Qatar Airways set to up the ante on Emirates and Etihad in Australia

[SeatBackForward]

Qatar Airways set to up the ante on Emirates and Etihad in Australia

COMPETITION is set to hot up among the Gulf carriers servicing Australia following a deal that is likely to see Qatar Airways add 21 flights a week out of major hubs here.

The Federal Government has announced the agreement with Qatar to increase capacity by up to 50 per cent.

Qatar Airways already flies out of Perth and Melbourne to Doha, but the new deal is expected to mean direct services out of Sydney, Brisbane and other airports as well


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Qatar to take on Qantas, Emirates and Etihad down under

This can only turn ugly for Qantas and OneWorld.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Pity they are going 10 abreast on 777s soon. They had the advantage over ek and ey in that regard

 

[Happy Trails]

Yeah, I know it's News.com, but seriously?

http://mobile.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/qatar-airways-set-to-up-the-ante-on-emirates-and-etihad-in-australia/story-e6frfq80-1227542503859

Luxury ... Qatar Airways has won numerous awards for its level of cabin luxury. Picture: SuppliedSource:Supplied

First Class comfort ... How the pointy end looks on a Qatar Airways’ aircraft. Picture: SuppliedSource:Supplied

 

[Kaiser]

Yeah, I know it's News.com, but seriously?

http://mobile.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/qatar-airways-set-to-up-the-ante-on-emirates-and-etihad-in-australia/story-e6frfq80-1227542503859

Luxury ... Qatar Airways has won numerous awards for its level of cabin luxury. Picture: SuppliedSource:Supplied

First Class comfort ... How the pointy end looks on a Qatar Airways’ aircraft. Picture: SuppliedSource:Supplied

Lol that's right on par with news.com.au journalism standards. Accuracy and research has never been their strong point.

 

[SeatBackForward]

Lol, you know I didn't even look at these photos, my brain typically sees such as ads and ignores them.

The Australian also covered it, but they have a pay wall ..

 

[RooFlyer]

The Oz (no "illustrations")

Qatar Airways is tipped to start flights to Sydney as part of a renegotiated air services agreement that expands capacity between Australia’s major airports and the Gulf state by 50 per cent.

The Qantas oneworld partner and competitor to Emirates and Etihad has previously expressed an interest in flying to Australia’s biggest airport but has cited Sydney’s curfew as a hurdle.

However, Trade Minister Andrew Robb flagged in this morning’s announcement that Qatar was likely to start daily services to Sydney in addition to its flights to Melbourne and Perth.

“Airline connectivity plays a vital role in growing Australia’s premium agricultural trade of fresh products like dairy, horticulture and meats,” Mr Robb said.

“Qatar Airways is likely to commence a daily service between Sydney and Doha, which will allow businesses to quickly and efficiently move produce to global markets.’’

The new arrangement provides a 50 per cent increase in capacity to the major restricted airports of Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane.
Qatar already has unrestricted access to smaller airports.

“It will allow for up to 21 flights each week, each way, for airlines of both countries to the major gateways, catering for growth in the Australia-Qatar and Australia-Europe routes,’’ Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss said.

Intense growth on international routes to and from Australia has dropped as the economy has cooled but the federal government has a policy of making sure available capacity keeps ahead of demand.
The government believes the Qatar move will aid inbound tourism and provide greater market accessibility for Australian exporters.

 

[Mattg]

With the increase of QR's "quota" (for lack of a better word) to 21 flights weekly, one would expect them to start flying to Sydney in the very near future.

I seem to recall that the SYD curfew has been a significant hurdle for them. Ideally they'd like to fly to SYD with similar timings to the MEL flights so they can connect from/to European arrivals/departures at either end in DOH. This would necessitate a midnight departure from SYD, which is obviously not possible.

In order to turn around the flight and depart SYD before 11pm, the flight will need to arrive in SYD by around 9pm. I think the flight will need to leave DOH too early for many European connections in that instance, which is a loss for the airline and passengers alike. Obviously that isn't so much of a problem in the other direction.

Alternatively I wonder if they'd consider snubbing SYD in favour of somewhere like BNE due to the curfew issue.

 

[juddles]

Qatar Airways set to up the ante on Emirates and Etihad in Australia



This can only turn ugly for Qantas and OneWorld.

