Competition into CBR hots up!

[Yada Yada]

Capital flight fight
Danny John
December 31, 2007

THE air routes from Canberra to Sydney and Melbourne have prompted the latest fight for dominance between Qantas and Virgin Blue, with the two airlines planning to increase flights to and from the capital in the coming three months.

With Virgin Blue steadily moving up-market in an effort to attract more business and government passengers, Qantas has just countered its rival's announcement of additional services to Canberra with its own decision to increase capacity to the city.

Qantas's regional arm intends to offer an extra 15 return flights a week between Sydney and Canberra from March, taking the total to 157 flights a week, of which 48 will be jet services.

More...

Interesting response from QF!

Flying additional jets on those routes (especially SYD-CBR) is going to swamp capacity and can hardly be profitable for them given that fares are likely to go down. I guess they are trying to make it difficult for Virgin Blue to get a foothold with the hope that they'll tire of it and go away. Risky play!

And if they are going to put additional jets on the route, what will they do with all the new Crash-8's on order? :-|

I wouldn't mind betting that Qantas FF's looking for good value status runs may find an abundance of cheap business class seats available in 2008!

BTW, Happy New Year folks!

 

[JohnK]

I wouldn't mind betting that Qantas FF's looking for good value status runs may find an abundance of cheap business class seats available in 2008!

Couldn't hurt if you have spare time and money....

 

[littl_flier]

And if they are going to put additional jets on the route, what will they do with all the new Crash-8's on order? :-|

BTW, Happy New Year folks!

Happy New Year Yada Yada.

I guess they're going to have to pull the jets from somewhere. I can just see it. BNE-SYD in Crash 8's. :shock:

 

[straitman]

Happy New Year Yada Yada.

I guess they're going to have to pull the jets from somewhere. I can just see it. BNE-SYD in Crash 8's. :shock:

... and howmany stops could be made each way :?:

 

[Skoogle]

I can just see it. BNE-SYD in Crash 8's. :shock:

Sweet!!! Sign me up.

 

[littl_flier]

Sweet!!! Sign me up.

LOL, me too. Let's see. We could go BNE-OOL-BNK-CFS-NTL-SYD. Maybe a few more stops for good measure.

Actually Skoogle, this could be good for cheap Business Class trips to CBR.

What is it with you and the Crash 8? Most people try and avoid them.

 

[Dave Noble]

What is it with you and the Crash 8? Most people try and avoid them.

Crash 8 services are nicer than the mainline QF services; more comfortable with better service and snacks ime

If I'm flying a route where there's a choice of dash 8s or mainline QF, I will take the crash 8 by preference ( unless travelling on a business or 1st ticket )

Dave

 

[littl_flier]

Crash 8 services are nicer than the mainline QF services; more comfortable with better service and snacks ime

I definitely agree there Dave. On a Sunday night HVB-BNE sector, you can get three wine refills and two cheese platters if you're in 1A. You don't even get the wine for free on QF mainline on a Sunday night.

 

[Dave Noble]

I definitely agree there Dave. On a Sunday night HVB-BNE sector, you can get three wine refills and two cheese platters if you're in 1A. You don't even get the wine for free on QF mainline on a Sunday night.

Exactly; much better than the QF mainline.... and yet you asked why someone would choose crash 8 over mainline

Dave

 

[coco50]

I guess they're going to have to pull the jets from somewhere. I can just see it. BNE-SYD in Crash 8's. :shock:

That would be a good outcome! How about SYD - OOL in JQ and then train from Robina to BNE (presumably bus from OOL - Robina at present)

 

[littl_flier]

Exactly; much better than the QF mainline.... and yet you asked why someone would choose crash 8 over mainline

Dave

True true. I guess it's just the different flying experience. I find them a little noisier and sometimes a little claustrophobic. But they are still alot fun.

I was enquiring of Skoogle's love affair with them? And we've worked out some good reasons why!

 

[coco50]

LOL, me too. Let's see. We could go BNE-OOL-BNK-CFS-NTL-SYD. Maybe a few more stops for good measure.

quote]

You forgot GFN after BNK and PQQ after CFS. I have actually flown a "one sector direct flight" on QFLink from BNK-SYD via GFN and CFS

 

[littl_flier]

LOL, me too. Let's see. We could go BNE-OOL-BNK-CFS-NTL-SYD. Maybe a few more stops for good measure.

quote]

You forgot GFN after BNK and PQQ after CFS. I have actually flown a "one sector direct flight" on QFLink from BNK-SYD via GFN and CFS

Even better.

