UPDATE: December 2016: Sadly, due to issues with Thailand’s air safety authority, Thai has not been given permission to deploy A350s on Australian flights. So I am on a 777 instead. Still looking forward to the flight. I am very excited to have booked a seat on Thai’s new Airbus A350-900 Royal Silk Business Class product from Bangkok, Thailand to Melbourne, Australia later this year! Thanks to the last Avianca deal which gave me a 125% bonus on purchased miles! I was able to use these miles to get a seat at a very good price with Thai…
Aeroplane News (Saturday)
Category Archives for Aeroplane News (Saturday).
As I plan my first A350 flight, here’s where they fly.
The 350s have been steadily appearing across the world. There are now 24 Airbus 350s flying 21 routes with six operators: Cathay Pacific, Finnair, LATAM, Qatar, Singapore and Vietnam Airlines. Three more carriers will follow with Thai, China Airways and Ethiopian getting their first 350s in the next few months. The opportunity for me to fly on my first 350 is getting closer. With Thai Airways announcement that they will start their Airbus 350 service between Bangkok and Melbourne in September, it is looking likely I will be aboard a Thai 350 in December. Originally, Thai was looking at…
Booked my second, third and fourth 787 flights!
I have not yet ridden the Dreamliner. That is about to change. It has taken me a long time to get on one. Have you flown on a 787 yet? I booked my first 787 flight with, a few weeks ago. Today, I booked my second, third and fourth flights on different airlines. They are all in “Business Class” so I can do some comparisons. Any advice you may have on seating accepted. My first 787 flight is with LATAM in June in Premium Business. These 30 fully reclining seats have a 23 inch width and 75 inch pitch. Behind the…
My First 787 flight is booked
It has taken a while but I am finally going to fly on a 787! I am booked in mid-June for the three hour 15 minute Trans Tasman hop from Sydney, Australia to Auckland, New Zealand in LAN’s Premium Business Class. LAN are one of my favourite airlines and I am looking forward to their lunch time service! Reviewers compliment their service, meals and wine, and entertainment selection. This flight will mean I have flown on every type of Boeing 7 series aircraft: 707 first in 1971 with BOAC (British Overseas Airways Corporation) 717 -first flown 2001 with…
My 300th 737 Flight
I noted a couple of weeks ago, that I had reached my 299th flight on a 737! With Melbourne to Canberra, Australia on a Qantas 737 VH-VXG today, I reached my 300th 737 flight. Effectively 8.5 times around the world on various 737s! With Melbourne to Canberra, Australia on a Qantas 737 VH-VXG today, I reached my 300th 737 flight. Effectively 8.5 times around the world on various 737s to airports in 19 countries on five continents! I have flown further with the 747 (774.769 km vs 341.081 km) but I have not boarded any other…
After 299 times, I still don’t like the B737!
There are many reasons to like the Boeing 737. It is reliable. It is prolific (over 8,500 built). It has been around for almost 50 years. It has a fantastic safety record. It is fuel efficient. It is not an unattractive plane to look at. I have never liked it. This week I reached a milestone with my 299th flight on a 73. There is no other plane I have been on as many times. The 737 has taken me 340,000km (212,000) to 91 airports on five continents. I have disembarked as far south as Queenstown,…
Qantas 747 flies with five engines
In an exciting manoeuvre, last Wednesday, Qantas flight 63 took off from Sydney, Australia to Johannesburg, South Africa with five engines on the 747 instead of the usual four. The extra engine was not used to power the flight. It was merely being transported to Johannesburg to be swapped with a defective engine on a 747 which then operated QF64 back to Sydney. I never knew that the 747 could be used in this way. Its wing, apparently, has anchor points under it, which allow for a supporting strut to be attached. A winching mechanism added to the strut lifts the extra engine…
Finnair A350 connects Bangkok
Finnair switch their daily Helsinki-Bangkok-Helsinki service to an Airbus 350 service on Christmas Day this week. Offering three classes, the service is a great way cost wise and time wise to connect between Asia and Europe: Business: 46 flat bed seats in a 1-2-1 configuration with 78 to 81″ pitch and 21″ width Economy Comfort: 43 seats, 3-3-3 layout. 35″ pitch and 18″ wide Economy also arranged 3-3-3 with a 31″ pitch and 18″ width HEL (Helsinki) is well set up for connections to most of Europe. They are a member of OneWorld so picking up points is easy for…
TAM’s new Airbus 350
Brazil’s TAM air has welcomed the first of their 27 beautiful Airbus 350 XWBs. This follows Qatar’s receipt of the 350 in January, followed by Vietnam Airlines and Finnair. The 348 seat TAM plane has a two class layout: ‘Premium Business’ cabin with 30 forward-facing business class seats arranged 2-2-2. All seats convert into fully-flat beds and have a personal 15.4 inch HD video screens 318 seats are crammed into the Economy in a 3/3/3 layout admittedly with an 18″ seat width Their A350 has the same seats and cabin design as sister carrier LAN’s…
United builds 787 routes
While a lot has been going wrong for United recently, on the positive side is the steady roll out of their 787 Dreamliners and their future planned destinations which have been steadily announced. The airline now has 22 of the 55 Dreamliners they have ordered. The Dreamliner’s ten destinations from San Francisco International are now: Auckland -July 2016 (787-8 increasing to a daily 787-9 from October) Chengdu -Commenced Houston Osaka -Commenced Shanghai Sydney -March, 2016 Taipei Tel Aviv – March 2016 (787-9) Tokyo Haneda Xi’an The airline is deploying the 787 on its longest flights which means they have a massive fuel…
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