Why Oneworld? Because of the increased competition between Oneworld members (Qatar and Qantas) ?

 

[SeatBackForward]

Why Oneworld? Because of the increased competition between Oneworld members (Qatar and Qantas) ?

Competition is one issue, but then there's the relationship with Emirates (that aren't part of OW).

When the EK deal was first raised, there was a theory that it could lead to QF exiting OW. Fare and simple also had similar theories. With this, I think QF has one more reason I justify leaving OW.

 

[Himeno]

Just what is this deal and when does it start?
The IASC and DOI websites still list 14 flights/week as the limit for the Qatar/Australia Air Services Agreement

 

[juddles]

Competition is one issue, but then there's the relationship with Emirates (that aren't part of OW).

When the EK deal was first raised, there was a theory that it could lead to QF exiting OW. Fare and simple also had similar theories. With this, I think QF has one more reason I justify leaving OW.

I know nothing about this stuff, but I perceive that there is a very strong relationship between QF and LAN (LATAM now) and QF and AA. These are both very important Oneworld airlines. I personally think QF made a smart move becoming pals with Emirates, and I suspect that all three relationships (Emirates, LAN, AA) will endure.

 

[jamesatfish]

Yeah, I know it's News.com, but seriously?

Luxury ... Qatar Airways has won numerous awards for its level of cabin luxury. Picture: SuppliedSource:Supplied

And to make matters worse, that's a promotional image from the very first QF A380 launch when they still served decent champagne in F...

 

[Melburnian1]

I can think of many reasons not to patronise the Gulf carriers and instead to use Asian airlines, but here's just one: the allegedly poor way (albeit with some recent minor 'improvements') that QR treats its female staff.

Culturally dissimilar to Oz.

Some Asian airlines may have hiring and/or firing practices that differ from increasingly politically correct and grossly over regulated Australia, but any such modus operandi is nothing compared to what QR is alleged to do.

Asia is simply more enjoyable to transit through or stay in than the Middle East, and that goes for numerous nations in southeast and northeast Asia.

Very funny post above re www.news.com.au You really have to wonder how the travel editor(s) did not pick that up.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

“But I don’t think Doha has anything like the tourist appeal of Dubai.”

I almost choked with laughter.
Dubai has no appeal at all, and Doha is pretty much a clone of Dubai anyway.
If anything I'd prefer Doha - the Museum of Islamic Art is fabulous, and the Souk Waqif is much better than the awful tourist markets in what is otherwise the slums of Daera in Dubai.

All the gulf states have awful employment practices, but it's laughingly hypocritical to criticise them with one breath and describe Australia as too politically correct and over-regulated with the next breath.

 

[Comoman]

Qatar Airways Sydney-Doha direct flights - Australian Business Traveller

For me personally QR is the best J class I have ever flown long haul. I have flown all major carriers (ex-Aus) within the last 3 years or so.

 

[moa999]

I know nothing about this stuff, but I perceive that there is a very strong relationship between QF and LAN (LATAM now) and QF and AA. These are both very important Oneworld airlines. I personally think QF made a smart move becoming pals with Emirates, and I suspect that all three relationships (Emirates, LAN, AA) will endure.

Agree.
AA also has a strong relationship with Etihad (which is itself creating its own 'owned' alliance)

 

[cmon0005]

Qatar Airways set to up the ante on Emirates and Etihad in Australia



This can only turn ugly for Qantas and OneWorld.

Yes and no, Qatar already interlines and sells QF domestic connections from their website, so QF could get a lot of Dom through traffic from QR to the likes of Uluru, Alice Springs, Gold coast.etc. from Sydney.

 

[Joshua]

One word: finally. Can only hope the loads become impressive enough to warrant the A380 to either/both AU ports. Flew them AMS-MEL a few weeks ago (787 & 77W), J seats in 777 are good and I slept very well but of course their newest 1-2-1 layout (788/359) is what everyone now wants.

Honestly their J product is excellent every time I've flown them and the lounge is genuinely amazing (again for J), arrivals lounge too. In the last month have flown back and forth EU-AU a few times CX J, LH F, EK F and the GF just came up on SQ F but still impressed with QR. Yes there are certainly other issues that would have me select EK or one of the others over them... but labor and geopolitical issues aside their overall J product is close to the best.