Movement on the TSV lounge front ?

[i_hate_the_tulla_freeway]

On a plane today reading the Oz, there's a story about the redevelopment of TSV airport terminal over the next year which will include two (2) airport lounges, so VA might finally be getting a lounge up there in 2017. Or it might be a perpetual work in motion, like HBA.

(TSV pax will be slugged $2.50 on their fare to pay for this).

In TSV airport mid afternoon today, waiting for a bag, watching the arrivals/departure screens, Qantas had three outbound flights later in the day to BNE plus a Jetstar flight to both BNE and MEL, five flights all up. VA had one departure left, to BNE. It was about 3.45pm. A cynical person might question whether VA is really serious about taking it up to QF in smaller ports.

 

[eastwest101]

Apparently it will be happening before HBA - I will try to dig out the old thread - here it is:

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....virgin-australia-townsville-lounge-42349.html

There was another thread that I cannot find for the life of me where I had posted an image of the proposed airport floor plan. The local paper had a write up that work started next month but as you know with these staged things - they can take quite a while (peak of works mid 2017 quoted from airport manager) but I'm pretty confident we'll see a VA Lounge in TSV before HBA unless something very strange/unexpected happens.

Townsville Airport is set to undergo a $50 million expansion following government approval | Townsville Bulletin

I don't know that QF are that serious about TSV either - try to book a direct flight from TSV to Qantas's home port/'hub' of SYD and see how go, at least you can still do that on VA. It is a bit of a sad state of affairs though as we used to have direct QF services to TSV-SYD and we have also lost the VA TSV-CBR and TSV-OOL services that we used to have.

 

[Muppet501st]

Apparently it will be happening before HBA - I will try to dig out the old thread - here it is:

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....virgin-australia-townsville-lounge-42349.html

There was another thread that I cannot find for the life of me where I had posted an image of the proposed airport floor plan. The local paper had a write up that work started next month but as you know with these staged things - they can take quite a while (peak of works mid 2017 quoted from airport manager) but I'm pretty confident we'll see a VA Lounge in TSV before HBA unless something very strange/unexpected happens.

Townsville Airport is set to undergo a $50 million expansion following government approval | Townsville Bulletin

I don't know that QF are that serious about TSV either - try to book a direct flight from TSV to the Qantas's home port/'hub' of SYD and see how go, at least you can still do that on VA. It is a bit of a sad state of affairs though as we used to have direct QF services to TSV-SYD and we have also lost the VA TSV-CBR and TSV-OOL services that we used to have.

VA also pulled the TSV-CNS flights as well

 

[Natalie_B]

I don't know that QF are that serious about TSV either - try to book a direct flight from TSV to Qantas's home port/'hub' of SYD and see how go, at least you can still do that on VA. It is a bit of a sad state of affairs though as we used to have direct QF services to TSV-SYD and we have also lost the VA TSV-CBR and TSV-OOL services that we used to have.

I usually fly JQ SYD-TSV as going via BNE with small kids is painful. I've never tried VA on the route but would like QF to come back. I see on the QP page that it doesn't open for JQ flights on the days that I'm there, seems to be closed in the middle of the day.

 

[Simo]

TSV VA lounge has been rumoured before due to the fact that MKY also has a lounge.

Maybe TSV is getting another International carrier who wants to do a lounge.

 

[gazzax2]

Great to hear about the TSV Lounge! Too late for me though...
I lived in Hobart in 2014 and then near Townsville in 2015, so I was without lounges at my regular airports
I live in Mackay now, so I have a little lounge now. But alittle is better than none.

 

[eastwest101]

..... I've never tried VA on the route but would like QF to come back.

I take the attitude that choosing VA from SYD-TSV will eventually encourage QF to come back, flying JQ just encourages QF to Jetstarise more routes, often the direct VA flights are the same price or even lower than JQ anyway so I don't know whom JQ are kidding. But competition is good - just ask people from OOL whether they have better services and options now or several years ago when QF attempted to Jetstarize OOL and VA made big inroads into the OOL market eventually forcing QF mainline to return.

see on the QP page that it doesn't open for JQ flights on the days that I'm there, seems to be closed in the middle of the day.

Another good reason to not fly JQ - part of the Qantas Group but only when it suits them - not the customer.....

 

[Natalie_B]

I take the attitude that choosing VA from SYD-TSV will eventually encourage QF to come back, flying JQ just encourages QF to Jetstarise more routes, often the direct VA flights are the same price or even lower than JQ anyway so I don't know whom JQ are kidding. But competition is good - just ask people from OOL whether they have better services and options now or several years ago when QF attempted to Jetstarize OOL and VA made big inroads into the OOL market eventually forcing QF mainline to return

very good point. I've got no further JQ bookings post February so seems like a good time to give VA a chance.

 

[DavidFlynn]

FYI: I put the question to Virgin Australia last week, in the context of new lounges for 2016, reply was "No current plans to expand domestic lounge network further at this stage".