Qantas launches Boeing 787 flights for Melbourne-Los Angeles
Qantas' first Boeing 787-9 will make its international debut flying between Melbourne and Los Angeles from 15 December 2017, ahead of the start of non-stop Perth-London flights in March 2018.
The Dreamliner flights will operate six days a week as QF95/QF96, taking over from a Boeing 747 and running alongside Qantas' daily Airbus A380 service.
QF95 will depart now Melbourne at 2.25pm every day except Wednesday, to reach Los Angeles at 9.45am.
After spending the day lazing at LAX the red-tailed Dreamliner will be wheels up at 11.35pm every evening bar Tuesday, for a 10.10am arrival into Melbourne.
Tickets for the Boeing 787 flight go on sale December 25, 2016 with travellers will be able to book into 42 business class, 28 premium economy and 166 economy class seats on the advanced jet, which provides a smoother ride and vastly reduces the effects of jetlag due to lower effective cabin altitude and higher humidity levels.
The business class seats (above) are based on Qantas' Airbus A330 Business Suite, but with a sliding panel between the paired middle seats which passengers can pull up for privacy or push down for sociability.
Qantas expects to take delivery of its first Boeing 787-9 in mid-October 2017, with a second slated for early December.
Domestic Boeing 787 flights in November
But you won't need to fly all the way to LA to experience the Dreamliner, with the factory-fresh jet also being scheduled on a series of domestic runs from November, prior to beginning its international duty.
The east coast 'triangle' routes between Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are likely to see the Boeing 787, along with the longer transcontinental trek between these cities and Perth.
30 Jul 2015
Total posts 135
on the website qantas says the flight will run 6 times a week, i guess qantas will have 2 787's by the time they start doing it as its impossible to fly 6 times a week with just one airplane on a route like that.
24 Oct 2010
Total posts 2560
As the article notes, Qantas expects to have two 787s in the hangar by the start of December.
12 Dec 2012
Total posts 1029
This isn't so much as a "replacement" of the 747 MEL-LAX flights as a resumption.
The current twice weekly QF95/96 is being dropped soon to use the aircraft for MEL-HKG.
20 May 2014
Total posts 79
I'd be interested to see whether they're going to reveal their "revolutionary" premium economy product before these tickets go on sale. How much would one be able to divine from the seat map, if and when that goes live along with the ticket sales?
24 Oct 2010
Total posts 2560
Not much, the seatmap will likely show only what we already know, which is that it's 28 seats in four rows of 2-3-2... that said, if the seats show any type of angle or staggering, that'll be a hint as to what makes them so 'revolutionary'. :)
30 Jul 2015
Total posts 135
it would be pretty interesting if the premium economy suits are revealed to be angle lie-flat beds
31 Mar 2016
Total posts 619
On QF's upcoming 789, it would be financially suicidal if the new PY is a 'suite' style product and/or have angle lie-flat seat design.
31 Mar 2014
Total posts 397
I tend to disagree. A 2-3-2 angle flat would be a true incentive to pay more from economy on such long flights. However would be a true downgrade from a 1-2-1 lie flat suite.
19 Nov 2012
Total posts 44
Launch will be Feb/March 17
QFF
12 Apr 2013
Total posts 1564
My bet that there will be no award seats in J class on 787. Even one year ahead. Business as usual.
03 Aug 2015
Total posts 58
Will this continue to operate when PER-LHR begins? When are the the 3 and 4th dreamlines due to be delivered?
03 Aug 2015
Total posts 58
To answer my own Question, Yes according to Qantas facebook team
07 Oct 2012
Total posts 1251
I'd be surprised if the QF facebook team is correct. QF has reduced and I believe is removing the extra B747 services from MEL to LAX except for seasonal peak services. Given VA's impending return to MEL-LAX, there may be too much capacity for QF to operate an additional (albeit 787) service on a year round basis without impacting yields. Any extra year round flights to the US from Melbourne will surely have to go to DFW.
05 May 2016
Total posts 616
The 787 has less capacity than the 747 albeit QANTAS is proposing more 787 services than there have been 747 ones. If the demand isn't there all year round then some 787 services could be seasonal I guess.
07 Oct 2012
Total posts 1251
Yep, well as log0008 has reported, QF has definitely said this will be year round (so the facebook team isn't incorrect... my bad). But I would remain surprised if QF didn't use the chance to open up a MEL-DFW route.... even if it was 3 x MEL-LAX and 3-4 MEL-DFW.
18 Aug 2015
Total posts 55
I flew SYD to JNB on the old 747. It def needs to go. Maybe they can replace this route with 787 or kick on to Cape Town.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
19 Feb 2014
Total posts 439
Really looking forward to trying this out on the trans-con services!
