La prima compagnia australiana – la QantaS – ha fatto sapere che metà dei 50 aeromobili Boeing 787 commissionati alla casa costruttrice di Seattle verranno assegnati alla sottocontrollata JetStar.

La precisazione è nata dopo che in alcuni report era stato scritto che i Boeing ancora in ordine erano soltanto 25, lasciando intendere che la commessa potesse essere stata dimezzata. La compagnia, che non fa mistero delle difficoltà economiche che sta vivendo, ha invece spiegato che 25 esemplari verranno affidati al vettore low-cost Jetstar che potrà così impiegarlo per le sue operazioni.

Come spiegato dal Sydney Morning Herald, la profonda ristrutturazione del modello di business di Qantas potrebbe passare attraverso un forte riposizionamento della sussidiaria JetStar che rileverebbe il grosso delle operazioni di lungoraggio, ad oggi operate dalla mainline.

Per quanto concerne Qantas, l’utilizzo dei 787 sarà principalmente domestico mentre JetStar potrà impiegare il nuovo velivolo per le operazioni internazionali, aumentando quindi il numero di operazioni, dopo aver già rilevato un terzo delle rotte domestiche e alcuni collegamenti esteri (Giappone). I B787-900 (la versione per i collegamenti più distanti) dal 2013 supporteranno i piani di espansione di Jetstar nei collegamenti verso l’Europa, il Nord America e alcune nuove destinazioni in Asia. Dal canto suo, Qantas intende basare il core-business delle sue operazioni di lungo raggio sui 20 Airbus A380 che verranno impiegati sulle rotte premium – in testa i collegamenti per Londra Heathrow e Los Angeles  – mentre i Boeing 787-800  andranno a rimpiazzare – dal 2014 – la flotta ormai senescente di Boeing 767 attualmente utilizzata per i voli domestici.

Nell’orbita dei nuovi collegamenti JetStar che potrebbero essere inaugurati già dall’anno prossimo con la consegna dei primi cinque A330 (portando a 12 i velivoli di lungoraggio) ci sono alcune rotte abbandonate dalla mainline (si parla di Roma Fiumicino e di Atene) così come nuove destinazioni, tra cui Monaco e Milano Malpensa. Non ci sono tuttavia conferme da parte del management che sostiene di non aver ancora preso alcuna decisione definitivsa.

Non  c’è dubbio tuttavia che la commessa dei Boeing 787 da parte di Qantas rimanga piuttosto travagliata: 5 mesi fa il vettore aveva infatti  rinunciato a 15 esemplari e aveva posticipato la consegna dal 2010 (data che sarebbe stata comunque non praticabile per via delle difficoltà incontrate nella realizzazione del velivolo) a metà 2013.

foto: Boeing

The following is QANTAS 1994 Northern Summer International network, taken from Official Airline Guide – Apr 94 edition.  Most flights are round-trip, and the unit of the frequency is weekly.

The Center for Asia-Pacific Aviation (CAPA) reports that Qantas of Australia now only lists 25 firm 787 orders and 25 rights to purchase the airplane in its latest fleet plan. Boeing still shows 50 orders by the airline, which previously had 65 on order but  canceled 15 and restructured the delivery stream on the rest.

Update, Nov. 24: CAPA has now published this addition to the news link; the chart referred to below in contained in the article linked above):

[Correction: Qantas advises that the following chart, contained in its Investor Presentation, should in fact reflect the fact that there are 50 firm orders for the B787, not 25 firm and 25 purchase options, as illustrated]

Paris-based Air France has completed its first revenue flight with the Airbus A380. Flight AF 380 arrived at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport at 1318 hrs, after crossing the Atlantic from Paris (Charles de Gaulle), where it departed at 1119 hrs. The flight marked the A380’s first transatlantic flight by a European airline and the aircraft was met by a customary water cannon salute on arrival in New York.

Onboard the double-decker aircraft are 538 passengers, invited guests and 24 crew, who were treated to complimentary champagne and a 3-member jazz band. 380 passengers who participated in a charity auction in October 2008 also raised 300,000 euros to benefit humanitarian projects supported by the Air France Foundation. Having generated a larger amount than expected, Air France will donate the proceeds from the auction to 2 more charities in Brazil and Madagascar, in addition to 3 previously announced organizations in France, India and South Africa.

The Air France A380 features 538 seats in a 3-class configuration with innovations including improved seating, mood lighting and an onboard meeting area showcasing artwork from various museum collections. The airline has announced Johannesburg as the second destination for its A380 following New York, which will be operated daily. Air France joins Dubai’s Emirates, Sydney-based Qantas and Singapore Airlines as the fourth operator of the type.

For more information, visit www.airfrance.com.

Российская авиация

В прошлый раз я писал про рейтинг безопасности российских авиакомпаний. Неделя началась с ряда публикаций по этому поводу. Вот одна из них на gazeta.ru. Понятно, что любой рейтинг несовершенен и не отражает всего, что творится в той или иной авиакомпании. К тому же, ни один рейтинг не сможет предусмотреть нештатные ситуации.

