Qantas Group to Launch WSI from 25 Oct and March 2027

[kamchatsky]

Managed to get on it... It went from $160 to $190 by the time I booked it.

Initially booked the inaugural Air NZ flight out of WSI. But this is 1 day earlier and earns 10 SC

I suggest you keep your Air NZ flight. You never know, JQ may cancel this flight at the last minute as usual.

 

[aleks12345]

is anyone booking the inaugural qantas flight from WSI on 28/3/27? Im guessing its QF1837 11:30 from WSI to MEL?

 

[dajop]

It's a shame that a project as grand as WSI will be sullied by its first ever flight being the orange cancer as opposed to a proper QF plane.

Really, probably matters very little and hardly what I'd call sullied. Quite on brand, really

[nb: to in case it's not obvious this is for comic effort, nothing more nothing less)

 

[Catweazle]

Well, QF doesn't fly to AVV do they? I'd guess this airport won't be so dissimilar, no? AVV was, and is, very much a JQ hub.

 

[aamslfc]

is anyone booking the inaugural qantas flight from WSI on 28/3/27? Im guessing its QF1837 11:30 from WSI to MEL?

Yeah, I'm on both legs - i.e. to MEL and back.

 

[ANstar]

Must say I did not expect such few flights from Qantas, but that speaks to issues started by their previous CEO who did not see a single aircraft that he ordered get delivered under his watch.

I think its part of QF's larger strategy. Get JQ to do the heavy lifting at WSI and leave SYD with its proximity to the CBD and superior international network to be the more premium airport. Over time with a slot restrained SYD, QF can move more JQ flights to WSI over time and free up those JQ slots to be utilised by QF. Keeps out competition at SYD and ensures WSI remains LCC dominated so as not to risk SYDs yield premium.

 

[Lucass]

Is VA likely to commence any routes to WSI? Seems like they’d be missing out if they didn’t have at least BNE and MEL connected

 

[Saab34]

Is VA likely to commence any routes to WSI? Seems like they’d be missing out if they didn’t have at least BNE and MEL connected

Unknown. Remains to be seen if they will sit back and watch it in the first year before committing, or now they have seen competitors schedules, launch a light ish schedule.

I think it might be smart to perhaps sit out for a year or two and go in when traffic starts to mature.

 

[RooFlyer]

I think its part of QF's larger strategy. Get JQ to do the heavy lifting at WSI and leave SYD with its proximity to the CBD and superior international network to be the more premium airport. Over time with a slot restrained SYD, QF can move more JQ flights to WSI over time and free up those JQ slots to be utilised by QF. Keeps out competition at SYD and ensures WSI remains LCC dominated so as not to risk SYDs yield premium.

Makes sense to me.

 

[justinbrett]

Is VA likely to commence any routes to WSI? Seems like they’d be missing out if they didn’t have at least BNE and MEL connected

I don't know if I'd count 4x weekly as "connected" by QF, that's SCL/HNL frequencies, not really domestic business or weekend leisure getaways. In an A220, that's basically the equivalent of a daily Q400 service. As a reference point, BNE-NTL is 3x daily on E190s.

So I don't think VA is really missing out on much.

The trouble is, with QF frequencies like that, it's not really testing anything, it places it in the same league as SYD-WTB rather than a true test of the full service carrier demand to/from WSI.

 

[moa999]

don't know if I'd count 4x weekly as "connected" by QF,

Agreed. Particularly with the flight times.
For the business traveller they really need to be offering at a minimum a Mon-Fri morning departure and evening return.

 

[SeatBackForward]

It's a start, a good start.

 

[justinbrett]

It's a start, a good start.

My point is exactly that it's not a good start. The frequency is so low that the target market won't use it (business travellers, or at least leisure travellers who will pay extra for QF).

After a full season, the QF execs have data to say the route has under performed, move QLK out, and it becomes a AVV or 2010 OOL JQ only port.

It may have been better to keep QF out until the airport had been broken in and the PT liniks open.

 

[elanshin]

My point is exactly that it's not a good start. The frequency is so low that the target market won't use it (business travellers, or at least leisure travellers who will pay extra for QF).

After a full season, the QF execs have data to say the route has under performed, move QLK out, and it becomes a AVV or 2010 OOL JQ only port.

It may have been better to keep QF out until the airport had been broken in and the PT liniks open.

I wonder if its just an aircraft availability situation as well. As more 220s and 321XLRs roll in theres more opportunities to fly spare 737s around.

 

[SeatBackForward]

My point is exactly that it's not a good start. The frequency is so low that the target market won't use it (business travellers, or at least leisure travellers who will pay extra for QF).

After a full season, the QF execs have data to say the route has under performed, move QLK out, and it becomes a AVV or 2010 OOL JQ only port.

It may have been better to keep QF out until the airport had been broken in and the PT liniks open.

Well it' s not like Emirates built a new airport to base an entire fleet of aircraft there for their own benefit.

Of course it's going to start slowly.

 

[trisreed]

Bunch of FB Av geeks group members reported getting tickets for $130? Which seems pretty normal priced.

The flights after this are going for ~$60ish, when I first managed to get through to Jetstar (half past ten Eastern time) it was going for about ~$200. My understanding is this went out at ~$60ish as well but there may well have been very few seats at that price that were snapped up quick.

Would be full of media/staff/mgt/government officals no doubt.

Well, Row 1 was sold out when I booked - be that because it's for VIP's or otherwise. When I went on the inaugural from Perth to Busselton, I was bumped from Row 2 to Row 1 (sic) for VIP's, so maybe not.