Rex launches its own frequent flyer program (in October 2023)

[MEL_Traveller]

Agree

For this program to be worth anything, two things need to happen. A few million spent on lounge upgrades, and network expansion. You don’t need to spend tens of millions upgrading lounges. They are not huge spaces so won’t be as capex heavy.

Transcontinental needs to happen pronto. Cairns also. Rex should also be hitting up that peak demand into Darwin.

I’m sort of ok with the current lounge offerings, although they will need to be expanded to cope with the new diamond status.

The food is just ok, with fresh sarnies and toasties available. Plus there’s a coffee machine.

Frequency SYD-MEL is ok too, with 7 or so flights a day. Dunno how rex handles IRROPS cause all my flights have left on time! I suspect reaccommodating pax is slightly easier given they usually have a couple seats left in business class right up until boarding.

 

[jase05]

I’m sort of ok with the current lounge offerings, although they will need to be expanded to cope with the new diamond status.

The food is just ok, with fresh sarnies and toasties available. Plus there’s a coffee machine.

Frequency SYD-MEL is ok too, with 7 or so flights a day. Dunno how rex handles IRROPS cause all my flights have left on time! I suspect reaccommodating pax is slightly easier given they usually have a couple seats left in business class right up until boarding.

I would give them a go but there frequency is just poor. We travel to Melbourne most weeks for the footy and only 2 daily’s at 0600 or 1730, just useless time slots for me. Can jump on one of the well timed QF or VA flights

 

[Saab34]

More SY-ML would make sense, but I don’t think they are actually growing passengers by expanding like that. It appears they just fly more empty seats. 10 flights per day would be good, every two hours, and perhaps hourly at 5/6pm.

I think they need to bring in a cheaper ‘light’ fare, even for just MEL-SYD. I think Rex complete more with Jetstar vs the other two. I know they think the opposite, but they don’t appear to be having huge success pulling corporate traffic.

 

[HS-TQE]

More SY-ML would make sense, but I don’t think they are actually growing passengers by expanding like that. It appears they just fly more empty seats. 10 flights per day would be good, every two hours, and perhaps hourly at 5/6pm.

I think they need to bring in a cheaper ‘light’ fare, even for just MEL-SYD. I think Rex complete more with Jetstar vs the other two. I know they think the opposite, but they don’t appear to be having huge success pulling corporate traffic.

More likely it seems ZL vs JQ vs VA, despite JQ providing no recliner J cabin.

QF does their own thing with most of the high yield corporate traffic, with ZL and VA competing for the small/medium business traffic, to some extent JQ would also be competing for the small business traffic.

 

[Saab34]

The Rex flight I flew the other week at 530pm left next to the Virgin gates which appeared full, traffic was largely suits, pretty much the standard traffic around the Virgin gates in peak. We had around 50 people on our Rex flight, majority appeared leisure, no suits.

Jetstar obviously forms part of the QF corporate contracts web, many of my colleagues have been a bit mixed lately across QF and JQ. Apparently we have signed up to Virgin again from next month so looks like they are out hunting contracts again.

No idea if Rex goes hunting for corporate contracts.

 

[henrus]

No idea if Rex goes hunting for corporate contracts.

It doesn't appear that they do.

Corporate traveller has recently been doing a push on Rex flights but that's about it.

Rex Airlines

Fly with our newest travel partner- Rex! Get more value from your business travel spend with exclusive SME business airfares from Corporate Traveller and domestic flight connectivity designed to suit Australian businesses!

www.corporatetraveller.com.au

 

[MEL_Traveller]

The Rex flight I flew the other week at 530pm left next to the Virgin gates which appeared full, traffic was largely suits, pretty much the standard traffic around the Virgin gates in peak. We had around 50 people on our Rex flight, majority appeared leisure, no suits.

Jetstar obviously forms part of the QF corporate contracts web, many of my colleagues have been a bit mixed lately across QF and JQ. Apparently we have signed up to Virgin again from next month so looks like they are out hunting contracts again.

No idea if Rex goes hunting for corporate contracts.

Problem of the golden handcuffs. People wanna earn points to fly on holidays. And want their lounges. And if work is paying, why bother saving money with Rex?

Rex business is cheaper than VA economy on my peak flights. Yet Rex goes out almost unsold. It defies logic.

 

[SYD]

Rex business is cheaper than VA economy on my peak flights. Yet Rex goes out almost unsold. It defies logic.

VA1.0 had a similar problem with their dom Premium Economy product (which was pinched from the Euro Biz model). It was relatively expensive on transcon (where it was of use), but basically the same food / drinks from the pay to eat trolley for free.

JB spoke at a work conference many years ago and commented that after three “launches” they bit the bullet and did the full Biz class rollout. A bold move but the right move IMHO.

 

[henrus]

Rex business is cheaper than VA economy on my peak flights. Yet Rex goes out almost unsold. It defies logic.

