Qantas Flights between Darwin and Singapore

[AIRwin]

I assume the BNE-SIN reduction is lack of aircraft availability?

And it's over peak holiday season?

 

[markis10]

Never understood the attraction of two Singapore flights of similar timing from/to Brisbane

 

[henrus]

Qantas IT rescheduling.

What they missed is the fact that my journey starts in SYD on 7 Dec, doing SYD - DRW before later in the day, DRW - SYD

I guess (hope) they will eventually correct this…

Probably won’t. I had an impossible thing like this sit for about a week until I bothered to call.

 

[dajop]

Never understood the attraction of two Singapore flights of similar timing from/to Brisbane

Same from MEL with similar period between the two Singapore flights as in BNE. Supplemented by a Jetstar flight that leaves is scheduled to leave just 5 mins earlier than the first QF flight.

 

[AIRwin]

Never understood the attraction of two Singapore flights of similar timing from/to Brisbane

Same from SYD

 

[Laptop Jockey]

To be fair to Qantas, they gave the route a go and it's not like they kicked SQ off the route. The QF of 10 years ago would never have tried it. As an end-point carrier competing with SQ (one stop to many more destinations and flat beds) it was always an uphill battle. Other carriers have also withdrawn from DRW in recent months/years, including AK (to KUL) and QZ (to DPS) which, aiming for the leisure market, I would have expected to last longer than they did.

While I'm disappointed as a DRW local, the passenger numbers just aren't there (it has always been lightly loaded - initially it was filed with an E190 then A220 before they committed to the B737). Perhaps they could right-size it again with an E190 but it may not be worth the effort. (Maybe AirNorth can give it a go with one of their wetleased E190s!)

The issue is QF/JQ only ever comes in after a new carrier enters the market, then once that competor leaves, QF suddenly comes to the heartbreaking realisation that unfortunately route isn't viable for them and leaves again.
QF know full well international routes from DRW are thin routes everytime they re-launch them, it's not a bug, it's a feature. They've been doing this going back to Tiger Sg and Air Asia twenty years ago. They have no intention of staying out servicing the routes, just forcing Darwin passengers into wildly overpriced domestic fares for international travel.

 

[dajop]

They have no intention of staying out servicing the routes, just forcing Darwin passengers into wildly overpriced domestic fares for international travel.

Jetstar to Bali and go from there (if heading north or west)? That would probably be the most economical route for picking up good international fares on a whole range of different carriers.

 

[hutch]

The issue is QF/JQ only ever comes in after a new carrier enters the market, then once that competor leaves, QF suddenly comes to the heartbreaking realisation that unfortunately route isn't viable for them and leaves again.
QF know full well international routes from DRW are thin routes everytime they re-launch them, it's not a bug, it's a feature. They've been doing this going back to Tiger Sg and Air Asia twenty years ago. They have no intention of staying out servicing the routes, just forcing Darwin passengers into wildly overpriced domestic fares for international travel.

Am I missing something? Has Singapore Airlines pulled out of Darwin?

 

[HS-TQE]

BNE isn't too terrible, but the idea of DRW-MEL-SIN is farcical.
This is typical Qantas, drive out the international carriers then cut the service. This is SOP at this point, and undeniably anti-competitive behaviour, but the ACCC won't touch it. But hey, it keeps foreign carriers at bay and let's QF charge criminally high prices ex-DRW domestically regardless if the pax fly QF or another airline...

Not the case here though. SQ was way too strong for QF in this specific case on the DRW-SIN route, they have the hub on the SIN end.

In this case it's SQ that 'forced' QF route out full-time, at this stage QF has reduced it to a seasonal route.

 

[AIRwin]

In this case it's SQ that 'forced' QF route out full-time, at this stage QF has reduced it to a seasonal route.

Survivor Darwin - outwit outplay outlaSQ

 

[exLXCXFF]

I

Probably won’t. I had an impossible thing like this sit for about a week until I bothered to call.

I guess they don't expect that anyone (sane) actually flies from SYD to SIN via DRW practically?

I actually think it is a very attractive milk-run way if you don't want to waste a day taking annual leave for travelling. What I normally do is arriving around 0630am at SYD dom, gives me about 1 hour to work, then wheels up, work a bit in the plane until laptop dies (maybe another 2 hours), then land in DRW, Qantas Club for a few hours (more work gets done - when SIN is actually awake). Clock off early (when DRW - SIN leaves) and maybe do some more work on the plane when doing DRW - SIN.

So, all in all, actually a very good connection for me personally. So, not too happy...

 

[nancypants]

Such a north-south view of the world, there's also an east-west aspect! Fun fact: DRW-MEL-SIN is only 102 mi longer than DRW-BNE-SIN. That's about 15 mins of flying, trivial in the context the overall journey including connections.

Agreed- MEL is always my preferred D-I connection point

To be fair to Qantas, they gave the route a go and it's not like they kicked SQ off the route. The QF of 10 years ago would never have tried it. As an end-point carrier competing with SQ (one stop to many more destinations and flat beds) it was always an uphill battle. Other carriers have also withdrawn from DRW in recent months/years, including AK (to KUL) and QZ (to DPS) which, aiming for the leisure market, I would have expected to last longer than they did.

While I'm disappointed as a DRW local, the passenger numbers just aren't there (it has always been lightly loaded - initially it was filed with an E190 then A220 before they committed to the B737). Perhaps they could right-size it again with an E190 but it may not be worth the effort. (Maybe AirNorth can give it a go with one of their wetleased E190s!)

The problem with the E190 is it’s right on the edge of their range and was talk of capping ticket sales to ~2/3 capacity. Of course shifting it from an E190 to a 737 also impacted the frequency (4->3 times a week IIRC) which impacts on how useful it is.

It really is an A220 route if anything so it may come back more reliably in 2027 or so when the full fleet has been delivered

ETA: they also kneecapped themselves by tinkering with the timings which meant it missed the natural Singapore connections IMO, plus the loss of 3K, plus DRW’s inability to through check luggage to OW partners. Etc etc

 

[Ansett Nostalgic]

I

I guess they don't expect that anyone (sane) actually flies from SYD to SIN via DRW practically?

I actually think it is a very attractive milk-run way if you don't want to waste a day taking annual leave for travelling. What I normally do is arriving around 0630am at SYD dom, gives me about 1 hour to work, then wheels up, work a bit in the plane until laptop dies (maybe another 2 hours), then land in DRW, Qantas Club for a few hours (more work gets done - when SIN is actually awake). Clock off early (when DRW - SIN leaves) and maybe do some more work on the plane when doing DRW - SIN.

So, all in all, actually a very good connection for me personally. So, not too happy...

Is the in-flight wifi good enough for your remote working requirements?

 

[exLXCXFF]

Is the in-flight wifi good enough for your remote working requirements?

Absolutely yes for what I need, even once left AUS mainland.