Qantas to start flights from Darwin to Singapore

[nancypants]

If they want to take Emirates or Qatar or anyone like that, then they need to somewhat improve the experience.

I was idly thinking to myself that an option once the a220 comes on stream might be to run it as an international tag flight such that a % of pax may be already screened. Or, radical suggestion, DRW could open a second screening land and/or have more staff. I imagine a CT scanner is in the works which should speed things up. It surely couldn’t slow things down

Looks like Darwin time still reigns in, well, DRW.

Whatever “efficiency “ we see in DRW (compared to the MEL and SYD) in handling domestic flights, international offerings from what is written so far definitely seems to be no different from a decade ago.

Blame it on the heat, humidity or rain (in wet reasons), but I can’t remember any flights that actually departs on time, 30 mins after official departure time if I am very lucky, but hey maybe I was having a bad run over several years, who knows.

Nancypants experience with security (the second screen after the general domestic screen, and the QF lounge is in the airside domestic area) is similar to BKK on a regular day. And interestingly QF schedule DRW-SIN directly competes with SQ offering and I am not confident that the connection/stopover time at SIN for pax catching QF1 to LDR will be 5 hrs, might more likely be 3 hours from my possibly prejudiced experience with DRW departure timekeeping.

Good luck with the flight, Nancypants

In their defence, we departed approximately on time and arrived slightly early (would have been very early but for holding into Singapore)

That IS NOT Char Siu Pork, looks like some stew/curry/some abomination....

“alleged” char siu pork. I did not partake

 

[nancypants]

Alright some notes from the balance of the trip:
- it was announced the wifi would work until leaving Australian airspace approx 30 minutes into the flight- in the event it didn’t work at all

Business went out full thanks to the late addition of some raucous staff travellers. Y went out with some “poor man’s business class” which on this occasion would have exceeded the actual J product


There were menus and amenity kits but no PJs (I wasn’t expecting but mentioned in case anyone was wondering)

 

[nancypants]

Now, in what I would personally describe as an embarrassment and entirely within QF control, as a WP seated in row 1, my first choice of meal was not available

There was also an insufficient supply of Lindt balls which meant they were being rationed


Photographers waiting presumably for the dignitaries and a small gift from Changi on arrival

In summary, some work to be done

 

[jrfsp]

Now, in what I would personally describe as an embarrassment and entirely within QF control, as a WP seated in row 1, my first choice of meal was not available

There was also an insufficient supply of Lindt balls which meant they were being rationed

View attachment 437644
Photographers waiting presumably for the dignitaries and a small gift from Changi on arrival

In summary, some work to be done

Well at least they’re consistent in the poor product quality

 

[moa999]

On WiFi will be interesting to see whether when they turn on the ViaSat services for the 332s whether these 737s will also get service.

My thinking is yes given Qantas has said they will get trans tasman service mid year, suggesting the 737s are capable of connection to other Ka band satellites

 

[Mwenenzi]

QF PR spin

https://www.qantasnewsroom.com.au/media-releases/qantas-takes-off-from-the-top-end-to-singapore/

<snip>
Route history:

• May 1935: Qantas included Darwin as the final Australian stop on the original Kangaroo Route from Australia to London. At the time, the Darwin to Singapore leg required five stops and took four and a half days, compared to the current service at 4 hours and 45 minutes.
• 1979: QF 1 stopped in Darwin once a week on Wednesdays, operated by a Boeing 732.
• June 2006: The last direct Qantas flight from Darwin to Singapore operated.

 

[nancypants]

QF PR spin

https://www.qantasnewsroom.com.au/media-releases/qantas-takes-off-from-the-top-end-to-singapore/

I also seem to have accidentally added myself to the QF approved Dropbox of images. Apparently with the authority to edit the contents…

 

[henrus]

QF PR spin

https://www.qantasnewsroom.com.au/media-releases/qantas-takes-off-from-the-top-end-to-singapore/

Does QF forget they also had flights stopping in Darwin during Covid?

 

[nancypants]

Does QF forget they also had flights stopping in Darwin during Covid?

Don’t mention the Covid

 

[SeatBackForward]

Does QF forget they also had flights stopping in Darwin during Covid?

I continue to position myself (possibly the only one to do such), that QF should use DWN as the gateway to/from Australia for everywhere except NZ.

Post automatically merged: Monday at 9:34 AM

Don’t mention the Covid

yes, might remind them of all the taxpayer handouts they spent on share buybacks.

 

[mviy]

I continue to position myself (possibly the only one to do such), that QF should use DWN as the gateway to/from Australia for everywhere except NZ.

Post automatically merged: Monday at 9:34 AM

yes, might remind them of all the taxpayer handouts they spent on share buybacks.

DWN is in Oklahoma in the US. You mean DRW

 

[SeatBackForward]

DWN is in Oklahoma in the US. You mean DRW

Oh yeah, I typed out Darwin, then tried to be clever. But not as clever as making Oklahoma a gateway for Australia!

 

[p--and--t]

possibly the only one to do such

Well you might have made a mistake with DRW but the statement above is very accurate

 

[SeatBackForward]

Well you might have made a mistake with DRW but the statement above is very accurate

It's a very lonely hill to stand upon.

 

[mviy]

MEL-DRW-LHR was great. I got upgraded in both directions to J when I flew this.

 

[nancypants]

Oh yeah, I typed out Darwin, then tried to be clever. But not as clever as making Oklahoma a gateway for Australia!

Project sunset

 

[AIRwin]

Project sunset

Speaking of which

 

[nancypants]

That said, I don’t see that it’s necessarily a terrible idea especially for people coming from non-gateway destinations (eg based on current flights, CNS, BME, ADL, TSV, ASP) to connect through DRW- if (if!) they can sort the security situation
The way NTG spaffs money against the wall to attract airlines, I’m surprised they’re not spending money to attract travellers to the existing services. Could do a subsidy for a stop over along the lines of the visit Qatar program. Most Territorians came from somewhere else (I was one of them) so it has the potential to entice people to relocate permanently, which we need. Or would address those who complain about domestic tourism being too expensive. Could basically offer it at cost in the wet season. They’re never going to make viable services with the 100k who live in Darwin plus whatever number of weirdos want to come to Darwin from overseas

 

[jpp42]

They’re never going to make viable services with the 100k who live in Darwin plus whatever number of weirdos want to come to Darwin from overseas

I thought Darwin had a pretty big overseas tourism market attracting many people, why do you need to be wierdos? When I was there last there were plenty of backpackers around for example, and tourists flying in to visit Kakadu, etc. Obviously this is mainly during the dry. I'd think that with the amount of inbound tourism from Singapore/SE Asia that Australia has overall, Darwin would be really keen to expand this market with this flight.

 

[jrfsp]

I thought Darwin had a pretty big overseas tourism market attracting many people, why do you need to be wierdos? When I was there last there were plenty of backpackers around for example, and tourists flying in to visit Kakadu, etc. Obviously this is mainly during the dry. I'd think that with the amount of inbound tourism from Singapore/SE Asia that Australia has overall, Darwin would be really keen to expand this market with this flight.

Backpackers = low yield, not going to work for QF. JQ tried a small hub for Asian flights but that didnt work out.