It’s an exciting day for Qantas, as the airline has just taken delivery of its very first Airbus A321XLR, making the oneworld airline the launch customer for the jet in the Asia-Pacific region. The airline isn’t necessarily using this jet in the way that you’d expect, though.
Continue reading: Qantas Airbus A321XLR Joins Fleet: Surprising Boeing 737 Replacement?
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
Is this decision driven by cargo capacity? Both the weight but also the ULD configuration in the hold. I seem to recall that there's a slightly counterintuitive optimum solution if you want to choose the A321 that balances both passenger and cargo revenue.
Australia has a poor freight rail network.
So yes, cargo does very much matter down under.
I'd love to see Qantas expand their Pacific Island route network with this plane to take on AirNZ
Nothing to do with delivery delays, quality assurance issues or general safety concerns then David?
Yes David.
Most XLR customer don't really need the range of XLR.
The base A321 takes 10 LD-3
The A321LR takes 7 (space of 3 is converted to ACT)
The A321XLR takes 8 (7 if you add 1 ACT to reach 8,700km advertised range)
So if you need the range of LR but with a little extra cargo space, upgrading to the XLR is brilliant.
Clearly this will mainly do what the a330, and before that the 767, used to do which is PER-SYD/MEL/BNE with golden triangle morning flights and the occasional foray to the nearer parts of Asia.
Qantas is pretty conservative so in might be as simple as make BNE-NRT daily on a321, which makes MEL-NRT daily. Maybe they try BNE-KIX or FUK if BNE subsidises. Maybe it’s PER-SIN, a return to ADL-SIN, making MEL-CGK daily or PER to New Zealand.
Basically I’m pretty skeptical that Qantas try much of anything new with this. It’s just going strengthening some routes where wide bodies used to go daily.
Even anything new between QLD and Japan is probably more likely to be under the Jetstar brand. QLD is basically a second Hawaii for Japanese suffering from a strong US dollar.
There've been a couple of pieces on this in the papers down here, including in the SMH.
If Qantas could stop sucking as an airline Aussies might actually root for them.
Amazing that QF manage to mis-spell Phnom Penh's name four times in the same image...
They're not going to do Japan in a narrow body with recliner seats in premium. Why would anyone choose this.
QF is using the XLR primarily as a domestic configured high capacity alternative to every other narrowbody.
The XLR gives it the range to do 8-9 hour flights which no other narrowbody can do with that many passengers.
They don't care about the premium cabins that other airlines are putting on longer range 321NEO versions.
They made Perth suffer recliner seats to Singapore for years and downgraded cross country redeyes to 737s. DPS-MEL is a long tortuous redeye in a 737 as well.
Qantas knows what a captive crowd it has and will make them suffer.
Biz from BNE-NRT does not pull in the dollars like SYD-HND or MEL-NRT. I should know I often fly it because the prices are often substantially less starting in Melbourne and going via Brisbane.
If you’d ever eaten the Japanese option on the BNE-NRT QF flight you’d know how little Qantas cares about business passengers flying that route.
What are people going to do? Some will backtrack via Sydney to get jal, ANA or a much more expensive Qantas flight. The people who are willing to detour via Hong Kong probably already are. Maybe China airlines picks up a bit more.
Qantas has Australia by the balls and it knows it.
QF announced a cabin upgrade to 42 of the 738s starting in 2027. So, I'd predict they expect the newer 738s (the ones being upgraded, I presume) to fly for a while. QF has a load (90 or so?) of options across the 220/320 family. At some point, I'd expect the options will be turned into 320neos and 321neos orders to, over the long term, turn QF into an Airbus-only narrow body airline with a mix of 221, 223, 320neo, 321neo, and 321XLR.
Qantas got a great deal from Airbus as they were ordering the A350-1000ULR. It has nothing to do with cargo. It's all about the price and versatility of the A321XLR. If need be they can deploy the plane on longer thin routes especially to India.
Qantas' subsidiary Jetstar already flies the A321neo and A321LR.
But to Ben’s point, QF does not operate 8 hour domestic flights so the choice between NEO. vs LR vs XLR does not make sense beyond freight uplift.