Don't underestimate the power of corporate travel policies as well. Even if business class (on a different or same airline) is cheaper than economy there are many places that won't allow it to be booked.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Don't underestimate the power of corporate travel policies as well. Even if business class (on a different or same airline) is cheaper than economy there are many places that won't allow it to be booked.

Agree! I was only using business class as an example.

In just about every case the last-minute walk-up on Rex economy is also way below the majors. When my VA flight was cancelled due to crew shortage, VA’s walk-ups were $600 or something, rex was $159. My colleague’s 5pm VA flight also cancelled, next flight 9am the next morning, walked across to rex for $259. Arrived at same time as original VA flight.

 

[HS-TQE]

VA1.0 had a similar problem with their dom Premium Economy product (which was pinched from the Euro Biz model). It was relatively expensive on transcon (where it was of use), but basically the same food / drinks from the pay to eat trolley for free.

JB spoke at a work conference many years ago and commented that after three “launches” they bit the bullet and did the full Biz class rollout. A bold move but the right move IMHO.

Wasn't that VA1.0 Dom Premium Economy just a 'continuation' of the VB Premium Economy product, back when VB was the LCC calling themselves the "New World Carrier" under BG.

 

[Saab34]

Ohhh the old New World Carrier thing again. Best that is not talked about, as there is no such thing. From memory they charged similar rates to what the soon be J cabin was.

They would have been better off rolling out Economy X much earlier vs Premium Economy. It was a rubbish product and absolute failure. A few of us used a few loopholes to gain fast tracked status on some selected routes. Remember the MEL-NTL trick via BNE

 

[SYD]

Wasn't that VA1.0 Dom Premium Economy just a 'continuation' of the VB Premium Economy product, back when VB was the LCC calling themselves the "New World Carrier" under BG.

Yes, I was using “VA1.0” inclusive of DJ times.

The consolidated rebrand of DJ and VAustralia as VA (long overdue) coincided with Dom Biz rollout, new uniforms, aircraft livery and a bunch of other stuff (printed BPs on semi-rigid card that wasn’t thermal paper like a bus ticket).

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Anyone else get an email late Friday? It went to my spam folder… *limited* benefits have been rolled out… upgrade certificates, free Rextra legroom seats and priority chicken.

No word on when the next round is going to be rolled out however.

They said ‘early March’, then ‘early April’. We’re now ‘early June’.

 

[elanshin]

I just had my partner book most of her SYD - MEL on ZL as she has decent experiences and doesn't mind the lack of lounges on this hop. It's usually the cheapest fare (betwern QF VA and ZL) and has luggage. Shes been to all 4 QF lounges and whilst she thinks its nice, she doesn't want to pay $40-60 for the access in Y despite being a newly minted QF SG.

 

[SYD]

Anyone else get an email late Friday? It went to my spam folder… *limited* benefits have been rolled out… upgrade certificates, free Rextra legroom seats and priority chicken.

No word on when the next round is going to be rolled out however.

They said ‘early March’, then ‘early April’. We’re now ‘early June’.

Nope. In fact, I don’t recall ever getting an email from Rex since enrolling, however many years ago it seems.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I just had my partner book most of her SYD - MEL on ZL as she has decent experiences and doesn't mind the lack of lounges on this hop. It's usually the cheapest fare (betwern QF VA and ZL) and has luggage. Shes been to all 4 QF lounges and whilst she thinks its nice, she doesn't want to pay $40-60 for the access in Y despite being a newly minted QF SG.

Worth considering the ‘bid for upgrade’. $25 often seems to do the trick! But no lounge access with upgrade bids anymore.

Worth it? Maybe, on the rare flights that are full. But that’s only been on about 25% of my flights recently.

 

[RealtimeY]

Minimum bid has been $45 on my last few flights. Just got one confirmed on a $80 flight... still cheaper than a regular QF Y fare

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Minimum bid has been $45 on my last few flights. Just got one confirmed on a $80 flight... still cheaper than a regular QF Y fare

Wow. Ok. I actually dunno if $45 would be worth it given the recent loads. We had 51 and 63 last week MEL-SYD i think.

 

[Saab34]

Wow. Ok. I actually dunno if $45 would be worth it given the recent loads. We had 51 and 63 last week MEL-SYD i think.

They seem to be struggling at the moment. Spending two minutes and having a look on EF at the 8 flights in the air currently, it ranges between 50-70 people per flight, one OOL flight is full.

I was coming back on VA the other weekend from BNE-MEL , next to Rex flying the same route, Virgin was sold out, Rex only had around 50 people hanging around the gate, and I was shocked when those people got on, then they closed the gate as that was everyone. Jetstar had a few A321s leaving at the same time also down to Melbourne, queue was crazy long.

Seems not many people still know about Rex? With baggage they are likely still cheaper vs JQ and VA.