Qantas resubmits request for ACCC Interim Authorisation

[cmon0005]

Article: Qantas resubmits request for ACCC Interim Authorisation-

Cookies must be enabled. | The Australian

Very, very interesting!

 

[JohnPhelan]

ACCC head: Qantas-Emirates tie-up has little "competitive detriment" - Flights | hotels | frequent flyer | business class - Australian Business Traveller

 

[Fruitcake]

Full article, for those who don't have an Australian subscription (but do have Google!)
https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&...l7oOyYVaapOiRnUu_qr8g&bvm=bv.1357700187,d.dGI

 

[harvyk]

"You can book with confidence" my rear end...

Considering that we're 10 weeks out from all this taking effect, one would have hoped that they would have gotten all this squared away well before now.
Something tells me that they're rushing this through, given that there still seems to be so many decisions to be made (eg exact what QP means in this new relationship), and whilst I get it, QF int may not be doing so well (at least according to AJ and his "books") rushing something like this through in the way they appear to be doing so does not leave me with confidence.

 

[simongr]

What makes you think this isn't already sorted? If the deal goes ahead I expect that all of the prearranged deals will be dropped in. If the deal does not go ahead then QF and EK wouldn't want the commercial basis of the deal and what they were willing to "give up" to secure the deal published.

For example if EK are planning to introduce a new tier that is allowed into the F lounge at a cost to them which is offset by additional routes into OZ then they may not do that if the deal doesn't go ahead.

 

[harvyk]

What makes you think this isn't already sorted?

You are probably right, it most likely is sorted, in terms of the contract. In terms of me as a customer however, if I book a flight in April, I am really still in the dark about what I will get. Yes I have the advertising material which states I'll get this and that, but until the ACCC gives it stamp of approval, I could easily end up being very disappointed.

 

[lovestotravel]

You are probably right, it most likely is sorted, in terms of the contract. In terms of me as a customer however, if I book a flight in April, I am really still in the dark about what I will get. Yes I have the advertising material which states I'll get this and that, but until the ACCC gives it stamp of approval, I could easily end up being very disappointed.

Exactly right - The ACCC can easily say NO and then all the flights booked via DXB will not be valid...

Well you might end up on EK for all the flights...........

 

[The Rok]

As I understand it oven if approval is not given then flights will still route through DBX?

 

[oz_mark]

Exactly right - The ACCC can easily say NO and then all the flights booked via DXB will not be valid...

Didn't Qantas say they were going to go via DXB regardless?

 

[simongr]

Only as a transit - so my holiday would be scuppered...

 

[JohnPhelan]

Didn't Qantas say they were going to go via DXB regardless?

Yes, there is no problem with QF flying into and out of DXB. The ACCC has no say in where QF flies or doesn't fly.

What the ACCC needs to approve is all of the "joint relationship" stuff with EK. But given the comments in the story in post #2 above, it appears that there will not be a problem. Nor should there be, as there is a nett benefit to Australian consumers (flyers).

 

[TonyHancock]

You are probably right, it most likely is sorted, in terms of the contract. In terms of me as a customer however, if I book a flight in April, I am really still in the dark about what I will get. Yes I have the advertising material which states I'll get this and that, but until the ACCC gives it stamp of approval, I could easily end up being very disappointed.

If you are concerned about certainty I'd would advise booking with a different carrier. (If your preference is OW there are plenty of options.) Personally I have taken the "risk" and booked trips with QF in May, October and December, and once I can confirm dates for September I'll do the same again.

 

[harvyk]

If you are concerned about certainty I'd would advise booking with a different carrier. (If your preference is OW there are plenty of options.) Personally I have taken the "risk" and booked trips with QF in May, October and December, and once I can confirm dates for September I'll do the same again.

It's EK I'm planning on booking with, I'm planning on giving them my QFF number to earn the points / SC's. Either way I'll be going ahead with the booking as the savings will more than make up for the lack of points, but it would have been nice to have known exactly what will happen outside the actual flight itself.

 

[zachary.august]

If approval is granted does this mean we'd be able to start booking EK codeshares?

 

[anat0l]

What the ACCC needs to approve is all of the "joint relationship" stuff with EK. But given the comments in the story in post #2 above, it appears that there will not be a problem. Nor should there be, as there is a nett benefit to Australian consumers (flyers).

Careful - Sims said that he can't see a net detriment to competition, not that he necessarily expressed that there would be net benefits (well, he did say there would be some benefits, but he was quite adamant to say that they would not be significant). Also, in the preliminary ruling last month, Sims said that he was still concerned about the Trans-Tasman market.

If approval is granted does this mean we'd be able to start booking EK codeshares?

I would've said 'yes', in theory. In practice, it's better to wait until both airlines sound the starting gun, but I know many "can't wait that long".