Qantas to boost Melbourne-Los Angeles flights

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Brettmcg

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From AusBT

Qantas plans to add a second flight between Melbourne and Los Angeles later this year.The move is in response to seasonal demand but also follows United Airlines' upgrading of its Melbourne-LAX route to a direct service on a Boeing 787-9 from late October.


Schedule looks like this:

QF101 MEL-LAX dep: 1800 arr: 1315 (Mon/Wed/Sun) period 17-21DEC and 02JAN-18JAN

QF100 LAX-MEL dep: 1930 arr: 0600+2 (Mon/Wed/Sun) period 17-21DEC and 02JAN-18JAN
 
Not great aircraft utilisation! 18:00 is an odd time to depart MEL - too early to do a full days work, too late to take the day off (an 20:00 departure would have made more sense).

I'm guessing this will use the 747 freed up from SYD-HKG when that gets an A380 for summer?
 
Not great aircraft utilisation! 18:00 is an odd time to depart MEL - too early to do a full days work, too late to take the day off (an 20:00 departure would have made more sense).

I'm guessing this will use the 747 freed up from SYD-HKG when that gets an A380 for summer?

I don't think many people would have leave issues given the dates.
 
Not great aircraft utilisation! 18:00 is an odd time to depart MEL - too early to do a full days work, too late to take the day off (an 20:00 departure would have made more sense).

I'm guessing this will use the 747 freed up from SYD-HKG when that gets an A380 for summer?

Would landing/take off slot availability be an issue in determining the times?
 
Not great aircraft utilisation! 18:00 is an odd time to depart MEL - too early to do a full days work, too late to take the day off (an 20:00 departure would have made more sense).

I'm guessing this will use the 747 freed up from SYD-HKG when that gets an A380 for summer?

So, just because it doesn't suit you/makes no sense/seems an odd time, it's 'not great aircraft utilization' :rolleyes: ... In my mind it is great aircraft utilization because an aircraft is available to provide this extra capacity... As well as, many other families/parents/workers will already 'have the day off', as they are on xmas/new year/school break over the periods mentioned :)
 
As for timing, parallels several other flights. During summer that's around the same time (an hour later) that QF9 used to operate and SQ 228 and just a little earlier than that are the TG, CX and MH flights. And in winter at 6pm you have EK and SQ flights, so lots of airlines have departures with the same issue. Good if employer allows half day leaves to be taken.
 
More award space? Unlikely to have F though.. unless they pull A380s from DFW :D
 
So, just because it doesn't suit you/makes no sense/seems an odd time, it's 'not great aircraft utilization' :rolleyes: ... In my mind it is great aircraft utilization because an aircraft is available to provide this extra capacity... As well as, many other families/parents/workers will already 'have the day off', as they are on xmas/new year/school break over the periods mentioned :)

Indeed.

Love the home experts coming out telling the airlines operations team that they are not doing it right.
 
Interesting. I don't recall this in any (recent) past years?
 
Loads must be up for QF, which is a good thing

Oh and wanting to hurt UA's new service also ;)

Forward bookings must be looking good to schedule this, agreed.

Hurting UA's new service by running a 747 ... for a month - really?

Nice to see the "Queen of the Skies" back at MEL!!

Regards,

BD
 
Indeed.

Love the home experts coming out telling the airlines operations team that they are not doing it right.

FWIW, I usually have no hesitation in telling airlines' ops teams that they are 'not doing it right', if that's what appears to me (in full knowledge that they won't hear me, let along take any notice :) ).

In the case of the loss-making QFi, I think there may be a case to be made for at least listening to what passengers say. Red Roo, step forward ;)
 
Forward bookings must be looking good to schedule this, agreed.

Hurting UA's new service by running a 747 ... for a month - really?

Will be a 744ER with refurbed cabins, which would still probably be better than what the UA 789 will eventually offer. Also, from the quotes attributed to Hickey it could be a long term thing if they go well.
 
I don't think many people would have leave issues given the dates.

So, just because it doesn't suit you/makes no sense/seems an odd time, it's 'not great aircraft utilization' :rolleyes: ... In my mind it is great aircraft utilization because an aircraft is available to provide this extra capacity... As well as, many other families/parents/workers will already 'have the day off', as they are on xmas/new year/school break over the periods mentioned :)

I'm fortunate enough to have a very flexible and understanding employer that would allow me to duck off a few hours early to make a 18:00 intl flight. I say 'fortunate' because most of my friends do not have this flexibility and would either need to take an extra day of leave, or (more likely) look for a more suitable flight time.

Most Australians gets 20 days leave per year. I love to travel as much as possible (as do most people here I'm guessing). If you only have 20 days leave per year you tend to maximise it as much as possible. Sitting around at home all day waiting for a 6pm flight is not maximising the use of that day.

Let me give you an example. Last year I went to HKT for a friends birthday. They were coming from ADL, I was coming from MEL. They chose to fly ADL-SYD-HKT on JQ. This meant racing to the airport Tuesday night after work, overnighting in SYD, full day flight to HKT on the Wednesday where they arrived exhausted and had a very early night Wednesday. I didn't want to waste a day of leave getting there so flew SQ MEL-SIN-HKT. The SQ flight left MEL at 1am Thursday meaning I could work all day Wednesday, head to the airport after dinner and I was in the pool in HKT with my Adelaide friends only a few hours after they woke up on the Thursday with an extra day of leave up my sleeve and the $$$ from not needing to pay the extra 2 night accom.

This is what I mean when I say if you only have 20 days leave each year, you choose flights based on maximising your holidays,
 
There are two flights/day SYD-LAX so two per day MEL-LAX isnt a huge stretch, especially in peak holiday season.

Another illustration where the 789 in QF colours would be such a useful aircraft for QF as it would allow year-round second service on this route (without QF having as much concern about excess capacity on any route - ie. a better step between nothing and 744/380 size aircraft).
 
Most Australians gets 20 days leave per year. I love to travel as much as possible (as do most people here I'm guessing). If you only have 20 days leave per year you tend to maximise it as much as possible. Sitting around at home all day waiting for a 6pm flight is not maximising the use of that day.
Yep, for the last few years I've started my holidays with a afternoon/evening CBR-SYD to connect to QF21. I normally go into work 1-2 hours early so I can get out early and be at CBR around 4-5pm.

There are two flights/day SYD-LAX so two per day MEL-LAX isnt a huge stretch, especially in peak holiday season.
There used to be 2 MEL-LAX flights. QF25/26 via AKL, which was an A330 for a while.
 
I'm fortunate enough to have a very flexible and understanding employer that would allow me to duck off a few hours early to make a 18:00 intl flight. I say 'fortunate' because most of my friends do not have this flexibility and would either need to take an extra day of leave, or (more likely) look for a more suitable flight time.

Most Australians gets 20 days leave per year. I love to travel as much as possible (as do most people here I'm guessing). If you only have 20 days leave per year you tend to maximise it as much as possible. Sitting around at home all day waiting for a 6pm flight is not maximising the use of that day.

<snip>

The SQ flight left MEL at 1am Thursday meaning I could work all day Wednesday, head to the airport after dinner and I was in the pool in HKT with my Adelaide friends only a few hours after they woke up on the Thursday with an extra day of leave up my sleeve and the $$$ from not needing to pay the extra 2 night accom.

This is what I mean when I say if you only have 20 days leave each year, you choose flights based on maximising your holidays,

Similar to my previously using QF29 to get to LHR and - since it's demise - MH128.

Spend a day working helps the sleep pattern once onboard, too!!

Regards,

BD
 
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