12 Dec 2012
Total posts 1029
The first 2 QF 787s (line numbers 614 and 641) are currently having parts shipped to Everett for construction.
They are due for delivery on 12 Oct and 1 Dec 2017.
There are 128 787-9s with production slots assigned where the airline is not currently publicly known.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 Sep 2014
Total posts 84
They are no-where near the point of getting parts shipped. Final assembly at Everett will only begin 2-3 months before the delivery date.
12 Feb 2014
Total posts 228
Again I'm a bit surprised they didn't use the opportunity to shift some traffic via Dallas and provide Melbourne customers with more choice of destination.
03 Aug 2015
Total posts 58
I wouldn't be surprised if this became MEL-DFW down the line
31 Mar 2016
Total posts 619
@log0008:
07 Oct 2012
Total posts 1251
747ER's are not required to fly to SCL/JNB. JNB regularly see 23 year old QF's 747's.
QF
04 Apr 2014
Total posts 209
Putting aside operational considerations, from a customer perspective if you flew MEL-DFW the LAX-JFK flight would not be needed anymore. DFW is a great AA hub, and despite the problem Qantas and American have had recently they're still part of OneWorld.
05 May 2016
Total posts 616
I'd be surprised if QF stopped flying their own metal to JFK.
31 Mar 2016
Total posts 619
I'm totally not surprised that QF's 789 debut plan has not much to do with providing MEL(nor any other AU mkt) customers with more destination choices. Later yes(e.g. PER-LHR) but not initially for the 1st batch of 789.
03 Aug 2015
Total posts 58
The B744 freed up for this is going onto MEL-HKG daily, so they don't seem to be pushing to retire them.
05 May 2016
Total posts 616
They may need a lot more 787s before they retire some 747s. It does depend what they want to do.
31 Mar 2016
Total posts 619
I'm surprised that the article itself and no commentators hv mentioned nor discussed these aspects so far.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
12 Oct 2016
Total posts 4
Jetstar (and their 787's) are based in Melb, so makes sense for Qantas to base 787's in Melb (at least initially) too. As for why LAX, there are probably a few reasons such as freeing up 747's for higher capacity Asia routes, maintaining best hard product on the USA routes and better fuel economy for these long hauls.
24 Oct 2010
Total posts 2560
We didn't delve into why Qantas chose Melbourne or why it didn't choose Asia because that's not our role. We're not an aviation website dealing in industry analysis and backstory; we're a business travel website reporting on what's relevant to our core readership.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
01 Mar 2013
Total posts 171
Absolutely! ...and don't change a thing David & Chris.
21 Apr 2012
Total posts 3006
Will it still be a NZ crew operating this flight? Or are the AKL based crew going to be phased out?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
29 Nov 2013
Total posts 475
The AKL crews operate across a wide range of mainline intl services. I sat next to a FA on SYD-AKL and she was dead-heading home after doing a SYD-JNB trip.
21 Apr 2012
Total posts 3006
Absolutely, AKL-based and London-based crew are fantastic! SYD-based old timers I find interesting...
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
22 Oct 2013
Total posts 5
When will Brisbane get some more routes from Qantas? Considering the airline began in QLD it would be nice to get more from Qantas. Maybe to Dallas or Chicago or even San Francisco.
31 Mar 2016
Total posts 619
I'm betting QF will deploy 789 on a CURRENT route fm BNE(Most likely BNE-LAX) well before QF will launch any new Trans-Pcf routes from BNE such as DFW, ORD or even SFO.....
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
12 Jun 2011
Total posts 148
BNE needs to be able to support decent yields first before they can introduce more services. QF aren't deliberately avoiding QLD, theres just clearly a better business case for somewhere else first.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Oct 2011
Total posts 467
Suspect you'll see a BNE-DFW in the not too distant future.
09 Aug 2014
Total posts 17
Is it possible that QF are using the 789 to LAX out of MEL to see how the aircraft goes flying across the pacific with DFW in mind & making sure the numbers add up to make it a viable option. If yes, then splitting the flights out of Melbourne to both LAX & DFW
24 Aug 2011
Total posts 1205
I think QF would already know the 789 is very capable of doing this given UA has been using the 789 on the same route for over a year in a tighter configuration that that planned by QF.
20 May 2015
Total posts 579
So the 787 is being used to replace a 747 in this case. Good.
07 Oct 2012
Total posts 1251
Noting that the current Q95/96 is a seasonal 747. If you check timetable for Feb for example it doesn't exist. So replacing this with a 787 is an additional service. Can't see it helping QF reduce 747's in the short term.
12 Dec 2012
Total posts 1029
95/96 isn't seasonal.
It was added at 3 weekly in Jan 2015 when all the transpac flights were tweeked (adding a 4th SCL flight, retiming 11, changing 107/108 to 17/18 and forming the JFK tag from BNE).
