Qatarair Dreamliner In May

[oldsailor35]

Do QATAR Air have a seat map out for their dreamliner yet ?

[oldsailor35]

Booked my first QATAR flight BKK-LON end of august, hope they are ok ! Was a frequent flyer with Thai Air, but their fares are getting too high although i have never had reason to complain about the service.

I have flown with QR for a few years now, always business, and whilst their in flight service is excellent their timings at HKT and BKK to LHR are often at inconvenient slots and their ground service in Doha is pathetic. Their flights seem to be mostly fully booked and therefore their prices have risen and seem to be permanently high. My biggest gripe is that their frequent flier scheme is useless. I have over 120,000 miles and have tried on numerous occasions to get a flight on miles, only to be told that there are no free mileage seats available. (Was offered a seat from BKK to LHR once with a layover in DOH of 16 hours).

No matter how much we moan I guess we are stuck with rising prices and poorer service - the alternative routes via Moscow or Mumbai don't bear thinking about!!

Have to be honest, i have never had any trouble using my FF miles with Thai Air except for sometimes having to use more points than i want to by having to fly business class Bangkok to Samui which is a waste of time as its such a short flight.

[oldsailor35]

NTSB says it will give update on Boeing 787 Dreamliner probe

March 6, 2013 1:42PM

The National Transportation Safety Board said it will give an update Thursday at 10 a.m. on its investigation of the fire aboard a Japan Airlines 787 in Boston in January.

A battery on the plane caught fire while the Boeing Dreamliner was on the ground and empty of passengers. The NTSB said it will issue an “interim factual report” on the battery fire investigation. That fire was followed by an incident a week later in which an ANA jet made an emergency landing after a smell of smoke in the cockpit that came from a battery.

Problems with lithium-ion batteries prompted regulators to ground all 50 of the 787 airplanes in service Jan. 16.

http://www.suntimes.com/business/18673451-420/ana-says-boeing-787-had-power-panel-trouble-three-times.html

ANA says it had Dreamliner power distribution panel trouble three times

Reuters – 12 hrs ago

All Nippon Airways' (ANA) Boeing Co's 787 Dreamliner aircraft which made an emergency landing on last Wednesday, is seen through a window of the ANA's Airbus A320 jet, at Takamatsu airport …more

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan 's All Nippon Airways had three instances of electric distribution panel trouble in its Boeing 787 Dreamliner before it grounded the aircraft in January and had to replace the panel twice, a spokesman said. In the most serious case, which took place in April 2012, ANA found burns in the protection circuit and the breaker of an electric distribution panel during on-ground inspections after pilots received a generator-related bug message, ANA spokesman Etsuya Uchiyama said on Thursday.

The company believes a foreign material entered the panel and caused the short circuit. The material is likely to have scattered and damaged the breaker, and ANA replaced the damaged panel, he said. "We believe this is not serious. Fire damage in electric distribution panels are also found in other types of aircraft, and it has no impact on safe operation of aircraft," he said.

http://news.yahoo.com/ana-says-had-dreamliner-power-distribution-panel-trouble-190641270--sector.html

Never see any batteries catching fire in 7-11 or Big C ! That's Thai efficiency for you.

Edited March 9, 2013 by oldsailor35

[Jay Sata]

Forget the Screamliner...it won't be flying passengers for the next six months and in PR terms is damaged goods.

[Jay Sata]

Do QATAR Air have a seat map out for their dreamliner yet ?

Yes...It's a nightmare

[lomatopo]

I was surprised to see QR have but one single 787 in their current fleet, heaps on order though.

http://www.qatarairways.com/docs/boeing-787-dreamliner-seatmap.pdf

Fun QR 787 video, the touch and go at ~ 2:05 is pretty amazing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qd1CqXYsojA

Edited March 9, 2013 by lomatopo

[lomatopo]

FAA approves Boeing plan to fix 787 Dreamliner’s fire-plagued batteries, requires testing

By Associated Press, Updated: Wednesday, March 13, 7:26 AM

WASHINGTON — A Boeing plan to redesign the 787 Dreamliner’s fire-plagued lithium-ion batteries won approval Tuesday from the Federal Aviation Administration, moving the cutting-edge planes a step closer to flying passengers again.