“Аэрофлот-Норд” всё же переименовывают в “Нордавиа – региональные авиалинии” с 1 декабря. Недавно я с удивлением обнаружил, что “Аэрофлот-Норд” больше не обслуживает дневной рейс Самара-Москва-Самара. Получается, что у “Аэрофлота” осталось лишь два рейса – утренний и вечерний. Напомню, что зимнее расписание полётов через “Курумоч” можно посмотреть здесь.

Третий терминал аэропорта “Шереметьево” всё же начал свою работу по графику 15 ноября с рейсов в Сочи и Магадан. В сети появилось ещё несколько публикаций на эту тему. “Ведомости” предлагают небольшое видео и статью. Отмечается, что автостоянка пока бесплатна, городские автобусы уже ходят до нового терминала (что не может не радовать меня лично), а в стерильной зоне Wi-Fi Интернет может быть бесплатным. В ЖЖ есть и пост с подборкой фотографий нового терминала.

Наконец, новому терминалу посвящён и материал сайта “Транспорт сегодня”. Отмечается, что заинтересованность в использовании нового терминала проявляют некоторые российские компании – “Россия”, “Татарстан”. Это помимо того, что кроме SkyTeam и “Аэрофлота” в терминал D переведут некоторые компании-конкуренты, а часть рейсов “Аэрофлота” вынуждена будет остаться в Терминале 2 (позднее в Терминале Е). Я решительно не понимаю, почему в аэрофлотовский терминал над переводить рейсы всех остальных компаний (не входящих в SkyTeam), когда самому “Аэрофлоту” уже не хватает места. Что это за странная логистика? В конце концов, в Терминал Е можно было бы перевести рейсы конкурентов, у которых с “Аэрофлотом” есть код-шеринговые соглашения, а не тащить их в третий терминал.

“Ведомости-пятница” же пишут о ещё одной новинке шереметьевского аэропортового комплекса – новой штаб-квартире “Аэрофлота” по соседству с третьим терминалом. Я летом проезжал мимо и видел это красивое здание. Вот прекрасный пример того, когда современная архитектура в нужном месте может быть украшением. В новой штаб-квартире рождаются и очередные инициативы по пересаживанию российских чиновников на самолёты российских авиакомпаний.

Но и это не всё. 25 ноября в “Шереметьево” откроется первый у нас “капсульный” отель “Воздушный экспресс”, который разместится в терминале “Аэроэкспресс”. В отличие от Японии, номера будут выполнены в более традиционном виде, нежели знаменитые капсулы, но минимализм сохраняется. Минимальное время пребывания в гостинице – 4 часа. За 4 часа в одноместном экономе нужно будет отдать 1312 рублей, за 2-местный эконом без окна 1600 рублей, а 2-местный эконом с окном 1800 рублей. Имеются также 2 и 3-местные номера бизнес класса, а также 3-местный номер первого класса. По истечении 4 часов оплата взимается по часам. В том же 1-местном экономе пребывание в течение 5 часов обойдётся в 1599 рублей. Во всех номерах есть туалет с душем, кровати, телефон и доступ в Интернет. Постояльцы обеспечиваются набором постельного белья и полотенец. Это может стать удобным решением для тех, кто должен рано вылетать из аэропорта, а приезжает в “Москву” накануне вечером. Можно заселиться в полночь, а в 4-5 утра уже отправиться в терминал на регистрацию.

Тем временем, ОАК всё же получит акции самарского “Авиакора”. Актив этот достаточно проблемный. Долги большие, производство минимально. Сохраняется вероятность того, что самарскому заводу отведут роль производителя запчастей и ремонтные функции. Собственно, ОАК не скрывает своих планов перенести производство самолётов Ан-140 в Воронеж.

Пока же некоторые самолёты хотя бы где-то сохраняют. В пригороде Барнаула открылся авиамузей. Каждый раз, когда читаешь подобные сообщения или открываешь в ЖЖ очередной репортаж из авиамузеев Киева или Ульяновска, становится стыдно и обидно за Самару, где самолёты ржавеют на тренировочной базе СГАУ.

Авиация за рубежом

OAG (Лондон) подвела итоги голосования и представила рейтинг гражданской авиации 2009 года. Этот рейтинг считается одним из самых авторитетных.

Авиакомпания года: Singapore Airlines
Лучшая авиакомпания на трансатлантических маршрутах: Virgin Atlantic
Лучшая авиакомпания на транстихоокеанских маршрутах: Singapore Airlines
Лучший салон первого класса на международных линиях: Singapore Airlines
Лучший салон бизнес-класса: Continental Airlines
Лучший салон экономического класса: British Airways
Лучшая североамериканская авиакомпания: Continental
Лучшая авиакомпания Ближнего Востока и Южной Азии: Emirates
Лучшая бюджетная авиакомпания: Southwest Airlines
Лучшая авиакомпания Латинской Америки: LAN
Лучшая авиакомпания Африки: South African Airlines
Лучшая авиакомпания Западной Европы: Virgin Atlantic
Лучшая авиакомпания Центральной и Восточной Европы: CSA Czech Airlines
Лучшая авиакомпания Австралии и Океании: Qantas
Лучший аэропорт: Singapore Changi

“Аэрофлот”, кстати, попал в число финалистов в категории “лучшая авиакомпания Центральной и Восточной Европы”.

