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Qantas completes 767 cabin refresh

written by australianaviation.com.au | May 23, 2013

Upgraded business class on a Qantas 767. (Seth Jaworski)

Qantas has announced it has completed its $20 million cabin refurbishment for 15 of its 20 strong Boeing 767-300ER fleet.

Features of the upgrade include a new inflight entertainment system based around streaming content to iPads available to every passenger, leather seats in business class and new carpet, lighting, curtains and cabin dividers.

Over 200 hours on content can be streamed to the iPads, with Qantas saying it plans to increase the available content further to 350 hours by the end of the year, which would comprise 20 movies, 350 TV programs and “a wide selection” of music.

When Qantas announced the upgrade program in August last year, the airline had planned to upgrade 16 767s, but this was scaled back to 15 aircraft.

The five non-upgraded 767s are due to be retired from the Qantas fleet by the end of year. The remainder of the 767 fleet will be progressively retired through to mid 2015 as Jetstar’s current A330-200 fleet is transferred to Qantas as Jetstar takes delivery of its 14 787-8s. The first Jetstar A330 is due to return to the Qantas fleet this month, taking the Qantas fleet of the type to 20.

Inflight entertainment is streamed wirelessly to iPads. (Qantas)

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If you have flown on the upgraded 767, share your impressions below.

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Comments (20)

  • Sam

    says:

    Jetstar business class? Very similar

  • Ian

    says:

    I have flown the new setup. Not a lot of difference except for the leather seats. You would think Qantas would clean the cabin uo before taking a photo for publication. Note the newspaper & rubbish on the armrests.

    • australianaviation.com.au

      says:

      @Ian the photo with the newspapers on the arm rest was taken by one of our photographers after a standard RPT flight as a passenger, it’s not a Qantas press shot

  • RICHARD

    says:

    Yeh…economy still sucks mind you

  • SYD-Liam

    says:

    Considering Qantas is a premium airline – this is a poor make over. I flew on it recently and you could tell the aircraft was old but heavily tarted up; question? Why does Jetstar always get the new build aircraft and not Qantas? I draw attention to SIA & Scoot, where the parent offloads the older aircraft to the LCC, please explain….

  • Red Barron

    says:

    A great point there Liam. I agree with you, Why is Qantas getting the older A330 instead of taking the first batch of 787’s for itself even just as a media boost up against Virgin.

    Surely 1 or 2 out of the first batch would be great for publicity then let Jestar take the next couple.

  • Ben

    says:

    I flew economy BNE-SYD, on board Wifi couldn’t handle the work load therefore 50% of passengers had no entertainment on ipads. Seat-back AVOD would have been a smarter option. Business looks same same to me..

  • Jeff

    says:

    And while out of the Air they still didn’t fit Winglets like most other airlines have to their fleet .Where is the concern for fuel savings ? Especially on the Honolulu legs ,But just anywhere.

  • Chris Davies

    says:

    I have flown the upgraded planes a few times in economy. The system mostly works well (might take a few tries to get the iPad to connect) and is a very good way to get the planes to acceptable standard without spending lots of money on end of life planes. Much better than the small CRT screens in the aisles and dodgy projectors the planes used to have!

    You have to remember Qantas never expected to still by flying the planes now, the broader Qantas group expected to have a bunch of 787s.

  • SYD-Liam

    says:

    @ Chris

    Totally understand Qantas didn’t plan to have 767 this long – but why not have 787 go to Qantas & keep the 330’s for their offspring Jetstar? Makes me think Qantas management don’t really care too much “or” maybe their (Qantas) premium customers don’t care too much what they are transported on. I know if I pay a premium – I want the better product; however if you pay less at Jetstar you get the better aeroplane – seems to me, the thinking at Qantas management is skewed the wrong against the premium airline/customer…..

  • NJP

    says:

    Would it be fair to say that the JQ330’s/787’s are used on longer legs so the greater fuel efficiency is realised better, versus 767’s being used on the shorter 1-2.5hr legs where fuel benefits aren’t so great?

  • Rumsey

    says:

    Mor Jetstarisation of Qantas. New planes to JS tells you where the priorities lie. The leather seats will go back into JS planes when the 67s are scrapped.

  • Ryan

    says:

    @ Syd-Liam, Red Barron et al,

    Did you ever think that the -800 varient of the 787 is a dog that neither Jetstar or Qantas want? Qantas are getting the first of the -900 (on schedule), a model that actually produces a better yield per nm, as does the shiny newER 330 that Qantas are getting back. Not to mention the issues that have come with the 787 for other airlines.

