QF157 Schedule Change

[cvmceg]

Might need its own unique post and likely is not related, but on QF157 last night (MEL-AKL overnighter) a FA was telling a P1 pax that they will change this flight. Was made out to be a significant schedule change/axeing of the route.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Might need its own unique post and likely is not related, but on QF157 last night (MEL-AKL overnighter) a FA was telling a P1 pax that they will change this flight. Was made out to be a significant schedule change/axeing of the route.

Unless it has changed, a condition of the EK tie-up (and maybe NZ though that agreement does not cover TT flights) is no reduction in capacity on Trans-Tasman.

 

[Himeno]

Unless it has changed, a condition of the EK tie-up (and maybe NZ though that agreement does not cover TT flights) is no reduction in capacity on Trans-Tasman.

I don't think it has changed.
That's why QF put on A330s on a number of NZ flights when EK pulled a number of the A380 AU-NZ tag flights.

 

[Aaron32]

Might need its own unique post and likely is not related, but on QF157 last night (MEL-AKL overnighter) a FA was telling a P1 pax that they will change this flight. Was made out to be a significant schedule change/axeing of the route.

Qf157 is changing at the end of march by the looks. I was booked on it for December and it changed a few weeks ago from 11.35pm to 6.55pm.

 

[cvmceg]

Qf157 is changing at the end of march by the looks. I was booked on it for December and it changed a few weeks ago from 11.35pm to 6.55pm.

Interesting. That must be it then, I was just far enough from the conversation to not hear all the details.

Thanks for info

 

[Mattg]

Qf157 is changing at the end of march by the looks. I was booked on it for December and it changed a few weeks ago from 11.35pm to 6.55pm.

Seems like better timing than that redeye to me. I've never understood why somebody would want to take a ~3 hour overnight flight from MEL to AKL and arrive before 5am.

 

[dajop]

Seems like better timing than that redeye to me. I've never understood why somebody would want to take a ~3 hour overnight flight from MEL to AKL and arrive before 5am.

Yet, on PER to MEL a similar schedule , over similar distance (38 miles difference) with similar time differences has been in place for as long as I can remember. For some reason the red eye is popular ex PER but not trans Tasman.

 

[Mattg]

Yet, on PER to MEL a similar schedule , over similar distance (38 miles difference) with similar time differences has been in place for as long as I can remember. For some reason the red eye is popular ex PER but not trans Tasman.

I've never really understood that one either. The flight is too short for a proper sleep and you arrive in what feels like the middle of the night. I did PER-SYD once (in J) and never again.

Of course, I realise that there are hundreds of redeye flights between 2-4 hours in length operating every day all around the world, so there must be demand for them. But they're not for me.

 

[Himeno]

Of course, I realise that there are hundreds of redeye flights between 2-4 hours in length operating every day all around the world, so there must be demand for them. But they're not for me.

The only flights like that that I've done (that I remember anyway) are SFO-MSP and PVG-HKG.
The MSP flight was at the start of my first solo overseas trip. Spent most of the day extremely tired.
The HKG flight was late 2017. No issues the next morning and awake enough after sleeping for most of the flight to spend the day in town before a late afternoon flight to SIN.

 

[RooFlyer]

Of course, I realise that there are hundreds of redeye flights between 2-4 hours in length operating every day all around the world, so there must be demand for them. But they're not for me.

Most of the real horror flights arriving/ departing between 1 and 5 am are to/ from third world countries aren't they? So the planes can be 'worked' 24/7, but they wouldn't inflict the schedule on a western country ( Most of the time)

 

[Mattg]

Most of the real horror flights arriving/ departing between 1 and 5 am are to/ from third world countries aren't they? So the planes can be 'worked' 24/7, but they wouldn't inflict the schedule on a western country ( Most of the time)

Indeed many are (e.g. there are tons of redeye flights from the Middle East to India), although I would say this phenomenon applies equally to countries with aviation markets that are still developing. E.g. Georgia is not exactly third-world, but many flights to/from TBS arrive and depart between 3-5am. There are also quite a lot of redeyes from western to eastern USA though.

