Coolangatta airport and Jetstar

[steve99]

Hi,
I have been a lurker on this website for some time but have became fired up because of my experience today at Coolangatta airport and Jetstar.

As Qantas/Jetstar seems to now require Brisbane people to fly to Japan from OOL instead of Brisbane, I booked my son's flight from TYO to OOL with J*.
After the long drive from Brisbane, we went to Terminal 1 as directed by the J* website to wait for him. The monitor advised that the flight from TYO was delayed by an hour.
A sign stuck on one of the monitors advised us that arrivals would be through the doors next to the departure glass doors.
Waiting in the shabby Terminal 1 building I reflected on the poor impression that fastidious Japanese visitors would have of their first sight of Australia.
After waiting a further 60 minutes at arrivals in Terminal 1 we were told by one of the other people waiting for arrivals that the passengers we had been waiting for were exiting at another terminal building through unmarked doors and onto the footpath! There were no announcements of this change and no facilities and seats on the footpath for those waiting for arrivals.

I also have a complaint about the very inconvenient transport arrangements to OOL for us Brisbane people. To travel to OOL requires taxi to a station, train to Robina and then a bus to the airport. The alternate is a $205 private limousine service.

Air Asia has provides a convenient and cheap bus pick-up service in Brisbane for its flights from OOL, but Qantas/J* doesn't offer such service. After their shabby treatment today by Qantas/J* I feel they have decided not to make travel easy for their Brisbane passengers.

 

[MelUser]

But isn't about what the market will accept. If all Brisbanites refued to travel to NRT from OOL and instead booked JAL/QF flights from BNE, Jetstar would soon change airports!

 

[Travel Guru]

You also have to remember that the airport is currently being rebuilt so it wont remain in its current form for long.

I agree with Meluser, if people don't use a service, the airline will soon redeploy it.

On the issue of the fastidious Japanese, I would have thought they'd be choosing to fly on JL/QF into BNE rather than using a budget LCC like JQ.

TG

 

[Evan]

Japanese tourist are very time driven due to there often short holidays, so you tend to see the best timed services being the most in demand.
Jet* seem to be doing ok from Japan so i guess its working for them.
E

 

[Platy]

Jet* seem to be doing ok from Japan so i guess its working for them.
E

I dunno. The Cairns Nagoya flights were a failure.

 

[Mal]

Japanese tourist are very time driven due to there often short holidays, so you tend to see the best timed services being the most in demand.
Jet* seem to be doing ok from Japan so i guess its working for them.
E

The tour operators will also back the bus up to the terminal to ensure that their tourists are safely locked onboard quickly. So I don't think a poor airport will negatively influence a package tourist's view of OOL airport. I'd be more worried about what they think of the inflight service - or perhaps the package operators have a 'sweet' deal with Jetstar to include meals etc.

 

[Evan]

The tour operators will also back the bus up to the terminal to ensure that their tourists are safely locked onboard quickly. So I don't think a poor airport will negatively influence a package tourist's view of OOL airport. I'd be more worried about what they think of the inflight service - or perhaps the package operators have a 'sweet' deal with Jetstar to include meals etc.

Mal, you make it sound like its transporting pets between zoo's, but your right the torur groups usually have that silly person with a flag and make sure they are out asap.

Certianly some adverts i have seen in Osaka/Kobe when i have been there included the feed-me pack in the price, I think it does get sold a little different over there.
Service in Japan is funny, somebody is always there to serve you but not always the case from what it looks like in the air, but i speak very little Japanese so i am sure its all lost on me, i can only say in my expereince it ranges from almost scared of the white guy to a novalty and get heaps of attention, a mix really.

E

 

[whereishome]

I'm flying OOL-NRT on Saturday, so I'll be interested to see how it goes. I haven't flown Jetstar before but since this OOL-NRT route has only been operating since Thursday I've been keeping an eye on the flight stats. Is there any reason to be consistently 35-45 minutes late even though you depart on time?

I dunno where the OP gets the idea that there is no longer an NRT to BNE flight. AFAIK, Qantas are still selling the QF360 codeshare (which is the direct NRT-BNE), operated on JL761.

My experience of living in Japan and seeing JQ promoted there was that it is being aimed at families and young people as an "add the options" airline, so you can take it if you want to save a bit of coin.

