Qantas Makes Big A321XLR Change

Qantas will take delivery of its fourth A321XLR, registered VH-OGD, shortly, but the aircraft comes with a significant change.

The change centres on the cabin configuration, and more specifically, the lavatories, in response to customer backlash following an initial layout choice.

But what is the airline fundamentally changing with the next-generation A321XLR as it accelerates its fleet renewal?

Qantas First A321XLRs Lavatory Problem

The Airbus A321XLR lavatory issue with Qantas stems from the airline initially configuring the jet with three lavatories for a 200-seat cabin, 20 business-class seats, and 180 economy-class seats.

The initial configuration had three lavatories: one at the front of the cabin reserved for business class, and two at the back of the cabin, one for economy class.

However, the problem lay in the two lavatories serving 180 passengers, raising concerns about access and availability for those at the back of the aircraft on long segments, where the A321XLR was expected to operate.

In an era where Qantas’ brand image has taken several hits, the reception to this configuration was harsh. The backlash was intense, with customers feeling as if the flag-carrier was further proving the point that it did not care about its loyal customers and instead wanted to make as much money as possible, an act of penny pinching.

The decision on the lavatory-to-passenger ratio in the economy cabin was based on the 737, which Qantas describes as the initial source; this is the aircraft the XLR is replacing.

Qantas Adds Extra Toilet On Aircraft

After receiving what the Australian flag-carrier describes as feedback from its passengers and crew following a 2022 order to tailor a configuration to match the outgoing 737, it was forced to make changes.

The airline said that the decision was reached to add another toilet to the aircraft, making for a total of four toilets, three for economy and one for business class, improving the passenger-to-toilet ratio quite considerably.

A spokesperson for the airline said the first three aircraft would join the fleet with only three toilets. These aircraft have been flying with the airline for many months because the layout was finalised before these deliveries, and the manufacturing process prevented any changes.

However, all future A321XLR deliveries will feature four toilets. The existing three models will have an additional toilet added in the next few years as part of retrofit plans.

By adding a fourth toilet to the cabin, the airline has also been forced to remove three seats. A PR spin passes, but passengers are not having any of it, claiming they should be put first and that the removal of three seats shouldn’t be presented as putting them first after poor initial configuration choices.

Bottom Line: Pushback Sees Customers Win

With the expected arrival of the fourth Airbus A321XLR in the Qantas fleet, these planes will feature a significant change, one requested by passengers and crew: an additional lavatory.

The move follows an initial configuration with just three lavatories for a capacity of 200 passengers, a change Qantas says came after matching the outgoing 737.

However, passengers called the airline out on this, noting that its use of the A321XLR was always going to extend to 8-9 hours, and that having just two lavatories for 180 economy passengers was penny-pinching and further evidence of negligence for a brand that cannot take many more hits.

Now, the airline is responding, albeit some would consider it far too late, and once again showing that customers were put last.