Trans-Tasman routes to become "domestic"

[Harpoon]

You can be rest assured that this is unlikely to happen before February 2011, let alone February 2010.

Even if it did happen, inclusive fares will not drop by 30% -the airline are more likely to absorb this)

Currently r/t coach fares SYD-AKL-SYD start from around around $370 on QF and $345 on NZ.

(AKL-SYD-AKL are NZ$460 [~AUD360] on both QF & NZ)

Okay thats fine then I won't worry about it

I was looking at fares. jetstar MEL-CHC is almost as much as QF on certain days :/ Low-cost my butt!

I think I'll go QF and use some FF points to upgrade and surprise the GF.

Do NZ or QF have some sort of "tasman ticket" that allows for hops between the NZ major cites then back to Aus, for a lower price than buying them all separately?

EG: I want to do MEL-AKL-WEL-CHC-MEL or something similar.

 

[serfty]

Fares are relatively cheap in NZ anyway. Standard cheap one-way fares AKL/WLG on AirNZ start from NZD49 - you could do that trip from around NZD200 (~AUD160)

Note that an upgradeable fare trans-tasman on Qantas will set you back ~$900!:shock: (And I would not bother paying for TT business class anyway)

 

[Mwenenzi]

Any chance of trans Tas fares dropping 30% is pure fantasy IMHO. More likely to go up due to more involved procedures at at more airports. For example can't see Au uions allowing NZ'ers to do all Aust customs & immigration in NZ.

Off topic:

..I was looking at fares. jetstar MEL-CHC is almost as much as QF on certain days :/ Low-cost my butt!

I think I'll go QF and use some FF points to upgrade and surprise the GF.

QF does not fly MEL-CHC. QF MEL-AKL is now a cr&&py B737. QF25 used to be B747 or A330 for which an upgrade was a little worthwhile.

Have a look at Virgin or Emirates

 

[Cyclogenesis]

Progress with Aus/NZ border agreement

Sounds like great news, border agreement likely to decrease trans-Tasman fares

....The plan to create a common border will allow trans-Tasman travellers to avoid customs and immigration, dropping flight prices by up to 30 per cent and allowing an explosion in potential new flight routes.....

 

[NM]

Re: Progress with Aus/NZ border agreement

This has been discussed before. One thing that is not clear is if "avoiding customs" also means not having a duty-free allowance.

 

[serfty]

Personally I am quite happy with the current situation - and hope it does not change.

The duty free mob in NZ would be aghast if this was cut out for OZ flights.

In any case would anticipate most if not all of the "30% savings" to be absorbed by the airlines - along with the $47 AU (and the NZ$27 NZ to and from AKL) tax.

 

[Cyclogenesis]

Re: Progress with Aus/NZ border agreement

yes... I guess one issue would be no J/FCL access for QF NZ flights, just QP/J

 

[serfty]

I think the article linked by Mwenenzi in post #57 is still relevant.

David Stone: Borderless Tasman still far away - International Travel - NZ Herald News

Some may find this document interesting: http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/jfadt/nz_cer/subs/sub13.pdf (see last page)

... - along with the $47 AU (and the NZ$27 NZ to and from AKL) tax.

Thinking about this I can't see the AU tax being dropped (nor the NZ one either).

In 2004, ~2.5Million passengers flew from Oz to NZ (and ~2.4Million the other way). This made up ¼ of the total departure tax received that year!

I can't see the Australian Federal government giving up over $115Million in revenue.

 

[JohnK]

Personally I am quite happy with the current situation - and hope it does not change.

I do not see the need to change the current arrangement. The only ones likely to benefit from any changes are the airlines.

In any case would anticipate most if not all of the "30% savings" to be absorbed by the airlines - along with the $47 AU (and the NZ$27 NZ to and from AKL) tax.

Totally agree. I do not think airfares will get cheaper with this proposal....

 

[medhead]

Any chance of trans Tas fares dropping 30% is pure fantasy IMHO. More likely to go up due to more involved procedures at at more airports. For example can't see Au uions allowing NZ'ers to do all Aust customs & immigration in NZ.

Hey? NZ'ers wouldn't be doing Aust Customs and immigration work. They'd only be doing NZ work. There would then be no customs or immigration work between the 2 countries. That doesn't change the fact that pax entering NZ first would still have to clear NZ customs and immigration and similar for pax entering Aust first. Provided no jobs were lost unions wouldn't care

 

[oz_mark]

In any case would anticipate most if not all of the "30% savings" to be absorbed by the airlines - along with the $47 AU (and the NZ$27 NZ to and from AKL) tax.

