Qantas to upgrade 12 A380s, emphasis on premium seats

Qantas Airways will upgrade the cabins of its 12 Airbus A380 aircraft, increasing premium seating and resulting in a net addition of one seat per jet. Qantas's A380s are equipped with 484 seats, which will rise to 485 after the upgrade, says Qantas. The work will commence in the second quarter of 2019, with all 12 aircraft upgraded by the end of 2020. The carrier did not provide a specific cost for the work, but says it is a "multi-million dollar" project. The carrier says it has yet to decide where the work will take place. The upgrade will see the number of first class suites remain stable at 14. Six business class seats will be added, bringing the total to 70. Premium economy seats will nearly double to 60, from 35 now. Economy seats will drop to 341 from 371. "Structural changes are focused on the upper deck where 30 economy seats will be removed and some partitions and a crew workstation rearranged to use space more effectively," says Qantas. "This allows for an additional six business class and 25 premium economy seats, increasing the overall seat count on the aircraft by one and increasing premium seating by 27%."<br/>