Transcon A330 Vs B767.

Transcon A330 Vs B767.

Hey all, i'm relocating to OZ for three months with work and will be doing a lot SYD/MEL/BNE-PER commuting. QF domestic is all pretty new to me and i've been having a peruse around the net looking at cabin pix etc. I have to admit, the A330 domestic config looks pretty disappointing. I thought it was QF's flagship domestic product? To me, the refurbished 767's with Q-streaming looks a lot more appealing. Do the refurbished 767's compare favourably to the domestic A330's for the five hour hop?

Thanks!

I prefer the A330 any day.  The seats are wider, their seat back entertainment, not just an iPad, middle seat access is similar, the b767 are noisier.  You will get the A330 on MEL and SYD services to Perth during the week and B767 from BNE during the week.

Thanks for the insight driley28.

I guess pix can be deceiving.  The image of the 767 cabin actually makes it look a lot roomier than the one of the A330 image.  But maybe it looks roomier because the seats are smaller as you point out.

Thanks again!

Have you considered the VA transcon product? In my opinion, The A330s from BNE, SYD and MEL to PER are far superior to what QF currently offers, both in terms of hard product and catering/service.

I would second APACAU, I would be looking at the VA 330 product over the Qantas product. Both the QF 767 and 330 product are pretty dissapointing compared to the VA offering both in terms of quality, price and service.

Agree with both of the above - Qantas 767 is the least preferred option - they're old aircraft and despite a refurbishment are still a bit tired and slightly noisier.  The best option in my book are the brand new Virgin A330s for comfort, services etc, only problem is that only 4 of Virgin's 6 (or something like that) A330's are new and there are two older ex Emirates ones with much lower cabin amenity - it's pretty hard to work out if the one you're booking on is an old or new one.  To avoid the lucky dip and potential of getting one of the old A330's I'd go Qantas A330 - which are consistently modern.

Cooper81, when I fly transcontinental in Australia (usually between Sydney and Perth), I always try to see whether I can get onto a Virgin Australia A330 plane. Qantas went under fire last year when it proposed these new seats, read the comments section. I find both the new planes and ex-Emirates planes than Qantas' new seats. Happy travelling and I hope you enjoy Australia!

I agree with most here - the A330 is a better, quieter product (across both QF & VA). 

However, depending on the class you fly in, VA's 330 can be a bit of 'russian roulette' re: comfort.  In back, the ex-EK A330's have one of the most uncomfortable economy seats I've ever sat in.  Not only do they have huge IFE boxes randomly spread throughout the cabin under the seats (which is a problem for this 188cm traveller), but as they haven't published (to the best of my knowledge) a seatmap for these old birds, it is very difficult to tell if your seat will have a box under it in advance of boarding. 

Further, the seats are old & tired (although clad in VA colour-themed 'new' leather), and many have naturally 'reclined' a bit due to fatigue, making for a very uncomfortable 4-5h journey.  Sensitive bones, beware.

That being said, the J-class product in both versions of VA's A330's is pretty good (with the new ones obviously having hands-down best over the ex-EK planes) and ostensibly, much more consistent than the muti-flavoured offerings of QF.

@Chay99: the easiest way to figure out what plane you'll get re: the VA A330's is to call 131 875 and pretend to make a business class booking.  At the start of the process ask them what configuration the plane is in JC: 2-2-2 is the new A330's; 2-3-2 is the old version (this can always change prior to your flight though due to operational req's).

All considered, my preference for transcon to Perth is QF: of the many reasons for my preference, one of the most significant is knowing what to expect before getting on thanks to fully disclosed & well-described seatmaps.

You don't mention whether you'll be travelling in Business or Economy.

Either way, I would agree that the A330s are far better than the 767s. It might look more cramped in photos, but the seats and aisles and wider, and the overhead bins are an absolute blessing compared to the tiny little lockers that the 767s have. The A330s also have higher ceilings and bathrooms that look vaguely pleasant?

Sorry guys, I should have mentioned in my original post - I will be travelling in J.

RE:  VA.  I would LOVE to try a transcon on their new A330's.  Unfortunately though, i'm tied to QF (unless I want to pay for the work ticket myself - mmmmmm No to that one :-))

But thanks again for all the info and tips!

If tis for work contact  your agent  or booking company and see if you can switch. Worth the phone call. VA sales team are very accomadating and if there is a lot of travel they will look after you in the way of lounge access and a great rate depending on the business spend per year. As I said its only a phone call away

Another +1 for A330 on QF.