More flights to Christchurch anytime soon?

[Millie]

I am trying to book a trip to Christchurch soon and wondered if anyone knows when/if Jetstar of Qantas will start flying direct to Christchurch?

 

[burmans]

I don’t ‘know’ anything but with the recent opening up announced yesterday I’d be surprised if there weren’t flights announced this week and maybe starting within 2 to 3 weeks. Possibly not daily but I do think latest news warrants at least some direct flights other than just to Auckland.

 

[blackcat20]

Hopefully soon, we’re desperate to go.

 

[Mwenenzi]

From where?
Looking at QF (non stop) schedules not much showing
A quick & easy schedule guide-->Flights, Cheap Hotels, Car Hire, Insurance & Holiday Packages - Webjet (quicker & simpler than QF)
QF will be looking at the pax load on the SYD-AKL route. Until NZ opens to all people from AU, and not just NZ citizens/PRs in AU, demand will be limited~low. That opening is currently "by July 2022", but expected/hoped will be moved to an earlier date.

For JQ (NZ) would not be expecting much (14 Feb 2022)-->Jetstar halts trans-Tasman, Rarotonga flights for three months

 

[henrus]

My guess is Qantas won't start flying to Christchurch again until the NZ border is opened to those from Australia with Australian passports.

 

[Mwenenzi]

My guess is Qantas won't start flying to Christchurch again until the NZ border is opened to those from Australia with Australian passports.

Which is now from 12 April. So within school holiday periods for AU & NZ
Would expect some more flights to be announced by NZ & QF. Maybe by JQ VA. But pax still have the CV19 testing costs of ~$200

PM on border reopening plan: 'We're ready to welcome the world back'

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced New Zealand's borders will be open to vaccinated Australians from 11.59 pm on 12 April.

www.rnz.co.nz

Ardern has announced New Zealand's borders will be open to vaccinated Australians from 11.59 pm on 12 April.
She says fully vaccinated travellers from visa-waiver countries will be able to enter the country from 11.59pm on 2 May.

 

[Mattg]

Qantas has now announced it will resume SYD-CHC flights from 13 April. Other Qantas and Jetstar routes to Christchurch follow from May or June.

 

[blackcat20]

Qantas has now announced it will resume SYD-CHC flights from 13 April. Other Qantas and Jetstar routes to Christchurch follow from May or June.

Would love for Melbourne to get a look in, we always have the worst options to CHC. We did the red eye a few times and its not pretty.

 

[Mwenenzi]

Would love for Melbourne to get a look in, we always have the worst options to CHC. We did the red eye a few times and its not pretty.

Only if you took that JQ MEL-CHC flight leaving at mid night. Were CHC-MEL flights that landed at ~23:00. They were OK with me.
For MEL-CHC_MEL I never booked a return. 75% of the time flew different airline each way.
But now Air Sydney & Air Auckland want us to go a trip.
Looking for MEL CHC this morning QF offered MEL-CBR-SYD-AKL-CHC at $$$$. 22 hrs travel time and overnight in CBR.

Edit
There was a time when some crew would notice I was not sitting in my usual 14D seat.

 

[blackcat20]

Only if you took that JQ MEL-CHC flight leaving at mid night. Were CHC-MEL flights that landed at ~23:00. They were OK with me.
For MEL-CHC_MEL I never booked a return. 75% of the time flew different airline each way.
But now Air Sydney & Air Auckland want us to go a trip.
Looking for MEL CHC this morning QF offered MEL-CBR-SYD-AKL-CHC at $$$$. 22 hrs travel time and overnight in CBR.

Qantas departed at midnight for a while, we did it multiple times. It then moved early evening which was nicer, before moving to early morning which was useless for a weekend getaway.

 

[Bolt]

I'm looking at BNE to NZ at the moment, and noticed that Jetstar can't add 2+2. Just be mindful when booking on Jetstar that what you see isn't what you get.

 

[Mattg]

For those in Melbourne and Brisbane, there is a possible upside to the lack of direct flights to Christchurch.

There's currently a sale on QF J flights from SYD, MEL & BNE to CHC. $999 return on the direct flights.

Since there are no direct flights in May from MEL or BNE, QF is also allowing the same fare to be used on flights via SYD (the base fare is the same although there's an extra $70 or so in taxes since there's two extra flights). So basically, you can fly MEL-SYD-CHC for $1070 return in J and earn 480 status credits with the current DSC offer. That's $2.23/status credit, which is unusually good for Qantas.

 

[henrus]

For those in Melbourne and Brisbane, there is a possible upside to the lack of direct flights to Christchurch.

I could find BNE-SYD-CHC-MEL-BNE for $1033 netting 520SC.

This price is still around on the days when there are direct BNE-CHC flights.

 

[Mattg]

I could find BNE-SYD-CHC-MEL-BNE for $1033 netting 520SC.

This price is still around on the days when there are direct BNE-CHC flights.

Oh, nice. Even more SCs returning via MEL, too

 

[Mattg]

I could find BNE-SYD-CHC-MEL-BNE for $1033 netting 520SC.

This price is still around on the days when there are direct BNE-CHC flights.

I'm also seeing things like this:




The Jetstar flights won't earn DSCs, but since they are QF codeshares they'd pick up another 10 SC per sector.

So I think this itinerary would earn 540 SC for $1061 ($1.96/SC)?

I'm also seeing BNE-MEL-CHC-MEL-BNE for $1,027, which earns 560 SC ($1.83/SC). But an overnight stop is required in MEL on the outbound leg.