FIFO Flights from Port Hedland to Eastern States in one day? Missing the Red eye...

[Robant]

Re: FIFO Flights from Port Hedland to Eastern States in one day? Missing the Red eye.

The West Australian reported that yesterday and also said ". . . insiders at Melbourne Airport told The West Australian that Qantas would also shortly confirm a Melbourne to Port Hedland service . . ."

That is fantastic news...Hope it's available in October...When the red eye flights are due to start again!

 

[Robant]

Re: FIFO Flights from Port Hedland to Eastern States in one day? Missing the Red eye.

Regarding 'Strategic' ...

Hopefully they will have direct communication with BHP when setting timetables and get the days right... Fingers crossed...

Regarding Qantas Direct flights to Port Hedland to Melbourne...

My employer prefers Qantas so the Qantas direct flights in August sound awesome..All my flights are booked till September so if the Qantas flights are direct from October it will be sweet, and the red eye will be no longer...Yes!!

A thousand thank yous for the clever ones who found the info!

 

[Robant]

Re: FIFO Flights from Port Hedland to Eastern States in one day? Missing the Red eye.

Typical no news, late as usual given the news was out Friday , interesting timing for this thread to surface as well, coincidence, who knows?

There are heaps of FIFO from Port Hedland and loads more getting recruited so I guess the demand was there so they are meeting that at long last.

The Strategic Article was on the table of notes at work this week so some Eastern State FF have found it too and word is getting around.

When a non red eye flight can be booked direct from Port Hedland to Melbourne (and then Melbourne to Wagga Wagga) please inform this newby if you see it before I do, as I could not find the info you guys did and have been searching for solid info on the Qantas flights to no avail, as I could not find a media release with the details, just the Western Australia Insider Info comment .

Great timing and thanks again!

 

[Robant]

Re: FIFO Flights from Port Hedland to Eastern States in one day? Missing the Red eye.

Just spoke with Carry at Strategic and she said flights are being uploaded now for the Port Hedland to Melbourne direct flights and Brisbane to Port Hedland and should be up in about 2 hours.

The bad news...Times for flights don't allow for travel in one day, as they had to fit in with Airports etc...

Departing Port Hedland at 1.30pm and arriving in Melbourne at 7.30pm...way to late to catch a flight home...Will wait til Qantas organises their new flights and see if they have earlier flights to the Eastern States?

 

[Robant]

Re: FIFO Flights from Port Hedland to Eastern States in one day? Missing the Red eye.

Just spoke with Carry at Strategic and she said flights are being uploaded now for the Port Hedland to Melbourne direct flights and Brisbane to Port Hedland and should be up in about 2 hours.

The bad news...Times for flights don't allow for travel in one day, as they had to fit in with Airports etc...

Departing Port Hedland at 1.30pm and arriving in Melbourne at 7.30pm...way to late to catch a flight home...Will wait til Qantas organises their new flights and see if they have earlier flights to the Eastern States?

Well Strategic is now reviewing their Melbourne flights from Port Hedland this week?!

Apparently they had such a poor response, so they are looking at either pulling the flights or changing them and they will know in a week or so.

Qantas have nothing happening and if they did they would state this openly so I tend to question the West Australians comment about insider information and Direct Flights from Port Hedland planned, as noone at Qantas knows about it yet. Possibly a future direction that's being talked about rather than flights they are implementing at this stage?

Unfortunately I have no other option than 7 red eye fights for the next 6 months...Already booked today and will be Bpayed by midnight tonight due to Qantas domestic sale on at present...Effectively I lose a week of my time due to the schedules and red eye flights require way too much downtime to recover...So be it for now..

Still if there is anyone that can find a way from Port Hedland to Wagga Wagga in one day , missing the red eye flights, on any airlines, please let me know?

 

[markis10]

Re: FIFO Flights from Port Hedland to Eastern States in one day? Missing the Red eye.

Well Strategic is now reviewing their Melbourne flights from Port Hedland this week?!

A news report earlier in the week said the opposite, then again that could have been old PR material respun to fill space on a slow news day.

