PHOTOS & VIDEO: inside Qantas' newly refurbished Boeing 747-400ER

Qantas has just completed updating its Boeing 747-400ER planes with brand new Airbus A380-style seats and cabins.

It's a big change from the Red Roo jumbos you're used to -- no matter whether you travel in business, premium economy or economy -- so here's a first look at what's inside.

Since timelapse videos of planes being refurbished are all the rage these days (just search for "timelapse airplane" on YouTube and you'll see what we mean) Qantas has produced its own movie of the old seats being removed and new ones being installed. 

In case your workplace frowns on videos (or blocks YouTube entirely), we've pulled some shots out of Qantas' video so you can have a look. (If your office is more relaxed about such things, you can see the full video at the bottom of the article.) 

Those new seats in detail

At the pointy end, the new second-generation Skybeds have been installed. They're a vast improvement on the old angled lie-flat version: the new seats are further spaced out, fully flat, more comfortable, and with better entertainment.

Why are second-generation Skybeds a good thing for business travellers? We explain it all in our article on the lie-flat lie.

Downstairs, in the nose of the 747, the older versions (and first class in the nose) have been pulled out...

...to be replaced with 14 business class seats in the nose -- including these two centre aisle seats (3E and 3F), which are among our picks for the best seats in business class on the revamped 747:

Upstairs on the 747's hump you'll find them in a 2-2 configuration.

Here's what that looked like halfway through the process of pulling the old seats out and installing new ones:

At the back of the plane, the older economy seats have been removed:

It's impressive just how much bigger those screens are -- which is a big plus for the 15+ hour flight to Dallas/Fort Worth if you're stuck at the back of the bus:

Note that there's also an extra set of those much prized seat pairs at the very back of the plane, which give you extra room when you have a window seat or fewer people climbing over you when sitting in an aisle seat.

If you'll be soon be travelling on of these rejigged jumbos, check out out guide to the best seats to pick in business class on board; and for more on the revamp, here's a rundown of what you'll find on board the refurbished planes.

And if you want to watch the whole Qantas timelapse video, here it is...

John Walton

Aviation journalist and travel columnist John took his first long-haul flight when he was eight weeks old and hasn't looked back since. Well, except when facing rearwards in business class.