Was this just before JQ took over the route or quite a while back (ie. Ansett days) that QF offered this fun?

 

[Skoogle]

What is it with you and the Crash 8? Most people try and avoid them.

It feels more like flying and less of just a big bus. The FAs are friendlier and seem to enjoy engaging in a conversation with pax.

Of all my flights, these smaller planes have given me the most positive experiences to talk about.

 

[oz_mark]

Interesting response from QF!

Flying additional jets on those routes (especially SYD-CBR) is going to swamp capacity and can hardly be profitable for them given that fares are likely to go down. I guess they are trying to make it difficult for Virgin Blue to get a foothold with the hope that they'll tire of it and go away. Risky play!

And if they are going to put additional jets on the route, what will they do with all the new Crash-8's on order? :-|

I wouldn't mind betting that Qantas FF's looking for good value status runs may find an abundance of cheap business class seats available in 2008!

BTW, Happy New Year folks!

Its not the first time that QF have swung extra capacitiy onto sectors where DJ have decided to move into. As has been noted elsewhere CBR is a bit of a unique case, and Qantas obviously perceive a need to protect their turf.

 

[oz_mark]

It feels more like flying and less of just a big bus. The FAs are friendlier and seem to enjoy engaging in a conversation with pax.

Of all my flights, these smaller planes have given me the most positive experiences to talk about.

Only thing I have noticed is that during some of the rough weather they seem to manage to find every pothole up there with a dash 8

 

[jakeseven7]

Interesting response from QF!

Flying additional jets on those routes (especially SYD-CBR) is going to swamp capacity and can hardly be profitable for them given that fares are likely to go down. I guess they are trying to make it difficult for Virgin Blue to get a foothold with the hope that they'll tire of it and go away. Risky play!

I wouldn't mind betting that Qantas FF's looking for good value status runs may find an abundance of cheap business class seats available in 2008!

I think its pretty smart. Most Gov depts for e.g. are supposed to fly on BFOD (SUPPOSED to... but often massage their business towards QF... ).

By adding capacity you get, as you rightly point out, much cheaper fares - which means that the Gov doesn't even have to try that hard to fly QF anymore.

Plus certain grades of Gov personnel are allowed to fly domestic business, which DJ does not offer and by adding more jet services into Canberra - QF now magically does - which means they automatically pick up that business as well (as opposed to QFLink fighting it out with DJLink/Capital Shuttle).

What I don't know is exactly how sustainable this tactic is... I'm sure other people wil have opinions on this though.

I do agree with you YY on the fact that by your company putting on these Canberra flights will result in an increase in AFF members visiting Canberra on cheap D fares on QF!

 

[jakeseven7]

It feels more like flying and less of just a big bus. The FAs are friendlier and seem to enjoy engaging in a conversation with pax.

Of all my flights, these smaller planes have given me the most positive experiences to talk about.

I completely agree, I was stoked when QFLink took over services from LST-MEL from QF. Now they fly 2-4 times a day compared to QF used to fly just one and I get to fly in a fun aircraft with excellent staff.

I flew up on boxing day on QF Link and the Captain actually got off and thanked all the PAX personally as we left. Nice touch I thought, has only happened once or twice to me on QF.

 

[Skoogle]

Only thing I have noticed is that during some of the rough weather they seem to manage to find every pothole up there with a dash 8

I agree. It is great.

During the safety demo on the big buses, I hear "seatbelt to be worn low and tight" and I think 'whatever'.

On a recent Dash 8 flight, about half-way into a rough takeoff, I re-checked & tightened my belt. That is real flying.

 

[JohnK]

What is it with you and the Crash 8? Most people try and avoid them.

I love them. They cruise at 20,000 or 21,000 feet and the scenery below is almost crystal clear. The noise is not an issue once you have been in them for a few minutes and leg room is much better than in a jet.

Apart from SYD-CNS and BNE-SYD the remainder of my flights during the Queensland Mining Towns tour in a few weeks will be in Dash-8s.