[RichHI1]

Had one on a flgith from Athens to Heraklion think it was Olympic (2008).

[Swissdiver]

Me too, GVA-ATH. But shortly after Olympic went under.

[Scandinavian]

@Roadking

SAS has only MD80s at ARN and CPH. They had a fleet of ten more modern MD-90s but they left the fleet about five years ago. Most of the remaining MD80s were from late 80s early 90s, so actually as old as much of BA’s 747s…

@RichHI1
SAS had special sleeper seats in its business class on long-haul prior to the introduction of their current flat seat offering. It was basically the first row in business class which could be put in a lie flat mode for a premium.

717s were at Spanair but not being returned to the SAS Group’s Blue1 subsidiary in Finland. Mainline SAS have never offered them!

[VintageKrug]

BA has only one of its 51 747s from 1989, the majority are mid to late 1990s, with the youngest being delivered in 1999.

[RichHI1]

Yes the 744 fleet is younger. According to the web…
SAS average fleet age 12.1 years
BA average fleet age 12.4 years
but to VK’s point
SAS MD80/90 fleet age 21.9 years
BA 744 fleet age 16.6 years

[Swissdiver]

And the hope is that BA will soon rejuvenate its 747 fleet by buying the 747-8!

[VintageKrug]

Sadly, unlikely. But the 747-8F will be seen in BA livery nonetheless.

[Swissdiver]

VK: Why unlikely?

[RichHI1]

From what I have read VK is correct but I find it a troubling mistake given frequent premium passenger preference for the 747 family and the first class cabin. Never mind LH and KE have ordered and I am sure others will follow.

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

Rich

If BA delete the 747 from the fleet, then passengers have a choice to stay loyal to the brand or the aircraft.

BA will expect its premium passengers to accept this change, in the same way that they have accepted withdrawal of anytime access and various other service enhancements.

You do realise that the 777-300ER, the 787 and the A380 are better, don’t you?

As long as people like VK keep booking the tickets and saying how marvellous the service is, this will continue.

[RichHI1]

Disgusted I agree with you as regard BA, which is why I am an AA elite not BA. I fly BA intra Europe and occasionally LHR – NRT/PVG/GIG/MEX/EZE. Mostly AA though. So I am not a BA loyalist.

I like the 777’s, I think the 787 looks fantastic especially with air quality improvements but I prefer 4 engines over 2 when doing long water flights like NRT-LAX, LAX-HNL, SFO-SYD.
The a380 is a remarkable technical achievement and I like the 4 engines but to me looks so ugly and I think the first class arrangements are less private than the front cabin on 747.
The 748 however has maintained the grace and elegance that the other 747 family, the Concorde and very few other aircraft achieve.

If VK wants to see life through his rose coloured glasses then that is his privilege. Though I must admit there are times I do not recognize the same planet.

[VintageKrug]

BA will choose its new fleet, the 777-300ER, the A380 and the 787 based on the economics and the superior in flight experience for passengers.

As no-one has yet flown a 787 commercially, it’s hard to compare.

But I’ve flown both the 777-300ER and the A380 and while I didn’t notice much difference in the 777, the A380 was significantly quieter and I arrive without the usual coating of fumey fug which has to be rinsed off in the arrivals lounge.

I’ll certainly be sad to see the 747s leave the fleet over the next 15 years or so, but just as we were sad to see the romance and charm of the Viscounts, BAC1-11s, Tridents and VC10s leave the fleet, so it will be right for 747s to be replaced in due course; though at present they are being returned from the desert rather than being retired – some of them could easily run until 2025.

And as far as DoS’s loyalty is concerned, it will be hard to remain loyal to the 747-400 as other airlines will be phasing them out over the coming decades, and very few have opted for the -8; it’s an old platform and the economics aren’t appealing; even less so as the new composite twins become more commonplace.

And as BA has yet to announce (though watch this space…) its new fleet order we cannot know for sure what will replace the 747s, though my money is on a slew of A380s to handle LHRs slot constrained operations.

BA will be the first customer to receive the improved A380-800, with increased MTOW.

My heart would be pleased to see BA order 747-8, my wallet and my brain wants them to order 777-300ERs and A380s with a spattering of 787s and maybe A350XWBs for Iberia, to keep competition in the mid size category.

I’m puzzled by the comment about the privacy in the forward cabin, as that’s more about fit out than the aircraft itself; Qantas’ layout is very private, while AF’s is like being on stage throughout your journey.

[SimonRowberry]

Scandinavian,

I was stuck in the SK Lounge at ARN (Scandinavian side rather the Business side as SK Gold) the day the BA plane crashed on approach to LHR. It was a fortunate place to be stranded indefinitely. Although it’s not as good as CPH (upstairs) or, perhaps, (at a pinch) OSL, but I’ve always found it fine.

