A330 SYD-PER

[THR]

Hi all,

Booked Sydney to Perth for Easter, flying Sunday 28th March and returning 5th. When I booked both flights were A330s.

Then the Sydney Christmas outbreak happened - all flights on the 28th are now 737s, and only one flight on the 5th is an A330.

Given borders are now open (touch wood), what is the likelihood of A330s coming back on the route? I’m surprised they haven’t swapped any out?

Thanks - PS - couldn’t find a similar thread for this route so created as new.

 

[Port Power]

I hate when this happens! I do not like flying in 737s and always try to book on an A330. Too close to the seat in front. Shudder! But.....when this last happened to me, I was upgraded to (premium economy ) business class.

It may or may not change back. Only time will tell.

 

[jb747]

Given the on/off nature of the WA borders, I’m surprised that the airlines are scheduling anything much at all. Whilst there is much talk of suppressed demand, there’s also a great deal of wariness. And the airlines are desperately trying to save every cent, so they aren’t going to fly anything they don’t have to.

 

[serfty]

It is interesting that a MEL-BNE flight I have coming up mid March was switched to an A330 about a week ago.

I booked early last month - awardwallet alerted me to a change in my booking.

 

[Mexpirate]

I flew an a330 PER to BNE yesterday, got an upgrade to business with minimum $250 bid and every seat in business was full.

I believe there was originally 2x 737 flights scheduled, seems they merged them in to a single a330 - wasn't particularly busy down the back but not empty either, there is a fair bit of pent up demand coming out of WA.

So yes, they are definitely running a330s trans-con at the moment

 

[RichardMEL]

I would say that given it's under a month out it's unlikely to see much change - certainly to an upguage.

The reason for downgrade of a/c reflects the bookings. Most folks would have made those plans and it is probably unlikely, specially with the nature of WA and it's borders, that many more would jump on the bandwagon in the next few weeks.

I rate the chances of getting any 330 back to be about 10%. I suppose something unusual could happen like flight consolodation close in, but I reckon it's unlikely.

Sorry (but hey you never know. I've been wrong before )

 

[THR]

Thanks all! Hopefully consolidation occurs - but if it remains as is, so be it.

Just hope nothing happens to close the borders!

Post automatically merged: Mar 3, 2021

Thanks all! Hopefully consolidation occurs - but if it remains as is, so be it.

Just hope nothing happens to close the borders!

 

[jb747]

Just hope nothing happens to close the borders!

Going on the 'news' over the last couple of days, McGowan seems to be looking for ways to keep them closed post covid.....

 

[Franky]

Going on the 'news' over the last couple of days, McGowan seems to be looking for ways to keep them closed post covid.....

Can't argue there. With our election rushing up, there was a 2 page interview with him in this morning's paper and one of the last questions asked was zero tolerance going to be dropped after vaccination commences. His answer was quite long so I will paraphrase - "zero tolerance works, elimination works, and that's because we adopted an elimination strategy". We all know full well about the zero tolerance bit, but to my knowdge that's the first time he has admitted that he had an elimination strategy.

 

[jakeseven7]

Speaking to our QF account manager the amount of 'last minute / close in' bookings has soared and they are struggling to get enough aircraft onto routes to fill demand.

This makes sense from a customer logic point of view I guess - and I see this on some routes that QF has just launched going from 1 to 2 to 3 to 4 flights a day as the booking horizon narrows.

 

[oz_mark]

Can't argue there. With our election rushing up, there was a 2 page interview with him in this morning's paper and one of the last questions asked was zero tolerance going to be dropped after vaccination commences. His answer was quite long so I will paraphrase - "zero tolerance works, elimination works, and that's because we adopted an elimination strategy". We all know full well about the zero tolerance bit, but to my knowdge that's the first time he has admitted that he had an elimination strategy.

He's mentioned it before when he complained that all states but NSW were pursuing elimination. Which the other states then denied.

 

[Peasant]

I just noticed the same thing for my MEL-PER scheduled for April 7th. I noticed my 1K on the A330 has become 1A on the 737. Not sure I'm keen stumping up for J on the 737, but it seems there are no 330s available at the moment. Bummer.

 

[Port Power]

I just noticed the same thing for my MEL-PER scheduled for April 7th. I noticed my 1K on the A330 has become 1A on the 737. Not sure I'm keen stumping up for J on the 737, but it seems there are no 330s available at the moment. Bummer.

Can you cancel and rebook in Y?

 

[DC3]

I just noticed the same thing for my MEL-PER scheduled for April 7th. I noticed my 1K on the A330 has become 1A on the 737. Not sure I'm keen stumping up for J on the 737, but it seems there are no 330s available at the moment. Bummer.

Anything could happen over the next month. I would just keep an eye on it.

Edited

 

[DC3]

Can you cancel and rebook in Y?

Oooooooh. In Y? Gnasty.

 

[Port Power]

Oooooooh. In Y? Gnasty.

Agree! I always look for the flights that use aircraft other than the B737. But I refuse to pay J rates for what is only a basic premium economy seat. However I do upgrade using points!

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

J on a 737, while not as "plush" as the QF dom 330, is still better than Y on the 737.
Did a red eye on a QF 747 many years ago, PER - SYD, down the back in Y, true dom/purely dom QF flight.
Didn't realise that the 747 in Y for a 5 hr flight is a nono, premY maybe is ok for a 5 hr flight, even transAust.
Silly me, I thought, ah, I could put the backpack under the seat in front, horrid choice that one.
If you have to fly transAust, and a 737 is the only choice, pick J.
Do not pick the cancel and hope for a 330 appearing.
Never put a backpack under the seat in front of you, in a Y cabin, you need that leg space, ... my backpack now always travels in the overhead compartment.
I have been keeping an eye on the QF transAust flights, a lot of the weekend flights, are all 737s.
Will probably buy a comfort seat booking for my longer QF/(VA) flights from now on.
Edit: OT, when the QF transTasman flights open up again, I will either go J or buy the "comfort extra" seat option.

 

[jakeseven7]

I loath the 737, of any carrier in Australia. Hard to avoid these days of course. Loath the A320 as well, pretty much any config actually with 3 abreast in Y.

 

[dk4]

Speaking to our QF account manager the amount of 'last minute / close in' bookings has soared and they are struggling to get enough aircraft onto routes to fill demand.

That is my strategy now too. Don't book anything new until the last minute. For a number of reasons - random domestic border closures, unacceptable flight changes, credits not refunds, refunds taking too long, airlines becoming insolvent, lack of Scotch onboard...

 

[THR]

These are award tickets - so booking early is really the only option (none are currently available for any of the flights in J on my days of travel).

Anyway, checked Expert Flyer and the SYD-PER flights definitely don't look even slightly full on those days (showing plenty of J availability), and the return PER-SYD isn't much better. Y looks a little more full.

As someone said above, perhaps people are making late bookings closer in once there is more certainty (to the extent that is possible) that flights will happen.