If Concorde was still in service

Trampas · 15-08-2023 5:49pm #1

Just watching some old videos on Concorde and was wondering what seat configuration would it have now if still in service.

15-08-2023 6:01pm

I’m always sorry I didn’t get on Concorde, but it was realistically out of reach of my pocket, unless I did nothing else all year. One time they tan a one-off day return flight Dublin to Cairo with tour of the pyramids etc, that would have been a real opportunity.

I imagine the interior layout would be the same 2-2. I’ve heard it said it was far from luxurious, and just like a regular narrow body, seats fractionally wider but not as to convey a great sense of being First Class. It certainly didn’t resemble a typical long-haul Business Class experience, don’t know about the food, and presume they had a Concorde lounge in certain locations.

A 1-1 or 1-2 arrangement would push it economically in the First Class++ category of being as expensive as a private jet. I think Concorde would have just remained the same, but get interior refurbishments.

Strumms · 15-08-2023 6:07pm

My guess is the same one… I never flew on Concorde but was on them parked in museums a couple of times.

the cabin is seriously cramped. So you couldn’t fit extra seats. It was designed for speed and service and bragging over on board comfort… actually if you look beyond the ‘hype’ in the media lots of ex concorde flyers would say that it wasn’t a particularly comfortable aircraft.

if you removed seats to make more space or to install lie flat or bigger seats, you lose revenue…and it was struggling anyway.

my first time on a Concorde it was really striking how small and claustrophobic the cabin seemed.

if you removed seats you lose revenue. Ticket was already expensive….be unrealistic to have prices rise exponentially.

HTCOne · 15-08-2023 7:06pm

I’ve only ever been inside them in museums. Absolutely tiny inside and far from luxurious, although the service was apparently excellent.

One of my instructors as a trainee ATCO was working in the Tower in Shannon when an AF one was crew training donkeys years ago. When they returned to the apron for a bit as his shift was finishing, he asked if he could join them for a spin. They said no problem, so down he went to them and jumped aboard for a couple of hours. Jammy git.

Trampas · 15-08-2023 7:06pm

It looked cramp and leg room didn’t look much more than middle row in Ryanair or Aer Lingus. Would they made it a luxury first class and target that end of the market. I guess depends on time vs money vs a private jet

Noxegon · 15-08-2023 7:30pm

You can still see Concorde fly.... sort of.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oct5qDXVpHg

Some fairly dodgy separation in that video mind....

mickdw · 15-08-2023 7:48pm

I went to view concorde after retirement in Bristol.

Nice tour. Full access to cockpit etc. G-Boaf is the one at Bristol. I went when it was stored outside. I believe it now has a good visitor centre.

Cabin is small but reasonably good seats but in no way like a 1st class seat.

Personally I don't think they needed to change it. You don't need a big luxurious seat for a 3 hour hop to new york. It was perfect as was and all the important people were inly too happy to fly it.

British Airways actually found that the ticket cost wasn't an issue. They were struggling at one stage to make it pay.... they surveyed their customers re ticket price. Most didn't know (or care) what the price was so BA massively increased fares and were making good money on it in later life.

BA were simply forced to retire it due to Air France retiring theirs. Airbus were the certified manufacturer so to speak and BA and Air france shared the cost outlay to Airbus to keep parts available etc. With one airline gone, it then couldn't pay BA to go it alone.

If both airlines stayed with it, I imagine BA would have run it quite successfully for a number of years but would likely be retired now regardless.

15-08-2023 8:39pm

https://youtu.be/i7ZE8eK6lTQ

Nice view of interior and explanation about the technical aspects of Concorde

x567 · 15-08-2023 9:33pm

The seats were pretty comfortable and didn't feel cramped. Superb aircraft...

Comhrá · 15-08-2023 10:44pm

I had a close family member who worked as cabin crew on Concorde for a few years. She said it was a tough enough shift, getting all the first class dinner service plus pre dinner drinks served and items stowed in the 3.5 hrs from Heathrow to JFK. Apparently it wasn't the easiest work environment with the narrow cabin and storage space at a premium.

Irish Steve · 16-08-2023 2:43pm

I suppose we should be thankful that it's not still operating, can you imagine the furore that would be kicked up if it were to depart from Dublin 28R now?

Depending on where you were in relation to it, you didn't hear it, you felt it, and depending on which runway was in use at Heathrow, the number of car alarms sounding after departure was only huge, due to the vibrations being enough to trigger the detectors in cars parked close to the runway.

A very long time ago, Goodwood travel did a Bay of Biscay trip from Exeter, and the airport was opened up in the same way as it would have been for an air day, and I was in the perfect position to get some amazing video, the PAPI's on 09 were about 100 Ft in front of me, and the wind changed during the day, so I got departure from literally in front of me, and final approach to land with touchdown about 150 Ft from me, all the way down the approach from about 12 miles out, that is a very carefully guarded video.

Chris_5339762 · 16-08-2023 3:21pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1ShTUVIzCI

John_Rambo · 17-08-2023 8:54pm

Remember when Pepsi hired it when they turned blue in the nineties? Flew in to Dublin Airport. I happened to be working on the ramp in Dublin airport that day, got up close to it and it was really noisy, like a fighter plane noisy. Such an impressive plane.

scudzilla · 17-08-2023 10:34pm

I was at Donington in 1991, Aerosmith were special guests, during their set Concorde took off from East Midlands ,which was less than a mile away, totally drowned out the PA, Joe Perry said after ya can't buy **** like that

John_Rambo · 17-08-2023 10:48pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120993018#Comment_120993018

Well you can't beat that if you're a rock fan & an aviation fan!!

ednwireland · 18-08-2023 7:42am

never flew on it, but was behind it once in the take off queue at Heathrow. the noise when it took off was amazing.

Tenger · 20-08-2023 3:24pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120993672#Comment_120993672

In the late 90s if we were behind it in the queue the flight crew would make a PA to warn/excite the passengers.

The B737/A321 we were on would shake if we were 2nd or 3rd in the queue.

If Concorde was still in service

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