Did Qantas just cancel all MEL-SYD morning flights in Aug?

[Dismounted]

I was originally booked on a 7am flight mid August... but got notification that it's been cancelled. Hopped online and I see no flights from MEL to SYD before 2pm on any day in the second week of August.

Are they fully booked or has Qantas just cancelled all morning flights from MEL to SYD? If the latter, that's crazy!

 

[RichardMEL]

3rd week in Aug seems fairly well populated. I guess QF reading the tealeaves on SYD lockdown extension and the like. It's happened before.

 

[defurax]

Correct. It seems the only way to get to SYD in the morning is MEL-BNE-SYD.

 

[AIRwin]

It seems the only way to get to SYD in the morning is MEL-BNE-SYD.

Or VA for $39

 

[defurax]

Or VA for $39

True. But the OP's flight was cancelled by QF, so they can be re-routed for free or indeed take a refund and book VA or Rex.

 

[RichardMEL]

The cuts are deep and savage. I heard my phone ping while reading this thread and thought oh that will be QF App. sure enough...

I was on a 1600 SYD-MEL in mid Aug. it's gone. Was rebooked to 1500 SYD-MEL - that's the last direct flight of the day. So more or less looks like there's one or two direct flights in each direction at times. that is insanely bad.

pity my ADL-SYD arrives at 1510 LOL

TravelPass me QF (but I will wait a few days to call as call centre must be mad)

Post automatically merged: Jul 23, 2021

True. But the OP's flight was cancelled by QF, so they can be re-routed for free or indeed take a refund and book VA or Rex.

Well Rex is suspended for the duration of SYD lockdowns so probably not Rex and VA well.. they may try and operate but I wouldn't hold my breath given the QF cuts. Maybe!

 

[milehighclub]

and VA well.. they may try and operate but I wouldn't hold my breath given the QF cuts. Maybe!

Looking at Virgin, they seem to operate a single 6pm flight (but cancelled all flights tomorrow) with the next flight Sunday, again at 6pm.

Given the lockdowns, I'd expect no more than 2 flights by either QF or VA.

 

[Mattg]

At one stage during the lockdowns last year, the MEL-SYD route was down to a single daily QantasLink Dash 8 service via CBR.

 

[Simo]

You would think they would still keep the flights going but at a slightly lower frequency for freight reasons...

 

[jb747]

You would think they would still keep the flights going but at a slightly lower frequency for freight reasons...

Way cheaper to just put it on a truck. 737 doesn’t take palletised cargo, so it really isn’t as useful as other aircraft.

 

[serfty]

Way cheaper to just put it on a truck. 737 doesn’t take palletised cargo, so it really isn’t as useful as other aircraft.

Yes, even with the "Magic Carpet".

In 1989 (pilots strike industrial dispute) Australia Post found it more efficient (not just cheaper) to truck airmail between Melbourne and Sydney.

 

[jb747]

In 1989 (pilots strike) ....

It's interesting that what was in large part a 'lock out', has morphed into a strike. It wasn't a simple event, though there is no doubt that the AFAP were very foolish.

 

[serfty]

It's interesting that what was in large part a 'lock out', has morphed into a strike. It wasn't a simple event, though there is no doubt that the AFAP were very foolish.

Thanks for the clarification, I'll avoid using the S word if referencing in the future. (Hard to believe it was 32 years ago.)

 

[RichardMEL]

Looks like the axe has been yielded again - had 1/9 flight cancelled. Now there's nothing on MEL-SYD from 0700 till 1230. Only one data point but I'm sure multiple days affected.

 

[eastwest101]

Looks like the axe has been yielded again - had 1/9 flight cancelled. Now there's nothing on MEL-SYD from 0700 till 1230. Only one data point but I'm sure multiple days affected.

Not just SYD-MEL flights, they have taken the axe to SYD-BNE services as well.

 

[RichardMEL]

With SYD as the main ingredient for obvious reasons. a bit of a concern they are cutting over a month in advance so much - they must project SYD restrictions will be in place for a lot longer imo.

 

[dajop]

With SYD as the main ingredient for obvious reasons. a bit of a concern they are cutting over a month in advance so much - they must project SYD restrictions will be in place for a lot longer imo.

Different time, different geography, different strain (less infective) and no vaccinations, BUT from about 150-200 cases a day around 22 August, Victoria took about a month to get the cases under 20 consistently and another 3 weeks to get the under 10. Not to say that this is NSW's goals, but it might be for other states, and it's not difficult to conclude that interstate travel will remain very restricted until such point as cases go down to low levels of linked cases, or vaccination rates reach a sufficient threshold, whichever is the sooner.

 

[Stusipad]

Same for a MEL-SYD, SYD-MEL booking l had for mid August..

I actually booked this during a Double status credit offer, so what happens if l cancel? Will l lose the offer, or would l have to call and reschedule instead? Would the DSC offer transfer to a new booking?

 

[kookaburra75]

With SYD as the main ingredient for obvious reasons. a bit of a concern they are cutting over a month in advance so much - they must project SYD restrictions will be in place for a lot longer imo.

It certainly seems to be the case. I've just got off the phone with Qantas, as they had changed our MCY-CBR flight that was going via SYD at the end of August, to now going via MEL Just means a few more hours in the MEL J Lounge, before heading home after a holiday in Noosa. That's doable.

 

[RichardMEL]

Same for a MEL-SYD, SYD-MEL booking l had for mid August..

I actually booked this during a Double status credit offer, so what happens if l cancel? Will l lose the offer, or would l have to call and reschedule instead? Would the DSC offer transfer to a new booking?

here's what I would do.

call QF due to them cancelling flights request a Travel Pass with DSC (pre other threads). they are obliged to do this on a fare they can refund per their cancel rules (and QF would rather issue a Travel Pass than give a refund - and DSC is one of the current offers). Thus you can then re-book for whatever flight and get DSC (valid till 12/22).

However if you have chosen to cancel to a credit voucher - your DSC should stay with the voucher because the PNR stays the same.

So either way you would be covered -unless of course you just cancel and refund the booking.