New SQ flights to US from Oz

[JohnK]

I suppose business travellers wouldn't have the time to do anything but the most direct options though.

Serious? Which business travellers?

Would that be the ones that need to go to the USA but travel through 4 continents, as well as unnecessary sectors like LHR-MCT-LHR, to get there? Or would it be the ones that need to go to PVG and go via SIN, BKK, HKG and NRT?

How many business people on AFF and FT get their company to pay for a DAS1x, DCIR2x or DONEx instead of the most direct route?

 

[Keith009]

AFFers and FTers are still very much in the minority. My comment was directed at the "general public" or "rest of the world."

Besides there are nonAFF/FT business travelers who actually need to hit a few places on different continents and I've seen unbelievably simple DONE routings.

 

[NM]

How many business people on AFF and FT get their company to pay for a DAS1x, DCIR2x or DONEx instead of the most direct route?

I use DASx, DCIRc and DONEx fares because I try to minimise my number of trips and my time away from my family. I bunch together work and projects in multiple locations because its much more efficient use of my time and the company's travel budget to visit multiple destinations in one trip rather than making multiple direct flights. My DAS13 in February was planned such that I had a meeting in Sydney, two weeks with a customer in KUL, meetings with a vendor in Hong Kong, and a planning workshop with colleagues and a customer in PVG. Now I guess I could have flown BNE-SYD-BNE, then BNE-KUL-BNE, then BNE-HKG-BNE and finally BNE-PVG-BNE. But that would have been way more expensive (even if all in discount economy) and would have meant a lot more time away from my family. I believe the DAS13 was the right and responsible fare for the intended purpose.

I already have 3 meetings and workshops planned for a DONE4 later in the year. This will involve being somewhere in Europe (most likely UK, but could be Germany as well), Florida, Texas, and Malaysia. A DONE4 allows me to include other destinations that would not justify a business trip in their own right, but when there is minimal (if any) incremental cost then the business benefit of the meetings easily justifies the extra day. Again, if I travelled the most direct route to each of these destinations on separate trips I would be wasting my own time and my employer's money.

Direct point-to-point itineries are not always the best or cheapest solution.

 

[Keith009]

Come to think of it - someone using a DCIR or CCPSTAR to the US would actually be SAVING the company a HUGE chunk of money than the direct flights there in business class. But again - how many corporate TAs would think of that, and how many 'normal' (whatever that means ) biz travelers would agree to such an option when most simply want to get 'there' and back?

 

[simongr]

Current trip is a DONE4 - I have spent 2 1/2 weeks away consecutively meaning additional time away (i.e. weekends) and have spent a lot of personal time travelling. I have saved the company close to $10,000 by doing this. I thuink you should get off your high horse and constant barrage of "people who get business class travel are wasting other people's money" - you don't know how/why we travel or what is asked of us, you don't know what impact that has on our lives, you don't know what value we add to our organisations that we can justify what we do - and personally I am not going to justify myself to you.

Next time someone wants advice on how to save some money for their company, PM me as it seems talking about flying in J is on a par with people who have a high carbon footprint...

 

[JohnK]

I thuink you should get off your high horse and constant barrage of "people who get business class travel are wasting other people's money" - you don't know how/why we travel or what is asked of us, you don't know what impact that has on our lives, you don't know what value we add to our organisations that we can justify what we do - and personally I am not going to justify myself to you.

Me on a high horse? Don't think so.

I know exactly what is involved in work travel. I was the one that got to the destination at 3:00am, after 17 hours of travel in WHY, and expected to be ready for 7:00am start and work for 16 hours that day. And after working for 100 hours in 7 days I was expected to front for work the same day after arriving back in Sydney. Yes real fun times. Maybe I should have sold them on business class travel but when they charge you out at $200+/hour the client is very reluctant to fork out more. I was only 1 consultant and the project had more than 20 consultants at any one time.

Try running your own business and then see what it feels like when you spend your own money. I have a friend who owns a furniture business and is going to a furniture expo in Shanghai and then Hong Kong in May. He and his business partner are going in economy with QF and found airfares SYD-PVG//HKG-SYD for $1250 each. He has asked me to look for accommodation for him and I suggested the Holiday Inn at around A$150/night. No way he wants something for around A$100/night. These are the type of people I admire.

Would you like to hear some more of my boring work stories? How about the time I was in CGK late at night and I was supposed to be met by a company representative to take me through immigration and then to the car for a 2+ hour trip. Waiting and waiting, touts everywhere. Lack of communication meant no-one there to greet me. After what seemed an eternity, literally went to hell and back, I was in the hotel in Jakarta, surrounded by high perimeter fencing, after midnight and there was a driver waiting for me at 6:00am to head off on that 2+ hour trip and straight to work.

And by the way you do not need to justify anything to me.

 

[Platy]

A few points reflecting MHO:

1. QF clearly has a very effective media/PR arm and it is ludicrous to suggest that the media only ever go after QF negatively.

Two quick national examples, favourable coverage of the new premium economy product (hasn't anybody realised every photo is of the front row!!!) and lack of media interest in the 717 accident (not one published photo in the national press?).

One quick local (Cairns) example is complete lack of any journalistic input beyond re-writing the QF/Deathstar press releases and thus regurgitating the corporate spin at a time when QF services are continually being degraded to CNS (and DRW).

2. And yes, QF gets some stick as well in the press - but rightly so.

I want to know if they are cutting corners on safety, failing to adequately staff BNE check in, going to sell off a company at a stupidly low price with a $130m bonus to the CEO, persuading the Government to protect their business at my expense as a taxpayer and Australian traveller, etc.

3. And yes, many of us own our own businesses so any $$$'s are both hard won and only spent with due regard to best value (time, expense, etc).

IMHO, the J prices to the US on QF are a blatant rip off. Sure, the market withstands that price (so it is arguably good business), BUT this is only true because of protectionism on that route and the void in competition.

Thanks to the advice on FF I know that if I am prepared to spend some more time travelling I can use a circle fare or rtw fare to avoid such pricing.

 

[dajop]

and how many 'normal' (whatever that means ) biz travelers would agree to such an option when most simply want to get 'there' and back?

If going to mid-west or east coast the DCIRC option doesn't really add on that much time. For eg, from MEL to NYC can leave at midnight getting to NYC at 1pm (via HKG) or leave at 10am-ish and get there at 5pm - OK it's 6 hrs longer, but still gets to New York mid afternoon.

It's not only the "get there and back" factor, sometimes internal politics can mean its better to spend an extra $2K and direct (ie via LAX) than circle through elsewhere, even on one's own time First time I took a DCIRC via HKG I got accused of "taking advantage" of company even though it simply meant I left Fri afternoon, rather than Mon morning (needed to be there Tues), I paid for non-US additional accom, and saved the company $2K. However when my expenses came through and the $2K saving was evident, there was a bit of backtracking.