В прошлую пятницу Рик Сини вспомнил о том, что число 13 отсутствует в салонах некоторых компаний. Так, 13-го ряда нет у Continental Airlines, Alaska и AirTran. А в салонах Lufthansa, согласно Рику Сини, нет 13 и 17 рядов, так как в Италии и Бразилии несчастливым считается ещё и число 17. Однако надо понимать, что сидящие в “14” ряду, на самом деле оказываются в 13-м.

Любители авиации могут заинтересоваться видео с компьютерной симуляцией полёта А320 компании US Airways, который в начале года удачно приземлился на реку после столкновения со стаей птиц над Нью-Йорком.

Авиапутешествия

Сергей Доля разместил в своём блоге подборку ссылок на материалы о разных ситуациях, которые могут быть восприняты пассажирами как нештатные. Заметки призваны развенчать некоторые аэрофобные мифы.

Если Вы уже не боитесь (или никогда не боялись), Вас может заинтересовать предложение от Air France. До конца ноября можно забронировать перелёт по маршрутам Москва-Париж-Нью-Йорк или Санкт-Петербург-Париж-Нью-Йорк на период с 23 ноября 2009 по 31 марта 2010 года. В чём изюминка предложения? В том, что шесть раз в неделю, кроме среды, перелёт из Парижа в Нью-Йорк и обратно осуществляется на двухпалубном A380. А билет туда-обратно (со всеми сборами) в экономическом классе обойдётся всего в 20500 рублей (при бронировании через сайт компании).

А ещё у Air France и KLM есть предложение для любителей Европы – билет в три европейских города по цене одного. За 15000 рублей (со всеми сборами) можно выбрать любой европейский город из 13 (Ницца, Тулуза, Женева, Мюнхен, Цюрих, Милан, Рим, Лиссабон, Барселона, Эдинбург, Лондон, Берлин, Вена) помимо Парижа и Амстердама. Например, можно забронировать билет по маршруту Москва-Париж-Лондон-Амстердам-Москва за 15000 рублей. Фактически, Вы платите только за билет до Лондона (или другого города по выбору), а остановки в Париже и Амстердаме совершаете бесплатно. Бронирование до 30 ноября, перелёт до конца марта 2010 года.

Ну, а японская ANA решила модернизировать свои салоны. Увеличенное расстояние между креслами в экономе, разделители и двойные подлокотники в премиум-экономе, горизонтально раскладывающиеся кресла в бизнес-классе и полностью приватные места в первом. Бретт Снайдер предлагает взглянуть на всё это великолепие. Новые кабины появятся в 2010 году на самолётах Boeing-777-300ER, летающих между Японией и Северной Америкой или Европой.

Some milestones are hard to see clearly until many years pass and the verdict is finally in, but as the 2 year milestone of being in service for the Airbus A380 came around, it is still not clear of whether this machine and Airbus are in the clear.

to date  there are 20 A380s in service with three airlines – SIA, Emirates and Qantas -which have accumulated 75,000h, operated 8,000 flights and carried at least 2.5 million passengers, and firm orders for the A380 to 202 aircraft from 17 customers.

Sales have dropped to only 2 orders for 2009, and the many A380’s that have been ordered have been referred or given delayed deliveries, many commentators have said the double-decker is just too big and will lose money constantly and the severely delayed Boeing 787 was still the better way to go.

The two years in service report notes that the aircraft did have issues of reliability which is typical for like Emirates based in Dubai, their technical dispatch reliability benchmark is above 98.5%, and Tim Clark (Emirates CEO) says that while Airbus is guaranteeing 98.5% “we’re not there yet. We’re at 97%, sometimes 96%.

Most faults have been through oversensitive sensors (moisture contamination was another pain) that go off and create a no-go fault warning and a (return to gate), Airbus have worked quickly to rectify the situation and most warnings are now nulled as they adjusted the computer algorithms for failure detection as to not be so sensitive, main gear steering system (MEL) caused some concerns too, the trailing axle of the two six-wheel centre bogies is articulated to avoid tyre scrub on the inside wheels, and the wedge that must lock the steering in place for take-off has proved problematic, again a fix has been sorted and the problems solved, a nose wheel problem on a Qantas service to London stranded the machine on the runway and had to towed to the gate for disembarkation and finally two in-flight shutdown of the Trent 900 engine were “non-basic”, which means the engine’s basic design was not at fault.

It feels like a long bad list but all new aircraft (and remember the A380 is a generational design) have such new operational problems and in fact the list is very small, the real problem is that if the aircraft is not serviceable is then what do you do with nearly 500 passengers!, luckily it hasn’t happened often, but when it does it creates a major logistical problem.

