yup – that works – especially the booze bit :)

Good luck applying pressure to the Ipanator – could be messy… :)

For both QF & AirNZ, having the mixed Airbus & Boeing fleets certainly must help when negotiating prices, eg: “Well, we’re no stranger to the other guys, so maybe they’ll give us a better deal to come even more into their camp…” etc :)

Jeremy (& Mike) – no no, the cunning plan was not to reduce episode lengths. Heck, it usually takes us 5 or 10 minutes just to warm up on an episode (although Steve’s “individual string-ette” episode style for the ATC release is appealing :)

No, we’re going to do it right and get you the best content we can up to #50 and beyond. We have some great ideas for content and are saving our $$$ to help get it. We’ve also got some content that’s waiting to come out but needs me to get some time to work on it. I blame my crazy day job for most of the delay.

So lets see how quickly we can get to episode #50 while still maintaining high quality. We certainly have incentive to try now, eh? :)

Don’t worry Jeremy, I won’t tell Adam Curry!

Lets the money flow!

Cheers

Steve

Steve can you add a link for this flight tracker you mentioned last episode for Europe???

I’ll share with you my recollections of these orders and at the same time, leave myself open to correction when and if I’m wrong.

Qantas – You were correct in mentioning QF opportunistically jumped on American’s cancelled 737 orders post 911 and good on them for it. A great break for them and a natural successor to the (at the time) existing -300s and -400s enabling a smooth transisiton over to the NG’s which is still going on today. They have also since topped up their 737-800 orders as well.
However, regarding the 330s, I believe the original birds were picked up for a song as part of the incentive to get on board with the 380s and again, good on them. However, you mentioned a shift to Airbus since QF wre formally an all Boeing Airline but you did forget to add that they also have 100 orders and commitments for Boeing 787 Dreamliners which will be their mainstay mid-ranger and render the 330s obsolete in time. The 330s being an ‘interim’ model for them and luckily so with all the 787 delays, hence the extra frames ordered since.

Air New Zealand – Also switching to Airbus? Hardly, the 320 is their default narrow body with 12 already in service of the original 15 ordered a few years ago. One was infamously lost during handover from a lease back in France a while ago and two of the orginal order were cancelled. The 73′s being -300s from the ninties (the last tranche being the last ever -300s built I might add.) Yes, it is true, even little old NZ can shake a deal (as can QF and as seen with the 737-300s) out of the OEM’s on the right occassion (a global economic recession being such an occassion) as seen with DJ’s Brett Godfrey looking for more 737NG’s at the moment. You may have aklreay seen that NZ are a big fan of winglets, being the launch customer of the 320 with “sharklets” (WTF) and retro fitting winglets to their 5 763′s.

You did mention the delayed ordered 787s (NZ being the launch airline for the -9) and whether they would ever get them but omitted the fact they have adding to their existing 8 777-200ER’s, 8 777-300ER’s on order to replace the 747-400s as the future flagship’s of NZ’s fleet.

Now see, it’s not only Steve that can rant. Cheers

As to Jeremy – ha ha, dude – we’ll be at episode 50 WAY before you think we will. Oh yes, we have some cunning plans :)