Qantas Sydney - Perth Timetable

[travellerqff]

Hi everyone,

This subject has been getting on my nerves for sometime, and until recently I hadn't voiced my opinion to anyone. Now I've been persuaded by a dear friend to share this all with you for a more rounded opinion.

Qantas flight departure times suck on Sydney - Perth.

The mornings are perfect, starting at 6am, then every two hours up to 12pm... Then it becomes irregular.

I'd really like to be able to have more choice when on Qantas.com

I would like to see a bit more time consistency. Aircraft consistency would be good too, but we all know about that ;D

Why can't there be a flight every 2 hours, departing at the same time of the hour? And 7:25pm for the last departure, that's too early for me, I want to have my dinner and my cake (so to speak), then head to the airport. Melbourne has an 8:15pm flight - which works wonders for me

For example; Here's a day at random, Feb 25th 2013:
0600-0755
0810-1005
1010-1155
1205-1400
1650-1845
1750-1945
1925-2120

Here is what I'd like to see:
0600-0755
0810-1005
1010-1155
1205-1400
1410-1605
1610-1805 (or 1710-1905, cause I know there's a large group of business travellers around this time)
1810-2005
2010-2205 (or even 2110-2305)

Having a consistent schedule like this means frequent flyers will get to know there's a flight to Perth every two hours. This creates far more flexibility for the traveller and a consistent service. 7:25pm seems rather early for a 'last departure' to a far away destination. If its there to suit business travellers, having a later flight would allow more seats to sell and more choice for departure times. It's not a great choice when I can't stay in Sydney for dinner, then fly home, as I think many others would agree. I don't always want an extra night there, and take the 6am service.

Thoughts?




(And please have mercy on me, it's 2:58am and I'm still at work).

 

[oz_mark]

Thoughts?

The issue is that airlines look at things on their overall network. The problem with your suggestion, from a network perspective, is what do you then do with all those aircraft in Perth They can't get back to Sydney due to the curfew there. So realistically the last flight that can leave Perth to Sydney is around 4pm during the daylight saving period (Look at a Perth-Sydney timetable, there is a big hole in the evening till the red-eye that arrives after the curfew ends for the night.

 

[Simo]

That Sydney Curfew is a real killer for the airlines and aligning with west coast with the time difference.

I hate having to do laps around no where just because your overnight flight is to early into SYD.

 

[travellerqff]

I hear you both. That Sydney curfew is a real pain. I really should be midnight to 5am, me thinks.

The aircraft networking isn't a big issue in my opinion. The SYD-PER flights that's leave at 1650 and 1750 respectively, are the aircraft that operate the PER-SYD 0545 and 0705 or 0805.

For a later Sydney-Perth departure, that aircraft could just to one of the return flights in the morning. While one of the earlier evening flights would do the red-eye return to Sydney.

Just more of my thoughts.

 

[mannej]

I hear you both. That Sydney curfew is a real pain. I really should be midnight to 5am, me thinks.

The aircraft networking isn't a big issue in my opinion. The SYD-PER flights that's leave at 1650 and 1750 respectively, are the aircraft that operate the PER-SYD 0545 and 0705 or 0805.

For a later Sydney-Perth departure, that aircraft could just to one of the return flights in the morning. While one of the earlier evening flights would do the red-eye return to Sydney.

Just more of my thoughts.

Aircraft networking may indeed be the issue. Yes there are planes that do sit around idle, but it is a bit more complex as to what you make it out to be IMO.

 

[oz_mark]

The aircraft networking isn't a big issue in my opinion. The SYD-PER flights that's leave at 1650 and 1750 respectively, are the aircraft that operate the PER-SYD 0545 and 0705 or 0805.

For a later Sydney-Perth departure, that aircraft could just to one of the return flights in the morning. While one of the earlier evening flights would do the red-eye return to Sydney.

That is pretty much what happens now. One of the evening arrivals turns around as the red-eye, and one overnights and is the early morning service out of Perth. Similar for flights to/from Melbourne.

So you already have a bunch of planes overnighting in Perth, and you are suggesting more (assuming there is space available for more aircraft to stay overnight). Also, having more planes overnight in Perth would mean that they aren't available somewhere else the next morning.

 

[cosi]

I really should be midnight to 5am, me thinks.

You would NOT have this opinion if you were a resident under the flight path in Sydney.

I own a unit in inner west Sydney & have double glazing on the windows, to reduce the noise.

Personally, I think QF offers an excellent schedule for Per - Syd flights and also for the return trip.

I can remember TAA only operating 2 flights a day and the airfare was something like $2,000 return in Y

 

[MarkD]

You would NOT have this opinion if you were a resident under the flight path in Sydney.

I own a unit in inner west Sydney & have double glazing on the windows, to reduce the noise.

Personally, I think QF offers an excellent schedule for Per - Syd flights and also for the return trip.

I can remember TAA only operating 2 flights a day and the airfare was something like $2,000 return in Y

I guess you would remember the noise of the dc9 / 727 vs today's jets.. Seriously noise is not an issue any more, with a380s quieter than the old rolls Royce dart turboprops.
No offence intended, but you knew the airport was there when you moved in.

 

[mannej]

I guess you would remember the noise of the dc9 / 727 vs today's jets.. Seriously noise is not an issue any more, with a380s quieter than the old rolls Royce dart turboprops.
No offence intended, but you knew the airport was there when you moved in.

That is an argument starting to creep into Perth currently.
An anonymous letter to the editor was having the whinge that if a neighbour complains about a noisy pet, the ranger will remove it, yet he complains to ASA about the noisy jets yet nothing happens.

It would be interesting to see the number of movements from PER compared to SYD.

 

[travellerqff]

I hear you. What's the loudest, takeoffs or landings?

I hope I don't sound offensive, but I feel it's almost 2013, and Australia's largest airport, comes to a grinding halt. And heavy penalties apply for those who are untimely. We need a new curfew or a new airport with a different curfew.