So what of the other factors, in this case the A380 has been a spectacular success, passengers just rave about the space, the quietness of the design and load factors are extremely high, pilots are gushing with praise for its flying characteristics and low turbulence factors (its noted that its like the Queen Mary 2 in the sky, it just plows on through) and the plane is more efficient than promised by the manufacturer (since when has that happened in the past), SIA generally cruises its A380s at M0.83-0.85, and the approach speed – for a landing weight close to the 397t maximum take-off of a 747-400 – is an impressively slow 130-135kt (240-250km/h). they found the faster you flew the more efficient the A380 became so in service the machine has not only delivered but is well above expectations and will get better again with improvements of weight reduction and engine upgrades coming after 2012.

On the ground it again has not proved to be problematic with its size and weight, turnaround times range from 90-110min, depending on route and operator. For example, Emirates does 90min turns at London Heathrow between the inbound EK001 and outbound EK002, which is impressive with such huge numbers (Passengers,Cargo & Catering) to cater for.

2010 will be the year that the Airbus A380 will be declared a success or failure, a major step forward in design and operations, unfortunately the GFC crisis was the worst situation to be faced by a machine designed to carry such high load factors (hence the delayed deliveries and few new orders) and could have, but didn’t turn it into a loss making albatross (a la Concorde), in fact its extremely high load factors bids it well in the future.

The reason that 2010 is significant is in the way Air France intends to introduce its first A380’s into service in December 2009 and Lufthansa in the Late1stQ 2010, unlike the 3 current airlines (Singapore/Qantas/Emirates) these European Carriers are going more for the higher seating configurations of 538-seat Air France and 550 seat Lufthansa, the Aircraft is already known to very efficient and now you have a considerable higher load factors and certainly higher yields and profit, the Boeing 747 was a game changer in price (seats per mile) in the early 70’s and the fares plummeted, that won’t happen here but it will give the two European airlines a significant advantage as with what Qantas is finding with its A380 SYD-LAX services against newcomer VAustralia, in fact Qantas is mulling over the fact of whether to pull back its yield losing 1st Class and Business class sections to go the from the current 450 seats to 500+, its 72 business class seating is a folly and change will certainly and must be forthcoming, but the point is it is doing the busines without the better (higher) configurations, Air France and Lufthansa will be doing so from the start of their operations, if it is a success the A380 will be declared a winner, if it flys with plenty of empty seats it could damage it’s too big for the market image beyond doubt, however if the new services are successful then the Airbus will certainly be declared a success and more orders will follow.

In most cases already the A380 is a spectacular success, but this too large a capacity is still lead weight around its neck and could hurt the design (and Sales), again with 787 still nowhere close to being in service, the A380 over the next 12 months could finally cement its position in the industry.

Another breakthrough is if an American Airline chooses the A380 to fly from the mainland to Asia (japan, China), Americans are very territorial and anything Boeing builds is far better than Airbus can build, but significantly today many Airbus products are flying in the mainland USA (A320/321, A330, A340) and the Americans are liking what they are flying on and with its capacity/yields/profit the A380 can make serious money on the Pacific Routes and if the Americans don’t use them someone else will.

The Airbus A380 is a game changer, hub to hub it has no peers except for the Boeing 777, but from mega city to mega city and fare wise it is a real profit machine, the Boeing 787 will still be a serious competitor but cheap fares and space are winners if you want to attract passengers and over the summer of 2010 with AirFrance/Lufthansa will prove that theory …..as the Airbus A380 has both the space and the case for cheaper airfares in spades.

Note on the QANTAS Canberra – Darwin new route post, the launch date is 01FEB10, not 05APR10.  The original post has been edited.

by Felicity Williams, for Breaking News, November 13, 2009.

A HIGH-profile corporate governance group has opposed a proposed “two-strikes” rule intended to curb excessive executive pay on the grounds it will inhibit shareholders from expressing their views.

RiskMetrics – a leading campaigner on the issue of remuneration reports at publicly listed companies – spoke out against the proposal at a hearing before the commission in Melbourne yesterday.

The recommendation, if passed, will empower shareholders to force an entire board to stand for re-election by lodging a protest vote of more than 25 per cent against the remuneration report at two successive annual meetings.

The commission, a federal government body charged with researching economic and social issues, suggested the new law earlier this year as part of reforms aimed at curbing excessive executive pay…(continue reading)

QANTAS from 01FEB10 begins 3 weekly Canberra – Darwin service with Boeing 737-800

QF844 CBR0930 – 1225DRW 73H 135
QF845 DRW1310 – 1850CBR 73H 135

“May I have your visas please?” asked the friendly check-in clerk.

“Visas?” I said “No, you don’t understand. Let me explain – we’re British, we’re flying to Australia, we don’t need visas.”

How many of you know you need a visa to enter Australia? Well, how were we to know? Why didn’t you tell us! What ever happened to the British Empire and the map with a quarter of the world painted pink? You blink for half a century and it’s disappeared. Huh? We’re subjects of the same Queen! Isn’t Oz part of the Commonwealth for crying out loud?

