Qantas navigates a return on routes ceded to Jetstar

[ozbeachbabe]

MEL - OOL would be good too, and

MEL - DRW

QF MEL/DRW nonstops flights will happen again next year probably May, not sure how many times per week at this stage. CBR/DRW nonstops to increase from 3 to 5 per week also.

Until then if pax don't want JQ MEL/DRW they'll still have to fly on QF via ADL/ASP/BNE/CBR or SYD or DJ if you don't mind an 0200 departure ex MEL, however 1830 ex DRW is popular.

This might be moving off topic, but wonder if part of this is protecting QF from a more upmarket DJ as a J offering / better offering for businesses ex-OOL and ex-NTL would move significant corporate to DJ (or have been lost already). I seem to recall one or two members around here who've moved their business to DJ due to only having JQ ex-OOL or NTL.

It's hard to see mainline QF to too many other desitnations.

I'd say you've nailed it there Doc, the old 'I don't want it, you can't have it syndrome'. Suddenly the aircraft utilisation theory doesn't seem to matter as much or rather not seeing DJ get more business matters more.

 

[pauly7]

Let the rumours and speculation begin!


One rumour floating around are SE Qld routes being supplemented with QF/QFLink services...... We can but hope!

OK..... just thought people might be interested in this little rumour that is doing the rounds, passed onto me by a QF contact! QF are sounding out their options to pre-empt any serious move by DJ into business / corporate.

One of these options is looking to return the 717 to some east coast services, 2 ports are being mentioned - OOL (predictable!) and.... LST (maybe not so predictable!)

What do we think about this...??? QFLink jet services on the short hops (OOL/SYD and LST/MEL I'm guessing is what they are having a think about) to link into QF mainline hubs....

It kinda makes sense, QFLink have another 7 Q400's coming from Feb 2011.... which is another big increase in capacity - may free up some 717 space to move around.

LST has been a star performer for the QF group of late - maybe they think they can return a jet service but are a bit nervous about dumping a 737 there....

 

[Oneworldplus2]

I spoke to Sam about this a few weeks ago, just as a hypothetical/speculation bit of talk.
If DJ now introduce a J Class Cabin, on sole Jetstar routes, what will QF do?

Very, very interesting indeed.


Gold Coast is one where DJ can really cash in l think.

Another one l thought about *might* be Hamilton Island?

I just read the article at the start of the thread and it seems like HTI is back to QF. My bad, that will teach me to post before reading, LOL!

 

[Verde]

I am no doubt dreaming here, but an Albury-Melbourne Qantaslink flight would be great (Rex does it a few times a day with no competition) and it would also make it easier for me to get to Newcastle (for less than $300 one way or by taking the train from Sydney which makes the trip barely faster than driving). Rex interlines with VirginBlue (eg. MEL-NTL after Rex ABX-MEL), but none of the online booking places I visit ever seem to list it as an option. It probably wouldn't be a bad option to put one of the older and smaller Dash 8 planes on it which get freed up by having a new Q400 replace them on a busier route.

I have to admit the qantaslink NTL-BNE flight seems very hit and miss in loading, sometimes it is packed when I fly and sometimes it is only about a third full (admittedly the last time I flew, in July, I am pretty sure it was a Dash 100 which I came down from Brisbane on - though it was a full plane when downsized).

It would be interesting if Qantas were to move in on the turf of the smaller airlines (NTL-CBR or ABX-MEL). Another unlikely option, but you could get to MEL/ADL from NTL via CBR on Qantas if they did run a flight between CBR and NTL (that might soak up some of the excess capacity and make it viable - I wonder how many people actually go NTL-BNE-MEL to avoid Jetstar/VirginBlue - probably very few).

OK..... just thought people might be interested in this little rumour that is doing the rounds, passed onto me by a QF contact! QF are sounding out their options to pre-empt any serious move by DJ into business / corporate.

One of these options is looking to return the 717 to some east coast services, 2 ports are being mentioned - OOL (predictable!) and.... LST (maybe not so predictable!)

What do we think about this...??? QFLink jet services on the short hops (OOL/SYD and LST/MEL I'm guessing is what they are having a think about) to link into QF mainline hubs....

It kinda makes sense, QFLink have another 7 Q400's coming from Feb 2011.... which is another big increase in capacity - may free up some 717 space to move around.

LST has been a star performer for the QF group of late - maybe they think they can return a jet service but are a bit nervous about dumping a 737 there....

 

[MatF]

I am no doubt dreaming here, but an Albury-Melbourne Qantaslink flight would be great (Rex does it a few times a day with no competition

Same with Wagga to Melbourne. I'd like to see that.

 

[Princess Fiona]

It would be interesting if Qantas were to move in on the turf of the smaller airlines (NTL-CBR or ABX-MEL). Another unlikely option, but you could get to MEL/ADL from NTL via CBR on Qantas if they did run a flight between CBR and NTL (that might soak up some of the excess capacity and make it viable - I wonder how many people actually go NTL-BNE-MEL to avoid Jetstar/VirginBlue - probably very few).

I've done this although only once admittedly. If QF re-instated the NTL-MEL I would take it every time. A QP would be even better I avoid DJ and Deathstar like an evil plague unless I absolutely have to fly with them. There are business passengers here and most of the ones I meet on my travels have flown QF to SYD and OT to NTL esp since it takes over 3 hrs to travel by train

 

[Nigelinoz]

I am no doubt dreaming here, but an Albury-Melbourne Qantaslink flight would be great

I wrote to QF last year suggesting exactly that,I received a reply saying that they are constantly reviewing their regional network but that there was no business case for an ABX-MEL service at the moment.
I travel from Albury to Hobart a lot and at the moment I have to travel either ABX to MEL with Rex and change to a connection to HBA or alternatively I go ABX-SYD-MEL-HBA or if I'm lucky I can catch the direct SYD-HBA QF service,going the ABX-SYD-MEL-HBA route really does mean wasting a lot of time in airports though-time I could better spend with my family.

 

[farstar]

I think we would all like to travel direct.
We should just be thank full we don't live it the US where there are very few direct flights.

 

[nlagalle]

I think we would all like to travel direct.

Not always! Some times it pays to travel indirectly!

 

[Nigelinoz]

I guess it depends on each persons individual circumstances,personally although a QF ABX to MEL flight would be good for me I recognise that it's not a perfect world and I accept the situation as it is,however that doesn't mean that I don't believe that things could be better.

 

[jakeseven7]

One of these options is looking to return the 717 to some east coast services, 2 ports are being mentioned - OOL (predictable!) and.... LST (maybe not so predictable!)

What do we think about this...??? QFLink jet services on the short hops (OOL/SYD and LST/MEL I'm guessing is what they are having a think about) to link into QF mainline hubs....

Mmmm Interesting.

LST used to have 717's by QFLink ages ago - they tried 737's X2 a day but couldn't fill them - now they have between 4-6 (sometimes up to 7!) Q400/DH3 services a day so maybe they are at a point where a jet service is looking viable again....

OOL - could easily support a 717 service I think it would be patronised well, even with a X2 daily. I actually wouldn't even mind a Q400 service to OOL.

Those Q400's are really nice planes to fly, I'm a big fan - and of course love the QFLink service. QF are making a killing on them as well so its not surprising we are seeing even more coming into the fleet....

QFLink interestingly are quietly looking at what jet solution they'll use to replace in the 717's when the time is right... - they've been looking at a few including the Bombadier CS100 and 300......