The plan includes changes to the internal battery components to minimize the possibility of short-circuiting, which can lead to overheating and cause a fire. Among the changes are better insulation of the battery’s eight cells and the addition of a new containment and venting system, the FAA said in a statement.

The FAA statement didn’t provide an estimate for when the grounded planes might return to service. Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., who was briefed by the agency, said that if all goes well, the FAA could give final approval by mid- to late April for the 787 to resume flight.

Boeing would still have to retrofit the 50 planes already delivered to eight airlines in seven countries, Larsen said in an interview. That could mean the plane wouldn’t return to the skies until late April or early May, he said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/faa-approves-boeing-plan-to-fix-787-dreamliners-fire-plagued-batteries-requires-testing/2013/03/12/abe6c7d0-8b74-11e2-af15-99809eaba6cb_story.html

[Chicog]

How crazy is that?

They said it would take too long to work out what had specifically caused the problems but the new design would ensure 787s were safe.

If it's a Boeing I'm not f***ing going!

[lomatopo]

Originally published Friday, March 15, 2013 at 8:15 PM

Boeing looks for speedy approval after 787 battery tests

By Dominic Gates

Seattle Times aerospace reporter

Boeing seems convinced it can get a speedy Federal Aviation Adminstration go-ahead to retrofit the first of its grounded 787 Dreamliners with beefed-up lithium-ion battery systems and have at least a few flying as soon as next month. A top company engineer said Friday the necessary certification tests should be completed by Boeing in “the next week or two” and that afterward he expects “timely” FAA approval of the fix.

Ron Hinderberger, Boeing vice president of 787-8 engineering, said in a teleconference that certification tests started last week and he expects to get the rest finished “very quickly.” His comment came a day after Boeing unveiled its 787 battery fix at a news conference in Tokyo. Once the tests are done, the FAA will go through the test reports and data. But Hinderberger said the regulatory agency has already agreed that Boeing’s planned testing and analysis will be “sufficient to show compliance with the regulations.”

He said Boeing has been doing tests for weeks, refining its solution, and that most of the certification tests it needs to do will simply be reruns of tests already run successfully.

http://seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2020570076_787batterysolutionxml.html?prmid=4939

[Chicog]

What an utter joke. The FAA would be spineless to let it back in the air. This aircraft should not fly again until the *problem* is found and rectified, not the symptoms.

Edited March 16, 2013 by Chicog

[RabC]

What an utter joke. The FAA would be spineless to let it back in the air. This aircraft should not fly again until the *problem* is found and rectified, not the symptoms.

Money talks.

[transam]

Hope they fit a Boliden battery.

[lomatopo]

LOT Polish Airways 787 expected to make test flight Tuesday

by GLENN FARLEY / KING 5 News

Posted on March 16, 2013 at 6:08 PM

SEATTLE - A 787 built for LOT Polish Airways is expected to be the first flight test to verify the system, to prove to the FAA that Boeing's upgraded battery is safe.

Two months ago on the evening of January 16, the FAA announced it would immediately ground the 787 fleet. That was the day of a second 787 lithium-ion battery incident, when the forward battery aboard an All Nippon Airways jet started smoking while on a domestic flight in Japan. That incident came just nine days after a 787 battery in the rear of the plane smoked and caught fire while on the ground following a flight from Tokyo to Boston.

Early on, it was unclear if the battery incidents were caused by a defect in the battery, or the batteries overheated as a result of something else in the electrical system. After two months of investigation by the transportation safety boards of the United States and Japan, the batteries are now considered the source of the failure, but the exact cause has still not been determined.

http://www.king5.com/news/LOT-Polish-Airlines-to-lead-787s-back-into-the-air-198631261.html

[lomatopo]

Boeing Discloses Fixes for Lithium-Ion Batteries

By JAD MOUAWAD

Published: March 15, 2013

Boeing officials have detailed for the first time their proposed fixes for the lithium-ion batteries aboard its 787 planes, and the changes include better insulation between the eight cells in the battery, gentler charging to minimize stress and a new titanium venting system.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/16/business/boeing-details-its-fixes-for-787.html?_r=0

[lomatopo]

FWIW, NiCAD batteries, which are widely used in aircraft applications also have a checkered history.