We knew we needed extra security checks when travelling to the USA. The flight booking website informed us that the old Visa-Waiver system was no longer sufficient for Brits and that we had to apply on-line a month or two before with passport and travel details so as to get a Homeland Security check before entering the country. But you still didn’t need a visa for North America.

And so it was that we found ourselves at the Qantas check-in desk at Central Station in downtown Hong Kong, thinking we had timed things just nicely, early morning, a couple of hours to spare, we’d check in our bags at Central Station then take the MTR underground to the Airport and have a leisurely hour or so sipping lattes and espressos whilst waiting to board. Instead we had a rather sudden shock and a tense wait to find out if perhaps neither of us, just one or us, or (preferably) both of us could board the plane and fly to Oz!

I have to say the staff at Qantas Hong Kong were fabulous! On realising our predicament the check-in clerk informed us that they could apply to the Australian authorities on our behalf then and there, but could not of course guarantee whether we would be allowed visas. So they did, and whilst copies of our passports and documentation were made and quickly electronically whizzed into the ether, we were instructed to wait at Central Station. After about half and hour or so we were informed that Judith had been granted a visa but that they had not been informed about me.

Typical!

I remember once completing a life-assurance questionnaire; one of the questions was “Is your job dangerous?” I immediately thought of pastors and missionaries I knew who were daily facing persecution around the world, and hesitated for a moment before answering “It should be”. Perhaps this was now coming back to haunt me. Somewhere in the International Electronic Database there was an entry on Comrade Le Tocq J. P. which read “BEWARE: this man thinks he’s dangerous.” There’s only one thing worse than a man who’s dangerous and that’s a man who thinks he’s dangerous. At other times I would have been proud of this accolade but now there it was causing me to be barred forever from enjoying boomerangs in their natural habitat. Perhaps I would not be allowed back into the UK! Maybe I would end up marooned as some crazed, volatile, politico-religious exile in Hong Kong, without citizenship, lost in the maze of streets in Kowloon, trying to communicate in Pidgin-Cantonese “Oh Pea Roh… Me No Visa… Lob Loofah!”, proclaiming the end of the world, and thinking himself dangerous for the rest of his life.

We were informed that, because of time getting short now before take-off, we should make our way on the MTR from Central Station to Hong Kong Airport where we were to inquire at the Qantas desk whether I had been granted a visa or not. So off we went. And what a peaceful and gleeful train journey that was, as we calmly discussed whether just Judith should fly or should she wait in Hong Kong with me if it transpired that my visa was not issued in time, and whether we could afford the extra cost of new tickets. Of course we prayed a little too.

And so it was as the Qantas assistant at the airport desk recovered from the sloppy kiss I gave her (or was it ‘him’? – I never stopped long enough to check) having informed us that my visa had been granted, that Judith and I could be seen skipping through the Departures gate with time enough for a much desired espresso and a latte before we boarded the flight and headed south for the next part of our adventure towards Sydney, the land of Oz and Hillsong Church…

Si chiama INSPIRATION OF JAPAN ed è la nuova gamma di prodotti di bordo che la prima compagnia aerea privata giapponese si accinge ad installare sui propri aeromobili a partire dal 2010.

La compagnia nipponica ha dedicato al riguardo un microsito che è raggiungibile al seguente indirizzo :
https://www.ana.co.jp/int/svc/en/new_brand_2010/

I nuovi prodotti saranno disponibili in servizio regolare a partire dal 10 Febbraio 2010 sui voli NH0009 e NH0010, in volo tra Tokyo Narita – New York JFK, in concomitanza con l’entrata in servizio dell’ultimo modello di aeromobile consegnato, il Boeing 777-300 ER. Successivamente il prodotto verrà esteso ai collegamenti verso Francoforte e Londra.
I nuovi B777-300ER saranno configurati a 3 classi con 18 posti di First Class, 68 posti in Business Class, 24 in Premium Economy e 112 in Economy.

E’ inutile dire che All Nippon Airways ha fatto le cose in grande e ha presentato una gamma di offerte realmente al passo con i tempi e decisamente interessanti. L’operazione di rebranding che la vede al centro dell’attenzione merita sicuramente di essere approfondita nel dettaglio.

FIRST CLASS

L’hanno chiamata ANA FIRST SQUARE e sarà  il prodotto TOP della gamma, ossia la First Class; All Nippon Airways non sembra avere dubbi e si accoda in scia alle più rinomate compagnie del mondo – quali Etihad Airways, Qantas, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Jet Airways – introducendo delle vere e proprie SUITES.

Girando per il sito e sfogliando le immagini colpisce subito la spaziosità di ogni suite e la riservatezza che le alte pareti sembrano in grado di garatire. Pannelli alti per riparare da sguardi indiscreti, grigi all’esterno per avere un look minimalista e color legno all’interno per creare un ambiente meno impersonale e più caldo.

Geniale sono  lo scomparto nella parte esterna della suite per riporre il proprio abito in modo che non si pieghi, i numerosi scomparti (alcuni a scomparsa) per i propri oggetti personali, spazio sotto il poggiapiedi per riporre una valigia. E’ probabile che le cappelliere siano rimosse in modo da creare un ambiente più arioso e meno claustrofobico.

