Project Sunrise gets massive support boost due to Corona virus

[Steady]

If I need to get to the UK, and do so on a direct flight, the risk of taking Coronavirus from outback Queensland direct to the UK is effectively nil.

I thought you were on the sunshine coast

 

[ozfflyer]

Yep, lots of factors go into selecting the flight(s). I don't have the luxury of travelling on someone else's purse so unless I am on points, then I am more often in Y, I'd rather spend the money on the destination than the journey, so cost is often the prime consideration after perceived safety/carrier reputation.

Gave up on Y+ because after a few tries on various carriers, decided there was no value in it. J is usually (not always) beyond my price tolerance level.

If I can have one less airport experience and get there a few hours quicker then that definitely has quite a bit of value to me personally. The reason for travelling is mainly the destination, not the transport (is that a sacrilege to say in a forum for this cohort )

Obviously that doesn't equate to a doubling of the fare, but if there is say up to a couple hundred bucks more on a return journey to LHR then I'd take the non-stop.

If I could skip LAX and travel anywhere else in the states directly, HUGE bonus, I loathe that airport.

with the economy getting worse, I think the bidding with dollars not points for upgrades will get far more prevalent.

Have been looking at Fiji Airways upgrades to business class on their brand new A359s.

About a year ago, you could bid to upgrade on NAN/SFO or NAN/LAX on A330 with min being AU$865. Now with the A359s flying most days NAN/LAX the min upgrade bid seems to be AU$1200. Maybe this is because it's proving very popular. Maybe cos Fiji air allows you to bid from any fare, including cheapest.

The only thing I don't understand is why they have a blind auction. If you could see that someone else has bid more than you, you might bid away & pay quite a few hundred dollars more.

These days cash is king, not ff points. When you think about it, the airlines already have been paid for your points earned by credit cards/spending.

 

[Lynda2475]

Im a big fan of direct flights, and minimising transit time and maximising time at destination is something i happily pay a little extra for.

Ive done LHR-PER,and if SYD-LHR or SYD-JFK was available I would take those flights rather than transit in SIN or LAX (I loathe LAX).

Ive got nothing against SIN, and if not pushed for time and have time for a sstopover (not just connection) then I will hapilly spend the night, but if already maxing out my leave I prefer to go straight through.

 

[ozfflyer]

Im a big fan of direct flights, and minimising transit time and maximising time at destination is something i happily pay a little extra for.

Ive done LHR-PER,and if SYD-LHR or SYD-JFK was available I would take those flights rather than transit in SIN ro LAX.

Can see a massive price difference, as world economies get worse, between nonstop PER/LHR & via dozen transit points all competing for passengers.

The same would surely apply with SYD/LHR & SYD/JFK, remembering no one from BNE, MEL or elsewhere is going to pay a premium to fly nonstop from SYD, with the most painful changing of terminals, while than can do it easily at AKL for BNE or MEL/NYC(EWR) or NAN.

Have already seen plenty of sub $1000 fares to EU/UK return & even as low as $799 (it was probably a Chinese carrier - can't remember)

 

[Lynda2475]

At the moment the difference between LHR-PER-SYD and LHR-SING-SYD is about $100-150 Im fine with that to get the better departure time from LHR and better arrival time back in Sydney.

Not all travellers go for the cheapest airfare everytime, duration and arrival/departure times as well as what lounges i may have access to are important to me.

Whilst if needed (COVID-19 aside) connecting through SIN or HKG is pretty painless, Ive heard the opposite wrt transiting mainland china especially if there are unexpected delays. I will always pick a connection via DFW or SFO over LAX, but would be happy to go straight to JFK (EWR and LGA are less convenient to where I stay in NYC).

My time is more valuable than saving $200 on airfare. Non-Stop wins over 1 stop, more stops unthinkable unless im actually wanting to spend time in those cities.

If restrictions on transit via HKG and SIN are extended to more destimnations, I hope Qantas seruiously consider adding a second flight each day via PER, Im sure they could fill it until such time as asian transits return to normal.

 

[ozfflyer]

At the moment the difference between LHR-PER-SYD and LHR-SING-SYD is about $100-150 Im fine with that to get the better departure time from LHR and better arrival time back in Sydney.

Not all travellers go for the cheapest airfare everytime, duration and arrival/departure times as well as what lounges i may have access to are important to me.

