Airliners-India.com

[747-237]

http://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/ai-explores-boeing-777-seat-reconfiguration-113032600387_1.html

AI explores Boeing 777 seat reconfiguration

Poor occupancy in its first class another reason why the airline is considering reconfiguration

March 27, 2013


As part of its reconfiguration exercise, Air India is evaluating a plan to drop first-class seats in its long-haul Boeing 777 planes. The airline flies these wide-body planes to the US, Europe, China, Japan, Korea and Saudi Arabia.

It has 12 Boeing 777-300 ERs and eight 777-200 LRs. For some time, the airline has been trying to sell or lease five of the latter model of aircraft but has found no takers. This is because the aircraft’s current seat configuration is not ideal for medium-haul routes and makes those commercially unviable to operate.

Air India’s Boeing 777-200 LRs have 238 seats, including eight first-class ones (8+35+195), while the 300-ERs have 342 seats, four of those first-class (4+35+303).

Another reason for the airline to consider reconfiguration is the poor first-class occupancy.

“The occupancy in the first-class seats is 25-30 per cent — often after including ministers travelling in those and passenger upgrades, which generate no revenue for the airline. The idea is to drop first-class seats and add economy-class ones. We can then deploy these planes on high-density routes like those to Saudi Arabia which have good demand,” an Air India source said.

The airline continues to make losses on a majority of its international routes. Overall, it expects to post a modest operating profit of Rs 65 crore in 2012-13, banking on the Boeing 787 Dreamliners for its turnaround. The 787s, which have been grounded since January following battery defects, are to replace the 777s on its Europe and Far-East routes. These will also be used on the new routes like Sydney and Melbourne. Air India currently has six Boeing 787s and has 27 on order.

The airline had been flying the 787s to Paris and Frankfurt but with these planes grounded, it had to redeploy the 777s on these routes. The carrier’s officials maintain various options with regard to Boeing 777s, including seat reconfiguration, are being explored.

“Our first option is to sell these planes,” an official said. Another said the airline was yet to firm up its decision and was evaluating options.

An airline needs to carry out technical analysis before reconfiguring seats and the aircraft requires certification from regulatory authorities, including the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and the Federal Aviation Administration.

[Nimish]

Good move - just hope that it can be done quickly and can be scheduled after the 787s come back online.
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We miss you Nalini!

[Spiderguy252]

We've heard all this before. I'll believe it when I see it.
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Yeah.

[Jaysit]

Oh no! Then how will the niece of the cousin of the Grand Babu who works for the Railway minister travel when she visits her uncle in New Jersey?

The babu/mantri class will never let this happen. Not to mention the AI staff. How else do you think they're going to outfit their homes if not with AI First Class cutlery, crockery, glassware, blankets, pillows, etc.?

If AI are in any way serious about this, they'll dump First, upgrade J (the meal offerings, for instance, are barely a cut above Y), and create J Class lounges that don't look like the stripped down living room of an IAS Officer's Daak Bungalow, circa 1962.

[747-237]

This issue seems to have come up again.


http://www.hindustantimes.com/business-news/air-india-may-scrap-first-class-seats-on-flights-to-us/article1-1287225.aspx


Air India may scrap first class seats on flights to US

November 18, 2014

The central government’s decision to ban first-class air travel by top bureaucrats as part of its austerity drive will hit national carrier Air India (AI), as government traffic contributes a substantial chunk to its revenues, feel senior airline executives.


Moreover, many bureaucrats use political influence to upgrade their seats to first class, which practice could also now come to an end.

“The occupancy in the first class is as it is quite low... at 20-25% and this move will affect us further,” said a senior AI official.

AI, which offers first class seats only on its long-haul flights to the US, is also having a rethink on whether to retain the first class at all on its Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft after having opted for a two-class configuration on all other international routes.

“We need to take a call on whether we need it or not as many of the airlines recently have been adopting the two-class configuration. This was the reason why we decided for a two-class configuration for the Dreamliner,” said an AI spokesperson.

“The decision has to be taken by the Board. Commercially, we market the first class. With AI joining Star Alliance, a lot of redemptions may take place and passengers may prefer to travel first class. We need to watch over the next six to eight months on how the improvement in load factors take place in the first class and then take a decision,” another AI official said.

However, AI has a huge advantage over others. “AI is the only Indian airline offering first class on a non-stop flight from India to the US and that’s a big advantage. Dropping first class seats would mean losing this traffic,” said Subhash Goyal, chairman, STIC Travel Group.

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[Nimish]

^^ Get rid of the F class already AI - no one's paying $15K for a AI F ticket.
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We miss you Nalini!

[Jaysit]

[Spiderguy252]

Considering that the 77Ls are effectively gone off of the mainline routes, and the 77Ws have only 4 F seats in them apiece this is hardly a story anymore.

Of course, since AI's 787s don't have F either, it will mean that they are doing away with the F product altogether.
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Yeah.

[The_Goat]

[Spiderguy252]

[Jaysit]

Other than the hard product, AI's J Class is nothing more than a glorified Premium Y product.

[747-237]

http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/ai-to-remove-first-class-from-b777-long-range-planes-116011700435_1.html

Air India to remove First Class from B777 long-range planes

January 17, 2016

Air India has decided to do away with the First Class cabin on its Delhi-San Francisco flight in view of "low occupancy," barely a month after the carrier launched the services operated by a three- class B777-200LR aircraft.

Air India's decision to reconfigure these aircraft, which currently have eight first class seats, 35 business and 195 economy class seats, comes in the backdrop of heightened demand for business and economy classes, airline sources said.

The airline has three B777-200LRs in its fleet of over 125 aircraft, which would be reconfigured in phases. All these three planes are being operate on the San Francisco route.

“We have seen just about 25% occupancy in the First class cabin while the same for business class has picked by 30-35 % since the launch. Therefore, we have decided to operate the flight in two class configuration removing first class seats and adding more in the economy cabin," airline sources said.

As part of the plan, the economy seats after the reconfiguration will go up to 298, they said.

The sources, however, said that the airline will not have to deploy any more planes on the San Francisco route during the reconfiguration period, which requires grounding of an aircraft as the entire exercise will be completed on rotation.

"We have three B777-200LR and all these will not be reconfigured together, but by turn," they said, adding that the airline was expected to incur upto USD 2 million on reconfiguration of each aircraft.
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[Nimish]

I'm getting a sense of Deja-Vu now!
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We miss you Nalini!

[iah87]

I am surprised that they even have 25% occupancy in first class, who are these in the 25%- may be free loaders or special upgrades. A few months ago I saw a posting in this forum about first class occupancy in LH's BLR-FRA sector, which was about 4%, LH was selling (or upgrade) a seat every 3 days in first class.

[Jaysit]

If they're going from 195 to 298 pax in Y, they must be going the 10-abreast way with seat pitch reduced from 34" to 32".

[abhijith16]

[Jeh]

[ameya]

I assume this should be done during one of the C checks since the seats are anyways removed. Not sure how the galley is and if that will require a lot of changes too
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[Caliguy]

I hope AI adds 4 rows of extra legroom seats in Coach for Star Gold. On such long US-India flights *Golds really want that legroom plus many will pay. I know people disagree, but i really think AI should have a true premium econo on these birds. Just copy the AA seat and serve the J class meal in one tray and call it a day. PE to India is usually very high $$ and close to full. Perfect class for such a long flight. OH and can AI just add 20 more english films to their offering of 10. They get reamed for their lack of english films. What is the issue.

[iah87]

[indopaki]

Do they still offer F on 747 or is it now sold as J?