The A380 has a Lit-Ion battery for emergency power/lighting. http://leehamnews.wordpress.com/2013/01/14/a380-has-a350-will-have-lithium-ion-batteries/

https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2006/09/07/E6-14827/special-conditions-airbus-model-a380-800-airplane-lithium-ion-battery-installation#h-9

Airbus is still planning on using 28 Lit IoN batteries in the A350 XWB, even though they've said they are investigating a potential fall back to NiCAD. http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/airbus-selects-saft-lithium-ion-battery-systems-to-equip-a350-xwb-56906867.html

[lomatopo]

I guess QR have five (5) 787's? Depending on when exactly in May the OP is traveling there could be a decent chance the 787's are flying again?

ANA to sell 787 tickets Monday

KYODO

MAR 31, 2013

All Nippon Airways Co. plans to start using Boeing 787s again for domestic routes from June 1 and will begin accepting reservations from Monday, after having to ground its entire Dreamliner fleet due to battery troubles. Friday’s announcement came as the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration continues to examine the steps proposed by Boeing to improve the 787′s battery system.

If FAA approval is delayed, ANA may be forced to keep its 17 Dreamliners grounded and scrap the planned flights. In such an event, the airline said it would allow passengers to cancel their reservation and get a refund or switch to other flights.

ANA had to cancel 1,714 domestic and international Dreamliner flights from March 31 to May 31 due to the global grounding of Boeing’s troubled new jet. The 787 has suffered a spate of incidents linked to its battery system, including an emergency landing by an ANA-operated Dreamliner at Takamatsu Airport in Kagawa Prefecture in mid-January.

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/03/31/national/ana-to-sell-787-tickets-monday/

[THAIPHUKET]

May 10th, but by now it´s Thai attitude = never mind.

[Mosha]

Which would you rather hear?

Boeing to FAA/JAA.
We made a fix to contain the problem....
Not.
We fixed the problem....

[sbk]

May 10th, but by now it´s Thai attitude = never mind.

You lost me here. . the Boeing is grounded internationally and has nothing to do with the Thai authorities.

[yermanee]

May 10th, but by now it´s Thai attitude = never mind.

You lost me here. . the Boeing is grounded internationally and has nothing to do with the Thai authorities.

He means that he's adopting the Thai (Mai pen arai) attitude.

Cheers

Yermanee

[THAIPHUKET]

Yermanee, you are perfect lip reader !

[THAIPHUKET]

QR should have 787 in the air this month!

http://www.aviationnews.eu/2013/04/11/qatar-airways-hopes-its-dreamliners-back-in-service-in-april/

[tartempion]

From airlineroute.net:

QATAR Airways

*Boeing 787 schedule updated on 08APR13

Doha – Frankfurt 1 daily from 25MAY13 (2 daily from 01JUN13)

Doha – London Heathrow 1 daily (QR075/076) from 15MAY13

Doha – Munich 1 daily from (QR009/010) 20MAY13 (11 weekly from 01JUN13, 14 weekly from 02OCT13)

Doha – Zurich 1 daily from 01JUN13

[yermanee]

From airlineroute.net:

QATAR Airways

*Boeing 787 schedule updated on 08APR13

Doha – Frankfurt 1 daily from 25MAY13 (2 daily from 01JUN13)

Doha – London Heathrow 1 daily (QR075/076) from 15MAY13

Doha – Munich 1 daily from (QR009/010) 20MAY13 (11 weekly from 01JUN13, 14 weekly from 02OCT13)

Doha – Zurich 1 daily from 01JUN13

Thanks for that,

Noiw if only they can get their new airport opened so can forget those dreaded busrides.

Yermanee

[sbk]

QR should have 787 in the air this month!

http://www.aviationnews.eu/2013/04/11/qatar-airways-hopes-its-dreamliners-back-in-service-in-april/

ANA plans on having them in air in June.

