With the recent announcement of Indonesia Air Asia X (XT) launching direct MEL-DPS flights (and I understand they will soon be announcing SYD-DPS) there will be 4 different carriers offering direct flights on this route.
GA offer full service for a reasonable price.
JQ and XT offer absolute bargain basement prices, as low as sub-$200 return but still on a new or new-ish widebody.
VA offer neither.
With the 4 carriers offering varying flights from all major capitals there will be something like 100+ flights a week from Australia to DPS. I certainly wouldn't pay twice the price of JQ/XT to fly a VA 737 in Y there just to collect the SCs. If I wanted to be comfortable I would spend a little bit extra and go with GA. VA's FB page and airlinequality pages are filled with people complaining about the DPS flights with a common theme being 'for the price we paid we expected more' and 'its too long for a 737'. I can't imagine someone on a $99 B787 JQ fare expecting the beers to be free.
I don't think there's room for 4 different carriers on this route and I think VA will pull out within 12 months - they're the obvious loser in this war. If they considered sending the A330s to DPS it would be a different story but I doubt there is the J demand to make it work.
Thoughts?
GA offer full service for a reasonable price.
JQ and XT offer absolute bargain basement prices, as low as sub-$200 return but still on a new or new-ish widebody.
VA offer neither.
With the 4 carriers offering varying flights from all major capitals there will be something like 100+ flights a week from Australia to DPS. I certainly wouldn't pay twice the price of JQ/XT to fly a VA 737 in Y there just to collect the SCs. If I wanted to be comfortable I would spend a little bit extra and go with GA. VA's FB page and airlinequality pages are filled with people complaining about the DPS flights with a common theme being 'for the price we paid we expected more' and 'its too long for a 737'. I can't imagine someone on a $99 B787 JQ fare expecting the beers to be free.
I don't think there's room for 4 different carriers on this route and I think VA will pull out within 12 months - they're the obvious loser in this war. If they considered sending the A330s to DPS it would be a different story but I doubt there is the J demand to make it work.
Thoughts?