Bonza Airline Discussion

[A321]

FLHI still on the ground, I'd assume Nauru is covering their flights.
Probably have to recall the Canadians from their holidays across Australia!

 

[jb747]

30% of nothing is nothing.

 

[Saab34]

Interesting statement from CASA today. So will be on the AB AOC and some stuff with the Canadian Transport body has been going on in the back.

Crew are apparently in Bonza uniform also.

CASA only granted this for 90 days. I’d me mindful booking after those 90 days folks as who knows what the next plan is.

 

[Albert Hoffman]

Flair has been signed off.

Looks like will launch today to Whitsunday and Isa

Congrats to Bonza and Flair!

 

[Harrison_133]

Bit of a Bonza update.

UKH is currently grounded (again) in Mackay with a technical issue.

The Flair operation is having a few teething issues. Schedules are being rejigged due to crewing requirements. Actual Bonza aircraft are stepping in for some flights and more Nauru flights are planned over coming days.

They’ve started reporting OTP & cancellations in the BITRE data for November. #1 airline for on time arrivals at 73.9%. Departures at 73.3%, 4.2% cancellation rate. Just watch that cancellation rate skyrocket in the December stats.

I managed to get my refund from Bonza after only 8 days, which I’m pretty happy with, considering some of the nightmare stories I’ve read of people having to chase up their refunds many weeks later.

 

[Saab34]

Schedules are being rejigged due to crewing requirements.

What’s the issue?

 

[Harrison_133]

What’s the issue?

Not 100% sure. All the Flair crew are reportedly here and ready to go. And they’ll be wearing Bonza uniforms.

On another note, following the 30% off we’re sorry sale, they’ve now launched a 20% off sale for travel in 2024.

 

[Saab34]

So both Flair flights today have 7 hour delays? ISA cancelled, next flight isn’t until post Xmas, and Cairns likely won’t be going until late late or cancelled

Still seems to be major issues

Rebooking today with someone else, you would need to take out a mortgage.

 

[Harrison_133]

So both Flair flights today have 7 hour delays? ISA cancelled and Cairns likely won’t be going until late late or cancelled

Part of the rejigged schedules.

Bonza would be counting the TSV flight (rescheduled from 0630 to 1100) and the CNS flight (rescheduled from 1205 to 1625) as on time, because they were rescheduled prior to the 72 hour time frame they seem to operate on.

VH-UKH was supposed to operate the LST flight, which had been rescheduled to an 0800 departure a few days ago. With UKH tech, the Flair aircraft that was supposed to go to ISA is operating LST with a 4 hour and 40 minute delay.

I’ve already seen a few comments from ISA pax. No alternative flight offered, Virgin from Brisbane sold out. Qantas starting at $1300+. Sure is one hell of a Merry Christmas from Bonza.

 

[Saab34]

Part of the rejigged schedules.

Bonza would be counting the TSV flight (rescheduled from 0630 to 1100) and the CNS flight (rescheduled from 1205 to 1625) as on time, because they were rescheduled prior to the 72 hour time frame they seem to operate on.

VH-UKH was supposed to operate the LST flight, which had been rescheduled to an 0800 departure a few days ago. With UKH tech, the Flair aircraft that was supposed to go to ISA is operating LST with a 4 hour and 40 minute delay.

I’ve already seen a few comments from ISA pax. No alternative flight offered, Virgin from Brisbane sold out. Qantas starting at $1300+. Sure is one hell of a Merry Christmas from Bonza.

I see thank. FR24 doesn’t update the regigged schedules.

The ISA cancellation isn’t great. Surely they could cancel something or do something across the network tomorrow to free up an aircraft, even if it’s at an ungodly hour. Such a terrible route to rebook on, options are not price friendly.

This was the issue I had with this mob when considering booking a regional run. What are the options if an aircraft goes tech, crew is sick, an so on. Recovery options are financially eye watering. Just didn’t bother and stuck with the others

 

[jb747]

Congrats to Bonza and Flair!

I'm not sure what you're congratulating them on. Foreign aircraft and crews, minimal CASA oversight and very little from their home nation, plus an inability to actually plan their operations in accordance with the equipment and people that they actually have. The Irish bloke would have been happy with this sort of outcome.

 

[flyer89]

The Irish bloke would have been happy with this sort of outcome.

His only criticism would be that they purchased real aeroplanes that people can fly on.

 

[henrus]

"We really don't make a habit of cancelling flights," Bonza chief executive Tim Jordan said.

Quote above from ABC News. A lot of media jumping onboard with the story about the Mt Isa flight.

 

[pauly7]

Was on news tonight again

Last-minute Bonza flight cancellations leave Mount Isa residents stranded for Christmas​

Outback Queensland residents have been left stranded and scrambling after airline Bonza cancelled flights to and from the north-west of the state today.

Key points:​

• Some residents are paying more than $1,000 for last-minute flights with other carriers to be with family for the holidays
• Bonza says a maintenance issue is behind the second round of flight cancellations
• The next Bonza flight out of Mount Isa does not leave until after Christmas

'Absolutely disgraceful': Sudden Bonza flight cancellations leave outback residents stranded for Christmas

Outback Queensland residents are in uproar as another round of flight cancellations means families will be separated for Christmas, or forced to pay thousands of dollars for last-minute flights.

www.abc.net.au

 

[justinbrett]

OOL-BDB & GLT seems to be cancelled for Jan 24, first available Feb 24.

 

[henrus]

OOL-BDB & GLT seems to be cancelled for Jan 24, first available Feb 24.

I wonder if the first available is the 24th of Feb because they’ve blocked earlier stuff to deal with the 24 Jan cancellations or is that just the best at this stage.

Eitherway I’d expect the media to pick this up after Christmas.

 

[Saab34]

And the DRW redeye had been greyed out again.

Really is just a ballsup.

Again, what happens after the 90 day Flair thing. They are selling seats up until September. They talk about QF selling ghost flights, well would be interesting to know what the fleet plans here are post Feb, obviously it’s 2 New AB 737s or cancelled flights again

They need to go back to basics, back to a 3 aircraft operation with one spare.

 

[Harrison_133]

When questioned about the Mount Isa cancellations, the CEO stated:

“When looking at cancellations on a national basis there were more than 5,000 cancellations over three reported months of data (Aug - Oct). During that same period Bonza had only five cancellations.”

Of course he is relying on data from a period during which the Flair issues weren’t impacting operations, whilst conveniently ignoring the November data which saw Bonza record 23 cancellations in one month.

“We’re really in a Shazza vs Goliath battle to get more choice and lower fares to Australians.”

“However, that road won’t be easy and occasionally we’ll get things wrong, and we will learn from that.”

“With a small fleet of aircraft, it is often inevitable that multiple factors can impact the extent to which we can fully recover and sadly this is the case today.”

It’s almost as if they didn’t learn anything from the last time they overstretched their resources…

“For the customers impacted here today, many flying with us for the first time, we simply haven’t delivered, and we are sorry," the CEO said.

Not exactly a winning comms strategy.

Source: My office and I are aware of the sudden... - Robbie Katter MP

 

[Saab34]

They could have cancelled one of the OOL-MEL flights and used those resources for a ISA flight.

 

[Albert Hoffman]

They used a Nauru 737-300 for TSV-OOL today. Christmas Day flight, so hopefully no one got bumped.