So I'm torn between choosing the 787 or A330 series for my long-haul (5000 to 9000 km) flights. Both seem appealing in their own way, and checking the major players, there seems to be a somewhat even split between one or the other.
So what are the pros and cons of each?
Thanks in advance. :)
I know a few things about these aircraft only from calculations, I'm not that experienced as I'm just playing this game for a few months and haven't had one of those aircraft myself.
First of all these aircraft seem very similar. Most of the differences are very small. So to name a few:
- Airbus A330-300X is about 13% more fuel efficient then the Boeings, but the other two A330's are comparable
- The A330's are a bit cheaper per seat to purchase
- The Boeings have a longer range which means that if you want to use them for longer distance flights you don't need to get aircraft from a different maintenance category
- The Boeings fly a bit faster giving you slightly better flight ratings and it might make the difference (depending on the route) of reaching an airport on-time for transferring passengers
- The Airbuses need slightly less flight km's (-5%) to return the investment, but in time due to the higher speed the difference is just 0,8% in the advantage of Boeing
- The cheapest Boeing 787 is cheaper then then the cheapest A330
- As the 787-8 is smaller then the other 787 and A330's it's slightly easier to get it fully booked and make a higher profit
So, I would say that the differences would cancel each other out and that for almost all scenario's it's just a matter of picking the aircraft you like.
I might have overlooked something and maybe made a mistake, but these would be the numbers I use for deciding which aircraft to buy. If someone can correct me or give more information then please do, because I would like to learn more.
Thanks, somehow I missed that thread.
Where is the A350 in this consideration? Slighty bigger than the A330 and 787-8/9 and very efficient.
Yes, but unlike the others, you can't get cheap A350s on the used market as they're all just a few months old. Otherwise they'd win hands down.
Anyway, from the info I've been gathering it seems that:
- If using Confort Plus seats and staying within 10500 km (from OPO, that means the whole world except the edge of South America and the Pacific and Indian islands), they seem to perform equally well but you can get the A330 considerably cheaper on the market; the 787 is also a good option here, and around the 8000km it might get an extra weekly flight on some routes.
- If going beyond that range and/or using Recliner seats, the 787 is best as it's faster, has a longer range and seems more fit for that configuration; the A330 starts breaking down beyond this range.
Thanks for the help, guys. I'm still undecided but in the end I'll probably go with Airbus due to European chauvinism. :P
Don't forget the scheduling/speed/turnaround of these aircraft. I have just begun upgrading some 787-8's to -9's and they take one hour longer to turn around…I think this is a bit silly personally but I need the extra capacity as my home airport is almost full. Some of my schedules are now not viable and I've ended up having to lease more aircraft!!!