QF to fly BENDIGO to SYD!

[jb747]

Would it be ok to just put 2 flight crew and 2 cabin crew in a taxi from MEL if they were needed in Bendigo? Less than two hours drive.

Nothing inherently against it, you just have to make it fit the various time limitations.

 

[Melburnian1]

Would it be ok to just put 2 flight crew and 2 cabin crew in a taxi from MEL if they were needed in Bendigo? Less than two hours drive.

Various rail operators do that constantly if there's no company vehicle nearby. A constraint is that it is an early start to the day, as this week QF1408 is an 0740 hours ex Bendigo, has a day as an 0710 (not sure why, even though it's the changeover to AEST) and then becomes an 0640 hours.

If a pilot fell ill at midnight and notified the employer by text or phone, then the replacement staff member would have to be on the road (assuming he lived in the Melbourne suburbs and not too far out of town) by about 0345 to arrive at the airport at 0600 or before for the usual pre flight duties, so that means the poor staff member rising at maybe 0245. It's a 24 hour industry but still needs some notice to the replacement staffer.

That's an advantage of Victoria as a smaller state (geographically). I doubt it'd be as easy in DBO to do this.

 

[jb747]

Various rail operators do that constantly if there's no company vehicle nearby. A constraint is that it is an early start to the day, as this week QF1408 is an 0740 hours ex Bendigo, then has a day as an 0710 and then becomes an 0640 hours.

If a pilot fell ill at midnight and notified the employer by text or phone, then the replacement staff member would have to be on the road (assuming he lived in the Melbourne suburbs and not too far out of town) by about 0345 to arrive at the airport at 0600 or before for the usual pre flight duties, so that means the poor staff member rising at maybe 0245. It's a 24 hour industry but still needs some notice to he replacement staffer.

That's an advantage of Victoria as a smaller state (geographically). I doubt it'd be as easy in DBO to do this.

It's actually more difficult than that. I don't know how it's done at Qlink, but assuming it's like mainline, they may not even have such an animal as a standby. Mainline longhaul uses them, but not shorthaul. They occupy a work day, and so increase the number of pilots that you need. Unless you have two or three per day, you don't have 24 hour coverage. From callout in Melbourne, to take off time in Bendigo, would be in the order of six hours. The person concerned will have had minimal sleep....and so would almost certainly be starting the duty already fatigued.

 

[Melburnian1]

It's actually more difficult than that. I don't know how it's done at Qlink, but assuming it's like mainline, they may not even have such an animal as a standby. Mainline longhaul uses them, but not shorthaul. They occupy a work day, and so increase the number of pilots that you need.

We all take your word for it, and there's a significant cost to given that QF 'mainline' and QantasLink each have quite a few major 'ports' and the restrictive hours that flight crew can work every month, but what you describe is contrary to surface transport operators' practice (anything from taxis up) in larger centres who will normally have (if such an operation) 24 hour coverage by standbys. The latter are finite, but it's better than no one available at short notice.

The cost in annoyed passengers who then miss international or domestic connections or important surgery, business meetings or family gatherings, an aircraft unavailable for later rostered sectors and having to make alternative arrangements for patrons and other staff is also substantial.

 

[dajop]

It's actually more difficult than that. I don't know how it's done at Qlink, but assuming it's like mainline, they may not even have such an animal as a standby. Mainline longhaul uses them, but not shorthaul. They occupy a work day, and so increase the number of pilots that you need. Unless you have two or three per day, you don't have 24 hour coverage. From callout in Melbourne, to take off time in Bendigo, would be in the order of six hours. The person concerned will have had minimal sleep....and so would almost certainly be starting the duty already fatigued.

Of course the other two options could be to delay departure of the flight awaiting for crew , or bus pax down to MEL. It wouldn't be out the question, that for a 6:40am departure (assuming pax arrived at airport 30 mins before hand), you could get pax to MEL by 8am and thus on 8:45 or 9am flight if there were seats ...

 

[Melburnian1]

FR24 is partly picking up QF1407 that appears to have takenj off from SYD at 1736 (if anything, a few minutes early as pushback is 1725) with Q300 VH-SBJ. As occurs often with the QantasLink flights, FR24 shows it as 'QLK407', omitting the '1' in the flight number, and while it displays SYD as origin, it says N/A is the destination. Nor does it offer an estimated landing time.

In contrast, with some minor turboprop VARA flights, it seems FR24 can pick up the complete flight number such as 'VA1192.'

 

[dajop]

FR24 is partly picking up QF1407 that appears to have takenj off from SYD at 1736 (if anything, a few minutes early as pushback is 1725) with Q300 VH-SBJ. As occurs often with the QantasLink flights, FR24 shows it as 'QLK407', omitting the '1' in the flight number, and while it displays SYD as origin, it says N/A is the destination. Nor does it offer an estimated landing time.

By way of contrast, FlightAware shows QF 1407, with ETA of 1918.

 

[docjames]

I’d have thought putting the pax on a coach to Melbourne a more likely solution.

I’m also wondering how this route will go in winter fog-wise.

 

[Melburnian1]

I’d have thought putting the pax on a coach to Melbourne a more likely solution.

I’m also wondering how this route will go in winter fog-wise.

It's logical what you say but on a busy day, flights to SYD may not have many vacant seats. If it's an 0640 hours departure, there'll still be passengers fronting at 0550 or 0600 to check in so even if a road coach was ready and waiting, it might not get away until 0605 or 0610 (bags have to be loaded as well as passengers, and probably each name ticked off).

Then it might get to MEL at 0730 - 0750 as it's 142 kilometres on a foggy road, some of which is single lane each way down to Elphinstone.

