Special Event Aviation Transport - AFL Grand Final

There are 35,000 seats allocated this year at the MCG for the 2 clubs. I've known plenty of freo supporters who have had flights booked for months.

Many have only just found out today/yesterday if they were successful in the ballot for GF seats. I know of a few who weren't successful but are still going to fly across and try their luck in Melbourne. So it's just not those who have guaranteed seats who are heading across.

Plenty of people also didn't book anything until they just found out they got GF seats in the ballot and are now scrambling to find flights. It does seem like a lot of the cheap international multi-city options to get to Melbourne aren't there this time around.

QF schedule in years past used to have more flights between Melbourne and Perth AND a lot of them were A330s. Today with the 737s there are a lot fewer seats available between Perth and Melbs as a baseline.

While it's good to see the airlines have dumped a bunch of extra flights directly around the grand final, they have failed to address the spillover effect into surrounding days.

Normally I'd have people from Perth joining me in Melbs for the 2nd week of the holidays (a week after the GF). But looking at October 2 or 3 demand is still insane and flights > $1000. QF have only 5 flights scheduled on Sat October 3 despite these prices. Seems like a no brainer to me to add more flights to soak up the demand but they haven't appeared. We've changed plans accordingly.
 
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Just did a count on ExpertFlyer for PER-MEL, 34 flights on Thu (24th) and 39 flights on Fri (25th). By comparison two weeks later the numbers are 19 and 21 flights respectively.
 
As part of my Essendon package I get access to 2 GF tickets every year. Not going this year so have them to a friend who has never been before. We used to go most years.
An Essendon package that includes finals tickets… must be some sort of joke yeah?

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Sorry Jase, it had to be said. 🤭
 
An Essendon package that includes finals tickets… must be some sort of joke yeah?

View attachment 522134

Sorry Jase, it had to be said. 🤭
Yeah, been a long time but have been lucky to have seen my team win 4 flags live (and lose a couple too).
Won’t see another one soon but still fork out tens of thousands each year for the privilege of seeing them fail 🥲🤣
 
I looked after Darrell Baldock in his final illness He captained St. Kllda for their one and only flag in 1964..
Amazing how many calls I took from Media and even fans in early 2011.
 
What are the chances of chaos such as last minute airline cancellations as has happened in the past? 🤣

2022 severe weather at Sydney, causing knock on effects at MEL
Weather in the major cities appear to be benign...

2024 saw some strike action by QF engineers.
 
What are the chances of chaos such as last minute airline cancellations as has happened in the past? 🤣

2022 severe weather at Sydney, causing knock on effects at MEL
Weather in the major cities appear to be benign...

2024 saw some strike action by QF engineers.
Almost Certain.
Especially ATC can strike/chuck a sickie, ground workers can strike.
 
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My guess - there is an A380 but its being kept for disrupt. It only takes a few cancellations due weather, ATC etc and 3 loads of 737 pax can easily be put on an A380. They did it for Taylor Swift when 3 flights got cancelled to Melbourne so they probably have the plan ready to go, should something happen.
 

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