Newcastle-Brisbane and NewCastle-Melbourne

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Newcastle – Brisbane​

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From 28 Jan to​

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[FONT=Arial,Bold]09 March 2008 [/FONT]inclusive, all QantasLink services between Newcastle and Brisbane will be temporarily suspended for operational reasons.​

Customers currently ticketed for travel on QantasLink flights between 28 Jan and [FONT=Arial,Bold]09 March 2008 [/FONT]will be automatically re-booked to Qantas codeshare services operated by Jetstar .




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Newcastle – Melbourne​

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[/FONT]From 28 Jan to [FONT=Arial,Bold]09 March 2008 [/FONT]inclusive:

QF2092 MEL-NTL and QF 2091 NTL- MEL will not operate between Newcastle and Melbourne .

From 11 Feb to 30 June 2008 inclusive:
QF2094 MEL-NTL and QF 2089 NTL- MEL will not operate between Newcastle and Melbourne .​

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[JohnK]

Does anyone know the details of the operational reasons? And why only these two routes? Light loads?

You wouldn't want to have a QF flight booked for these dates. Involuntarily downgraded to JQ! The bus/train could be a better option....

 

[straitman]

Does anyone know the details of the operational reasons? And why only these two routes? Light loads?

You wouldn't want to have a QF flight booked for these dates. Involuntarily downgraded to JQ! The bus/train could be a better option....

Come on JohnK, you can handle JQ.

You are always one for a challenge :!:

 

[RB]

Perhaps it is in line with reduced frequency Port Macquarie/Sydney & Tamworth/Sydney, said to be temporary & due to pilot shortages.

 

[NM]

Perhaps it is in line with reduced frequency Port Macquarie/Sydney & Tamworth/Sydney, said to be temporary & due to pilot shortages.

I do believe they are related.

 

[PlutekPlutek]

Earlier this week The Newcastle Herald said the pilots that operate these flights are being trained for other aircraft. I've flown the Newcastle to Brisbane route many a time on Qantaslink, and had to book on Jetstar for my trip last week. It was my first jetstar experience in 20 or so flights to Queensland, and I must say it wasn't too bad, apart from the return flight, where the checkin staff at Brisbane told us we weren't actually booked on a flight and ended up having to buy JetFlex tickets there and then. Wasn't Jetstar's fault though.

 

[oz_mark]

Maybe this is related:

Airlines need to invest to avoid pilot shortage - Local - General - Armidale Express

THE CHRONIC shortage of airline pilots that has forced Qantas to drop a number of its Armidale-Sydney flights comes as no surprise to a local industry group.


The IAC Group is a leading international aviation crewing and air operator management consultancy group based in Armidale, supplying crews and expertise to major international airlines.
Director of group operations, Tara Moxham-Jarvis, and manager operations, Sam Watson, say the pilot shortage is a serious problem internationally and is directly affecting the New England/North West region.

 

[JohnK]

Come on JohnK, you can handle JQ.

You are always one for a challenge :!:

Nah, I am just a wimp. But a very stubborn wimp.

It would be very interesting to see if, and when, I ever have my first JQ flight and whether it is voluntary or I am dragged up the stairs kicking and screaming.

 

[straitman]

Nah, I am just a wimp. But a very stubborn wimp.

It would be very interesting to see if, and when, I ever have my first JQ flight and whether it is voluntary or I am dragged up the stairs kicking and screaming.

If it's the latter, could you make sure the photos are posted here for all to see.

 

[serfty]

FWIW, $22 each way fares were enough to drag me without a lot of kicking and screaming onto JQ domestic.

(I just made sure there was a QP at each end of travel )

 

[JohnK]

FWIW, $22 each way fares were enough to drag me without a lot of kicking and screaming onto JQ domestic.

It is a matter of principle. I am not too impressed with QF creating a LCC subsidiary and then dumping important routes on them and expecting regular travellers to use this LCC without any service, SCs or FF points. No thanks.

Maybe one day when they learn the meaning of customer service....

 

[v8Statesman]

I would expect all QF booked tickets (including N,O and Q) to be rebooked into Jetflex. After all, points and SC could have been a buying descion for people to choose QF over JQ.

And to what end for members of AA members expecting miles?

 

[simongr]

The thing is that if the routes are important to QF then they wont dump them to JQ. Just because the route is important to some people doesnt mean it is viable for a business.

I heartily support sticking it to QF if they reduce the service on the mainline but it is not a lack of customer service by withdrawing routes - its just business.

For example if Audi stopped making the Q7 because they were not making much money on them is that poor service or good business.

My hope is that by pushing the less mainstream routes to JQ that QF are able to maintain or improve the service on mainline QF.

Everyone pretty much comments that whY is acceptable domestically in Oz and on some levels there is not much distinction between QF whY and JQ whY.

