JQ begins selling MEL-BQB (Busselton WA)

[Daver6]

I heard a rumour that QF are putting this route on because they want to use BQB as a diversion airport for when PER is unavailable. So they're hoping someone (the local council?) will do whatever is required to handle larger aircraft (I presume 787/A330).

 

[baldman]

Virgin will 100% NOT enter this route in the short or medium term!
Jetstar would only be doing it from probably huge incentives from the council. Anyway VA isn't a LCC and has higher costs which would make it financially unviable.

Yes, I dare say that you are correct re Virgin. So I’ll keep the enjoying the drive down to Margs as Jetstar is a “Harvey Norman” for me : no interest ever.

 

[GSP]

This is good news. Great Ironman (and half) Triathlons each year. Was a pest to drive down and back from Perth, although be interested to see if the prices jack up at those peak times making it questionable (unless really time poor).

 

[jb747]

Being an "international alternate" doesn't mean that anyone is actually going to go there. It just means that the airlines can carry less fuel on the Perth flights if the weather requires an alternate. And as Busselton does not have any precision approach aids, the weather there will have to be pretty good.

This airport has been a bit of a local saga for a while, and they've been desperately trying to get an airline to go there, whilst at the same time becoming very noise sensitive, and tossing out the flying schools. This Jetstar service is supposedly heavily subsidised, so I guess it will be interesting to see if whoever is providing the subsidy is prepared to keep it up, and if the service is viable.

 

[baldman]

Being an "international alternate" doesn't mean that anyone is going to actually go there. It just means that the airlines can carry less fuel on the Perth flights if the weather requires an alternate. And as Busselton does not have any precision approach aids, the weather there will have to be pretty good.

This airport has been a bit of a local saga for a while, and they've been desperately trying to get an airline to go there, whilst at the same time becoming very noise sensitive, and tossing out the flying schools. This Jetstar service is supposedly heavily subsidised, so I guess it will be interesting to see if whomever is providing the subsidy is prepared to keep it up, and if the service is viable.

Heated agreementment. If the experience of MCY is anything to go by - and I believe it is - having an airport serviced only by a VBC is ultimately not great for tourism, especially when you are talking about high-cost markets peddling something premium product, you need full service carriers. I need JQ flying into BQB like I need a hernia. It’s just the perfect way to ruin the start of a luxurious holiday.

 

[TheInsider]

Heated agreementment. If the experience of MCY is anything to go by - and I believe it is - having an airport serviced only by a VBC is ultimately not great for tourism,

Having a LCC service a destination is actually fantastic for tourism. Tourists generally go for LCC's and not full service airlines.

 

[baldman]

Having a LCC service a destination is actually fantastic for tourism. Tourists generally go for LCC's and not full service airlines.

There are many categories of “tourists” so your generalisation is as correct as any generalisation can be.

I can only relate what I was told first hand by various business leaders on the Sunshine Coast. Noosa found that when Jetstar took MCY over from QF, that the demo of the visitor market shifted down. The locals selling premium food, wine, hotel experiences were not happy. Highly likely it will be the same w Margs.

 

[DC3]

.... The locals selling premium food, wine, hotel experiences were not happy. Highly likely it will be the same w Margs.

May be good for the cleanskins market?

 

[exceladdict]

Heated agreementment. If the experience of MCY is anything to go by - and I believe it is - having an airport serviced only by a VBC is ultimately not great for tourism, especially when you are talking about high-cost markets peddling something premium product, you need full service carriers. I need JQ flying into BQB like I need a hernia. It’s just the perfect way to ruin the start of a luxurious holiday.

VBC = Value Based Carrier? Need to update the definitions.

"Down South" or "douth" as the gen Z'ers (not me) call it used to be a family destination. Still plenty of RAC family parks and similar, despite the gentrified resturants, wedding destinations, etc.

While I prefer full service, I am willing to brave Jetstar for the sake of an Australian-registered aircraft to fly PER-DPS. You expect little and are not disappointed. Similarly, for the sake of avoiding a 3-4hr drive from PER, I think a 3-4hr daytime hop on JQ is not unfathomable. It's the 5+hr or overnight services where it really starts to cramp your style. Will be really interesting to see how loads go. The winter may struggle, but I imagine late next year this will go gangbusters.

 

[baldman]

May be good for the cleanskins market?

Bingo !

 

[kookaburra75]

The winter may struggle, but I imagine late next year this will go gangbusters.

You have to remember that Winter in Margaret River is still heaps warmer than Winter on the East Coast - so I don't think that will be an issue

 

[jb747]

You have to remember that Winter in Margaret River is still heaps warmer than Winter on the East Coast - so I don't think that will be an issue

I’ve never heard a Mexican considering going to WA ‘cos it’s warmer. Queensland on the other hand....

 

[DC3]

You have to remember that Winter in Margaret River is still heaps warmer than Winter on the East Coast - so I don't think that will be an issue

Absolutely freezing cold and wet when I was there a few years ago on a holiday. Maybe that was out of the ordinary?

Edit: That was in July

 

[dajop]

I can only relate what I was told first hand by various business leaders on the Sunshine Coast. Noosa found that when Jetstar took MCY over from QF, that the demo of the visitor market shifted down. The locals selling premium food, wine, hotel experiences were not happy. Highly likely it will be the same w Margs.

The difference is that JQ are not taking over from QF, as such. Those wanting to fly QF through PER + drive still will be doing exactly the same as they do today.

 

[Oxy]

The difference is that JQ are not taking over from QF, as such. Those wanting to fly QF through PER + drive still will be doing exactly the same as they do today.

Exactly, and the other difference being that JQ is not replacing QF on this route, which should see more tourists overall, not a change in demographic of existing ones.

 

[kookaburra75]

I’ve never heard a Mexican considering going to WA ‘cos it’s warmer. Queensland on the other hand....

But now I'm in the ACT, and believe me, anywhere is warmer than Canberra in the winter

 

[jakeseven7]

Exactly, and the other difference being that JQ is not replacing QF on this route, which should see more tourists overall, not a change in demographic of existing ones.

In fact, if QF see a flow of higher yield passengers coming through you never know, a QF service may follow at some point. They operate quite well in markets alongside JQ now.

 

[Vic]

Absolutely freezing cold and wet when I was there a few years ago on a holiday. Maybe that was out of the ordinary?

Edit: That was in July

I lived down that way for a winter many years ago. You're experience was not out of the ordinary. Freezing, I certainly wasn't swimming, for example

 

[Catweazle]

We're booked to fly out of Busselton mid September, but now I hear that the inagural flight has now been postponed due to the current COVID-19 circumstances. Do you think they'll end up cancelling this route altogether? At this stage, things are up and down too much, so I'll sit tight until August or even early September before worrying about things. At the very least, I'm sure they can just shove us onto a departure from PER, if BQB doesn't happen till 2021.

 

[mrmerc500]

We're booked to fly out of Busselton mid September, but now I hear that the inagural flight has now been postponed due to the current COVID-19 circumstances. Do you think they'll end up cancelling this route altogether? At this stage, things are up and down too much, so I'll sit tight until August or even early September before worrying about things. At the very least, I'm sure they can just shove us onto a departure from PER, if BQB doesn't happen till 2021.

Yes very sad indeed to see this route postponed considering the community excitement, new opportunities for the South West & the money that the WA Government had invested to see this a reality.

Having spent some years living in the South West, I do hope that JQ makes an effort to commence this route which appears to be from the 1st June so I would certainly sit tight for a couple of months.