I can guarantee that most travel agents in Japan will book you on a JL operated flight with a QF number, EVEN if you ask for a specific QF flight number (long story, that one).

 

[Evan]

Could it be late due to headwinds at this time of the year or something like that ? Cant think of many other reasons if it really does leave on time and it probably does given its consistant. Unless its traffic at KIX end could be holding it up to land.

I will check out the adverts when i am there later this week.

E

 

[Andyc]

I dunno. The Cairns Nagoya flights were a failure.

Maybe, but I certainly enjoyed the 4 seats I got to myself on NGO-CNS two weeks ago

Saying that, SYD-OOl-KIX (which became SYD-OOL-CNS-KIX - grumble!) at the beginning of the month was one of the most painful experiences ever. I knew I deserved it for taking J* long-haul but the ones I really felt sorry for were the Japanese tourists who were on the JL codeshare.

 

[turtlemichael]

Saying that, SYD-OOl-KIX (which became SYD-OOL-CNS-KIX - grumble!) at the beginning of the month was one of the most painful experiences ever. I knew I deserved it for taking J* long-haul but the ones I really felt sorry for were the Japanese tourists who were on the JL codeshare.

The QF/JQ approach to servicing the Japan market has always been that the market has to fit the product, not the other way around. QF skipped class the day they did Marketing 101. Although it's by no means the only factor in the failure of the Cairns market in Japan, it's a significant one with the consequence of substantial job loss and economic turbulance in the tourism industry here. grumble.

 

[Platy]

The QF/JQ approach to servicing the Japan market has always been that the market has to fit the product, not the other way around. QF skipped class the day they did Marketing 101. Although it's by no means the only factor in the failure of the Cairns market in Japan, it's a significant one with the consequence of substantial job loss and economic turbulance in the tourism industry here. grumble.

One must also question whether QF/JQ failure to offer the correct product supported with effective marketing should be patched up with taxpayers cash (the State Gov subsidises these flights)!!!

 

[anat0l]

Perhaps the idea of using OOL as a contact point in the Japan routes was not only to cut costs, but to also I guess the idea is that most people would want to holiday in the Gold Coast rather than Brisbane. Going straight to OOL cuts out a lot of the hoopla having to train it down from BNE. When JQ opens up OOL-CNS, then that gives more connection and holiday ideas.

Unfortunately, the infrastructure in the Gold Coast isn't really catching up to the demand. Some of that "can't be helped", but in many respects it is also a failure of planning management, coupled with a difficulty to "retrofit" into an established community. So offering a direct point of entry into OOL isn't a bad idea (driving up from Cooloongatta is better than driving down from Robina (i.e. last train stop from BNE)).

I'm not sure how much of the SYD/OOL/{KIX,NRT} flights are made up of BNE pax going via OOL. Compared to Air Asia's OOL/KUL (in direct competition with MH BNE/KUL), this was designed to really attract both BNE and OOL pax, although operating out of OOL again to cut down on costs. The bus service from BNE as described by the OP here emphasises that fact. (This kind of bus service is also replicated in the Philippines where Air Asia operate to Clark rather than Manila, but provide a bus transfer service between the two ports.)

Funny enough I wonder how successful JQ will be operating this route as such (via OOL rather than BNE as it used to be, although I'm not sure about how successful that was). Also, I'm not sure how the Japanese look at JQ service compared to their own at home (or others), i.e. whether it's worse, tolerable or better (highly doubt the last one), or whether most are just in it for the price (again no idea if that means worse, comparable or better than what they could equally find).

 

[dajop]

Although it's by no means the only factor in the failure of the Cairns market in Japan, it's a significant one with the consequence of substantial job loss and economic turbulance in the tourism industry here. grumble.

This sort of grumbling is aired often. What is the cause and effect though? Lower demand -> cutting of services to CNS. Or Cutting services ->lower demand? An ER of around 100 JPY:1AUD does not make CNS, or anywhere in Oz, a particularly attractive destination costwise for Japanese tourists. Wonder if this will change now that the ER is back around the 60 mark.

Getting back to OP, one other way of getting to OOL (~$50-60) is relocating a hire car down there, as IIRC there are no relocation fees between Brisbane city/suburb/airport and OOL (at least some cos). Maybe a little hassle picking up the car, but an option nevertheless.

