How is Qantas going to retire the last 3 non reconfigured 747s?

How is Qantas going to retire the last 3 non reconfigured 747s?

Jetstar still has a number of A330s left (I think net two more coming to Qantas)

And then we have the 789 options that I believe have delivery slots from early 2017 - hopefully we might here more about this at Qantas's results announcement.

Plus with fuel prices down, suspect there is less pressure to retire them

Could they announce the 787-9 on February 26 Financial Results Day 

I'd be hoping they do a deal with Airbus to get 2 newer 380's to do DFW (with a larger load) and perhaps cancel the remaining orders? Plus take the options for the 787-9 and give them the Qantas rather than that other airline. 

(note: I don't expect them to get the A380's, but i'm quietly confident on the 787's)

How many 787-9s will they order, the same as their original form order?

Around 35 to cover to replace the 10 A330-300s the 4 old A330-200s and around 10-12 747s plus for incremental expansion. 

I suspect (hope more like it) that Qantas will use the 787 to target new routes / return to old routes (SFO comes to mind and BNE-DFW). Then slowly use them to replace / redploy 747's.... but for all I know, AJ will order them, give them to JQ and give QF some old JQ A320's :-p

So I would suspect replacing the A330's would be further down the road post 747's.

I think QF has options for 50 787's.... I don't expect that they will receive anywhere near that at this point. In an Ausbt article it was stated "The options previously stood at five for the Boeing 787-9s in the 2016-2017 financial year, with six to follow in FY18, seven in FY19 and two in FY20". I think we will see QF exercise options along those lines.

Well the plane generally flies to LAX and then positions to Victorville to live out its life tanning under the desert sun :-p

However, if I take your question as Moa has. Once QF has the extra A330's, I'd expect at least one of the curent 747 asian routes to swap equipment. I calculate that they then have enough planes to cover their HND, LAX, SCL, JNB routes (if they re-time HND to reduce the equipment needed to operate that route, even better).

Whilst fuel prices are an issue, I think the 3 non-refurb 747's will retire prior to any major maintenance overhauls (not sure when they are due).

How many 747s do they need under the current network? Has the new Anerica schedule allowed them to retire another 747?

I believe 9 (assuming they are all flying). This leaves no spare plane and does not allow any of the 747's to cover for an A380 being out of service or do charter work.

It also does not factor in increases to SCL (to 4 x weekly) and these seasonal services. Some of YVR seasonal services could operate during the same period as the A380 replaces the 747 on SYD-HKG?

Thats why I suspect the SYD-HKG service will be handed over to an A330 at some point (preferably with 12-14wkly services)

I would have expected retiming of HND would have been announced with shift from NRT, if that was the plan.  Makes me think it more likely that one 747 will stay on HKG and NRT/HND will be A330s, but not until they can run it with upgraded aircraft.

I agree with you regarding the NRT/HND decision. That would have made sense.

They are still to announce the 3 weekly AU-NRT flight for the days the BNE isn't flying.

There should be 10 or 11 refit A330s by the time the new Tokyo flights start.

The current plan for the HND flight leaves a 747 parked there all day. With the space available at that airport and how busy it is, I'm not sure there is even space to do so (HND doesn't allow A380 ops during day time). They are still waiting final approval from Japan for those flights. I'm guessing they'll be told to retime the flight to give no more then 3 hours ground time.