What sort of $ saving would you need to book a LCC?

[JohnK]

but......
darwin........
don't tell anyone about it . lets be greedy!!

Really? Darwin must still be one of the hidden gems in the world with a population of a ~125,000 (the suburb I live in Sydney has a population of ~15,000) and may get close to 200,000 in the next 20 years. Not quite a small country town but not much bigger.

Anyone seen the postcard of Darwin at night? It is almost exactly the same in real life.

 

[straitman]

Anyone seen the postcard of Darwin at night? It is almost exactly the same in real life.

JohnK,

If you like Darwin so much you really should get to Oz Fest next year :!:

 

[straitman]

Anyway, back to the topic.

I've watched this thread and wondered where my trip point would be for the savings. I sort of found it today.

As those who are paying attention may recall I have been looking for a good fare to HNL in November. Without going into all the comparisons, because there are quite a few the Qantas sale has SYD-HNL-SYD for around $1282 and Jetstar has Starclass available around the same time for $1299. Ait Pacific was a little cheaper but required a stopover in Fiji on the return etc etc.

Well Starclass won the battle for my $$$$$'s. I'm not sure this actually answers the question however it does highlight the best of my limited LCC experience.

 

[kamchatsky]

In peak periods, especially around public holidays, QF/DJ tickets are very expensive. If booked early, TT is easily the cheapest around. I have been flying TT a numbers of times now and have no problems so far. I avoid check-in luggage and try to OLCI to get around problem of checkin time limits, excess luggage.

Sometimes when TT has special sale eg $19 SYD-ADL a while ago, I would book and fly with them.

 

[straitman]

In peak periods, especially around public holidays, QF/DJ tickets are very expensive. If booked early, TT is easily the cheapest around. I have been flying TT a numbers of times now and have no problems so far. I avoid check-in luggage and try to OLCI to get around problem of checkin time limits, excess luggage.

Sometimes when TT has special sale eg $19 SYD-ADL a while ago, I would book and fly with them.

As I have said a couple of times previously I could weaken one day and fly TT but it would never happen if I really had to guarantee being somewhere at a set time.

 

[kamchatsky]

As I have said a couple of times previously I could weaken one day and fly TT but it would never happen if I really had to guarantee being somewhere at a set time.

Come on Bill! Take the TT challenge! Just do it!

 

[straitman]

Come on Bill! Take the TT challenge! Just do it!

One day.

Maybe :!:

 

[JohnK]

If you like Darwin so much you really should get to Oz Fest next year :!:

By the way I do love straying off-Topic. Have you actually seen the postcard of Darwin at night? It is black in colour with no visible features. Lights out anyone?

I don't hate Darwin but I did visit it a few years ago and I don't think anything has changed since then. Relatively boring place although I did enjoy Glendi festival and if it is still around I may go back another time for that weekend.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

By the way I do love straying off-Topic. Have you actually seen the postcard of Darwin at night? It is black in colour with no visible features. Lights out anyone?

I don't hate Darwin but I did visit it a few years ago and I don't think anything has changed since then. Relatively boring place although I did enjoy Glendi festival and if it is still around I may go back another time for that weekend.

Personally I've never hated watching the sunset at Mindil Beach Markets with a fruitshake in hand & enjoying a nice balmy winter night and 28deg. I didn't see too many people that didn't enjoy their drinks & dinner enjoying the same sunset under the palm trees at the Trailer Boat Club this week.

Why not do your own survey John & ask people who have been there, but careful you might need to prepare yourself for the answer "fantastic, it's been soooo relaxing"!

There's saying "if you think you can or think you can't you're right". Similarly, if you want to find something negative about a place you will.

 

[oz_mark]

. Relatively boring place although I did enjoy Glendi festival and if it is still around I may go back another time for that weekend.

Sitting in a bar, watching bikini clad Swedish backpackers stroll past. Yep, I hated it :shock::mrgreen:

 

[oz_mark]

My answer to this question, is a bit like others - it depends. On short sectors, I would be more likely to take an LCC. Certainly Air Asia and Jetstar have apppeared on my travels. As an example on SIN-KUL, the SQ or MH options can be quite a bit more, and the only extra seems to be a drink. In the case of 3K, they actually use the proper terminals, unlike Air Asia.

I have done the *class flight MEL-DPS, and that turned out to be a good flight - so I find *class is quite acceptable for the longer flights. The downside is that there aren't that many *class options at the moment - and I wish that they would put in on the trans-cons :mrgreen:

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Sitting in a bar, watching bikini clad Swedish backpackers stroll past. Yep, I hated it :shock::mrgreen:

Melaleuca on Mitchell?