 

[whereishome]

FWIW, I live south of the Brisbane CBD and it takes me about the same amount of time and trouble to get to OOL vs BNE either by taxi or getting a lift.

 

[ike]

Saying that, SYD-OOl-KIX (which became SYD-OOL-CNS-KIX - grumble!) at the beginning of the month was one of the most painful experiences ever. I knew I deserved it for taking J* long-haul but the ones I really felt sorry for were the Japanese tourists who were on the JL codeshare.[/quote]


Why did your flight stop at CNS on way to KIX does it happen offer? should be direct to KIX from OOL..:shock:
Thanks!

 

[Platy]

This sort of grumbling is aired often. What is the cause and effect though? Lower demand -> cutting of services to CNS. Or Cutting services ->lower demand? An ER of around 100 JPY:1AUD does not make CNS, or anywhere in Oz, a particularly attractive destination costwise for Japanese tourists. Wonder if this will change now that the ER is back around the 60 mark..

Maybe dajop, you would like to hook up for a beer or even a meal next time you come to CNS (sorry not sure where you are based). Take a first hand look, meet some of the folk involved in this situation. Personally I know good folk ranging from local QF manager to tour operators to the state and fed MPs/Senators.

With respect, I don't think locals such as my good self or the eminently logical/reasonable and hospitable Turtlemichael are voicing an insubstantial grumble.

Just our opinion? Absolutely not.






Come see for your good self!!!

 

[Commuter]

This sort of grumbling is aired often. What is the cause and effect though? Lower demand -> cutting of services to CNS. Or Cutting services ->lower demand? An ER of around 100 JPY:1AUD does not make CNS, or anywhere in Oz, a particularly attractive destination costwise for Japanese tourists. Wonder if this will change now that the ER is back around the 60 mark.

Unscientifically speaking (based on a rather small sample population), most of my Japanese friends don't bother with visiting Australia regardless of the exchange rate - they see it as a 'backpacker destination without interesting long-standing history' (rightly or wrongly) and would much rather go to Europe even though it's more expensive there.

Popularity of golf seems to have calmed a lot in Japan since their bubble burst years ago and so the Gold Coast doesn't seem to attract as many golf tourists from Japan either, although it may just be my perception.

Those who are more interested in a 'sun and beach' destination go to Hawaii or Guam instead of Australia too.

I am not sure how much influence 'cheap' AUD would have on their decision because USD and EUR have gone 'cheap' to them as well, although I think AUD has fallen more than other major currencies against JPY.

 

[crazydave98]

I can guarantee that most travel agents in Japan will book you on a JL operated flight with a QF number, EVEN if you ask for a specific QF flight number (long story, that one).

I for one would like to hear that story please.
cheers
CrazyDave98

 

[qjvt]

Hi,
I have been a lurker on this website for some time but have became fired up because of my experience today at Coolangatta airport and Jetstar.

As Qantas/Jetstar seems to now require Brisbane people to fly to Japan from OOL instead of Brisbane, I booked my son's flight from TYO to OOL with J*.
After the long drive from Brisbane, we went to Terminal 1 as directed by the J* website to wait for him. The monitor advised that the flight from TYO was delayed by an hour.
A sign stuck on one of the monitors advised us that arrivals would be through the doors next to the departure glass doors.
Waiting in the shabby Terminal 1 building I reflected on the poor impression that fastidious Japanese visitors would have of their first sight of Australia.

After waiting a further 60 minutes at arrivals in Terminal 1 we were told by one of the other people waiting for arrivals that the passengers we had been waiting for were exiting at another terminal building through unmarked doors and onto the footpath!

I didn't understand what you meant here, until I recently saw it myself at OOL. You are correct - the "International arrivals lobby" is the footpath. The doors are marked "STRICTLY NO ENTRY". This would be the case for all airlines, not just Jetstar.

Hi,
I also have a complaint about the very inconvenient transport arrangements to OOL for us Brisbane people. To travel to OOL requires taxi to a station, train to Robina and then a bus to the airport. The alternate is a $205 private limousine service.

The train + bus is quite economical. The Translink fare (with go card discount) from Brisbane city to OOL ($9.30) is less than the Airtrain fare from Brisbane city to BNE ($14.00).
For reference, taxi from Robina station to OOL via Tugun bypass is $53, 20 minutes approx.