Le poltrone sono firmate Phyten, leader nella creazione di prodotti tecnologici al titanio mentre iI materassini ad alta resistenza “Airweave”  distribuiranno la pressione del corpo su tutta la superficie garantendo il miglior sostegno possibile a tutto il corpo, Per ogni passeggero saranno disponibili enormi e soffici cuscini, pantofole, comodi pigiami, maschera per gli occhi e tappi per le orecchie, senza tralasciare prodotti aromaterapici che garantiranno un sonno eccellente a bordo.

L’IFE sarà composto da un sistema Audio Video on Demand di ultima generazione con un video LCD da 23 pollici e tecnologia Touchscreen : oltre 160 programmi tra cui scegliere, e la possibilità – ancora mai sperimentata finora – di fare ordinare bevande, cibi, pranzi e articoli dal Duty Free Shop di bordo stando seduti al proprio posto utilizzando l’IFE. Insomma, ogni cosa a portata di mano.

Ma le novità non finiscono qui: il catering sarà curato ulteriormente e diverrà se possibile ancora più esclusivo con i piatti più prelibati creati dai migliori chef del mondo, mentre per quanto riguarda i servizi a terra bisognerà attendere l’autunno del 2010 per avere delle sostanziali novità; a Tokyo Narita verrà infatti approntata un’area dedicata per i passeggeri di first class in un ambiente moderno e minimale, dove ciascun passeggero potrà svolgere le varie operazioni in assoluta tranquillità.

Infine, novità anche sul fronte Lounge, poichè le sale d’attesa verranno ammodernate e rinominate come ANA FIRST LOUNGE. Ogni passeggero avrà a disposizione una stanza per sè dove servito e riverito potrà rilassarsi, riposare, lavorare o cenare prima di salire a bordo!

BUSINESS CLASS

Cambio di look completo anche in business class. Abbandonato il concetto tradizionale degli ANGLED FLAT SEATS, All Nippon Airways si lancia sulle poltrone in grado di distendersi in maniera perfettamente orizzontale.

Il concept che verrà utilizzato è quello degli STAGGERED SEAT (non a caso il brand sarà appunto ANA STAGGERED BUSINESS), già utilizzato da compagnie come la Etihad Airways e che stando a insistenti rumours dovrebbe essere installato anche sui nuovi velivoli Alitalia.

Il layout di cabina (configurazione 1-2-1) permetterà – grazie alla posizione sfalsata di ogni poltrona rispetto all’altra – uno spazio maggiore per ogni passeggero (si parla del 150% rispetto al passato), l’accesso al corridoio da ciascun posto e un grado di privacy elevato.

Ogni posto offre uno spazio più che adeguato, una seduta comoda che si trasforma semplicemente in letto, un tavolino per mangiare o lavorare e un monitor LCD da 17 pollici.

Anche per la business class, le poltrone sono state create utilizzando la tecnologia aquatitanium brevettata da Phyten.

Non mancano naturalmente una vasta gamma di articoli quali pigiama, trousse, pantofole e prodotti di cosmesi per rendere il viaggio ancora più gradevole.

Aumentano sensibilmente gli spazi a disposizione di ogni passeggero: dallo scomparto per le scarpe, a quello per il bagaglio a mano, senza dimenticare altri piccoli cassettini disseminati intorno alla propria poltrona.

Il catering sarà completamente ripensato e diverrà à la Carte così da permettere a ogni passeggero di scegliere non solo QUANDO ma anche COSA mangiare.

Per quanto infine riguarda l’IFE, anche in business class sarà disponibile un sistema Audio Video On Demand con una vasta scelta tra oltre 160 programmi. Ogni passeggero potrà anche collegare un iPod o altri dispositivi tramite una porta USB opportunamente approntata, fermo restando la possibilità di ordinare cibi, bevande, o articoli dal Duty Freeshop utilizzando il monitor LCD con tecnologia touchscreen.

PREMIUM ECONOMY CLASS

Novità anche per la Premium Economy, poichè la spaziosità aumenterà ulteriormente arrivando fino a 42 pollici. La struttura a shell permetterà ai passeggeri di poter reclinare il proprio sedile senza arrecare disturbo a coloro che sono seduti dietro. Interessante – oltre che utile l’utilizzo di nuovi pannelli divisori tra i posti per aumentare il livello di privacy di ogni passeggero.

Ognuno dei posti, il cui design è stato studiato nei minimi dettagli offrirà oltre al tradizionale tavolino anche un ripiano aggiuntivo estraibile ed un monitor LCD da 12 pollici

Sempre a proposito di IFE, All Nippon Airways metterà a disposizione per ciascun posto una porta USB per connettere i propri dispositivi, un connettore per iPod e non ultimo cuffie in grado di ridurre il rumore esterno.

La poltrona, sempre prodotta da Phyten garantisce un alto livello di confort che unita alla grande spaziosità la rende la poltrona più grande di premium economy attualmente disponibile.