 

[mannej]

LCC's have their niche market that they aim for. They don't pretend to work for everyone.

Tiger and JQ probably get bashed a bit around here because our sample size would for whatever reasons include a lot of A) people traveling on business purposes and B) those who can pay to travel legacy carriers. There is nothing wrong with that. Australia (domestically) is probably not the best place in the world for a LCC, but if the LCC play their cards right, they can open the ideal markets in SE Asia up for Australian travelers.

The idea of LCC's work well in EU, but they have the population, and geographic proximity to support it.

 

[Natt]

I can't say I love LCC's but I will fly them when necessary

Even factoring in the luggage costs etc they can be considerably cheaper.

I wanted to get from Kuala Lumpur to Seoul - to fly full carrier was about $900 (there was two of us)

to fly budget cost $200 (thats for two) - although it was with a connection in Manila

still that was certainly enough of a difference to take the LCC route

 

[gibspmuh]

Within SE Asia I've frequently flown a variety of LCC's (predominately AirAsia, but a smattering of others). With the sales AirAsia has, often the flights cost less than $10 including all taxes so even adding luggage and a snack on top doesn't come close to breaking the bank.

On top of that the fact that all the flights can be booked one way (whereas many of the legacies still charge through the nose for one way flights) and the LCC's have some point to point routes the legacies don't offer or timings that are better than those of the legacies.

Within Australia though it's a much tougher ask to get me onto a LCC. From the lesser savings on offer in general, the lower level of service and flexibility given and the clientele the Australian LCC's seem to attract it makes the whole experience much less appealing.

 

[JohnK]

On top of that the fact that all the flights can be booked one way (whereas many of the legacies still charge through the nose for one way flights) and the LCC's have some point to point routes the legacies don't offer or timings that are better than those of the legacies.

And this is where it is extremely beneficial for flying LCC's.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Within SE Asia I've frequently flown a variety of LCC's (predominately AirAsia, but a smattering of others). With the sales AirAsia has, often the flights cost less than $10 including all taxes so even adding luggage and a snack on top doesn't come close to breaking the bank.

On top of that the fact that all the flights can be booked one way (whereas many of the legacies still charge through the nose for one way flights) and the LCC's have some point to point routes the legacies don't offer or timings that are better than those of the legacies.

Within Australia though it's a much tougher ask to get me onto a LCC. From the lesser savings on offer in general, the lower level of service and flexibility given and the clientele the Australian LCC's seem to attract it makes the whole experience much less appealing.

AFAIK all domestic carriers whether LCC or full service don't have any purely round trip fares any longer ie. all fare components are available on a one-way basis.

At peak times some one way fares will be more expensive that what we'd ideally like to pay but that doesn't mean that one way fares are always ridiculously expensive.

 

[gibspmuh]

AFAIK all domestic carriers whether LCC or full service don't have any purely round trip fares any longer ie. all fare components are available on a one-way basis.

Just to clarify, the point was more in reference to travel within SE Asia, especially across international borders. As you've pointed out, within Australia for domestic travel all airlines offer one way fares which makes it much easier to justify keeping my travel on Qantas.

 

[DJ737]

Hi there

I might try this lot to get back from London in March.

14/03/11
EasyJet 0900 London Gatwick - 1445 Istanbul Sabiha $62.50

15/03/11
Air Arabia 0035 Istanbul Sabiha - 0635 Sharjah $131.05
Air Arabia 2145 Sharjah - 0300 Chennai $164.60

16/03/11
Air Asia 0825 Chennai - 1440 Kuala Lumpar $108.00
Air Asia 1700 Kuala Lumpar - 1750 Singapore $16.50
Jetstar 22:10 Singapore - 0420 Darwin $130.20

17/03/11
Jetstar 0730 Darwin - 1310 Melbourne Tullamarine $169
Total $781.85 incl Taxes, but no bags etc.

All on A319/320/321 aircraft. :shock:
Bit worried about misconnects though.

It will be a bit of an adventure and a change from the usual London-Melbourne trips

Cheers
DJ737

 

[dajop]

Bit worried about misconnects though.

I will be a bit of an adventure and a change from the usual London-Melbourne trips

Definitely sounds adventurous, but I too would be worried about misconnects. I think I'd pay the extra $250 to go on TG or MH!