Qantas does Vegas direct

[justinbrett]

Agree to disagree.

Sports dont interest me, those A list concerts can be attended in far more interesting cities (those in residency dont appeal) and IME the food isn't great much better eats in other US cities.

You can easily go to the Grand Canyon (also a one and done destination imo) without going via Vegas.

Id rather watch a Broadway musical in NYC then a Vegas tribute show. I like to walk without being baked to a crisp; I like to dine out in authentic neighborhood restaurants without having to navigate through a casino floor and find coffee shops that arent chains. Giant resorts arent my cup of tea either.

For me there isnt anything I can do in Vegas that I cant do better in other US cities; I have zero interest in gambling. A mandatory work trip/conference aside I wouldn't add LAS to any future US personal funded itinerary.

YMM(and does)V.

Read the last sentence of my post.

Each to their own.

It's a popular destination for many. There's many QF destinations I have no interest in visiting. Comments focusing on gambling indicate to me many aren't up to date with what's on offer in Vegas. Many go there and don't gamble. It's like saying anyone who goes to a pub in Australia must love gambling as most have pokies.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Agree to disagree.

Sports dont interest me, those A list concerts can be attended in far more interesting cities (those in residency dont appeal) and IME the food isn't great much better eats in other US cities.

You can easily go to the Grand Canyon (also a one and done destination imo) without going via Vegas.

Id rather watch a Broadway musical in NYC then a Vegas tribute show. I like to walk without being baked to a crisp; I like to dine out in authentic neighborhood restaurants without having to navigate through a casino floor and find coffee shops that arent chains. Giant resorts arent my cup of tea either.

For me there isnt anything I can do in Vegas that I cant do better in other US cities; I have zero interest in gambling. A mandatory work trip/conference aside I wouldn't add LAS to any future US personal funded itinerary.

YMM(and does)V.

That's nice for you but thousands of others include it on their itineraries regularly. You won't bake in the streets at the time Qantas is flying. It's winter

 

[levelnine]

It's basically just a way of ferrying people to and from NRL Las Vegas, who come a bit before or stay a bit longer for tourist purposes. Doesn't signal much more than that. When I flew to SFO last year around the time of the tournament, the flight was packed with NRL supporters.

 

[Aeryn]

Many go there and don't gamble.

Indeed, on my multiple visits I never gambled, hence why I find it lackluster as everything else worth seeing can be covered off in a couple of days and no attractions have me wanting to do a rerun.

The NRL deal has 2 years left to run, and they are then toying with the idea of playing Florida instead. If Qantas were to fly through to Orlando any seats not taken up by NRL players/fans could be filled with those wanting to do the Disney/Universal Studuios/KSC in school holidays.

I still hope we will see ORD eventuate.

 

[dajop]

QF may well be expecting ex-US pax to make the flight sustainable as this is the peak season for US-AU travel.

About 2.5m people live in/around Vegas so there probably help with some flow in the other direction.

I like to walk without being baked to a crisp;

Whilst I tend to agree with most of your comments, during the period of operation of these particular QF services, I doubt you would be "baked to a crisp" outside. Probably a more pleasant time to visit than any other.

And as it is with everything discussed on AFF the preferences of individuals (in this particularly skewed demographic) do not always necessarily reflect the preferences of the broader community. There are 5m+ people in Sydney, this is about 7000 seats. Take a few thousand perhaps for the NRL match and that's not all that many extra they need to sell.

 

[justinbrett]

Indeed, on my multiple visits I never gambled, hence why I find it lackluster as everything else worth seeing can be covered off in a couple of days and no attractions have me wanting to do a rerun.

The NRL deal has 2 years left to run, and they are then toying with the idea of playing Florida instead. If Qantas were to fly through to Orlando any seats not taken up by NRL players/fans could be filled with those wanting to do the Disney/Universal Studuios/KSC in school holidays.

I still hope we will see ORD eventuate.

I don't think the NRL has anything to do with this. They might put on some extra flights around for the week before the game but nothing was stopping them doing that before (but instead went down the charter route with Trip A Deal).

Nobody is flying to Vegas in Dec/Jan/Early Feb and sticking around until the game. It's a single weekend either in March or the very last days of Feb.

 

[jase05]

I don't think the NRL has anything to do with this. They might put on some extra flights around for the week before the game but nothing was stopping them doing that before (but instead went down the charter route with Trip A Deal).