ECONOMY CLASS

All Nippon Airways non ha trascurato nemmeno l’economy class: con il nuovo prodotto di bordo aumenta anche lo spazio per le gambe e la distanza tra le file che passa da 31 a 34 pollici, segnando così un nuovo primato, poichè non esistono poltrone di economy così spaziose con gli altri vettori.

Seguendo la tecnologia implementata per prima da Cathay Pacific, anche il vettore giapponese ha optato per l’installazione di sedili con schienale fisso che non arreca disturbo ai passeggeri seduti dietro. La reclinabilità è garantita da un opportuno scivolamento della seduta propriamente detta e di una parte dello schienale (non la shell).

Ogni sedile è equipaggiato con poggiapiedi e poggiatesta che garantiranno una più confortevole permanenza a bordo.

L’IFE sarà disponibile con monitor da 10,6 pollici a tecnologia touchscreen e l’AVOD offrirà – come per le altre classi – una selezione di oltre 160 programmi, porta USB e connettore per iPod.

CONCLUDENDO

Le aspettative da una compagnia come All Nippon Airways erano elevate e devo dire che non sono state disattese.
La nuova First class colpisce per l’enorme grado di privacy che pare in grado di offrire a ogni passeggero. Assolutamente innovativo e interessante è l’idea di utilizzare l’IFE per ordinare bevande e cibi, fatto questo che ad oggi non conosce eguali.
La business class conferma quanto i vettori all’avanguardia guardino con interesse agli herringbone seats e gli staggered seats che vengono sempre più preferiti ai layout tradizionali. L’accesso al corridoio ed uno spazio personale maggiore rappresentano un beneficio estremamente apprezzato dai fruitori della business class, con particolare riguardo a coloro che viaggiano singolarmente.

Tuttavia ritengo che – più di tutto – siano degne di nota le classi che tradizionalmente vengono trascurate dalle compagnie aeree.
All Nippon Airways in assoluta controtendenza (ma forse non è un caso) ha dedicato ampio spazio sia alla premium economy che all’ecnomy. Riducendo la capacità di bordo, offre spazi in entrambi le classi finora sconosciuti che la pongono in cima a questo speciale tipo di classifica. L’introduzione di sedili con shell non reclinabile evidenziano, se mai ve ne fosse bisogno, l’attenzione con cui ANA si è rapportata a queste due classi di servizio che – in seguito alla crisi – sono tornate molto in auge anche tra i viaggiatori d’affari.

Fonte notizia e foto: www.ana.co.jp

Singapore based low-cost carrier Jetstar Asia has applied to Japanese authorities for the rights to fly twice daily to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport from its base in Singapore Changi Airport.

Jetstar is expected to deploy long haul, wide body aircraft when the route has been approved by authorities in both countries, and will mark the carrier’s foray into the Asian long-haul, low cost market which Malaysia’s Air Asia had pioneered.

Jetstar Asia is partially owned by Australia’s Qantas, and both carriers have interline agreements with each other.

Mexican airline Mexicana has joined Oneworld as its eleventh full member, with its subsidiaries MexicanaClick and MexicanaLink becoming affiliate members of the alliance. The 3 airlines bring forth an extensive Central American network to Oneworld, extending the alliance’s reach to almost 700 destinations in nearly 150 countries.

As part of Oneworld, members of the MexicanaGo frequent flyer program can now earn and redeem mileage awards on any of its partner airlines, with Conquer, Discover and Explore cardholders being accorded Oneworld Emerald, Sapphire and Ruby status respectively. The 100 million members enrolled in the frequent flyer programs of the other Oneworld member airlines will also be able to earn and redeem awards, as well as receive benefits on Mexicana and its subsidiaries.

To commemorate the joining, Mexicana has unveiled 2 aircraft, an Airbus A320 and a Boeing 717, in a special Oneworld livery at its hub at Mexico City’s Benito Juárez International Airport as part of a rebranding and marketing campaign. The airline will also have its logo added to the alliance and its member airlines’ marketing platforms, while featuring the Oneworld emblem on its aircraft, advertising, publications and stationery.

Together with its affiliates, Mexicana serves 67 destinations in 14 countries using a combined fleet of 105 Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier and Fokker aircraft from its hubs in Mexico City, Cancun and Guadalajara. The airline joins American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, LAN, Malév Hungarian Airlines, Qantas and Royal Jordanian in Oneworld, which was recently voted the World’s Leading Airline Alliance at the 2009 World Travel Awards for the seventh year running.

For more information, visit www.mexicana.com and www.oneworld.com.

