Virgin to resume flights to ISA?

[mww99]

There is a rumour doing the rounds that Virgin are soon to resume flights into ISA, ostensibly out of BNE. Can anybody confirm this as I am one of the people with a QF pricing gun held to my head each week. Insiders at QF ISA tell me that QF is also soon to resume twice daily flights EVERY day instead of the current Mondays,Thursdays and Fridays with 2 flights and the remainder with one. The current QF timetable does not show any changes as yet. Some competition on this route would be warmly welcomed by all.

 

[mww99]

Correction to my last post. QF's timetable now shows twice daily flights on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday starting May 08. Chinese whipsers may have exaggerated this to every day.

 

[stuartfaz]

There is a rumour doing the rounds that Virgin are soon to resume flights into ISA, ostensibly out of BNE. Can anybody confirm this as I am one of the people with a QF pricing gun held to my head each week.

I wouldn't think DJ would make a return to Mount Isa without significant support from the mining industry in the area, something they didn't really get last time.

Some competition on this route would be warmly welcomed by all.

DJ would have to make sure that the competition would work for them too. What I mean by that is, there's no use in DJ going back to Isa simply to lower prices and watch the companies largely stay with QF.
(There's a post by Virgin staffer crazydave98 about it somewhere on here, i'll try to find it.)

However, if DJ are able to secure some business in Isa (which, given the additions in their corporate offerings and fleet, I reckon they're in a very good position to do) then there's no reason why you wouldn't see the route up and running again.

 

[stuartfaz]

There's a post by Virgin staffer crazydave98 about it somewhere on here, i'll try to find it.

Here it is.

Refer to http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/community/virgin-blue-velocity/syd-cbr-direct-flights-11997-3.html#post156285

...Virgin Blue flew to Mt Isa after the mining companies said the fares where too high, then they stuck with Qantas when we entered the market and guess what? We pulled out and the fares went right back up....

 

[mww99]

I think that the market has changed somewhat since that discussion. There are a number of mines here that now have their own charter flights (Alliance and MacAir provide those services). A lot of the travellers I see on a weekly basis are from coampanies servcing the mining sector, as well as the general traveller. ISA is a long way from anywhere and for many, this is the only escape route. I guess because we see MEL-CNS flights for $129.00, and the average price for BNE-ISA if you want to fly in Sun. Mon, Tue and back out Thur, Fri is $400 each way, and to boot, the on time performance is not good, it's no wonder the locals here lampoon QF every chance they get. They even petitioned Tiger to fly from here. Ah well, back to contribute some more to QF's bottom line.

 

[NM]

Perhaps DJ are adding Mt Isa into the E-Jet timetable as they take more deliveries?? I expect it may be an attractive destination for those aircraft.

 

[Wunala Dreaming]

Qantas will shortly be adding another return BNE-ISA-BNE service on WED.

OzJet looks set to introduce thrice weekly 732 services to CNJ in the next few months. There was talk of them operating BNE-ISA services under the name of "Mount Isa Airlines, but it seems that they have opted to fly to CNJ instead.

Alliance Airlines is another airline that has failed on BNE-ISA.

Virgin Blue is definitely a possibility as is SkyAirWorld with their ERJ145s due later this year.

Cheers

 

[Yada Yada]

Qantas are experts at fleecing the public where there is no competition. Witness most J domestic fares, esp SYD & MEL-PER.

I hope that VB does not return to Mt Isa. They don't deserve it. Better to put resources into a town that doesn't have much of a service at present.

 

[dajop]

Qantas are experts at fleecing the public where there is no competition. Witness most J domestic fares, esp SYD & MEL-PER.

Yep, although I'm not inclined to usually defend QF, they are running a business whose first and foremost responsibility is to shareholders, and if they can get away with it (without damaging their longer term customer base) why shouldn't they? Classic supply and demand at work.

Also I wouldn't say J fares between SYD/MEL-PER are exactly fleecing the "public" except in so far to say the "public" owns shares (directly or through super) in many of the companies that see value in paying QF for J class on these routes (probably most at a substantial "discount").

But to illustrate your point on PER-AKL-PER, travelling NZ over the next couple of weeks is in the range $2600-$2900. PER-MEL-PER on QF is $3150.