Qantas begins Boeing 787 flights to Hong Kong

QF can overbook Business on SYD-HKG but if travellers are willing to pay extra for F they can make more revenue by selling F seats.

I think we will see the dreamliner taking over Qf25/26 from late next year/early 2020, when the next 6 dreamliners begin to arrive

The QF Japan flights are often booked out with groups. Replacing the HND 747 with a 787 is a large reduction in seats.
If the HND route is the next to lose a 747, I'd expect to see the return of regular QF21/22 SYD-NRT flights to supplement the QF25/56 to HND.

The 747 is retiring, so maybe instead it could be bumped to the A380.

A380s at HND are problematic. Their use there is hightly restrcited.

Himeno, is that because that airport is extremely busy and the A380 with its wake and separartion requirements means delays or loss of slots, or are many of the taxiways or hardstands/aerobridges unsuitable?

All of the above.
HND limits A380s in which runway/taxiways can be used and they can only be present at the airport during the night hours. While the slots QF has for HND are night slots, they keep the aircraft parked there all day. They wouldn't be able to park an A380 at HND during the day.
I don't think any of the HND gates have 3 airbridges, so A380 boarding would have to be via 2 (which would slow down boarding and increase turn around times).

As far as I know, only 2 A380s have been to HND. An Airbus test flight and when EK first started their DXB-HND flight.

HND was the busiest airport in Asia, even when it was just domestic/short haul international, before PEK over took it a few years ago.

Himeno, I know someone who travels regularly to Japan and he says that school groups continue to be big business. He was referring to Japanese schoolkids but some Australian private and Catholic schools have exchange programs with Japanese schools I believe.

For the J flyer, the 787 is pretty much a match for the A330 but an improvement over 747 or A380; for the W class, the 747 or A380 are probably still the better product even though it is nearly a decade older and for the Y flyer, the 787 is a step backwards from the A380, A330 and 747.

Despite the issues with the 787 W class seat, I think the overall seat is superior to the A380 or particularly the B747 in terms of the IFE Cabin Comfort and Pressurisation Altitude

Why is Economy seen as inferior on the 787 v the airbus options?

It depends how big you are. 17" seat width caters for about the median Aussie, no more. But if you fit, then the 32" pitch is nice.

Adding to russh7's observation about seat width, the other disadvantage of the 787 versus A330 is the 3-3-3 economy seating layout versus 2-4-2 on A330. Less need to be stumbled over by, or have to stumble over, other passengers for aisle access on the A330.

I do think it's highly likely that whatever replaces the A330 for international routes will get PE.

There has always been a market, it's just whether the aircraft is big enough to fit it all.

Well you could reconfigure a 333 with 30j/21w and 220ish y. However I suspect that they need more J to HKG, just not sure what the sweet spot would be. Ive often thought the next 6 789s might be configured less premium heavy to provide more Y capacity (30j/21w/220y) which might suit routes like syd-yvr,scl and jnb allowing extra frequencies and new routes like syd-cpt. Heck that config could be better suited to bnelaxjfk as well if it continues at 10pw. Keep the premium heavy, low J for ULH and newer routes like melsfo. Will be interesting to see how this develops

In practice, having different configurations creates difficulties when an aircraft fails, as the replacement may have fewer seats overall or fewer in a particular class. Result can be unhappy passengers off loaded at busier times.

I have flown 5 flights MEL <> SIN since the A380 has taken over. All in PE and each time the PE Cabin has been full.

Actually I've just realized that most of those could possibly be because of the LHR connection.

Cyphar, one thing I don't like about PE (W class) on almost all airlines with it is the fixed armrests between each seat.

I’m surprised that QF haven’t, expanded PE into the 330 to asia earlier. CX have it across most of their 330s

They should have put PE on the A330s during the refurb. Just 2 rows, 12-14 seats, would have been enough.
They could have sold them with the extra leg room and/or blocked for status for domestic flights.

I take CX in PE between Australia and Asia roughly every 2-3 weeks. Loads are generally very strong. IMO if the product is good then it is worth paying for on a 7-9 hour sector..

Agreed. They are very old.

How are they very old?
The 744ERs are younger then the 717s.
737s VH-VXA through VH-VXO are older then the 744ERs.

The 74's that QF put on QF25/26, as much as the Bride and I just adore them, they pale in comparison to a newer fleet... Just Saying...

One of the Boeing 744s, OJS, has its final flight in under two weeks and a further one is going to the scrapyard or similar on 4 April 2019.

Maybe. The competition on SYD-HND is ANA, which also has 3-3-3 787 on the route. The NH and QF HND flight times are similar while the JL flight from NRT only matches the QF/NH SYD times southbound.

What 787 party is that?

Scoot, Jetstar, JAL, Air India, Royal Bunei.

My point exactly. What a party? SQ is at it too now.

With BNE to Seattle, the market is so small - allegedly at present only 10 - 20 seats per typical day sold each way - that one suspects the airline's brains trust decided it ws uneconomic, even with the induced traffic that a nonstop would attract.

Waiting for US DOT approval for a JV with AA.
No joint venutre approval, no new flights.

Infrequently they can still be based in Brisbane it is just they may drop in elsewhere.

Very true comment and my sympathy but other blogs suggest that Qantas has had a Boeing 787-900 out of service for quite a few days after a truck collided with it. Apparently it's complex to repair these new aircraft whereas older ones (like the B744!) were easier. Not sure why the new materials are harder to fix.