QantasLink drop MEL-ABX and MEL-WGA from March

[moa999]

Not surprising given the reported load factors (sub 50%)

Qantas to scrap Wagga and Albury flights to Melbourne | Region Riverina

Qantas has announced it will be stopping all its flights from Wagga to Melbourne and from Albury to Melbourne, effective…

regionriverina.com.au

These were routes that Qantas took from/ challenged Rex on. Indeed think @jb747 mostly used Rex to start his trips over the years.

But suspect this decision can be squarely put as an unintended consequence of the Vic government subsidies on Victorian Rail.

Basically you can travel Melbourne to anywhere in Vic (including Albury) for under $10 (half that for concession). And maybe an extra $20 onto Wagga on a NSW train or bus.

 

[Saab34]

Basically you can travel Melbourne to anywhere in Vic (including Albury) for under $10 (half that for concession). And maybe an extra $20 onto Wagga on a NSW train or bus.

Especially when travelling as a family or party. QF at $400-$500 return, you can’t justify that when you can train it for next to nothing, plus have access to more frequencies, and it’s only 3 hours.

 

[dajop]

To be a little cynical they achieved what they wanted. No need for them any more.

ABX-MEL, as pointed out is not a good route for leisure travellers and not good times for business travellers. IIRC Rex used to fly at least daily (if not 2x) during weekdays at more business friendly times. 3x week not really useful for business travellers.

 

[jb747]

Rex flew three flights on most days, and two on the others. One in the early morning, one around midday, and the other in the evening. You could easily make just about any connection work. Specialists could come up in the morning, do a day or two of work, and travel home in the evening…in either direction.

QF came in with a larger aircraft, and ran it at useless times. You could go down to Melbourne first thing in the morning, and come back at night. No other variation existed. Useless for most connections at Tullamarine, didn’t work for the medical world. Basically they took a service that catered well to what was needed, and offered something that didn’t. And then they charged many times what Rex did. I couldn’t even make the QF flights work for me at staff prices. And whilst I have no idea of yields, the Rex flights generally had quite solid loads.

As for the train, you literally need to book weeks ahead. Almost as bad as trying to get a points ticket on SQ. These days I drive…though I have ‘discovered’ that Canberra is an easier drive and has shopping that’s just as good.

But, their aim was achieved. They pushed Rex off a route.

 

[esquire]

Rex can come back in as the saviour assuming their Heart is still in it. Not that seem to be announcing much but hopefully soon.

 

[dajop]

Rex can come back in as the saviour assuming their Heart is still in it. Not that seem to be announcing much but hopefully soon.

If they have enough serviceable aircraft. That's probably their main constraint now.

 

[servicerequired]

This is disappointing, although not completely unexpected - it would have been better to see less frequency, rather than a total axing of the routes ... two major issues though ...

1. The transition from the 50 seat Q300 to the 74/78 seat Q400 - of course load % is likely to decrease.
2. The schedule change from a) overnighting, 6:30 AM out, 8:00 PM in (approx), to b) daytime in/out - that typically does little to stimulate business activity locally.

There is always demand for business staff travel FROM businesses based in Albury Wodonga and Wagga Wagga - and there are plenty of business managers / owners / cashed up locals that love getting on a plane and flying around the countryside - AND, the majority of them want to do so with QANTAS ... however, if the flight times are cough, and the price is stupid - they will not fly.

Pricing between $225 and $385 one-way is acceptable to those within the above cohort.

Next on the chopping block (????); Griffith, Broken Hill, Merimbula, Mount Gambier

 

[markis10]

One of the issues for all airlines is the lack of suitable aircraft to serve many of these routes, there is very little coming to replace the SAAB and Beech 1900s etc. The Cessna sky courier is a good replacement for some routes where a PA31 might have worked. The D328eco might solve some of those issues but it’s still not a certified reality.