Qantas A380 seats on sale now!
Qantas Group General Manager Sales and Distribution Rob Gurney announced today at Australian Tourism Exchange that seats on Qantas’ new flagship, the Airbus A380 have gone on sale, with the airline’s first A380 flight – from Melbourne to Los Angeles – on 20 October 2008.
He said said the A380 would operate on selected flights from Melbourne and Sydney to the USA, and would be introduced progressively on selected flights from Sydney to Singapore and London from early 2009.
He said the first Qantas A380 would operate two return services each week between Australia and Los Angeles – one from Melbourne and one from Sydney, from 24 October.
With the introduction of a second A380 aircraft in November, the airline would operate:
** two return Melbourne-Los Angeles A380 services each week – QF93 on Mondays and Wednesdays, with the return QF94 operating the same nights; and
** three return Sydney-Los Angeles services – QF11 on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, with the return QF12 also operating the same nights.
“All four classes of the A380 will offer passengers greater levels of space and comfort, as well as state-of-the-art interiors designed by Qantas Creative Director Marc Newson,†Rob said.
The Qantas A380 will be configured with 450 seats – 14 individual First Suites, 72 in Business, 32 in Premium Economy cabin and 332 in Economy.
Qantas A380 features will include:
** completely redesigned First cabin, offering customers privacy and luxury in their own First Suite;
** fully-flat next generation Skybed and separate, dedicated lounge area in Business;
** the airline’s Premium Economy cabin, with extra wide Recaro seats;
** new ergonomically designed Recaro seats and self-service refreshment bars in Economy; and
** on demand entertainment system with over 1000 entertainment options and onboard connectivity.
“The A380 will also offer significant improvements in terms of environmental performance, including reduced fuel consumption and emissions, greater efficiency and less noiseâ€.
Rob added, that while the A380 would provide customers with an all-new inflight experience, lead in fares would initially be the same as those currently offered on comparable Qantas B747 services, however the airline’s state-of-the-art new First Suite would be priced at a premium.
Qantas has also launched a new A380 microsite at http://www.qantas.com.au/info/flying/A380/index, with the site
providing a comprehensive overview of the Qantas A380.
John Alwyn-Jones
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