Tiger to start Sydney Perth flights

[markis10]

Tigerair Australia will expand its presence on transcontinental routes in the lead-up to Christmas when it begins flights between Sydney and Perth, in a move that will add more capacity to a saturated market.
Analysts warn that Virgin Australia, which has a controlling stake in the budget airline, risks losing passengers to Tigerair because its customers are more sensitive to ticket prices than those who fly on Qantas.
The latest route to be launched by Tigerair will also put pressure on its arch rival, Jetstar.
Tigerair will operate up to six weekly return flights using A320 planes between Sydney and Perth from December 19, which will compliment its existing Melbourne-Perth services.




Read more: Tigerair to join transcontinental fight for passengers

 

[Cool Cat Phil]

This will make things heat up in terms of ticket prices for a very important route.

I wonder what Tigerair's flight times will be?

Can all 4 Airlines survive on this route?

All will come out of the wash in the next few months I suspect.

 

[lovestotravel]

This is only going to hurt Virgin

More people will fly Tiger as they will be cheaper
Less people flying Virgin

Just need to rename Virgin to "Virgin Group" and we have the QF/JQ situation all over again......

 

[Must...Fly!]

The usual red-eye back of clock flying.

Though curiously they have left 1hr 5min for a turn....I guess it must be cheaper to sit on the tarmac in Perth than keep people working in Sydney to get the plane in later...

I welcome more competition but I can't imagine the airlines do! I wonder where you'd end up if the flight missed curfew in SYD...

 

[yohy?!]

This is only going to hurt Virgin

More people will fly Tiger as they will be cheaper
Less people flying Virgin

Just need to rename Virgin to "Virgin Group" and we have the QF/JQ situation all over again......

dont JQ fly this route also? wouldnt their pax be more likely to switch to tiger?

 

[lovestotravel]

dont JQ fly this route also? wouldnt their pax be more likely to switch to tiger?

Yes they do!

I just feel that VA customers will fly to Tiger more than JQ

But both are price sensitive

The only winner from this is Qantas as Qantas customers are very loyal/stuck flying with them

 

[dajop]

Can all 4 Airlines survive on this route?

Why not? Four airlines have survived for a while on Melbourne-Perth route (where Tiger does double daily most days, and Jetstar 2-3 daily services, whereas on SYD Jetstar has just 1-2 daily service, and Tiger will only have one).

 

[Danger]

Looking at the Tiger schedule for PER-SYD Fridays and SYD-PER Sundays, the times are conveniently in the one hour window for a Jetstar price match.

 

[FrankC]

Looking at the Tiger schedule for PER-SYD Fridays and SYD-PER Sundays, the times are conveniently in the one hour window for a Jetstar price match.

Can't say the same for those from SYD going to PER for the weekend

 

[markis10]

Yes they do!

I just feel that VA customers will fly to Tiger more than JQ

But both are price sensitive

The only winner from this is Qantas as Qantas customers are very loyal/stuck flying with them

Not the VA business customers who are schedule sensitive, it's only one flight a day, that's not going to appeal to most of the business market where VA are aiming their share, it will appeal to VFR traffic though.

 

[Melburnian1]

Why not? Four airlines have survived for a while on Melbourne-Perth route (where Tiger does double daily most days, and Jetstar 2-3 daily services, whereas on SYD Jetstar has just 1-2 daily service, and Tiger will only have one).

The BITRE reported that in June 2013, MEL - PER - MEL was Australia's fifth busiest air route with the 2,216,500 monthly passengers (i.e. roughly 1.1 million each way) up a high 15.2 per cent compared with June 2012.

In contrast, SYD - PER - SYD was only the seventh busiest route nationwide, with the 1,804,800 passengers in June 2013 a below average for Australia's air routes rise of 1.1 per cent compared with June 2013.

It is typical for the MEL route to be busier to PER than the SYD - PER route: Victoria and Western Australia have more in common (AFL, climate) than NSW and WA. As another indicator, Victoria sends more supermarket dry manufactured goods across on the transcontinental rail line to PER than NSW-manufactured (or imported by sea) products. Historically, major miners have been based in MEL so that adds to the business ties with the wonderful west.

I agree that Tigerair's commencement of flights between SYD and PER will stimulate demand as the QF group may lower its 'back of the bus' prices to try to retain leisure travellers. With the mining industry having suffered a recent downturn (though how much remains the subject of conjecture, and the election of a new, business friendly Federal Government may have a more positive effect on business investment), attracting leisure travellers has become a bit more important even for the two airlines that attract the 'suits', QF and VA. Doubtless some passengers will transfer from JQ and VA to TT if the latter's fares are cheaper.

 

[pauly7]

Bit of a risky move from VA letting TT on a trans con which is already causing them some pain.

Guess it's pretty limited capacity though.

 

[VHOEJ]

A red eye flight in a Tiger configuration - that is why VA wouldn't be worried. They might be more concerned if they were day flights.

 

[UP4014]

I know Tiger are saying they hope more people will fly, but I think on this route it will be the same number of people spread over more airlines. The winner wil be QF as they will have the least leakage off to others.

Matt

 

[Hvr]

So if a TT flight is cancelled will pax be put onto a VA flight? Or left to wait days until spare capacity becomes available on TT flights?

I can see the headlines now if the latter.

 

[toowongman]

So if a TT flight is cancelled will pax be put onto a VA flight? Or left to wait days until spare capacity becomes available on TT flights?

I can see the headlines now if the latter.

Pretty sure the brand separation strategy will keep things neat. Apparently TT will have "improved customer service" but swinging people over to VA won't be an option.

 

[samh004]

All JQ needs to do now is introduce their 787 transcon in-between its future international services, and the QF group will have widebodies in both full service and LCC, while the VA group will be a bit stuck. The JQ 787 could even be a tag flight to PER, similar to how JQ35 works, gosh that'd heat things up.

No one wake me up!

 

[Simo]

IMHO,

If tiger does well with quality of service as in not cancelling flights on a regular basis and it leaves as a red eye service it could be popular with the self funded travellers.

I have a friend who has no status but commutes between PER and MEL half a dozen times a year and always does the red eye from PER it is always price for him due to the fact that doesn't want a meal just a seat and try and have some sleep.

 

[wandering_fred]

All JQ needs to do now is introduce their 787 transcon in-between its future international services, and the QF group will have widebodies in both full service and LCC, while the VA group will be a bit stuck. The JQ 787 could even be a tag flight to PER, similar to how JQ35 works, gosh that'd heat things up.

No one wake me up!

Given JQ/3K can't find an A330 for PER-SIN I would be very surprised to see a JQ 787 anywhere in Oz.

Happy wandering

Fred

 

[UP4014]

A red eye flight in a Tiger configuration - that is why VA wouldn't be worried. They might be more concerned if they were day flights.

They are trying to grow the very bottom end of the market and limited TT service might do it for people going for a weeks holiday. Just hope if they have an aircraft brakedown they can deal with it properly and not their ususal way of doing such things.

M