If anything the push to JQ is giving people what they want - there are constant complaints about QF being overpriced and QF have responded to that with providing low prices through another model. I will not say low priced choice as of course with JQ on the route there may be no choice. But this is a response to a broader set of options. What do the majority want from their Newcastle-BNE airfare - it would seem the majority (not the totality) want cheap - QF have given them that.

 

[JohnK]

My hope is that by pushing the less mainstream routes to JQ that QF are able to maintain or improve the service on mainline QF.

Yes and all that will remain with QF is SYD, MEL, BNE, ADL and possibly PER.

Everyone pretty much comments that whY is acceptable domestically in Oz and on some levels there is not much distinction between QF whY and JQ whY.

Who? Try checkin times, customer service, route frequency, aircraft availability, ability to earn SCs and FF points on lower airfares. For domestic I would rather pay $20 more per sector and have full service QF than no service, no frills JQ.

Also normal airfare on JQ to SE Asia ia around $1000 including all the added extras. QF is not much more expensive than this and I can get even cheaper on TG, MH, SQ and BA plus I get the assurance that I will not be left stranded. JQ is a joke.

If anything the push to JQ is giving people what they want - there are constant complaints about QF being overpriced and QF have responded to that with providing low prices through another model.

Compared to the rest of the world QF is overpriced. There was no need to create a LCC model without customer service and then pull out of those routes because they could not offer lower prices.

Just remember this airline is making record profits year after year. It is not because of good management but rather high airfares.

 

[serfty]

If I were a shareholder I would not care that the Airfares are high.

IMO, Good management is indicated in that they are indeed keeping the business extremely profitable despite high air fares and strong competition.

 

[JohnK]

IMO, Good management is indicated in that they are indeed keeping the business extremely profitable despite high air fares and strong competition.

You may well be right but I would not call the competition strong.

QF has no direct competition and hasn't had so for many years. Their business class pricing is the most expensive in the world. When the European carriers were flying to Australia the competition was strong and QF airfares were competitive. When those carriers stopped coming over QF prices settled at the high levels were are seeing now. It is ridiculous that anyone has to pay close to $3,000 for a discount economy ticket in peak season to LHR or LAX.

And the entry of LCC into Australia is not going to affect QF pricing much as they will be competing for different travellers. There will still be enough travellers willing to pay the prices that QF demands, especially for company travel.

 

[simongr]

When the European carriers were flying to Australia the competition was strong and QF airfares were competitive. When those carriers stopped coming over QF prices settled at the high levels were are seeing now. It is ridiculous that anyone has to pay close to $3,000 for a discount economy ticket in peak season to LHR or LAX.

Isnt that the point though - there was competition and overseas carriers did not see a margin in so could not continue supply. In fact the QF pricing fits the business model.

 

[JohnK]

In fact the QF pricing fits the business model.

Lack of competition allows QF to charge exorbitant airfares.

I think this is the only place in the world that has lack of competition. So again I will state that QFs financial position has nothing to do with good management but rather lack of competition, for whatever reason.

I think the price of oil is increasing again. Must be time for another fuel surcharge increase....

 

[simongr]

This is also one of the only places in the world that has such massive distances to travel.

I go back again to my point that Euro carriers were coming and they stopped. They made a decision to reduce capacity on this route - why? I dont believe that there is the same restriction EUR-Oz as there is Oz-USA - is there? If not then we have open skies effectively and people dont want to compete.

There is in fact competition though isnt there?

Just checking the ITA site:

Your options with one stop are:

Virgin Atlantic - 1968
Etihad - 2025
Malaysian - 2114
BA - 2144
QF 2280

2 stops

Aeroflot - 2188
Air France - 2299
Swiss 2416
KLM - 2446

That is 9 carriers with flights under 2500+++

Note some of thos combinations have a QF codeshare within them or another carrier's codeshare.

I am not arguing that QF's profitability is due to good management - just that the transition of some (alot?) services to JQ actually gives some (alot?) of pax what they want - access to cheap flights. QF's only other option to deliver cheaper flights would be to degrade the QF service.

 

[NM]

There is in fact competition though isnt there?

Just checking the ITA site:

Your options with one stop are:

Virgin Atlantic - 1968
Etihad - 2025
Malaysian - 2114
BA - 2144
QF 2280

2 stops

Aeroflot - 2188
Air France - 2299
Swiss 2416
KLM - 2446

That is 9 carriers with flights under 2500+++

and there are lots more selling Europe-Aus flights, including SQ, EK, CX, TG, BI, BR, NZ and that is before we start to look at LCC combinations that could be used. And some airlines will sell the route but operate part of as a codeshare (e.g. KLM). I have not even looked in options from the various Chinese airlines.

Europe to Australia has to be one of the most highly competitive routes in the world. The reason many of the European carriers have dropped operating to Australia is because they could not compete with the lower labour and operating costs of the Asian and Middle-East carriers. It is not the competition has decreased, its just moved form one playing field to another. And QF has to compete with the Asian and Middle-East carriers which is probably more difficult than it was competing against the traditional European carriers of decades past.