The new Airbus A330-200 will provide in-flight power to economy passengers plying the Sydney-Perth and Melbourne-Perth routes.
Step on board Qantas’ factory-fresh A330-200 and it’s a case of power to the people.
The first of the new A330s made its maiden domestic flight today as the QF575 service between Sydney and Perth, with passengers in cattle class able to enjoy in-seat laptop power and even the recharging of USB devices such as their BlackBerry or iPhone.
The A330 – registered as VH-EBM and named Tamar Valley – also sports video on demand through Panasonic’s touchscreen eX2 system with movies, TV programs, a digital music library and games.
This same system will be fitted to all new aircraft entering Qantas’ domestic network, beginning with the second A330-200 – to be christened the Clare Valley – when it touches Aussie tarmac in February next year.
For the time being, the Tamar Valley looks to be the aircraft of choice for anyone making the long haul from Melbourne or Sydney to Perth and back again...
Yes, we'd all like to be sitting up at the pointy end of the plane...
... but back in cattle class, a netbook rather than a 17 inch laptop is the best bet for making use of in-seat DC power.