 

[11sjw]

Re: FIFO Flights from Port Hedland to Eastern States in one day? Missing the Red eye.

There are flights to BNE ex Karratha. Not much chop for ex Hedland I realise (250km isn't much fun at the end of a shift). However my guys did it once or twice ex Atlas Iron's Wodgina Mine as Skywest flies to GET ex KTA and it saves them having to go via Perth so even with the drive it was a quicker way home.

 

[SFSC]

Re: FIFO Flights from Port Hedland to Eastern States in one day? Missing the Red eye.

Would this work? Perhaps cutting it too fine in Melbourne.

QF 1111 arrive PER 11:10
QF 476 arrive MEL 19:10
Skybus to Southern Cross 19:20 arrive 19:45
Countrylink to Wagga Wagga 19:55 arrive 00:31

 

[Robant]

Re: FIFO Flights from Port Hedland to Eastern States in one day? Missing the Red eye.

Would this work? Perhaps cutting it too fine in Melbourne.

QF 1111 arrive PER 11:10
QF 476 arrive MEL 19:10
Skybus to Southern Cross 19:20 arrive 19:45
Countrylink to Wagga Wagga 19:55 arrive 00:31

This might work...I think I'd try a Taxi in the 45 minute window but I'll cost it and nut it out..Unreal..Thanks!

 

[SFSC]

Re: FIFO Flights from Port Hedland to Eastern States in one day? Missing the Red eye.

This might work...I think I'd try a Taxi in the 45 minute window but I'll cost it and nut it out..Unreal..Thanks!

Might need to find out how flexible Countrylink are with no shows ... wouldn't need much to go wrong with flight - less than expected tailwind etc.

 

[Robant]

Re: FIFO Flights from Port Hedland to Eastern States in one day? Missing the Red eye.

Might need to find out how flexible Countrylink are with no shows ... wouldn't need much to go wrong with flight - less than expected tailwind etc.

Countrylink refund if you ring 2 minutes prior to departure but not after and apparently the train is right there at Southern Cross...The first train off the street, so I'll give it a go...Worst that can happen is an overnight stay in Melbourne..Will let you know in October if it worked...Thanks

 

[Robant]

Re: FIFO Flights from Port Hedland to Eastern States in one day? Missing the Red eye.

The West Australian reported that yesterday and also said ". . . insiders at Melbourne Airport told The West Australian that Qantas would also shortly confirm a Melbourne to Port Hedland service . . ."

Qantas has confirmed direct flights from Melbourne to Port Hedland beginning 7th September 2010.

Melbourne to Port Hedland scheduled flight is on a Tuesday and is a great time as early link flights can get to Melbourne in time, QF997,at 10am Melbourne to 13.20pm Port Hedland.

The return journey however holds some challenges as it is also a Tuesday so Workers cannot access it...They fly out on a Wednesday!

Cheers!

 

[docjames]

Re: FIFO Flights from Port Hedland to Eastern States in one day? Missing the Red eye.

The West Australian reported that yesterday and also said ". . . insiders at Melbourne Airport told The West Australian that Qantas would also shortly confirm a Melbourne to Port Hedland service . . ."[/QUOTE

Qantas has confirmed direct flights from Melbourne to Port Hedland beginning 7th September 2010.

Melbourne to Port Hedland scheduled flight is on a Tuesday and is a great time as early link flights can get to Melbourne in time, QF997,at 10am Melbourne to 13.20pm Port Hedland.

The return journey however holds some challenges as it is also a Tuesday so Workers cannot access it...They fly out on a Wednesday!

Cheers!

I am somewhat surprised (without knowing mining schedules but is it a week Wed-Tue?) that it isnt a late flight in on a Tuesday, aircraft overnights at PHE (presumably would be cheap landing fees wise) and then returns Wednesday am. I guess the cost of overnighting the crew is the issue.

 

[Robant]

Re: FIFO Flights from Port Hedland to Eastern States in one day? Missing the Red eye.