Whilst if needed (COVID-19 aside) connecting through SIN or HKG is pretty painless, Ive heard the opposite wrt transiting mainland china especially if there are unexpected delays. I will always pick a connection via DFW or SFO over LAX, but would be happy to go straight to JFK (EWR and LGA are less convenient to where I stay in NYC).

My time is more valuable than saving $200 on airfare. Non-Stop wins over 1 stop, more stops unthinkable unless im actually wanting to spend time in those cities).

If restrictions on transit via HKG and SIN are extended to more destimnations, I hope Qantas seruiously consider adding a second flight each day via PER, Im sure they could fill it until such time as asian transits return to normal.

no I was implying a big difference in price like $1000-$1500 in Y. There will be some never ever heard of deals around.

Some airlines like Etihad have been offering deals like a 2 night stop in AUH included, cos, 1. the hotels have plenty of empty rooms & 2. they can put you on a flight AUH/EU-UK that doesn't connect from OZ or is at some odd time & therefore less popular.

 

[dajop]

If restrictions on transit via HKG and SIN are extended to more destimnations, I hope Qantas seruiously consider adding a second flight each day via PER, Im sure they could fill it until such time as asian transits return to normal.

Trouble is availability of 787 airframes. They are getting back 330s from suspended routes but that won’t help. I guess they could reroute QF2 as 787 via PER , use the A380 on US routes instead of 787 and either combine the two SYD-SIN flights or use A330 instead at the time of QF2.

 

[Lynda2475]

Yeah it would require moving an A380 to one of the US dreamliner routes, then freeing up that plane for a second PER-LHR flight amd of course needing

They could probably take the A380 from SYD-HKG, downsizing to a 330 given reduced demand, then putting that on MEL-LAX, so the 787 can got to LHR.

 

[Lynda2475]

no I was implying a big difference in price like $1000-$1500 in Y

Qantas wont do this, or MEL passengers would fly to MEL-SYD-SIN-LHR instead of MEL-PER-LHR - the pricing will never be materiallly different. Sure if you want to fly a discount carrier you can find a less convenient journey on a budget airline,

Qantas wil;l be able to charge a premium on non-stop flighst SYD-JFK/LHR because those short on time (business travellers) will pay it. Dont think it will $1k more in economy, although maybe that economics mean the ULH routes are offered Preimuim economy, Business and First only.

 

[ozfflyer]

Trouble is availability of 787 airframes. They are getting back 330s from suspended routes but that won’t help. I guess they could reroute QF2 as 787 via PER , use the A380 on US routes instead of 787 and either combine the two SYD-SIN flights or use A330 instead at the time of QF2.

QF used to fly BNE/AKL/LAX with a 744, then AKL/LAX with an A330 IIRC, so why couldn't they use a redeployed A330 to fly an OZ port to AKL then LAX ? This could serve both TT pax & OZ/NZers going to LAX.

Also many North Americans seem to be combining NZ & OZ on their holidays now.

 

[ozfflyer]

Qantas wont do this, or MEL passengers would fly to MEL-SYD-SIN-LHR instead of MEL-PER-LHR - the pricing will never be materiallly different. Sure if you want to fly a discount carrier you can find a less convenient journey on a budget airline,

Qantas wil;l be able to charge a premium on non-stop flighst SYD-JFK/LHR because those short on time (business travellers) will pay it. Dont think it will $1k more in economy, although maybe that economics mean the ULH routes are offered Preimuim economy, Business and First only.

Qantas won't do what ?

Plenty of airlines better than QF, fly OZ/UK-EU & plenty will have hard time filling seats in the foreseeable future.

For a start, Emirates will have hard time filling all their seats on A380s, will they cut flights like SQ or sump seats or both ?

 

[Lynda2475]

Qantas won't do what ?

Qantas wont charge significantly more for LHR via PER than LHR via SIN. no one else flies PER-LHR direct.

If you want a Y seat that is $1k cheaper than Qantas to Europe then it will be on non direct route probably via China (or if CX via HKG which has also has implications depndeing on your final destination). CX aside Im not seeing that EK, SQ, BA, EY are $1k cheaper in Y on SYD-LHR.