Nobody is flying to Vegas in Dec/Jan/Early Feb and sticking around until the game. It's a single weekend either in March or the very last days of Feb.

Agree that the NFL hasn’t got anything to do with this.
After last years US trip got cut short before we had been to Vegas I still want to get there one day but not at those prices. If I do get there it will most likely be the long way round

 

[SYD]

Agree that the NFL hasn’t got anything to do with this.

It’s explicitly mentioned in the QF presser. Amongst all the other things.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

It's almost like some people are annoyed about this new route.

 

[levelnine]

Agree that the NFL hasn’t got anything to do with this.
After last years US trip got cut short before we had been to Vegas I still want to get there one day but not at those prices. If I do get there it will most likely be the long way round

It has everything to do with the NRL. It is explicitly stated in the press release. Around 20,000 Australians travel to the event. That's a massive number of travelers. Non-frequent travelers turn it into their major holiday.

 

[justinbrett]

Agree that the NFL hasn’t got anything to do with this.

It’s explicitly mentioned in the QF presser. Amongst all the other things.

Well, NRL. Are you guys Victorians? . Don't think the NFL has much to do with it either, although it would cover the play off season and Superbowl (which was in LAS a few years ago).

The PR doesn't say the route is launching for the NRL, it's just one example of an event that's held there. However indirectly the NRL being held there has probably promoted LAS as a destination to football fans who want to visit generally, not for the game itself.

It has everything to do with the NRL. It is explicitly stated in the press release. Around 20,000 Australians travel to the event. That's a massive number of travelers. Non-frequent travelers turn it into their major holiday.

They're not arriving two months before the game

 

[hutch]

It’s also an unofficial hub, even though no AA aircraft or crew are based there, you can fly to most major cities from there.

Even if the demand for direct doesn’t fill the plane, it can be supplemented by onwards travel.

Some probably need to update their impressions of vegas - it’s not just slot machines. Sports, A list concerts, Grand Canyon, conventions, club scene, foodie scene, you get tired of vegas you’re tired of life. But each to their own.

Each to their own indeed, but I wouldn't say someone not interested in Vegas is tired of life... They just have different interests.

Good luck to QF.

 

[jase05]

It has everything to do with the NRL. It is explicitly stated in the press release. Around 20,000 Australians travel to the event. That's a massive number of travelers. Non-frequent travelers turn it into their major holiday.

Yes, I know how many go to the event but these flights are from December to March.
The NRL fans aren’t going over 2 months early.
If it was about the NRL they would run these flights for a 2 or 3 week period but obviously QF has the data to suggest they can fill the aircraft for the whole 3 months

 

[levelnine]

Yes, I know how many go to the event but these flights are from December to March.
The NRL fans aren’t going over 2 months early.
If it was about the NRL they would run these flights for a 2 or 3 week period but obviously QF has the data to suggest they can fill the aircraft for the whole 3 months

That's how all their non-charter seasonal routes operate. Eg PER-FCO ends well after the peak holiday season and as a result is very lightly loaded at the tail end of the season. That doesn't mean the route is there to serve the European summer holiday season.

 

[AuSammy]

Interesting. They must have the data to support it. I would have preferred a multitude of ports other than Vegas. Can't understand still no interest in direct VN flights.

 

[justinbrett]

Yes, I know how many go to the event but these flights are from December to March.
The NRL fans aren’t going over 2 months early.
If it was about the NRL they would run these flights for a 2 or 3 week period but obviously QF has the data to suggest they can fill the aircraft for the whole 3 months

It’s combination of a variety of events including CES, New Years Eve, the peak Australian Christmas holiday period, the US winter escape period, and of course ending with the NRL.

You don’t launch a seasonal route for a weekend.

 

[levelnine]

Yes, it's absolutely events like CES with its 470 attendees from Australia that is driving this decision lol.

 

[Aeryn]

Can't understand still no interest in direct VN flights.

Me either, Vietnam is now one of the most affordable places to travel and rising in popularity with Aussies but if you want to get there on a full service one world airline you need to go via HKG with CX.

 

[AIRwin]

Me either, Vietnam is now one of the most affordable places to travel and rising in popularity with Aussies but if you want to get there on a full service one world airline you need to go via HKG with CX.

MH via KUL?

 

[justinbrett]

Yes, it's absolutely events like CES with its 470 attendees from Australia that is driving this decision lol.

More than the zero NRL fans arriving in January

It’s not a single event. Literally what the PR says.