QANTAS announces direct BNE-ORD / BNE-SFO

[Mrmaxwell]

What equipment will be used for these new flights?

 

[pauly7]

What equipment will be used for these new flights?

A Q400

 

[levelnine]

A Q400

QantasLink -- Linking Australia with the World.

 

[Captain Halliday]

What equipment will be used for these new flights?

I like the Q400 answer.

But assuming it’s a serious question... they’re proposing to use the B787-9.

 

[Mrmaxwell]

But assuming it’s a serious question... they’re proposing to use the B787-9.

It was a serious question....unfortunately I didn't read the press release;

"The new routes, to be operated by Qantas’ Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft"

Is 787 delivery on or ahead of schedule?

 

[Himeno]

Qantas converted 6 787 options into firm orders in May last year. The first 3 of which have had LNs assigned by Boeing, but have not yet started construction.

They should have 2 arrive late this year, which will allow QF73/74 to change from 747 to 787, and a 3rd should arrive early next year (with the next 3 in mid-late 2020). The 3rd, in addition to the aircraft currently flying the 3 weekly 2nd BNE-LAX flight, should cover the new BNE-ORD/SFO flights, assuming they don't try to double up and have both flights run on the same days. Qantas expects the 9th and 10th 787-9 to arrive in November, as they plan to put them to work on SYD-SFO from early Dec.

If they plan to have ORD/SFO flights operate on the same day, then they'll need to pull some 787 ops from HKG, however with the extra A330 flying, such as increased KIX and seasonal CTS, they may not have the A330s needed to return to HKG in place of 787s.

 

[Quickstatus]

What equipment will be used for these new flights?

The “plastic fantastic” with super powers that cure jet lag, fix turbulence, seats that are “slimming”, runs on smokin hot lithium batteries and quiet as a church mouse. You also get bespoke designer cutlery by Marc-not-with-a-K

 

[pauly7]

Qantas converted 6 787 options into firm orders in May last year. The first 3 of which have had LNs assigned by Boeing, but have not yet started construction.

They should have 2 arrive late this year, which will allow QF73/74 to change from 747 to 787, and a 3rd should arrive early next year (with the next 3 in mid-late 2020). The 3rd, in addition to the aircraft currently flying the 3 weekly 2nd BNE-LAX flight, should cover the new BNE-ORD/SFO flights, assuming they don't try to double up and have both flights run on the same days. Qantas expects the 9th and 10th 787-9 to arrive in November, as they plan to put them to work on SYD-SFO from early Dec.

If they plan to have ORD/SFO flights operate on the same day, then they'll need to pull some 787 ops from HKG, however with the extra A330 flying, such as increased KIX and seasonal CTS, they may not have the A330s needed to return to HKG in place of 787s.

Maybe Boeing will speed up on 787 deliveries, I hear they they have a little bit of spare capacity on the 737 line

(Jokes before the serious aviation people take it literally)

 

[Danger]

Hopefully this is enough to satisfy the nervous nellies upthread

Yep. Except for "will fly . . . upon approval" coupled with "follows the DOT's tentative approval". It's better than it was 24 hours ago, but I still view it as an attempt at strong-arming the DOT.

 

[Mattg]

With BNE-ORD running 4x weekly and BNE-SFO 3x weekly, you would have to think there will be no overlap, i.e. the plane will fly to ORD on days it doesn't fly to SFO.

MEL-SFO is 4x weekly as well, so it would make sense if BNE-SFO ran on the same days that MEL-SFO doesn't. Which would mean MEL-SFO and BNE-ORD would run on the same 4 days each week.

I'm only guessing... there may be other commercial or aircraft availability factors at play.

 

[Himeno]

Yep. Except for "will fly . . . upon approval" coupled with "follows the DOT's tentative approval". It's better than it was 24 hours ago, but I still view it as an attempt at strong-arming the DOT.

With the US-AU open skies agreement, there is no need for any government sign off for the actual flights to happen. Any approval is airport related contracts and runway/terminal access and business requirements.

Has DOT given final approval yet, or is it still sitting as tentative?

 

[Mattg]

With the US-AU open skies agreement, there is no need for any government sign off for the actual flights to happen. Any approval is airport related contracts and runway/terminal access and business requirements.

Has DOT given final approval yet, or is it still sitting as tentative?

It's still tentative approval at this point.

I think what Qantas is saying is that they're only willing to operate the flight if the joint venture is approved and AA can codeshare on it. Of course they could still operate the flight anyway, but it may not be as economically viable without the JV.

 

[Quickstatus]

Which is why it’s an announcement with a big *

The inbound traffic from the US is important for this route to succeed. Perhaps more important than the outbound.

 

[Max Samuels]

10000% percent. I strongly suspect most people given a choice and all other things equal would pick direct.

Hmmm... I am no scientician, but I would be interested to see how this plays out. Unless I am being very important Mr Business (in which case I hope someone forks out the $$ for J), I loathe longhaul flights in Y. In fact I loathe night flights too. So longhaul overnight in Y is literally the worst scenario for me.

Back in the olden days QF had a day flight from LAX to SYD - left LAX about noon and got into SYD around 8pm (from memory).... a pleasant enough day flight across the pacific - I would always choose this flight if I could.