 

[NZflygirl]

First time I took that MEL-AKL red eye was because it was cheap thinking I’d get a row to myself. Wrong! Jam packed!!! One of my worst economy experiences.

2nd time was out of necessity but I paid to upgrade once I found out it was that flight again. I came to the conclusion it was the only way out of Australia to NZ ‘after hours’. It’s really hard getting out of Oz after 7! They literally funnel the whole country through MEL on that flight. I couldn’t get out of Brisbane or Sydney so had to fly to Melbourne to get to NZ. Wonder if they’re keeping JQ red eye.

I really like the red eyes out of Perth on A330s. More often than not had good sleeps in J. Yes bit of a zombie on landing but they connected really well to Emirates to NZ. Also meant you could get a full day in then leave. I found it was a rush getting to the NZ flight so swapped to Qantas. And I was tired enough to sleep come plane time. And what’s not to love about Perth pizza in the business lounge?

When EK left the connections weren’t as great. Qantas didn’t slot their A330s in at the same times. Anyway time to take another look at schedule options...again.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Pity!
That late night departure from MEL - AKL would have suited me, (granted that there are a lot of people who don't like the late departure - with its downsides of no early checkin to hotels), but seeing I could leave ADL at 16.45 and then get to MEL at say 18.45 to prepare to get through immi and then to the (at that time) late departure time of QF157.
Now that its changed to a 18.55 departure, puts me out.
Meaning I have to overnight MEL and get the 7.45 flight MEL - AKL for my next sojourn over to NZ.
Thanks for the info provided on this thread on this anyway.

 

[dajop]

Most of the real horror flights arriving/ departing between 1 and 5 am are to/ from third world countries aren't they? So the planes can be 'worked' 24/7, but they wouldn't inflict the schedule on a western country ( Most of the time)

Basically, in western countries or otherwise they are a feature of easterly travel where a 4 hr flight can waste a day. They are also useful for connections to morning departures, eg PER-MEL/SYD-LAX, India-SE Asia-Australia. Extremely common in the US/Canada for west coast to Midwest (and slightly longer to East Coast). Also get some flights from Northern/Western Europe to Greece/Turkey/Moscow.

I’ve done many more than I would have liked to, from all over India to SIN mainly, but various others as well.

 

[Must...Fly!]

It's pretty simple.

The planes would otherwise be doing nothing from 19:00, instead they are flying across the country and back.

Additionally there is a lot of freight to shuttle between Perth and the other capitals, and the red-eye out of Perth is often the only way to connect on to many destinations beyond, such as the USA and Pacific Islands.

 

[serfty]

I didnt mind tbe 1130pm flight to AKL ...

As a WP I'd have dinner in the lounge and sleep from boarding to landing.

I used it earlier this month to connect to AA's AKL-LAX flight.

 

[cvmceg]

Seems like better timing than that redeye to me. I've never understood why somebody would want to take a ~3 hour overnight flight from MEL to AKL and arrive before 5am.

Well the benefit of the redeye is - time and money, with caveats.

Time - 11.35pm departure means you lose the least amount of time possible as its time you would otherwise be sleeping in. caveat: provided you can operate on ~3 hours sleep the next day!

6.35pm departure means you burn an evening of travel going to AKL, time you could spend doing anything else, then you sleep in AKL.

Money: Don't need to spend on accomodation if you do the 11.35pm.

 

[docjames]

The 2300-0500 PER-East coast also repositions the aircraft for morning east coast flying / early morning departure to Perth (while Perth is still asleep).

 

[Hvr]

Money: Don't need to spend on accomodation if you do the 11.35pm.

And this is why it worked for me on Tuesday night. As part of a DSC SR I flew DRW-MEL-AKL arriving 0515 hours and departing 1915 hours that night. A day in Auckland and being able to sleep both ways meant it was a fun day.