QantasLink drop MEL-ABX and MEL-WGA from March

[moa999]

Not surprising given the reported load factors (sub 50%)

Qantas to scrap Wagga and Albury flights to Melbourne | Region Riverina

Qantas has announced it will be stopping all its flights from Wagga to Melbourne and from Albury to Melbourne, effective…

regionriverina.com.au

These were routes that Qantas took from/ challenged Rex on. Indeed think @jb747 mostly used Rex to start his trips over the years.

But suspect this decision can be squarely put as an unintended consequence of the Vic government subsidies on Victorian Rail.

Basically you can travel Melbourne to anywhere in Vic (including Albury) for under $10 (half that for concession). And maybe an extra $20 onto Wagga on a NSW train or bus.

 

[Saab34]

Basically you can travel Melbourne to anywhere in Vic (including Albury) for under $10 (half that for concession). And maybe an extra $20 onto Wagga on a NSW train or bus.

Especially when travelling as a family or party. QF at $400-$500 return, you can’t justify that when you can train it for next to nothing, plus have access to more frequencies, and it’s only 3 hours.

 

[dajop]

To be a little cynical they achieved what they wanted. No need for them any more.

ABX-MEL, as pointed out is not a good route for leisure travellers and not good times for business travellers. IIRC Rex used to fly at least daily (if not 2x) during weekdays at more business friendly times. 3x week not really useful for business travellers.

 

[jb747]

Rex flew three flights on most days, and two on the others. One in the early morning, one around midday, and the other in the evening. You could easily make just about any connection work. Specialists could come up in the morning, do a day or two of work, and travel home in the evening…in either direction.

QF came in with a larger aircraft, and ran it at useless times. You could go down to Melbourne first thing in the morning, and come back at night. No other variation existed. Useless for most connections at Tullamarine, didn’t work for the medical world. Basically they took a service that catered well to what was needed, and offered something that didn’t. And then they charged many times what Rex did. I couldn’t even make the QF flights work for me at staff prices. And whilst I have no idea of yields, the Rex flights generally had quite solid loads.

As for the train, you literally need to book weeks ahead. Almost as bad as trying to get a points ticket on SQ. These days I drive…though I have ‘discovered’ that Canberra is an easier drive and has shopping that’s just as good.

But, their aim was achieved. They pushed Rex off a route.

 

[esquire]

Rex can come back in as the saviour assuming their Heart is still in it. Not that seem to be announcing much but hopefully soon.

 

[dajop]

Rex can come back in as the saviour assuming their Heart is still in it. Not that seem to be announcing much but hopefully soon.

If they have enough serviceable aircraft. That's probably their main constraint now.

 

[servicerequired]

This is disappointing, although not completely unexpected - it would have been better to see less frequency, rather than a total axing of the routes ... two major issues though ...

1. The transition from the 50 seat Q300 to the 74/78 seat Q400 - of course load % is likely to decrease.
2. The schedule change from a) overnighting, 6:30 AM out, 8:00 PM in (approx), to b) daytime in/out - that typically does little to stimulate business activity locally.

There is always demand for business staff travel FROM businesses based in Albury Wodonga and Wagga Wagga - and there are plenty of business managers / owners / cashed up locals that love getting on a plane and flying around the countryside - AND, the majority of them want to do so with QANTAS ... however, if the flight times are cough, and the price is stupid - they will not fly.

Pricing between $225 and $385 one-way is acceptable to those within the above cohort.

Next on the chopping block (????); Griffith, Broken Hill, Merimbula, Mount Gambier

 

[markis10]

One of the issues for all airlines is the lack of suitable aircraft to serve many of these routes, there is very little coming to replace the SAAB and Beech 1900s etc. The Cessna sky courier is a good replacement for some routes where a PA31 might have worked. The D328eco might solve some of those issues but it’s still not a certified reality.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

This is disappointing, although not completely unexpected - it would have been better to see less frequency, rather than a total axing of the routes ... two major issues though ...

1. The transition from the 50 seat Q300 to the 74/78 seat Q400 - of course load % is likely to decrease.
2. The schedule change from a) overnighting, 6:30 AM out, 8:00 PM in (approx), to b) daytime in/out - that typically does little to stimulate business activity locally.

There is always demand for business staff travel FROM businesses based in Albury Wodonga and Wagga Wagga - and there are plenty of business managers / owners / cashed up locals that love getting on a plane and flying around the countryside - AND, the majority of them want to do so with QANTAS ... however, if the flight times are cough, and the price is stupid - they will not fly.

Pricing between $225 and $385 one-way is acceptable to those within the above cohort.

Next on the chopping block (????); Griffith, Broken Hill, Merimbula, Mount Gambier

Not sure how much less frequency they could have offered? It was already bare bones.

I hope Rex will pick up the slack, they do still serve MEL-WGA I think 6x weekly with slightly altering flight times, maybe they could go 2x daily on that route again. Will be interesting to see if anyone ever bothers with MEL-ABX again though

 

[Melburnian1]

As for the train, you literally need to book weeks ahead. Almost as bad as trying to get a points ticket on SQ. These days I drive…though I have ‘discovered’ that Canberra is an easier drive and has shopping that’s just as good.

The Sydney-Melbourne XPT trains that serve Albury and Wagga Wagga can be unreliable - on some recent hot days (such as 43-45 degrees forecast at Wagga Wagga/Junee), road coaches have operated in lieu, or occasionally the train from Sydney terminates in Albury if very late due to heat speed restrictions or other reasons. Today the Sydney-bound XPT was 25 minutes late near Yass Junction while the Melbourne-bound day train was nine minutes late at Chiltern.

However even in school holidays and at other peaks such as pre-Easter there should often be NSW TrainLink tickets (and hence seats, as XPTs are compulsory reservation) south of Wagga Wagga in each direction, as more passengers tend to travel Albury/Wagga Wagga/Cootamundra to/from Sydney than from Melbourne. I include 'Cootamundra' as the daytime XPTs have many connecting road coaches at that hub.

NSW TrainLink XPT fares are much higher than V/Line's.

V/Line's single (i.e. one way) adult fare is $11.40 Southern Cross to Albury. Concession fares (seniors, pensioners etc.) $5.70. From 1 January 2026, youths/children under 18 travel free (but must have a paper ticket, or Myki Youth Pass if only travelling Melbourne-Seymour-Melbourne), and seniors on weekends were already free.

Demand for V/Line travel on the Albury line has become huge, given Albury/Wodonga alone has a population of 100,000. The shambolic Victorian state government has therefore introduced permanent compulsory reservations (exception: Seymour to Southern Cross or vice versa that's within the myki zone, but you may have to stand for the whole journey). No other V/Line long distance route has compulsory reservations.

I doubt all V/Line trains are booked out 'weeks ahead': the late afternoon departure from Albury and the early morning one from Melbourne are less popular than the other two daily frequencies in each direction.

V/Line also operates two weekday return Seymour to Albury road coaches (one return trip on weekends) that connect at Seymour from/to Southern Cross: slower than the through trains, but has the advantage of being completely unreserved. (I don't know what occurs if more passengers turn up than the coach will accommodate. In the past, V/Line then tries to source extra coach(es) but that means a delay).

The route 901 bus from Broadmeadows to Melbourne Airport offers a good 15 minute frequency on weekdays until c.2100 hours, then half hourly: latter is the frequency on weekends and public holidays. I have never experienced any trouble from youths at Broadmeadows but it doesn't have the best reputation. @serfty seems to often use it.

 

[Captain Halliday]

Basically you can travel Melbourne to anywhere in Vic (including Albury) for under $10 (half that for concession).

Anywhere except Melbourne airport.