Until QF screwed up the SC earn on CX, I (and apparently many other QF peeps) would fly CX over QF for every trip I took. Even if it meant a stopover in HKG. I used to fly to Europe on CX over 2 days - both day flights, with a nice night in a hotel in between.

So unless they completely change the config of the aircraft, and unless everyone is in such a huge rush, I think that enough people will still opt for a stopover....

As I said, will be interesting to see how it all pans out. I suppose QF 9/10 is a good indication of how people feel about the super long flights...... not for me though! My next flight to Europe is via HKG on QF/CX!

 

[ozfflyer]

Hmmm... I am no scientician, but I would be interested to see how this plays out. Unless I am being very important Mr Business (in which case I hope someone forks out the $$ for J), I loathe longhaul flights in Y. In fact I loathe night flights too. So longhaul overnight in Y is literally the worst scenario for me.

Back in the olden days QF had a day flight from LAX to SYD - left LAX about noon and got into SYD around 8pm (from memory).... a pleasant enough day flight across the pacific - I would always choose this flight if I could.

Until QF screwed up the SC earn on CX, I (and apparently many other QF peeps) would fly CX over QF for every trip I took. Even if it meant a stopover in HKG. I used to fly to Europe on CX over 2 days - both day flights, with a nice night in a hotel in between.

So unless they completely change the config of the aircraft, and unless everyone is in such a huge rush, I think that enough people will still opt for a stopover....

As I said, will be interesting to see how it all pans out. I suppose QF 9/10 is a good indication of how people feel about the super long flights...... not for me though! My next flight to Europe is via HKG on QF/CX!

FYI

VA has a midday flight out of LAX to BNE, once a week. Timing is roughly 1215/2030+1. It's not very popular apparently or at least it's often cheaper than flying other days around it.

 

[Max Samuels]

FYI

VA has a midday flight out of LAX to BNE, once a week. Timing is roughly 1215/2030+1. It's not very popular apparently or at least it's often cheaper than flying other days around it.

Thanks - good to know! I don't know why it's not popular? As a tourist there is nothing worse (in my opinion) than having to check out of a hotel by 11am and then spend the next 12 hours hanging around to fly out..... I know that Mr Business likes to fly at night after his busy day of business meetings etc, but surely 50% of pax ex-LAX are tourists? Flights from HNL to Oz are always during the day... why can't we do the same for LAX?!?

 

[ozfflyer]

Thanks - good to know! I don't know why it's not popular? As a tourist there is nothing worse (in my opinion) than having to check out of a hotel by 11am and then spend the next 12 hours hanging around to fly out..... I know that Mr Business likes to fly at night after his busy day of business meetings etc, but surely 50% of pax ex-LAX are tourists? Flights from HNL to Oz are always during the day... why can't we do the same for LAX?!?

if arrive in BNE at 2030 on nonstop flight from LAX, almost no connections to anywhere. Too late to go onto SYD, not too late for MEL, but no flights. PER maybe ?

+ some people must like having something to eat, then blood sugar drops & they go to sleep.

Fiji Air last year had an 0700 NAN/SFO nonstop, which think suited FJ pax flying out of MEL & maybe ADL on red eyes, but BNE, SYD, AKL, CHC & WLG pax had to spend night or more in Fiji (can think of much worse things)

I flew on one of those 0700 flights & after breakfast, did fall asleep. Flight attendants almost insisted everyone, put their window blinds down & we arrived SFO day before departure at 2030.

Also people who fly a lot to USA, forget or don't know, that there are other options, eg. SFO, DFW & so on. I even heard travel agents tell consumers that all flights out of USA leave LAX in the evenings(like there are no other nonstops to OZ or NZ). Admitably, it must be hard for general travel agents, who do everything, to be up to date with everything, plus easier to sell what you know & have sold 100s of times in the past.

 

[Brettmcg]

Slightly off topic: QF will today publish a B789 service between SYD and AKL, commencing 04DEC19 to 28MAR20.

This allows for frame utilisation until enough aircraft arrive to operate BNEORD and BNESFO.

EDIT: Will be the QF141 DEP SYD 0740 ARR AKL 1250 outbound; QF 1440 DEP AKL 1410 ARR SYD 1545

 

[Quickstatus]

Thanks - good to know! I don't know why it's not popular?

Because if BNE and LAX were the only 2 places those passengers come from or go to, the flight would possibly not exist. Many passengers connect from/to outside of LAX and BNE. So a midday depart and evening arrive eliminates all those passengers.

 

[Max Samuels]

Because if BNE and LAX were the only 2 places those passengers come from or go to, the flight would possibly not exist. Many passengers connect from/to outside of LAX and BNE. So a midday depart and evening arrive eliminates all those passengers.

But surely that could be argued for any flight? And if onward connections were that important there would be no flights arriving into any airport at ridiculous hours, yet there are plenty...

There seems to be a market for "opposite" flight times than the status quo - look at MEL-NRT for example. JL operate flights that just happen to be exactly opposite what QF do - night over, day back (QF is reverse). I wish they'd code-share those flights to allow day each direction.