Qantas publishes new HBA schedule, MEL HBA now 4 a day eff June

[markis10]

Qantas has today published a new schedule for its Hobart services, to be operated by QantasLink’s upgraded Boeing 717 jets with a Business cabin and inflight entertainment for all passengers.

The new schedule is effective for travel from:

• 15 April 2014 for Sydney-Hobart
• 1 June 2014 for Melbourne-Hobart

The new schedule has been designed to suit customers travelling for both business and leisure, with a key benefit being an increase in the number of services between Hobart and Melbourne, from three to four per day. Customers will also enjoy improved connections to Qantas’ large domestic network, as well as to Qantas International services from Melbourne and Sydney.

The upgraded 110-seat B717 jets which will operate between Hobart and mainland Australia have the size and configuration ideally suited to these routes. Customers will experience an exceptional onboard product including:

• Class-leading seats in Business;
• iPad tablet entertainment for every passenger in both Business and Economy; and
• A premium food and beverage offering

This ongoing investment in our fleet demonstrates the commitment and confidence that Qantas has in the Australian domestic market, and providing the best possible travel experience for our customers.

MEL HBA




HBA MEL



SYD HBA

 

[eastwest101]

So say for MEL-HBA typical weekday for example, is it the case that QF & QFlink are going from:

2 x B738 (2x 168 seats) and one Dash-8-Q400 per day (74 seats) TOTAL = 410 seats daily

to 4 x B717 per day (4x 110 seats) TOTAL = 440 seats daily

I am excluding JQ and QF codeshare on JQ metal from the figures. Does that sound correct to the HBA experts here?

Thats a pretty underwhelming capacity increase....

 

[RooFlyer]

No change to schedule HBA-SYD-HBA as far as I can tell (I can get these flights, same departure/arrival times at the end of December, just different flight numbers). If going to be a 717, then that's a capacity reduction. Bollocks!

The last QF MEL-HBA service is now an hour later, so we finish business in MEL and get home that much later.


Seven-bloody-one-bloody-seven only. Bollocks.

 

[smatho10]

The QP will now have to stay open for extra HALF HOUR!!!

 

[serfty]

Third change for some HBA runs in Mar/May next year over the last month.

Ta for the heads up.

 

[docjames]

Even if its a modest seat count increase, this is more than made up for by the increased frequency (IMO).

Good work QF.

 

[pauly7]

Even if its a modest seat count increase, this is more than made up for by the increased frequency (IMO).

Good work QF.

Agreed.

Frequency works for me.

The HBA express lives

 

[Standby]

Agreed.

Frequency works for me.

The HBA express lives

Agree Frequency = choice and better connections. In fact a bit of playing around QF now has the fastest HBA-DRW (great for the DRW cup!)

 

[BCons]

That's nice, but its still just the one direct Sydney flight each way a day timed to coincide with intl arrival/departures, and there's no way of getting a day's business in Sydney other than 0600 flight to Melb and transfer. Mind you, VA are pretty much the same. And if Melb is yr destination for work then its only Jetstar return flights, unless you can finish everything by 4pm in time to make the 1720 QF. Despite those quibbles, I still wouldn't live in the big smoke again..

 

[mrfreeze]

717 - HBA Flights starting April-June

As per Latest Qantas News the 717's will start on the HBA-SYD route on 15 April 2014 and the HBA-MEL route 1 June 2014.

Noticed this a few days ago when I checked my bookings and saw a flight / schedule change for our trip up to Sydney xMelbourne.
Did the online confirm change but did notice our arrival into Melbourne changed to 11AM - the same time as our departure to Sydney.
The web site let the change happen, so a quick phone call got it sorted.

So if you have bookings with onward connections it would pay to check as the Hobart / Melbourne flight departure times have changed.
Looks as if direct Hobart / Sydney flight departures are the same.

Another interesting thing is looking at November or December flights to Fiji from Hobart the old timetable and flight numbers appear.

 

[jakeseven7]

Re: 717 - HBA Flights starting April-June

Happy that the early Q400 flight has been upgraded to a 717!

 

[AirKat]

Re: 717 - HBA Flights starting April-June

You may be able to get to Melb for business hours, but you can't get to HBA. Disappointing.

 

[under the radar]

Re: 717 - HBA Flights starting April-June

You may be able to get to Melb for business hours, but you can't get to HBA. Disappointing.

QF into HBA 9.10am ... how many 'meetings' occur before 10am in Hobart??

 

[markis10]

Re: 717 - HBA Flights starting April-June

QF into HBA 9.10am ... how many 'meetings' occur before 10am in Hobart??

If your doing a day trip preferably as many as possible.

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: 717 - HBA Flights starting April-June

VA is no better: its first flight ex MEL departs at 0840 and arrives HBA at 0955.

Presumably both airlines have concluded in recent times that leisure travellers do not like 0600 or even 0700 departures from MEL to go to HBA and that business travellers, while potentially higher yielding on average, are insufficient in number to warrant an early departure. In previous years there were earlier departures from MEL to the Tasmanian capital if I correctly recall.

An 0700 departure ex MEL would not be able to offer connections ex SYD, BNE or anywhere except PER, DRW and possibly CNS. Connections build numbers if there is a paucity of direct flights.

A third reason may be historically that those airlines that stable a plane or planes in HBA overnight have sometimes sent it to MEL then back to HBA. This is probably less true today as the size of the domestic fleets has risen. Am I correct to guess that not many pilots and cabin crew from any of the four main domestic airlines are based in HBA these days?

markis10's advice is very sound, but one problem is that domestic flights in say winter can be unreliable which is why so many businessmen and women these days prefer to fly to their destination the night before (adding considerably to the cost of a business or government trip).

 

[nlagalle]

Seven-bloody-one-bloody-seven only. Bollocks.

Better than a Q400, and although not a 737 at least they are a new fit out..

 

[mannej]

Better than a Q400, and although not a 737 at least they are a new fit out..

At least on a 717 you have the option of 2 - 3 seating where as the 737 you don't have that choice unless you are in the 2 - 2 of Business...