  • Red Barron

    says:

    Ryan No not a all…….

  • SYD-Liam

    says:

    @ Ryan

    You may probably be 100% right re: yield/nm – however in a marketing sense (where perception is everything) Qantas are seen to be tarting up a 20+ year old aircraft, receiving an old (used A330) aircraft from Jetstar & Jetstar the LCC of the group receiving factory new technology. Now if you factor in where Alan Joyce has been on record saying Qantas International is losing money & market share – wouldn’t you then try change perception, by modernizing your premium airline fleet and product? I think Red Barron was on a win/win scenario 1st & 2nd B787 to Qantas – alternate the rest to Jetstar.

  • Benny

    says:

    I haven’t flown on the upgraded models, but do remember flying a QF 763 a few times back in 2001 and 2002. (I unfortunately only fly once or twice a year) Since then though the only widebodies I’ve flown domestically have been QF A330s (SYD/PER in 2003 and CNS/SYD in 2006) Other than that have flown every other domestic flight with either Qantas or Virgin 737 NG. When I did first fly the A330 to PER in 2003 it was then a brand new aircraft. That is now 10 years ago. So effectively when the present 767s retire in a few years they will be replacing a 20+ year old 767 with 10 year old A330 (Although I understand not all A330s will be that old) However the point is they are replacing really outdated aircraft with more recent used aircraft, rather than a brand new 787. Does that mean in 10-15 years they will be talking about replacing 20+ year old A330 with a used 787? As mentioned above JQ as the LCC gets the new aircraft – Whereas the ‘premium’ product in QF has a made-over, but ultimately outdated airframe. I usually fly for leisure so up to now only in economy. However I’m considering trying business class on my next trip – But if I’m looking at paying more for business class and a premium product then I don’t want to be flying on an ancient aircraft. If you zoom in on the first cabin shot in the article, take a close look at it. Yes the business class seats look nice, but you would expect that – Take a look though at the cabin walls and windows – You can tell just from that its a 20+ year old aircraft. It looks really quite sad without the present day expectation of mood lighting and new fittings etc. It does not seem to be good enough for a ‘premium’ product and a so-called upgrade.

  • Rod

    says:

    I read with interest others comments. Lets put some light on the know facts –
    ** this ‘makeover’ is purely to get a semi decent product out until QF recieves the B787.
    ** if the B787 wasn’t 3years delayed JQ would have been handing the 788 over to QF as they recieve their 789, so upgrade would not have been needed.
    ** winglets – look great but would not recoup money back in fuel saving with current QF use of the 763 – mainly
    domestic flying & only route where would save fuel would be the currently operated HNL route & only 4 a/c can
    do this flying so a sub fleet would not be economical.
    Not a fan of the way QF is treated over JQ over new equiptment but what can you do when top QF management are all accountants & can fudge any figures to justify that JQ makes money , QF international dosen’t.
    Just remember where the current CEO if QF started in their organisation – setting up JQ !!!!

  • John Harrison

    says:

    Well I’ve read all before me, and in the main everyone is right. Why does QF management keep giving JQ all the good stuff. Sorry is so bloody clear QF Management wants JQ to shine. Of course the new aircraft should go to QF. I know people who have flown the “revamped” B767’s with mixed results. One saying its all too hard to get the
    iPads to work, and another saying the iPads are charged up only the once at night, so by time you get a 2nd flt
    across Australia half of them aren’t working. I guess its a very much stop gap measure.
    Only time will tell how it all works out.

  • James from Sydney

    says:

    So many people keep forgetting QANTAS is a business. It needs to focus on the product that will make it money over the next decade with emphasis on the Asian market. They have obviously decided that JetStar is the best product to achieve that. People are moving away from Qantas because of the high costs and there is only so much the premium brand can do. Some have already mentioned the benefit of 787 for long haul compared to local short haul domestic which I think has merit.

    As for using 787 as a marketing tool to get people flying QANTAS, why would you focus on an established domestic business when you have Asia to target? At the end of the day people will still fly QANTAS and I don’t think a 787 will make that much difference for domestic services. Not as much as us aviation enthusiasts anyway.

  • Ah Lau

    says:

    Qantas got to be joking !

    Giving “new clothes” to an aging grandmother – hoping to make her “prettier & more desirable” ?

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