As we landed in Sydney to connect to our LATAM 787 service to Auckland, we found out via at the LATAM app, that the flight was cancelled. Sure enough, the departure screens at the airport confirmed this. The good news was that we had been re-booked onto an ir New Zealand service leaving Sydney a mere 7 hours later. I love NZ Business Class- its a very solid product but… The bad news was we had specifically booked the LATAM service so we could fly on the 787! They are the only airline offering the 787 between…
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Tag Archives for 787.
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 Top Five Airlines of 2014
I feel this post is almost a repeat of the last two years! Not much has changed for me at the top of the airline pecking order! I did fly fewer times and far fewer kilometres than other years. I did a lot more surface travel through Asia and can certainly give you the best and worst bus companies and rail operators! I rate each flight I take for every factor from Booking to Check-in to deplaning. and keep a tally of my rating using Flightmemory.com. The scores averaged out give me the ranking…
Air Astana delays 787s until 2019
Air Astana, the flag carrier of Kazakhstan will delay the arrival of its three 787s with the first coming in 2019 instead of 2017. The airline revised this year’s 14 percent growth target to zero percent due to deteriorating economic conditions in the country and devaluation of the currency in February. Launched in 2002, Air Astana operates 63 scheduled domestic and international routes from its main hub, Almaty International Airport, and from two secondary hubs. The airline connects Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Like all Kazakhstan carriers it had been banned from operating in the European Union but that ban…
Lion cancels 787s
Last Monday, Indonesian budget airline Lion Air cancelled its order for five Boeing 787s and ordered 737s in their stead. The carrier said it needed widebody aircraft to accommodate more than the capacity of the 787-8 for domestic high demand routes and will place a new order for aircraft in 2015. The dreamliners had been ordered in June 2012. They had been intended for Lion Air’s full service subsidiary Batik Air, launched in March 2013. The list price for the package was $US 967.5 million. Batik provides a personal TV (in-flight entertainment system) at every seat, snacks and meal, plus more generous…
Norwegian 787 unhappier and unhappier
Budget carrier, Norwegian Air Shuttle is Europe’s fourth largest low cost carrier (after Ryanair, Easyjet and Air Berlin).It has pinned its long haul expansion hopes on the 787 and the plane keeps letting them down. The airline has endured a number of maintenance issues with its three 787s from brakes to cockpit sensors to grounding to hydraulic pumps. The latest was a fuel gushing from a valve on the plane’s wing at Bangkok airport. The situation was photographed by a passenger and went viral. Passengers had a lengthy delay and the plane flew back to Stockholm for…
Reviving Qantas
The news that Qantas has been devalued by two rating agencies to “junk status” filled many of us with dismay. In 2020, Qantas should be celebrating its 100th anniversary. Only two airlines: KLM and Aviannca are older. Qantas has survived the Great Depression, World War Two, 1970s hyperinflation and oil crisis, the Asian Financial Crisis, the bombing of the World Trade Centre, SARS and the the global financial crisis. It has outlived other Aussie competitors: Ansett (1935 to 2002), Australian National Airways (1936 to 1957), Compass (1990 to 1993) and East-West (1947 to 1993). Today,…
Jetstar’s International 787 Routes
In contrast to the gloom that emanates from Qantas, Jetstar continues to announce growth. Its first international Boeing 787 Dreamliner service commenced from Melbourne to Bali, accompanied by announcements of Jetstar operating 787s from Sydney to Bali in January, 2014, Sydney to Phuket in February and Brisbane to Bali route from April. They will replace their A330 fleet with 787s. Their eleven 330s will cascade back to Qantas which will use them to replace their aging and fuel hungry 767s by early 2015. Sadly, Qantas has still not made a decision on their future deployment…
Norwegian’s 787 frustration
Norwegian Air Shuttle have two Boeing 787s, which because of the 787 grounding were delivered in September, five months late. These two planes are being deployed on routes between Oslo and Stockholm to New York and Bangkok. This week, Norwegian grounded one of its 787s and demanded that Boeing fix the plane. The incident follows claims that Norwegian are experiencing an on time performance rate of only 49 per cent after a string of break downs in its first month of service. The incidents have included electrical faults and hydraulic issues. Norwegian have had to…
Aeromexico debuts 787
It is now two years since the first 787 was delievered to ANA. Now, carrier number 14 has their turn. AeroMéxico (airline code AM), the flag carrier of Mexico received their first Boeing 787 on August 16, 2013. It was the 75th Boeing 787 delivered by the company to an airline. Their 787 will initially serve Mexican domestic destinations including Cancun and Monterrey. On October 14th Mexico City to Tokyo, Japan service will commence. That will mean by the end of the year, four airlines will be flying 787s to and from Tokyo (United, ANA,…
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