Article: Qatar Airways’ Bizarre Daily Melbourne-Adelaide Flight

[AFF Editor]

Qatar Airways’ Bizarre Daily Melbourne-Adelaide Flight is an article written by AFF editorial staff:

Qatar Airways' Bizarre Daily Melbourne-Adelaide Flight

Since the beginning of October, Qatar Airways has been running a Boeing 777 every day from Melbourne to Adelaide and back without passengers. The Oneworld

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

You can leave a comment or discuss this topic below.

 

[AIRwin]

https://www.qatarairways.com/en-au/offers/committed.html

 

[Pushka]

Qatar Airways’ Bizarre Daily Melbourne-Adelaide Flight is an article written by AFF editorial staff:

Qatar Airways' Bizarre Daily Melbourne-Adelaide Flight

Since the beginning of October, Qatar Airways has been running a Boeing 777 every day from Melbourne to Adelaide and back without passengers. The Oneworld

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

You can leave a comment or discuss this topic below.

Cute that Qantas is trying to block this, given it does allow another exit point from Adelaide and which Qantas gave up on years ago.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Cute that Qantas is trying to block this, given it does allow another exit point from Adelaide and which Qantas gave up on years ago.

Wouldnt you just put that down to their 'less than 'cooperative'' corporate DNA?

 

[justinbrett]

Wouldnt you just put that down to their 'less than 'cooperative'' corporate DNA?

I think you’ll find every time the government asks for submissions from airlines that involve competition, they always make a submission against it. VA included. It’s just what happens, why would you not?

 

[jase05]

QF abandoned ADL a long time ago so anything that gives us another option is fine by me.

 

[Sprucegoose]

I think you’ll find every time the government asks for submissions from airlines that involve competition, they always make a submission against it. VA included. It’s just what happens, why would you not?

submissions are always, as you say, mandatory and can be watered down like boarding school cordial; however, the active lobbying is at yet another level

 

[Mattg]

QF abandoned ADL a long time ago so anything that gives us another option is fine by me.

Would you seriously book DOH-MEL-ADL with an 11-hour overnight transit in Melbourne though?

 

[Sprucegoose]

Would you seriously book DOH-MEL-ADL with an 11-hour overnight transit in Melbourne though?

And they don't put you up at the PR as it's a loss leader, I'm guessing?

 

[Mattg]

And they don't put you up at the PR as it's a loss leader, I'm guessing?

It's not even clear to me that you'd be allowed to leave the airside departures area at MEL since it's a technical stop, you don't clear immigration/customs in MEL and you're continuing to ADL on the same aircraft/flight number.

 

[jase05]

Would you seriously book DOH-MEL-ADL with an 11-hour overnight transit in Melbourne though?

Probably not unless there was award availability and likewise going the other way.
The route isn’t going to be around for long and yes the timings are terrible but at least it’s something and a whole lot more than what our national airline does for us

 

[Sprucegoose]

It's not even clear to me that you'd be allowed to leave the airside departures area at MEL since it's a technical stop, you don't clear immigration/customs in MEL and you're continuing to ADL on the same aircraft/flight number.

Good point; it's not exactly like a regular promotion, unlike seeing SIN/DXB in a day and sponsored by the national carrier. I can't recall a similar situation, so it is fair to say the authorities haven't formally envisaged it.

If you wanted to leave the airport, I would say you could; however, you would need to check back in with all that entails.


It would not leave much time to visit the Richmond Hall of Fame or any other waste of space.........

 

[justinbrett]

submissions are always, as you say, mandatory and can be watered down like boarding school cordial; however, the active lobbying is at yet another level

Another level? I think you’re getting a bit hysterical there.

It wasn’t that long ago, before VA was flying long haul, and QFi was haemorrhaging cash, where it was a very real possibility that there would be no Australian airline flying long haul international services in the future.

This is the very reason the government rules exist, to ensure that foreign airlines are a positive addition to the market, where they operate on our terms, in accordance with our rules.

