QF announce non-stop Perth-London B787 Services

[levelnine]

Re: Melbourne the latest City to get shafted by Qantas

Oh well I guess another reason for me to stop flying QF with all these reductions in seats and and SC.

On the upside, think of the amazing range of carriers from which you can choose now that you're no longer tied to QF.

 

[Ansett]

Re: Melbourne the latest City to get shafted by Qantas

On the upside, think of the amazing range of carriers from which you can choose now that you're no longer tied to QF.

My sentiments exactly and with LTG will always have lounge access to boot.

 

[katiebell]

Re: Melbourne the latest City to get shafted by Qantas

It is hard not to have a little chuckle at the reaction of the MEL based pax/media.

When QF cut every single international service west of MEL a few years ago, we were told to 'suck it up' and it was 'market dynamics' etc.

MEL loses a few QF seats and it is now being described as a sovereign risk....

I think you are being unfair: a lot of us felt that QF treated PER really badly, even more so than they treated other all other cpaital cities other than SYD.


I now think withdrawal from PER was a strategic move by AJ to put pressure on PER and the Fed & WA govts to rebuild the PER terminal and provide immigation, customs and biosecurity staff at 2 terminals.

I have been reliably told that the LHR service will be complemented by services to FRA, BER and other European cities.

It seems that for pax on the new QF09 there are no new bookable routes or common-rated destinations via LHR: a search on the QF website only gives options from MEL via SYD/DXB or on EK from MEL for destinations currently served by EK. For those not currently served by EK there is still the option of BA (and 3 options to get to LHR: via PER, SYD/DXB or EK from MEL).

PER-LHR will be crewed from LHR and MEL crew will only fly MEL-PER. The cabin crew numbers will be cut in JÂ… Only 3 WCs and 2 shared with PE. Service will have to suffer.

I agree that being able to buy duty free in LHR will be a bonus but the loss of F is a real shame as points upgrades were a real treat and one of the few ways to use points (unless I want yet another toaster). The timing of QF 9 is awful and a financial drain as it means another day not able to work. QF 10 will be improved with the long sector coinciding with night at destination.

The hype about fewer seats/more space than other carriers is a myth: BA have considerably fewer seats on the B787 and most carriers offer more space in Y (pitch and/or width).

All in all the promise of this route (& I was really hopeful of something good from QF at last) has not materialised.

ON what grounds did AJ get his gong???

 

[Chalkie]

Re: Melbourne the latest City to get shafted by Qantas

Oh well I guess another reason for me to stop flying QF with all these reductions in seats and and SC.

I just came back from LHR on QF10 in F. Crew on both segments asked me what I thought of the new QF9/10 arrangements. I said that I would not be flying the new QF9 or 10, and would probably take my (paid F travel) business elsewhere (travelling via Sydney is an unpalatable option). CX and SQ are the likely beneficiaries, as they each have afternoon arrivals into LHR (I detest early morning arrivals into LHR).

 

[mviy]

Re: Melbourne the latest City to get shafted by Qantas

I was hoping to apply for a F upgrade for MEL-LHR direct most likely in 2018/2019 to celebrate a special occasion. Now that won't be possible. If I'm asked when I fly J soon what I think of the changes I think I'll mention my displeasure with the changes not that it'll make any difference.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Re: Melbourne the latest City to get shafted by Qantas

I was hoping to apply for a F upgrade for MEL-LHR direct most likely in 2018/2019 to celebrate a special occasion. Now that won't be possible. If I'm asked when I fly J soon what I think of the changes I think I'll mention my displeasure with the changes not that it'll make any difference.

Why not just fly via SYD if you want to upgrade for a special occasion?
I often do SYD-MEL and vice versa on my long hauls.
It gives me a wider choice of flights and the extra 40SC each way all add up over the year.

 

[mviy]

Re: Melbourne the latest City to get shafted by Qantas

I'm thinking about it but when travelling with others you have to consider what they're willing to endure too. MEL-LHR direct on the QF A380 would make things so much simpler. The bus in Sydney is very poor especially when connecting to/from J/F. It's also frustrating that QF's website tends to at best give you 3 hours after landing in Sydney before the international flight.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Re: Melbourne the latest City to get shafted by Qantas

I'm thinking about it but when travelling with others you have to consider what they're willing to endure too. MEL-LHR direct on the QF A380 would make things so much simpler. The bus in Sydney is very poor especially when connecting to/from J/F. It's also frustrating that QF's website tends to at best give you 3 hours after landing in Sydney before the international flight.

I don't ever book on the website for the reasons you have mentioned. The call Centre will waive fees for me if the fare cannot be booked on the website.
The bus transfer is terrible, I usually just get the train.

Travelling with others does make it trickier but if the goal is to try to upgrade to F for a special occasion I think it would be well worth while doing it. That and I consider the SYD Flounge to be the better overall experience of the two. YMMV of course.

 

[Brettmcg]

Re: Melbourne the latest City to get shafted by Qantas

I don't ever book on the website for the reasons you have mentioned. The call Centre will waive fees for me if the fare cannot be booked on the website.
The bus transfer is terrible, I usually just get the train.

Travelling with others does make it trickier but if the goal is to try to upgrade to F for a special occasion I think it would be well worth while doing it. That and I consider the SYD Flounge to be the better overall experience of the two. YMMV of course.

This will probably become my go to. Hopeful that the 16hr grounding of the 380 in LHR might be enough for QF to re-time it at some stage to once again allow a full day's work beforehand.

Having said that I think you can now probably kiss J-F upgrades on the SYD-DXB-LHR route goodbye if you're not P1 or CL.

