Calm down about the Qantas Boeing 787 Dreamliner!

Feel free to fly with China Southern then

Woah ...hate Qantas much? I'm quite sure most people know how to look up airfare prices. They are free to fly whoever they like. If qantas is offering an Australian alternative then people have that choice also. What a reaction...

I think it's more of a "why is qantas hyping up a plane that's been in service for nearly a decade?"

Very few airlines in the world have strong loyalty. Qantas has great loyalty and they deserve every bit of it. If they can operate a service and make it a success, how does it matter what they charge for it. They are not for everyone. I love qantas, but i would'nt fly the PER-LHR for many reasons, one being the cost. However, i admire the people who do. I personally do not understand how you could compare Chinese carrier (service) to Qantas. They are miles apart. 

Thanks for concern as to Qantas' safety. However I think they probably already have this base covered

It makes perfect sense for qantas to charge as much as it possibly can. If people want to pay a premium, let them! 

How is routing LAX-MEL-PER-LHR a safety concern? All airlines try to maximise the time their aircraft spend in the air. In fact long haul flying results in fewer cycles on the airframe and is less taxing than short haul flying (on the aircraft). In long haul flying the aircraft experiences fewer pressurisation cycles, less time with the engines at full power, less takeoffs and landings and more flying in cruise condition. All of which reduce stress on the aircraft.

Originally Posted by btaus :

I'm not sure what your point is? There are substantial breaks in the route at MEL and LAX for line maintenance. I don't see how operating LAX-MEL-PER-LHR is any different (safety wise) to the way QF currently uses their A380's. For example MEL-DXB-LHR-DXB-SYD, which is similar flying time.

Maintenance wise, you can bet that QF will use the existing line maintenance facility at MEL and LAX. There has been no announcement about heavy maintenance that I can find. Also their A380 fleet heavy maintenance is done by Lufthansa Technik and the A330's are done in Brisbane. The only wide body maintained in HKG is the 747. I'm not saying the hype around the 787 is justified, but seriously there aren't any safety concerns.

No it's not new and yes many other airlines have already been flying the 787-9 long before QF - however you have to bear in mind this is an AU based website where you're going to get a lot more focus on QF and their products. I do agree with you on many points - but can see why it could be construed as "overhyped" based on this website's patronage.

@moa999

Have you ever flown CZ Business Class internationally? I personally have .. and you might be very, very surprised.

Needless to say that at approximately 65% less than the quoted QF fare, the CZ option represents a highly considerable saving - compared to QF - for what is a very good product. It also explains the reason that Chinese carriers are aggressively targeting QF's overpriced Business market.

If QF can offer Red -eDeals in Y on SYD/MEL-DXB-LHR at $1411 (current low season), it is somewhat stretching the point to offer J on the same route at $8.8K+ when leading carriers (EK, SQ, CX, QR) are all $1,100 - $2,600 cheaper in J. The QF B787-9 might be 'revolutionary' in their parlance (believe me, it's not) but to surcharge it at this level due to being a new route is somewhat beyond belief. The market will make it's overall decision based primarily on 'comfort' (B787-9 vs A380/B777) and tolerable route hours. Add 'price'. The odds might not be in QF's long-term favour IMHO.

17.5 hours flight time is right up there but only a bit longer than my regular DFW to SYD run. As for QF safety and so on... Let's leave it there.