The earliest flight passengers could realistically be booked on is at 0830 hours but maybe 0900 hours giving a SYD arrival of 0955 or 1025 that means missed international connections to places like BKK or PVG. In some cases pax may be rebooked nonstop internationally from MEL but with some destinations on JQ, a downgrading.

 

[BgoFlyer]

It's logical what you say but on a busy day, flights to SYD may not have many vacant seats. If it's an 0640 hours departure, there'll still be passengers fronting at 0550 or 0600 to check in so even if a road coach was ready and waiting, it might not get away until 0605 or 0610 (bags have to be loaded as well as passengers, and probably each name ticked off).

Then it might get to MEL at 0730 - 0750 as it's 142 kilometres on a foggy road, some of which is single lane each way down to Elphinstone.

The earliest flight passengers could realistically be booked on is at 0830 hours but maybe 0900 hours giving a SYD arrival of 0955 or 1025 that means missed international connections to places like BKK or PVG. In some cases pax may be rebooked nonstop internationally from MEL but with some destinations on JQ, a downgrading.

The Calder Hwy has been dual carriageway for over 10 years now. Foggy mornings do happen in Bendigo, but it's often pretty shallow and rarely a problem. June is the most common month for it to occur.

 

[dajop]

The Calder Hwy has been dual carriageway for over 10 years now.

I think the reference to Elphinstone was using google map's quickest routing, via Sutton Grange. I'm sure bus drivers and most would take their preferred way to join up with the Calder at or before Kangaroo Flat.

 

[Melburnian1]

Apologies for repeating this from the QF delays/cancellations thread (something I do rarely as the moderators understandably prefer one thread only per topic), but in view of the interest for the new Bendigo flights it ought (for once) be here as well:

On Thursday 2 May 2019, QF1407, the 1725 hours SYD to BXG was showing as an amended 1745 hours departure but became a cancellation. This may be the first time it's been cancelled.

QF1408 back from Bendigo to Sydney tomorrow morning is delayed until 1120 in its departure, with arrival at 1315, three hours late ('normal' departure time tomorrow was displaying as 0825, later than usual). For this flight to run tomorrow morning, there must be a Q300 ferry flight (presumably from Sydney).

-----------

It's been rainy, but apart from that it doesn't look to be a weather-related cancellation.

 

[dylarr]

Interesting. I noticed this too. Anyone know the reason it QF1407 SYD-BXG was cancelled? You're right in that this is the first time there has been a cancellation on this route.

As for the ferry flight, they're operating it as a scheduled flight QF1409 SYD-BXG (0900-1100) which they are selling tickets to on qantas.com. Once it arrives in BXG it will turn around 20 minutes later to operate as QF1408 BXG-SYD (1120-1315).

The regularly scheduled QF1407 SYD-BXG (1825-2025) also operates later on in the afternoon, but looking at the availability it is completely sold out.

 

[Jaded_Elf]

I heard it was "Engineering"

 

[BgoFlyer]

Same thing (kind of) has happened today. Last night's QLK1407 made it to Bendigo at the usual time, but won't be leaving in a hurry. Ferry flight departing soon from Sydney to make up a delayed QLK1408 departing at 11:20 this morning.

So two Dash-8's on the tarmac later this morning at BXG....

 

[CPMaverick]

Bendigo has a plethora of great attractions for inbound tourism making Bendigo one of Victoria's most thriving regional cities

Agreed, Bendigo is a great town to visit.

But, it's only 100 minutes drive to MEL. With the frequency of MEL-SYD flights (and no doubt cheaper prices), this seems quite a strange route indeed.

I'd still love to fly it, the Q300 has great views. But I can't see it lasting long.

 

[dajop]

Agreed, Bendigo is a great town to visit.

But, it's only 100 minutes drive to MEL. With the frequency of MEL-SYD flights (and no doubt cheaper prices), this seems quite a strange route indeed.

It does seem pretty wide open this week (and not cheap). Although don't think it's that great for inbound tourism, it could work particularly for local business traffic and even leisure market. If there's only one or two of you travelling, the cost of fuel to get to MEL and cost of parking, can go a long way to defraying the extra cost of the flights.

I was going to use to to fly back to SIN, but with the current timetable it only really connects on Fri/Sat (to QF81). whereas I would like to take it on Mon/Tue (where it has a 5 hour connection to QF1).

 

[Melburnian1]

Same thing (kind of) has happened today. Last night's QLK1407 made it to Bendigo at the usual time, but won't be leaving in a hurry. Ferry flight departing soon from Sydney to make up a delayed QLK1408 departing at 11:20 this morning.

So two Dash-8's on the tarmac later this morning at BXG....

BgoFlyer, we have covered this in greater detail in the QF delays/ cancellations thread, including an even longer delay than '1120 hours.'

 

[BgoFlyer]

Patronage has been pretty good - including quite a few sold out flights. I know of quite a few people using it for business and pleasure.

 

[dylarr]

I've been on this service a few times now (and will be using it again this week) also my family has used it also to visit me in SYD and it is wonderful.

I live in SYD but grew up in Bendigo and my family are still there so to be able travel back and forth without the 2 hour commute from Tulla and seamless experience at BXG (easy parking, no screening and not to mention only 10 minutes from home) is great.

Each time we've travelled the flights have been almost full if not full and have had mix of passengers. A lot of families using it over Easter obviously. There was also a fairly large group of nurses travelling to Bendigo for training a few weeks ago and I also sat next to a lady who works from home in Bendigo for a Sydney based company that she was flying up for. I'm assuming Bendigo Bank and the like are purchasing a number of seats each week as well.

Really hope this route is successful for QF as I would preference it over Tulla any time even if it's not as cheap as flying on a LCC.