It was reduced to 2 weekly at the start of this year to allow extra 73/74 flights.
It is being withdrawn at the end of January to allow QF29/30 to become daily 747.
31 Mar 2016
Total posts 619
@hutch:
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
25 Feb 2016
Total posts 23
I wonder if they'll switch the LAX-JFK tag to use the 789 in place of the 744 from the BNE service?
12 Dec 2012
Total posts 1029
While QF hasn't posted the flight times yet, using the 787 from this flight for JFK is unlikely as this will most likely be an afternoon flight, not the morning flight needed for the JFK tag.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Oct 2011
Total posts 467
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
25 Feb 2016
Total posts 23
Interesting, I didn't know. I thought that flight was better suited to the A330 (and hence the 789) that used to fly it and they only upgraded to the 744 because the a330 stopped making the trek over.
28 Nov 2012
Total posts 93
MEL-LAX is only until March 2018 until PER-LHR starts
24 Apr 2012
Total posts 2432
Hi Johnny, not sure what your source is to that claim, but the information we've received directly from Qantas doesn't suggest that Melbourne-LAX Boeing 787 flights will be replaced by Perth-London: they'll just use the same aircraft type, of which Qantas has multiple on order.
28 Nov 2012
Total posts 93
Hey Chris,So they will have more than 2 by March 2018?
12 Dec 2012
Total posts 1029
There are 12 787-9s being built at Everett (and 11 more at Charleston) with unknown airlines assigned, due to be delivered after the 2nd QF aircraft in Dec and March.
QF could be getting some of those, or none of those. Until there is an update as to which line numbers are going to which airline, all we know is that QF will have 4 aircraft by June 2018.
31 Mar 2016
Total posts 619
@Himeno:
12 Dec 2012
Total posts 1029
It's one of the slots that was listed as "unknown" airline when I checked it.
Possibly the 4th will be LN 666, 664 or 662 due late Jan-Mid Feb.
28 Nov 2012
Total posts 93
I see the Cozy suite for PE with 19-20" width with a recline into a cradle position with a fixed shell, cocktail table etc
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
14 Aug 2015
Total posts 34
Think it time for a history lesson.
Mel- Lax has been the launch route for the 1st 747ER then the first A380 route now it will the same for the next gen long haul aircraft the 787.
but I agree a MEL - DFW would be nice too in the long run
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Jul 2016
Total posts 106
I really hope they do BNE-DXB with those free 747s and A380s, although unlikely since Emirates has a lot of there own seats there. Well just a wish a guess.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Jul 2016
Total posts 106
Sorry, last sentence meant to say 'well just a wish I guess'
Qantas
19 Apr 2012
Total posts 1427
For my crystal ball by early 2019 QF well have London (2), Paris (1), and Frankfurt (1) flying all through Perth with 787s. They may increase the order to have 12 787s by then so they can serve LA and Dallas as well, all out of Melbourne. The A380s will all be based in Sydney with a London flight probably through Dubai but possibly through Singapore, as well as Singapore and Hong Kong stand alones. They will then in 2019 or 2020 order some 787-10s for Asia and phase out the A333s
18 Nov 2015
Total posts 117
The current Sky Bed on the 747 and A380 is horrific. There's no personal space, the bed itself is uncomfortable and saggy, and you have to stow your screen for take off and landing. Let's hope the Sky Bed goes away very soon and replaced with the new J class we see on the 787.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
14 Aug 2015
Total posts 34
Does anyone know what happened to the 787 launch bookings today ?
The online site does not go past Dec13 for timetables and bookings. I was hoping to see what fares were being offered
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
14 Aug 2015
Total posts 34
also the 747 is still listed to fly mel-lax twice a week till mid July 2017 in the online timetables.. then it disappears altogether.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
26 May 2014
Total posts 465
Curious that QF news release said the 787 MEL-LAX fares would go on sales on 25/12 for 15/12 when this is earlier than the normal 353 days in advance. Maybe tomorrow.
24 Oct 2010
Total posts 2560
Yes, Qantas told us on Dec 22nd that it expected tickets on sale the following day but while these have in theory been loaded into the system, the airline's own sales system doesn't stretch a full 365 days in advance – today you can book MEL-LAX for Dec 14 2017, so it's likely that tomorrow (Dec 27th) you'll be able to book for Dec 15th 2017, which is the in augural MEL-LAX Boeing 787 flight.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
14 Aug 2015
Total posts 34
Yes sounds like Qantas Marketing in the rush to announce this first flight didn't think this one through as you will only be able to book one-way as the return flights are also only 353 days ahead in the booking system..
so much for official press releases. It would be nice to see an explanation from them on the press statement.
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