QF to fly BENDIGO to SYD!

[BgoFlyer]

The local council is pushing hard for funds to allow Q400 and ATR72 planes to operate from Bendigo (i.e Upgraded Security Screening and other terminal upgrades). Note the loading of 85 - 100%. Anecdotally, that is on the money too. Adelaide flights are a strong possibility too given the number of Bendigo and Adelaide Bank employees travelling between each city everyday.

City thinking ahead for Bendigo Airport upgrade

Expansion probably on the horizon sooner than thought: Mayor.

www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au

 

[Melburnian1]

'85 per cent' of 50 seats on a Q300 (which some flights were downgraded to) is hardly a large number of passengers.

 

[pauly7]

'85 per cent' of 50 seats on a Q300 (which some flights were downgraded to) is hardly a large number of passengers.

No in absolute terms it isn’t, however the dash 8 fleet run on the smell of an oily rag and margins are higher plus there is no competitor (yet) so I’m sure they are pricing a little more ‘flexibly’ at the moment.

Net, they don’t need to fill as many seats to be viable, hence they are adding frequency even at this fill rate.

Also it’s been mentioned that the broader QF group attach an internal feeder value to flights, especially QFLink - have no idea how much or how it’s done though.

 

[dajop]

Was just pricing return fare from SIN to BXG. The cheapest return routing was ..... BXG-SYD-MEL-SIN (QF37), and this was $60 cheaper than doing open jaw and travelling back just on MEL-SIN on QF37. Also the overall route was only $130 more than SIN-MEL-SIN return. Quirk of timing I guess and heavy loadings on the MEL-SIN/vv flights.

 

[BgoFlyer]

More anecdotes to chew on:
- Lots of flights are booked out and full.
- Seems to be a lot of Bendigo people flying to Sydney to go on Pacific Island cruises and so on.
- Only one flight that I'm aware of has been delayed due to Bendigo weather since March 31. (A thick morning fog that didn't lift until 10:30am). A couple of flights left slightly late to de-ice the plane!

 

[Willie]

Recently flew to BXG - great flight, great crew, a few wines... couldn't go wrong. Excellent leg room on the Q300.
One empty seat on the flight down... sadly no flights on Sunday so travelled to Melbourne for the return.
Shame re the lack of a Sunday service - but a morning departure woudn't have been an option either.

Ooh ROo
Willie-

 

[dylarr]

sadly no flights on Sunday so travelled to Melbourne for the return.
Shame re the lack of a Sunday service - but a morning departure woudn't have been an option either.

This is about to change! As of Saturday 17th August the service will become daily so you will be able to fly SYD - BXG on Saturdays and BXG - SYD on Sundays.

(Although, to your last point, the BXG - SYD service on Sunday is a morning one)

 

[Willie]

This is about to change! As of Saturday 17th August the service will become daily so you will be able to fly SYD - BXG on Saturdays and BXG - SYD on Sundays.

Well that is excellent then.
Great town Bendigo...

Ooh ROo

Willie

 

[dylarr]

Just posted this in the delays and cancellations thread, but thought it seemed relevant to also post here as it was supposed to be the first Sunday BXG - SYD service today:

QF1408 Bendigo BXG - Sydney SYD has been cancelled today. Unsure of the reasons but it's a strange one.

Q300 VH-SBB is currently 'stuck' on the ground in Bendigo after its early arrival into Bendigo last night operating QF1407.

Qantas will operate an empty ferry flight QF6711 departing SYD at 1100 and arriving BXG at 1300 today.

The strange thing is that it will then operate 2 ferry flights back to Sydney, both departing BXG at 1400 and arriving in SYD at 1550: QF6714 and QF6712. Both flights will fly empty.

Interestingly, that service last night and the cancelled service this morning are the 'inaugural' Sat/Sun flights for this route as it went from a 6 days a week to a daily service this weekend.

 

[docjames]

That’s certainly a strange one.

 

[BgoFlyer]

Ducked out this afternoon and videoed the empty arrival from Sydney. Both departed 25 minutes apart, later in the afternoon:

 

[dylarr]

Great video! Interesting how they use a shortened final when ferrying empty, and also don't use the turnpad to backtrack.

 

[BgoFlyer]

Incidentally, this morning's QLK1408 has been delayed by 3 hours. Perhaps there are staffing issues?

 

[BgoFlyer]

Great video! Interesting how they use a shortened final when ferrying empty, and also don't use the turnpad to backtrack.

They regularly backtrack from that spot. Not unusual.

 

[dylarr]

Incidentally, this morning's QLK1408 has been delayed by 3 hours. Perhaps there are staffing issues?

I’d say they’ve copped a delay due to ATC requirements. It’s windy here in SYD this morning so they’re in single runway ops for arrivals and departures at the moment (using the east-west runway) so lots of flights have had their slots altered.

 

[docjames]

Are we any wiser as to the shuffling of aircraft sans-pax through BXG?

 

[BgoFlyer]

Well this morning's QLK1408 has been cancelled. It was a -2 degC too.

It hasn't been a great week.

 

[dylarr]

Not a great week at all.

They'll be flying it back empty as QF6710 (QLK710) this afternoon, departing BXG at 1300 and arriving in SYD at 1450.

There's no ferry flight from SYD this time around.

 

[docjames]

Well this morning's QLK1408 has been cancelled. It was a -2 degC too.

It hasn't been a great week.

Due to the -2deg (lack of de-icing)?

 

[dylarr]

When I flew from BXG last month they were using a scissor lift to go around the plane and spray it with de-icing agent so I'd have thought the icing wouldn't be an issue.