End of cheap seats

[harvyk]

Qantas signals end of cut-price flights | Travel News | News.com.au

So what are everyones thoughts? Have we seen the end of the sub $1000 transpac fare? Or is this just QF living in hope?

My thoughts are that yes the fares will rise (they have been doing so in the last few months already) but QF is also facing stronger comp from the likes of VA and DL

 

[Travel Guru]

My personal feeling is that QF are kidding themselves, with the amount of competition on the Pacific route, fares are going to stay low for a while yet i'd imagine.

It really hasn't got much to do with QF anyway, they're usually the followers on the leaders on the cheap sale fares, so as long as V, Delta and UA are happy to keep throwing cheap seats at the public, QF will have little choice but to match them.

TG

 

[docjames]

We'll know it's over when the op-ups and points-ups end.

 

[samh004]

I think it just swings around depending on the time of year. It's rising right now as it's getting to a peak season, but there will be sales and I'm sure it'll go back down at some point next year. Maybe not by the same amount it did this year, but still down.

From what he also said, seems like he wants to do something to premium seats.

 

[harvyk]

We'll know it's over when the op-ups and points-ups end.

You can say that again - 4 transpac flights, 4 time paying for Y-, only once in a Y seat... Sat in J seats (inc 747 top deck) the other three times - two op-ups, one points upgrade from an unupgradeable fare...

And here I was paying for J flights earlier this year so I actually got to see the upper deck of a 747...

Now all I need to do is sit in the upper deck of an A380 (My one transpac Y flight), and in F and my flying life will be complete...

 

[UP4014]

I suspect they are saying it in an effort to reduce the shock of gradual increases, by saying it again and again (this isn't the first time) people will slowly accept that it's coming.

Reality may be different altogether in pricing, but spin and reality don't reflect each other.

If other airlines are discounting, QF isn't going to increase its fares and reduce its loadings just because it put out a media release saying it would. Every airline already has excess capacity and I don't see too many others saying they are going to increase fares.

eg, look at political leaks, sometimes it's to gauge the repsonse.

 

[Alanslegal]

my prediction is that fares will remain sub$1500 through to end 2010 ... excluding the peak periods of course ....

now what i am hoping and waiting for is when aus-eur fares gets close to the $1k mark - that would be super.

 

[Travel Guru]

now what i am hoping and waiting for is when aus-eur fares gets close to the $1k mark - that would be super.

I think that's commonly referred too as wishful thinking :mrgreen::mrgreen:

TG