads... and the haircuts, ha ha.

[Grahame Hutchison]

1985 TAA Cargo ad for the A300 featuring VH-TAB http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BN3tVpX0Mco

I forgot about this one.

[Jack B]

Those TAA J Class seats reminded me of the new J class on QF's latest Domestic A330's :rolleyes:

[Gareth U]

The following diagram shows the original configuration and the final configuration of the aircrafts in question.

1305

This image is taken from Airliners in Australian Service, Volume 1, by Eric Allen. Great reference book!

[Jack B]

Thanks for that scan Gareth! You're always the best source with all things cabin and cabin crew.