QANTAS during Chinese New Year 2010 is operating extra flights to Hong Kong. Extra flights are being operated on Sydney – Hong Kong and Brisbane – Hong Kong route, as well as limited time only Hong Kong – Cairns one-way flight.  Schedules as follows:

Sydney – Hong Kong / Hong Kong – Cairns
QF191 SYD1100 – 1720HKG 333 11FEB10
QF191 SYD1140 – 1800HKG 332 19FEB10
QF191 SYD1110 – 1730HKG 332 20FEB/21FEB10

QF182 HKG2015 – 0525+1CNS 333 11FEB10
QF182 HKG2030 – 0540+1CNS 333 12FEB10 – 14FEB10
QF182 HKG2100 – 0610+1CNS 333 15FEB10
QF182 HKG2100 – 0610+1CNS 332 16FEB10

Sydney – Hong Kong
QF197 SYD1145 – 1805HKG 332 21FEB10
QF198 HKG1935 – 0755+1SYD 332 21FEB10

Brisbane – Hong Kong
QF188 HKG1310 – 2359BNE 333 12FEB10
QF188 HKG2030 – 0720+1BNE 332 13FEB10/15FEB10

QF187 BNE1215 – 1900HKG 332 15FEB10
QF187 BNE0840 – 1525HKG 332 16FEB10

Sydney – Hong Kong QF087/088 operates with 747-400 instead of A330 on following date:
QF087 SYD1455 – 2045HKG 744 14FEB10
QF088 HKG0920 – 2120SYD 744 15FEB10

Al giorno d’oggi si parla sempre con molto interesse di cibo naturale, meglio noto come BIO, o cmq proteico.
Non si può dire che le compagnie non accolgano le richieste dei passeggeri: Singapore Airlines forse ha preso le richieste fin troppo in parola.

A quanto si può capire dal video, la formica intrusa è stata rinvenuta a bordo di un volo SQ in servizio tra Bangalore e Singapore. Sebbene questi episodi siano sempre da deprecare, non si tratta del primo episodio: già in passato a bordo degli aerei sono stati trovati serpenti, ragni, formiche e persino rane nell’insalata (qantas). A giustificazione parziale di Singapore Airlines va detto che in alcune stazioni in India (particolarmente Bangalore, Cochi e Thiruvananthapuram), dove eccetto i vettori indiani, le compagnie sono alla mercè dei fornitori di catering locali, i cui standard sono, per manifesto giudizio di tutti i vettori, sono estremamente mediocri.

Another day, another reason not to fly. Two Qantas pilots have been given their marching orders after they forgot to lower the wheels as they came into land. Whoops! The Boeing 767 was only 700ft off the ground when the flight crew realized their boo-boo. But not to worry   the “gear too low” warning screeched to life at  just around the same time. Hmm, that is pretty much failure of  basic flying 101!

Dopo i piloti della Delta, tocca a quelli della Qantas.

Uno degli equipaggi Qantas avrebbe infatti dimenticato di aprire il carrello prima dell’atterraggio a Sydney settimana scorsa!

Dal sito ABC News :

Qantas has stood down two pilots after they failed to lower the landing gear on a flight into Sydney last week.

… the flight crew on the Melbourne to Sydney service responded quickly to the problem and started “a go around” before landing safely…

A spokesman for the Australian and International Pilots Association, Captain Barry Jackson, says the investigation will look at what action the pilots took.

“I don’t know if they actually started to climb straight away because normally when you do a go-around you select the go-around switches, the aeroplane will climb rapidly and for some reason it’s continued to a lower altitude before it’s gone round and that warning has been set off,” he said.

Se va avanti di questo passo, prima o poi dimenticheranno anche di salire a bordo questi piloti!!!!

]]> http://travelwerke.wordpress.com/2009/11/03/new-business-lounge-for-qantas-passengers-in-hong-kong/ Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:19:59 +0000 travelwerke http://travelwerke.wordpress.com/2009/11/03/new-business-lounge-for-qantas-passengers-in-hong-kong/

Australia’s Qantas Airways has opened a new International Business Lounge at Hong Kong International Airport. The new facility replaces the original lounge opened in 1998 and is the latest in a series of lounge upgrades for the airline, following Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, Perth, Tokyo (Narita), Los Angeles and Honolulu.

To provide greater comfort and personal space for passengers, Qantas has rearranged the seating layout and furnished the lounge with a new furniture range. Plush armchairs, dining chairs and bar stools combining wood, leather and fabrics are paired with chocolate brown carpets, as well as designer elements such as Moooi lighting and an Akira Isogawa rug.

The food and beverage offering has been expanded to include a greater selection of hot and cold foods, beverages and snacks, while 11 bathroom and shower suites with Molten Brown bath amenities let passengers relax and freshen up before their flight. Complimentary internet access, power and data ports, as well as 14 individual workstations equipped with PCs support the needs of business travellers who need to catch up with work.

The Qantas International Business Lounge is open to all Business Class, Chairman’s Lounge, Platinum and Gold Frequent Flyers, Qantas Club members and eligible passengers travelling on Oneworld marketed or operated flights. Qantas is also upgrading and expanding its First Lounge in Hong Kong, due to reopen in early December 2009.

From Hong Kong, Qantas operates flights to Brisbane, London (Heathrow), Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.  For more information, visit www.qantas.com.au.

QANTAS has stood down two pilots after a Boeing 767 landing in Sydney came within 700ft of the ground before the flight crew realised they had not lowered the plane’s undercarriage…. From The Australian. Full story

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