Melburnian1
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2013
- Posts
- 25,240
It may be difficult financially for medium sized airlines such as the international division of Qantas to justify aircraft sitting idle "just in case"unless fully depreciated, but given frequent cancellations and numerous delays, the question has to be asked "is QFi overextending itself?"
QFi seems to like operating flights three days a week to destinations such as ICN and SCL. Yes, they're covered, but thinly. Granted, JQi may be a presence on some of these routes, but most patrons of QFi don't regard JQi as possessing an equivalent offering.
It looks great on the map for QFi to be able to boast it flies to all inhabited continents, but the downside of thrice weekly operation is that when something goes awry, there won't be a QFi flight on that route timetabled for the next day. QFi would no doubt claim 'there isn't the demand for a daily operation' but has it heard of 'build it and they (passengers) will come?'
Similarly, the decision to further extend the A388s with a five or four days a week frequency SYD-JNB is not ideal, even though these aircraft are arguably more comfortable than B789s. A retrograde step to abandon a daily or six day a week frequency.
My hypothesis is nothing short of a daily frequency suffices for any regular public transport, including QFi, worldwide.. Re airlines, this gives prospective passengers some confidence there may be fewer delays if flight A on day A doesn't operate (assuming there are spare seats the next day).
QFi is experiencing troubles with its elderly A333s as well as its A388s and much newer B789s. The decision to base major engineering in LAX was good in terms of getting away from Australia's stratospheric labour costs but disastrous for punctuality and reliability, because apparently not all parts are stocked in Sydney, or for that matter, Melbourne or Brisbane, as 'Crikey' recently highlighted.
QFi would be better served dropping a few 'ego' destinations like SCL from its network, and providing greater frequency on a smaller number of routes where demand exists.
If it continues to prioritise vanity over punctuality and reliability, there's nothing surer that it will slowly continue to decline in annual world airline rankings, just as it did this year by dropping out of the 'top 20.'
QFi seems to like operating flights three days a week to destinations such as ICN and SCL. Yes, they're covered, but thinly. Granted, JQi may be a presence on some of these routes, but most patrons of QFi don't regard JQi as possessing an equivalent offering.
It looks great on the map for QFi to be able to boast it flies to all inhabited continents, but the downside of thrice weekly operation is that when something goes awry, there won't be a QFi flight on that route timetabled for the next day. QFi would no doubt claim 'there isn't the demand for a daily operation' but has it heard of 'build it and they (passengers) will come?'
Similarly, the decision to further extend the A388s with a five or four days a week frequency SYD-JNB is not ideal, even though these aircraft are arguably more comfortable than B789s. A retrograde step to abandon a daily or six day a week frequency.
My hypothesis is nothing short of a daily frequency suffices for any regular public transport, including QFi, worldwide.. Re airlines, this gives prospective passengers some confidence there may be fewer delays if flight A on day A doesn't operate (assuming there are spare seats the next day).
QFi is experiencing troubles with its elderly A333s as well as its A388s and much newer B789s. The decision to base major engineering in LAX was good in terms of getting away from Australia's stratospheric labour costs but disastrous for punctuality and reliability, because apparently not all parts are stocked in Sydney, or for that matter, Melbourne or Brisbane, as 'Crikey' recently highlighted.
QFi would be better served dropping a few 'ego' destinations like SCL from its network, and providing greater frequency on a smaller number of routes where demand exists.
If it continues to prioritise vanity over punctuality and reliability, there's nothing surer that it will slowly continue to decline in annual world airline rankings, just as it did this year by dropping out of the 'top 20.'