Pretty sure Airbus doesn't even market the "A321LR" anymore, as any base A321NEO w/v is now capable of 97 tonnes, and up to 3 ACT, with comms package upfront.
So it's really just an issue of do you want -XLR or not, and if not, how many ACTs you going to duct your A321NEO for.
As an expat South Australian in the UK, I have to wonder whether the range here means additional routes out of ADL could be on the cards given the lower minimum scale to make a route work here vs wide bodies. UA have announced the SFO direct, and QF have said ADL-AKL is relaunching Novembet, so maybe it is time to resurrect ADL-SIN?
Scan the comments on Australia's ET website, which is nothing but a paid shill for QF, and you'll see the majority are against the hardware choices (not the aircraft itself) such as no IFE screen, recliners in business class etc. etc. That really says something since the censorship of negative QF comments and sleight-of-hand tactics (e.g. burying an unavoidable QF bad news article under a flood of other articles) at ET are well known. QF has sucked since Joyce took the helm. And there is no hope of recovery. And it sucks under the new head, whose name I don't care to remember. Keep flying Australia's 'unofficial' carrier when you can - SQ. I know I do.
Have a look at Analytic Flying's piece on Why Qantas ordered the A321 XLR without lie-flat business class seats.
https://www.analyticflying.com/p/why-qantas-ordered-the-a321-xlr-without
Analytic Flying's hypothesis is : "Qantas have purchased the A321neo XLR due to its cargo carrying capability."
the question is whether they would ever choose to operate a domestic configured aircraft to SE Asia. If so, this aircraft could do it.
If they buy a 321LR, that option might be permanently closed.
the question is whether they would ever choose to operate a domestic configured aircraft to SE Asia. If so, this aircraft could do it.
If they buy a 321LR, that option might be permanently closed.
A321XLR, the most overrated plane ever.
This Qantas customization is the worst so far.
Can't wait to see them flying those in long haul routes with premium economy seats being marketed as a business class - with ImmortalSynn and CorcordeBoy justifying that, as if their life depended it of course.
At least it's not a 737, so yay?
AKL/CHC to PER flights could be a good fit for this. Not domestic but within scope.
No need to "justify" anything. Regardless as to how you (or me, or anyone else) might feel about it, longhaul narrow-bodies have operated since the dawn of the jet age, and will continue to do so for decades. Cry all you want, but that's simply a fact, one that an increasing amount of airlines all over the world, are keen to embrace.
In other words, A321XLR is a plane built with an outdated philosophy from the dawn of the jet age, despite the fact that many widebodies have been developed since to overcome its weaknesses.
Bark all you want, but that's simply a fact, one is just a brainwashing customers lile you an outdated idea into a revolutionary idea that an increasing amount of airlines all over the world, are keen to embrace.
Keep being proud of being brainwashed.
Mason, bro, you really are sounding to be “Proud of being brainwashed”! Brainwashed, into posting like a prehistoric dinosaur.
"In other words, A321XLR is a plane built with an outdated philosophy from the dawn of the jet age, despite the fact that many widebodies have been developed since to overcome its weaknesses."
What (in your mind anyway) is that word-salad even supposed to mean?
If there was an inherent "weakness" in narrow-bodies that was somehow "overcome" by wide-bodies, then why are airlines (all over the world) still happily ordering longhaul capable narrow-bodies?
You really sound stupid.
It's the comfort that no narrowbody can overcome.
Yes, airlines all over the world still happily order the awful plane that is A321XLR.
But have you even looked into WHO are the ones placed the order?
Not a single one is known for providing a high quality service. Not a single one.
They're mostly the low cost carriers and North American carriers - both of which are keen to cut costs in return for reduced passenger satisfaction.
It's because the smart ones with high standards know that weaknesses, especially comfort of narrowbodies are still inherent and can only be overcome by widebodies.
Play with your word salad carefully next time. Cherry-picking facts don't always work.
Don't ever try to justify those awful planes again, until you see an airline on the same league of ANA, Cathay, JAL and EVA. In other words, never.
"But have you even looked into WHO are the ones placed the order?
Not a single one is known for providing a high quality service. Not a single one. "
Qatar Airways and Etihad aren't known for high quality service?
Hmm..... what were you saying about sounding stupid, again? 😉