United has this on their site

Update regarding Boeing 787 flights

Last updated April 22, 2013

In compliance with an FAA directive issued January 16, we temporarily

suspended operation of our fleet of six Boeing 787 Dreamliners while

Boeing, the FAA and other governmental agencies worked to resolve issues

affecting batteries on two 787s operated by Japanese airlines. We’ve

received news that the FAA has approved a modification by Boeing that

will fix these battery issues. Bookings are currently available for

Dreamliner flights within the U.S. for May 31 and beyond, and we plan to

launch our new route between Denver and Tokyo Narita International on

June 10, operating on the 787. We look forward to once again putting our

787s into service and will keep you informed as we receive more

information.

[lomatopo]

Qatar Airways’ 787 Dreamliner returns to London Heathrow route

17-May-2013 1

© CAPA

Qatar Airways resumed (16-May-2013) Boeing 787 service between Doha and London Heathrow following the aircraft grounding in Jan-2013. Qatar was the first to launch 787 services to the UK and the return to service means it remains the only airline in the world to operate scheduled 787 services to/from the UK. The first of the carrier’s five 787 returned to service on the Doha-Dubai route on 01-May-2013. The carrier will be gradually phasing in 787 services over the next few weeks on long-haul routes such as Munich, Frankfurt and Zurich. [more - original PR]

UA is resuming direct, non-stop service for DEN-NRT with the 787 on 10 June.

Edited May 21, 2013 by lomatopo

[Brown1950]

Qatar Airways’ 787 Dreamliner returns to London Heathrow route

17-May-2013 1

© CAPA

Qatar Airways resumed (16-May-2013) Boeing 787 service between Doha and London Heathrow following the aircraft grounding in Jan-2013. Qatar was the first to launch 787 services to the UK and the return to service means it remains the only airline in the world to operate scheduled 787 services to/from the UK. The first of the carrier’s five 787 returned to service on the Doha-Dubai route on 01-May-2013. The carrier will be gradually phasing in 787 services over the next few weeks on long-haul routes such as Munich, Frankfurt and Zurich. [more - original PR]

UA is resuming direct, non-stop service for DEN-NRT with the 787 on 10 June.

QR used 787 yesterday and today on Manchester/Doha route. This is a prelude to a daily 787 service Manchester-Doha replacing

the A330-200.

[yoslim]

From airlineroute.net:

QATAR Airways

*Boeing 787 schedule updated on 08APR13

Doha Frankfurt 1 daily from 25MAY13 (2 daily from 01JUN13)

Doha London Heathrow 1 daily (QR075/076) from 15MAY13

Doha Munich 1 daily from (QR009/010) 20MAY13 (11 weekly from 01JUN13, 14 weekly from 02OCT13)

Doha Zurich 1 daily from 01JUN13

Thanks for that,

Noiw if only they can get their new airport opened so can forget those dreaded busrides.

Yermanee

Doha is the worst airport I ever had to transit and the economy class was dreadful, never again

[oldsailor35]

Booked my first QATAR flight BKK-LON end of august, hope they are ok ! Was a frequent flyer with Thai Air, but their fares are getting too high although i have never had reason to complain about the service.

I have flown with QR for a few years now, always business, and whilst their in flight service is excellent their timings at HKT and BKK to LHR are often at inconvenient slots and their ground service in Doha is pathetic. Their flights seem to be mostly fully booked and therefore their prices have risen and seem to be permanently high. My biggest gripe is that their frequent flier scheme is useless. I have over 120,000 miles and have tried on numerous occasions to get a flight on miles, only to be told that there are no free mileage seats available. (Was offered a seat from BKK to LHR once with a layover in DOH of 16 hours).

No matter how much we moan I guess we are stuck with rising prices and poorer service - the alternative routes via Moscow or Mumbai don't bear thinking about!!

Yes ! Thai Air always pull a trick on me when i want to use my points for flight Bkk to Samui........Sorry sir ! only have business class available. This uses up the points faster , and who in the hell wants business class for just over an hours flight.

[oldsailor35]

Got a really great mate who is always considering me. He says that if my Dreamliner is crashing, i have to put my left leg over my right one, then i go in on a r/h thread and can be unscrewed easily and that i have to keep my left hand straight up above my head, then my watch won't be damaged. Wonderful to have considerate friends.