Dotcom From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2005, 15 posts, RR: 0 Posted (8 years 1 week 6 days 10 hours ago) and read 1299 times:
I'll be flying IB Business Class next year (Feb 06) to JNB, I've read loads of terrible write ups regarding IB's service but also see from some of their press releases they really do seem to be trying to make an effort.
By the time I fly will Business Plus be rolled out across the fleet? Does anyone have any experience of this new product and is the service improving?
IBERIA747 From Spain, joined Aug 2003, 1825 posts, RR: 62 Reply 1, posted (8 years 1 week 6 days 10 hours ago) and read 1273 times:
Quoting Dotcom (Thread starter): By the time I fly will Business Plus be rolled out across the fleet?
If you're flying on an A340-600 then you will have the new seats.
If you fly on an A340-300...not sure, as there are 18 of them in the fleet and i don't know the schedule for retrofitting.
About the A340-600...well, one of the older 3 was retrofitted recently (EC-INO) so there would be only 2 aircraft waiting to go into the hangars, out of 8 currently in service while the new ones coming from Toulouse already have the new seats installed (5 more still to come and 1 of them about to).
AlitaliaMD11 From Spain, joined Dec 2003, 4068 posts, RR: 15 Reply 2, posted (8 years 1 week 6 days 10 hours ago) and read 1244 times:
IBERIA747
I think that the first A340-300 has gone in for retrofitting?
JNB recently has been being flown by the A340-600 sometimes. Since you are flying to JNB in Feb of 06 there is a 75% chance the plan you fly on will have the new business plus.
Fermarta From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 4, posted (8 years 1 week 6 days 9 hours ago) and read 1209 times:
EC-IOB is now at the hangar being retrofitted. After that, all the A346s will have the new Business Plus.
EC-HGV is the first A340-300 being equipped with the new configuration. The rest of the A343 fleet will be retrofitted at a rate of approx. 2 a month (some months will be 3 and some just 1). By May 2006 all 31 long-haul IB planes will have the new cabin.
LX23 From United Kingdom, joined Aug 2004, 347 posts, RR: 3 Reply 5, posted (8 years 1 week 6 days 8 hours ago) and read 1166 times:
Quoting Dotcom (Thread starter): I'll be flying IB Business Class next year (Feb 06) to JNB, I've read loads of terrible write ups regarding IB's service but also see from some of their press releases they really do seem to be trying to make an effort
IB's C-class product is usually quite good. Moreover, you'll be flying to South Africa (I'm asuming from LHR?). Most of the bad writeups (including mine) come from IB's Latin American services, in which the general service and treatment are below that of other airlines. Warning to some: This has been discussed ad nauseam, and I'm NOT going to respond to any flames... these opinions are based on actually flying with them (closing on 40 flights with IB).
Pdpsol From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 999 posts, RR: 6 Reply 6, posted (8 years 1 week 5 days 23 hours ago) and read 1086 times:
Quoting Richardw (Reply 3): Will IB eventually be all Airbus, or are those MD-8Xs hanging around for a while?
Richard, on February 25, 2005, IB announced it was replacing its entire fleet of 19 MD87, 13 MD88, 7 B757 and 'older' A320's with 30 firm orders and 49 options [79 total] for A318/319/320/321 examples. The order is IB's largest order ever, exceeding its 1998 contract for the A320 family, totaling 50 firm/25 options [75 total].
Interestingly, this order represents IB's first experience with the A318 and affords the carrier considerable flexibility regarding model types, delivery timing, financing, etc.
Also, in the same press release announcing the A320 family 'mega order', IB announced it was STILL considering the B787 and A350 for its long-haul fleet. Boeing went ALL OUT to market the B737NG in February 2005 and had already been licking its wounds after losing out to Airbus in 2002, when IB chose the A340-600 over the B777-300ER to replace its aging fleet of B747-256B's [BTW, IB just recently phased-out its last 742 from the fleet].
So, other than the four ex-SQ 747-412's leased from AirAtlanta, IB will be an all-Airbus carrier once it replaces its MD's and 757's over the next few years.
It is unknown when IB will make an announcement regarding the B787 v. A350 decision.
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