I am somewhat surprised (without knowing mining schedules but is it a week Wed-Tue?) that it isnt a late flight in on a Tuesday, aircraft overnights at PHE (presumably would be cheap landing fees wise) and then returns Wednesday am. I guess the cost of overnighting the crew is the issue.

It could be the issue but perhaps the scheduler just did not work out the days correctly too? And just assumed 2 weeks is neat and same day travel ie Tuesday?

I was told by a Qantas Customer Service person that Qantas flys the plane in on a Tuesday and flys it out on a Tuesday as its probably needed for other flights on the Wednesday. But who knows?

I have left feedback with the Qantas scheduling department...And I know STRATEGIC pulled their direct flights from a lack of interest, due to the same scheduling issue, but their direct flights to Port Hedland were not great timing to abide with fatigue management guidelines of workers...( Workers sometimes start the midnight shift so need sleep prior..Must have had 14 hours in the 48 hours prior to be ok for work at midnight)

It's such an obvious issue regarding demand for flights, so hopefully someone in Scheduling will work it out soon enough?!

Re Shifts....Workers are on a rotating roster of work for 14 days then 14 days off (have to fly on those days off too) so It is Fly in on a Tuesday and fly out on a Wednesday 14 days later and other crews have alternate weeks so they have different teams coming in each Tuesday and others leaving each Wednesday. It's a good roster, just need Qantas to change home flights to a Wednesday!

Cheers

 

[oz_mark]

Re: FIFO Flights from Port Hedland to Eastern States in one day? Missing the Red eye.

I am somewhat surprised (without knowing mining schedules but is it a week Wed-Tue?) that it isnt a late flight in on a Tuesday, aircraft overnights at PHE (presumably would be cheap landing fees wise) and then returns Wednesday am. I guess the cost of overnighting the crew is the issue.

Wouldn't need to overnight in PHE. Could fly MEL-PHE-PER on Tuesday, PER-PHE-MEL on Wednesday (at the moment, I think that is the flying pattern - just happens that both aircraft are doing it on Tuesdays). Fitting in with other schedules in the network could be a problem.

 

[Flashback]

Re: FIFO Flights from Port Hedland to Eastern States in one day? Missing the Red eye.

IME the planes that fly in, normally have a pretty quick turnaround and fly back... unless it's only the 717s that do that and not the 73x's?

 

[oz_mark]

Re: FIFO Flights from Port Hedland to Eastern States in one day? Missing the Red eye.

QF998 PHE 09:05 MEL 15:55
QF997 MEL 11:30 PHE 13:20

I'd be very surprised if it was the same plane doing both those flights.

 

[Robant]

Re: FIFO Flights from Port Hedland to Eastern States in one day? Missing the Red eye.

QF998 PHE 09:05 MEL 15:55
QF997 MEL 11:30 PHE 13:20

I'd be very surprised if it was the same plane doing both those flights.

Good point!

Whatever the flight pattern, Qantas and Strategic have missed the boat in this one...Hoards of workers need the Direct Wednesday flights out of Port Hedland!...Someone has not done their homework in both companies! Or restrictions don't allow it to happen?

 

[Robant]

Re: FIFO Flights from Port Hedland to Eastern States in one day? Missing the Red eye.

Would this work? Perhaps cutting it too fine in Melbourne.

QF 1111 arrive PER 11:10
QF 476 arrive MEL 19:10
Skybus to Southern Cross 19:20 arrive 19:45
Countrylink to Wagga Wagga 19:55 arrive 00:31

Thanks SFSC,
Did it!
Arrived home an hour late due to train delays but it worked...
When I got to Melbourne the Skybus had just left so a Taxi $57 was worth the piece of mind.
100 times better than the red eye at the end of a week of night shift!!!
Cheers

 

[SFSC]

Re: FIFO Flights from Port Hedland to Eastern States in one day? Missing the Red eye.

Thanks SFSC,
Did it!
Arrived home an hour late due to train delays but it worked...
When I got to Melbourne the Skybus had just left so a Taxi $57 was worth the piece of mind.
100 times better than the red eye at the end of a week of night shift!!!
Cheers

Good to hear. Thanks for the feedback.

Enjoy your break.