My favourite SK lounge was the one at HEL above (I think) Gates 20 and 21. Great staff there, although a very limited F&B range (Joachim and Carola, the regulars on the morning shift are/were excellent). I’ve only used the new lounge once at HEL (it’s been relocated) and found it a bit soulless.

I haven’t flown SK itself for a couple of years (although I keep in Eurobonus as my SA scheme), so I can’t comment on their current aircraft or service levels. The reason for my absence is not a “boycott”, but merely that their BHX-CPH schedule now is so limited that I am forced to use LX or LH when going anywhere outside Scandinavia rather than, in the old days, transit via CPH.

The other reason is that I used them a lot to the Baltics. Now that Air Baltic have been sold by the SK Group, I get no tier points or miles, so it’s better for me to go there with LH or (once and probably once only) LOT.

Safe and happy travels to all, Simon

PS Senator – great seeing you last week and thanks for dinner. Also for the fare information – I’ll do what you suggested. Can you email me and remind me what it was I promised to look into for you? I’ve a memory like a sieve since I passed the 50 threshold! Thanks. S

[VintageKrug]

…and as if by magic, the BA new fleet announcement commences:

British Airways Poised for Tender to Replace Biggest 747 Fleet

Sept. 19 (Bloomberg) — British Airways will begin a tender later this year to evaluate replacements for its 55 aging Boeing Co. 747 jumbo jets, of which it’s the world’s biggest operator, fleet manager Alexander Grant said today in Barcelona.

BA will assess the merits of Airbus SAS’s A350-1000, the biggest version of the European company’s latest widebody, and two Boeing offerings, the planned 787-10, a stretch of the new Dreamliner, and the 777-9X re-winged development of the 777.

“We have a major challenge ahead of us in terms of assessing the opportunities out there,” Grant said today at the International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading conference. “All of those aircraft are going to be in a competition which we’ll be running later this year to really see what we can do.”

British Airways currently has 50 747s in service, plus five in storage. Some of the planes will be displaced by the arrival of 12 Airbus A380 superjumbos starting in 2013. The London-based company also has 24 787-8s and -9s on order, though has yet to agree delivery dates, according to spokesman Philip Allport

International Consolidated Airlines Group SA, created in January from the merger of BA and Iberia, announced its first plane deal in March, ordering eight Airbus A330 aircraft worth $1.8 billion at list price for the Spanish unit. Chief Executive Officer Willie Walsh has earmarked fleet purchases as an area where the combined company aims to achieve economies of scale.

Jumbo Successor

BA’s 747-400s, built to a four-decade-old design, currently carry as many 345 people in a four-class seating configuration, according to the company’s website. Grant didn’t mention the 747-8 Intercontinental, the successor to the jumbo which Boeing aims to get certified and into service by the year’s end.

The carrier has orders for three freighter versions of the plane.

The 330-seat 787-10 could enter service by 2016, Jim Albaugh, Boeing’s commercial airplanes chief, said in June at the Paris Air Show. He added that it would be a “surprise” if the plane wasn’t built, though no decision had been made.

The larger Dreamliner would provide a rival for Airbus’s A350-900 and steal a march on the -1000, which won’t be ready until 2017, according to a schedule announced June 18. The A350 models will be able to carry between 250 and 400 passengers.

Boeing’s decision to re-engine its 737 single-aisle plane rather than build an all-new model has freed up resources to develop the 787-10, marketing chief Randy Tinseth said today.

“We’re seeing more and more interest from customers on what the -10 might be able to do,” he said at the ISTAT event.

The 777-9X is the working name for a plane Boeing may build to improve on the 777-300ER, offering as many as 415 seats. There’s no rush to reach a decision on the project, with the existing 777 outselling the newer A350-1000, Tinseth said.

“We continue to look at what the design-space would look like for that next 777 product, whether it be minor improvements or major improvements or a new airplane,” he said.

—-

No mention of the 747-8, though that doesn’t mean they’re not interested…..

[RichHI1]

Comment on 744 F is that First cabin is not on the way to a galley or toilet unlike say 777.
I think there is current swing to Airbus from BA which I have no doubt is made through good commercial reasons.
Longer term I think the Hub and Spoke jumbo vs the point to point slimmed down (Airbus/Boeing future views) may both come to pass.
As a passenger with an emotional rather than commercial view of aircraft I will continue to favour Boeing equipment where possible and am sure patronize 748’s when I can (as with LH and KE and anyone else who buys them). I am equally sure there are oithers whose preference will draw them to Airbus equipment for similar personal tastes Then as others have posted and BA no doubt hope, there are those whose primary loyalty to carrier will outweigth choice of equipment.

[Author]

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