If Qantas exercised Boeing 787 options at the end of the year...

If Qantas exercised the 787 options at the end of the year will they be delivering at the start of FY17 or at the start of 2017? And will they be used to replace 747s straight away mostly for new routes?

I don't think anyone (apart from Qantas and Boeing employees) will know the answer to this.

The AusBT article published at the time (28 Aug 2014) did seem to suggest it was Qantas financial years - and that Qantas had dropped the FY17 (ie Jul2016-Jun2017) deliveries, which would mean second half 2017 for the FY18 deliveries.

If they announce an exercise of options I'm sure they will also announce when they expect delivery.

Nothing stopping QF exercising its 787 options before the end of 2015.I'm sure the folks at Boeing would be very happy to accomodate the firming up of the order. 

Capacity wise you'd assume it is to replace the A330-300, range wise, it's a replacement for the 747s. Gievn the refurbishment of the A330s, it's safe to assume they'll pick up the slack left by the retired 747-400s and eventually the ERs. In time, the international fleet will be made up of A333s, 787s and A380s. 

The 787 could work in a supplementary role on marquee routes (SYD-LAX, MEL-DXB etc) and as a stand alone on routes like Sydney to Tokyo. On the shorter routes like Singapore and HK, the A333s would probably supplement the A380. They'll probably be the hero aircraft operating from the second tier cities like Brisbane and Perth, giving largely the same inflight experience as the A380. 

My personal belief on the future of fleet utilisation for an Australian carrier is agility. Not restricting a certain type of aircraft to a certain route. Market the inflight service rather than the aircraft so passengers lose the perception that that good service is only on the A380. Then adjust the schedulling and aircraft type seasonally. 

>Market the inflight service rather than the aircraft so passengers lose the perception that that good service is only on the A380. Then adjust the schedulling and aircraft type seasonally. 

When Y-class pax know that stepping down from an A380 to a 787 means a seat two inches narrower, no amount of marketing of service ("Hey, we don't actively snarl at you while giving you your meal tray!") will satisfy.

Of course they *could* go for an eight-abreast 787 config, but they won't.

Good point, I guess extending on from marketing, you don't want any actual sacrifices from one aircraft to another. 

There is only one true replacement for 747 and this is 748.