The government is in control of the air transport agreements that dictate how often airlines can operate to Australia. Qantas can submit its feedback but it is only a consideration. UAE, for example, have allowed much more freedoms for Australian airlines by allowing our airlines to fly onwards to Europe (in addition to generous frequencies from Australia to both DXB and AUH, which historically both QF and VA benefited from). It stands to reason that UAE airlines are recognised and provided with more access to the Australian market. A similar argument can be made for Singapore.

Qatar is very one sided.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Another level? I think you’re getting a bit hysterical there.

It wasn’t that long ago, before VA was flying long haul, and QFi was haemorrhaging cash, where it was a very real possibility that there would be no Australian airline flying long haul international services in the future.

This is the very reason the government rules exist, to ensure that foreign airlines are a positive addition to the market, where they operate on our terms, in accordance with our rules.

The government is in control of the air transport agreements that dictate how often airlines can operate to Australia. Qantas can submit its feedback but it is only a consideration. UAE, for example, have allowed much more freedoms for Australian airlines by allowing our airlines to fly onwards to Europe (in addition to generous frequencies from Australia to both DXB and AUH, which historically both QF and VA benefited from). It stands to reason that UAE airlines are recognised and provided with more access to the Australian market. A similar argument can be made for Singapore.

Qatar is very one sided.

Yes, I agree with your theoretical sentiments, and that government is there for the good of all etc.; however, when we examine the specifics, those lofty ideas are buffeted by the fact rare landing slots are political gold, and the ME transformation was based on through traffic. They will make slots work for them. Harder to do this in Sydney or Melbourne.

Considering Qantas and Qatar are both OW, it appears Qantas has a more robust and closer mutually beneficial relationship with Emirates than other ME airlines. The QF/EK codeshare relationship is well-established and clearly places EK in the Gulf ahead of any other airline from the QF perspective. However, I am unsure of the CEO/Chair relationship between Qatar and Qantas however; it is no less revealing that Qatar recently partnered with Virgin Australia. Therefore I expect QF to go hard on QR, given the VA tie-up - don't you?

 

[justinbrett]

Therefore I expect QF to go hard on QR, given the VA tie-up - don't you?

Just like VA opposed the QF-EK, QF-JL, QF-CX, QF-NZ and QF-AA deals.

It’s just what airlines do. The power is in the government to block it, not the rival airline. Some of those deals above were blocked, others not.

Why would you not try as an airline to block competition? Doesn’t cost much to write a letter.

Also a slot has nothing to do with an air transport agreement. This story is about the later. I don’t think I’d describe slots at any Australian airports as rare, certainly not “political gold”. But I expect you were referring to the latter.

 

[adelaidefc]

QF abandoned ADL a long time ago so anything that gives us another option is fine by me.

Except I'd bet a lot of dollars that QR will exit ADL (and dump CBR if it even starts up again), the second they're allowed to put extra capacity on at SYD/MEL/BNE

 

[jase05]

Except I'd bet a lot of dollars that QR will exit ADL (and dump CBR if it even starts up again), the second they're allowed to put extra capacity on at SYD/MEL/BNE

Absolutely we will lose that one but on the bright side they have increased frequency on the regular flight and will move to daily in January

 

[adelaidefc]

Absolutely we will lose that one but on the bright side they have increased frequency on the regular flight and will move to daily in January

Oh I reckon they'll exit entirely. But I'm a cynical person, I'm not actually sure of how well that route is doing
I like the way it is now, that ADL-AKL-ADL bit is one of the coolest award redemptions there is! Lovely evening flights just long enough to enjoy the Qsuite service, but not long haul.

 

[keilya]

Would you seriously book DOH-MEL-ADL with an 11-hour overnight transit in Melbourne though?

No way!!

 

[Withnail & I]

Absolutely we will lose that one but on the bright side they have increased frequency on the regular flight and will move to daily in January

We‘re currently booked on QR915 in late June 2023 (the ADL-DOH leg after it arrives from AKL ) and then DOH-ATH 3 hours later. Do you think there’s a significant risk that they cancel the ADL-DOH flight if they succeed in being allowed another MEL-DOH flight? Hopefully we‘d get the opportunity to get equivalent seats on that new MEL-DOH flight and somehow find our way from ADL to MEL if necessary.