 

[katiebell]

Re: Melbourne the latest City to get shafted by Qantas

I just came back from LHR on QF10 in F. Crew on both segments asked me what I thought of the new QF9/10 arrangements. I said that I would not be flying the new QF9 or 10, and would probably take my (paid F travel) business elsewhere (travelling via Sydney is an unpalatable option). CX and SQ are the likely beneficiaries, as they each have afternoon arrivals into LHR (I detest early morning arrivals into LHR).

I also just flew F on QF10 and told both CSMs that this would be my last QF F flight given it would no longer be possible as QF were withdrawing F from MEL services. When asked about the timing: I said QF10 is an improvement but QF09 is dire. I praised MEL Flounge and canned travel via SYD for all the reasons mentioned here and a Flounge that is not nearly as good

 

[BacchusMarsh]

Re: Melbourne the latest City to get shafted by Qantas

I also just flew F on QF10 and told both CSMs that this would be my last QF F flight given it would no longer be possible as QF were withdrawing F from MEL services.

Will you be flying BA instead?

 

[levelnine]

Re: Melbourne the latest City to get shafted by Qantas

Having said that I think you can now probably kiss J-F upgrades on the SYD-DXB-LHR route goodbye if you're not P1 or CL.

Exactly. The point is going to become almost entirely moot. There will be next to 0 F availability once capacity is halved. Indeed, with the refurbishment of the A380s, the number might reduce even further.

 

[PaulST]

Re: Melbourne the latest City to get shafted by Qantas

No luck getting a J ward released for May next year.

May need to save a few more points and aim for F via DXB.

 

[coyote25]

Re: Melbourne the latest City to get shafted by Qantas

No luck getting a J ward released for May next year.

May need to save a few more points and aim for F via DXB.

How many seats did you request? A WP releasing a J seat to be released 11 months out and being declined is very worrying for this route and / or downgrading a WP peak.

 

[PaulST]

Re: Melbourne the latest City to get shafted by Qantas

How many seats did you request? A WP releasing a J seat to be released 11 months out and being declined is very worrying for this route and / or downgrading a WP peak.

Just one.
Exactly what I was thinking.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Re: Melbourne the latest City to get shafted by Qantas

It's very early days, I wouldn't hit the panic button yet. They would still be testing demand.

 

[mviy]

Re: Melbourne the latest City to get shafted by Qantas

Having said that I think you can now probably kiss J-F upgrades on the SYD-DXB-LHR route goodbye if you're not P1 or CL.

So as a lowly WP that is highly unlikely to ever reach higher status this effectively locks me out of flying F on QF to/from LHR which was a dream of mine to do one day. I could possibly justify a points upgrade but not a seat using cash.

 

[katiebell]

Re: Melbourne the latest City to get shafted by Qantas

As QF seem to be withdrawing F from MEL my crystal ball sees the lounges being 'enhanced' to a combined lounge as in SIN and HKG, and (soon) LHR and PER… That would be another dark day for MEL and all who fly from there.

QF would really be sending a message to customers and removing yet another incentive to maintain WP for anyone. For those who are LTG there would then be no incentive to fly QF at all (and if QF removes LTG then there would be a big reason to blacklist the airline).

QF do not understand what motivates customers and are not offering the things that make an airline more attractive than the competition. it is not all about the headline $ for ticket: the value for money equation is much more powerful.

Dark times indeed.

 

[mviy]

Re: Melbourne the latest City to get shafted by Qantas

To have a combined lounge would require moving to a different space (not sure if a large enough one even exists).

QF may wish to keep their options open for doing F on direct non-stop flights to the U.K. once they have planes that can do that. If they have F for SYD-LHR direct non-stop they'll have it for MEL-LHR direct non-stop as well.

Also F is still available for MEL-LAX.

SIN and HKG are no longer used for the Kangaroo route. With T3 scheduled for demolition in 2019 (unless that's changed) and with plenty of FLounge options already available QF couldn't justify doing a separate lounge. Hard to justify having a FLounge when your own passengers may want to use partner lounges when you'd need them to use your lounge and partner airlines to use it as well to justify it.

 

[katiebell]

Re: Melbourne the latest City to get shafted by Qantas

To have a combined lounge would require moving to a different space (not sure if a large enough one even exists).

QF may wish to keep their options open for doing F on direct non-stop flights to the U.K. once they have planes that can do that. If they have F for SYD-LHR direct non-stop they'll have it for MEL-LHR direct non-stop as well.

Also F is still available for MEL-LAX.

SIN and HKG are no longer used for the Kangaroo route. With T3 scheduled for demolition in 2019 (unless that's changed) and with plenty of FLounge options already available QF couldn't justify doing a separate lounge. Hard to justify having a FLounge when your own passengers may want to use partner lounges when you'd need them to use your lounge and partner airlines to use it as well to justify it.

I love your optimism. With the reduction in seats ex MEL and QF's track record for reducing services, especially premium ones, I am not so optimistic. There is no reason to expect QF will offer MEL pax the same services and range as are offered ex-SYD: they are not doing this as of 03/18 to LHR and have progressively cut services from all ports other than SYD. IF QF are dedicated to providing a F service then there is justification in providing a Flounge and, if deon as well as MEL, or even SYD, they would attract OWE & 1st pax from other OW carriers.

I cannot see T3 being demolished until T2 is expanded on to the old T1 site and fully operational, and LHR expansion confirmed and ready to go. Gate capacity at LHR is already too constrained to lose more gates (and T3 has a lot).

QF's track record in servicing Australia's soon-to-be-largest city is poor (as it is for anywhere not called SYD).