Qantas' first refurbished Airbus A380 to enter service next week
Qantas has been working on refurbishing the interiors of its 12 Airbus A380 aircraft. Now, the first updated A380 will begin operating Qantas' flagship LondonHeathrow to Sydney route via Singapore, starting next week.
As previously reported by TPG, the refurbishment means a big upgrade for business-class passengers who are used to an older-generation Skybed MK2 in a 2-2-2 layout on the airline's A380, with minimal storage and privacy.
U.S. travelers should keep an eye open for updates, too. Qantas' A380s currently fly from Dallas/Fort Worth and Los Angeles, two gateways where the refurbished A380s will be sure to be a welcome change for business-class passengers.
In the updated cabin, business-class passengers can enjoy the same fully-flat, 1-2-1 configuration "Business Suite" with direct aisle access for every passenger — the same seat as found on Qantas' Boeing 787 aircraft.
Qantas is keeping its first-class cabin on the A380, and these seats will receive only a minor refresh with new cushions and larger IFE screens. However, the cabin layout and seat design will remain the same. The premium-economy cabin will receive the same seats as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, including the same relatively tight legroom. The economy cabin will only get new cushions and improved IFE.
Because of the time the aircraft will take to operate the long journey between Australia and the UK, with only one aircraft refurbished so far, Qantas can not yet operate the updated interior with the new products on all daily flights on this route. Executive Traveller reports the aircraft will operate the following services next week, noting this remains subject to change:
- Sept. 30: QF 2 (LHR - SYD)
- Oct. 2: QF1 (SYD - LHR)
- Oct. 3: QF2 (LHR - SYD)
- Oct. 5: QF1 (SYD-LHR)
- Oct. 6: QF2 (LHR - SYD)
- Oct. 8: QF1 (SYD - LHR)
- Oct. 9: QF2 (LHR- SYD)
Qantas is aiming to refurbish one A380 per month, so the project should be complete in around 12 months. The easiest way to tell if you are on a refurbished aircraft is to check the business-class seat map — the yet-to-be refurbished aircraft will be six across, while the updated aircraft will be a staggered 1-2-1 across. You can read our guide on how to read an aircraft seat map here.
Vote for TPG UK's four-class British Airways review in this year's Lovie Awards!
TPG featured card
Rewards
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month
Rewards Rate
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro Offer
Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
$395Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.740-850Excellent
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month