I think that the $47 is part of what makes up the 30% savings. The 30% reflects the ground charges that will be removed rather than the airlines costs.

Trans tasman is a fairly competitive route, so one would think that at least some of those savings would be passed along.

 

[tuapekastar]

Wonder how this would work for someone like EK, who transit through AUS to NZL.

On, say, a DXB-SYD-AKL flight they would presumably need to disgorge SYD-bound pax at SYD international, then wheel the plane (an A380 :shock across to the Domestic terminal to pick up 'domestic' SYD-AKL pax.

Then drop them at AKL domestic, and wheel over to the Int terminal to drop those who originated in DXB.

Can't see it myself! I guess these types of flights would need to be excluded from any agreement of this nature.

 

[Keith009]

Not happy (for purely selfish reasons admittedly) at the talk of "domestic terminal to domestic terminal" flights... that certainly means the elimination of Flounge opportunities for trans tasman flights.

 

[anat0l]

Not happy (for purely selfish reasons admittedly) at the talk of "domestic terminal to domestic terminal" flights... that certainly means the elimination of Flounge opportunities for trans tasman flights.

Perhaps. Although if NZ decide to bring their ideas of domestic Koru Clubs to our domestic terminals, then I think QF will really be pinned to the wall.

 

[Dave Noble]

Overall I would find this beneficial. 1 minus being the loss of lounge access but on the plus side much easier to get straight to airport and get on plane and ideally have a minimum of time in a lounge anyway. Also, if classed as domestic by Qantas, then could have side benefits such as being able to confirm upgrades, get ODUs and earn SCs at the domestic rate

On arriving back into Australia/into NZ no hold ups with having to take bags through x-ray machines

Dave

 

[NM]

On, say, a DXB-SYD-AKL flight they would presumably need to disgorge SYD-bound pax at SYD international, then wheel the plane (an A380 :shock across to the Domestic terminal to pick up 'domestic' SYD-AKL pax.

Then drop them at AKL domestic, and wheel over to the Int terminal to drop those who originated in DXB.

Not happy (for purely selfish reasons admittedly) at the talk of "domestic terminal to domestic terminal" flights... that certainly means the elimination of Flounge opportunities for trans tasman flights.

You are both assuming a "domestic" flight has to depart from the domestic terminal. I have not seen anything to indicate that trans-Tasman "domestic" flights cannot operate like current domestic legs of international flights using orange D stickers for passengers on a purely trans-Tasman sector.

If operated this way, there would be no need for EK to change terminals during the SYD transit, and no problems accessing FLounges for Emerald status passengers.

 

[Keith009]

You are both assuming a "domestic" flight has to depart from the domestic terminal. I have not seen anything to indicate that trans-Tasman "domestic" flights cannot operate like current domestic legs of international flights using orange D stickers for passengers on a purely trans-Tasman sector.

If operated this way, there would be no need for EK to change terminals during the SYD transit, and no problems accessing FLounges for Emerald status passengers.

This article clearly states the probability of "allowing planes to land at domestic terminals" and "domestic terminal-to-domestic terminal operations."

 

[Dave Noble]

This article clearly states the probability of "allowing planes to land at domestic terminals" and "domestic terminal-to-domestic terminal operations."

Being able to depart from domestic is not the same as being forced to depart from domestic. As suggested by NM, would seem feasible that flights passing through Australia enroute to NZcould operate as any other domestic flight that departs from an international terminal.

Dave

 

[Keith009]

Being able to depart from domestic is not the same as being forced to depart from domestic. As suggested by NM, would seem feasible that flights passing through Australia enroute to NZcould operate as any other domestic flight that departs from an international terminal.

Dave

Oh I wasn't at all concerned that the 5th freedom flights operated by EK et al could be forced to use domestic terminals or not. I just want to use the QF Flounge, convenience be damned. So still not happy. Hopefully the outcome is the D sticker arrangement from intl terminals for all flights, 5th freedom or otherwise.

 

[Dave Noble]

Hopefully the outcome is the D sticker arrangement from intl terminals for all flights, 5th freedom or otherwise.

The article in today's SMH definitely suggests that flights will be flying from domestic terminals which would be the most logical and , for most passengers, the most conveniant and beneficial

Dave