Further Emirates havent cut any of their direct flights to DXB from SYD or MEL that I can see, yes they will likely cut flights from SIN and HKG if situation worsens but if your headed to EU why go SYD-HKG-DXB-Europe when you can go SYD-DXB-Europe? There are no COVID-19 restriction on transit via ME at the moment, so need need to cut ME flights to/from AUS, only those via affected Asian hubs.

Ozflyer you have a fixation on pricing and the sky is always falling attitude, ULH routes will be instroduced if there is a market, same as if there are protracted restrctions re asian transits , you will see airlines looking to provide more non asian routing if there is demand.

We are already seeing cruise compnies offering more australian cruises because there is no market in asia atm.

 

[jb747]

The intent of Sunrise is to charge way more than a $200 premium. Yep, there’s probably lots of wonderful deals around right now, but they won’t be for long. Either the virus will go away, and things return to normal, or there will be a massive scaling back of airlines around the world. That may well include a period of intense ‘dumping’, which may well be intended to push those with the shallowest pockets out entirely.

 

[ozfflyer]

Qantas wont charge significantly more for LHR via PER than LHR via SIN. no one else flies PER-LHR direct.

If you want a Y seat that is $1k cheaper than Qantas to Europe then it will be on non direct route probably via China (or if CX via HKG which has also has implications depndeing on your final destination). CX aside Im not seeing that EK, SQ, BA, EY are $1k cheaper in Y on SYD-LHR.

Further Emirates havent cut any of their direct flights to DXB from SYD or MEL that I can see, yes they will likely cut flights from SIN and HKG if situation worsens but if your headed to EU why go SYD-HKG-DXB-Europe when you can go SYD-DXB-Europe? There are no COVID-19 restriction on transit via ME at the moment, so need need to cut ME flights to/from AUS, only those via affected Asian hubs.

Ozflyer you have a fixation on pricing and the sky is always falling attitude, ULH routes will be instroduced if there is a market, same as if there are protracted restrctions re asian transits , you will see airlines looking to provide more non asian routing if there is demand.

We are already seeing cruise compnies offering more australian cruises because there is no market in asia atm.

part of reason you are not seeing crazy low fares right now is many pax who were flying Chinese airlines to EU/UK etc. if still travelling are being accommodated on other airlines.

Airlines are currently stuck between a rock & a hard place. No one knows how long Corona has to play out. Could be a month or 12.

You didn't mention TG or MH who are in dire financial straights right now, plus plenty of other combo fares through SIN etc. like AY, LH, AF, KL, Austrian, Swiss, Alitalia, Turkish to name a few other EU carriers. The Air Asias/Scoots are going to come out with more $399 one ways, which all impact on high cost carriers like QF. High cost doesn't mean better.

 

[dajop]

Some huge premiums at the moment for PER-LHR sector in economy also , but nothing to do with Coronavirus, more to do with capacity constraints due to not flying over Iran/Iraq!

 

[Lynda2475]

The intent of Sunrise is to charge way more than a $200 premium.

Realise this, I was talking about current premium of LHR-PER-SYD over LHR-SIN-SYD.

Will be interesting to see where the pricing lands. I really think they could axe Y on the Sunrise routes and go for all premium cabins.

 

[Lynda2475]

You didn't mention TG or MH

Because i would never fly MH and TG arent one world or QF partners so not appealing as dont help my status. Im not interested in low carriers, the airfare could be $1 and you couldnt get me on Air Asia!

You continue to argue about price after Ive stated price is not the key factor for me choosing an airline or route. And you continue to talk about connevcting via Asia when there is a reason to avoid this right now. Where are airfares that avoid Asian routing heavily disocunted? They arent.

If i have to go via asia then Id always choose HKG or SIN over any other option as these are the best airports for connections in Asia, offer the most lounge choices etc. But right now Im looking to avoid transit via Asia to minmise risk of exposure to COVID-19 or being denied entry to my final destination or ablity to join tours etc.

If EK has so much spare capacity I would expect to see more reward seats open up, but there isnt any J reward availablity (except via asia).

 

[justinbrett]

If SIN gets the virus it should be easy enough to swap SIN for another port like BKK or even HND/NRT (on the assumption these airports would lose a lot of slots to China / Singapore so the spare ones could be loaned to other airlines on a temporary basis). Returning to DXB remains a solid option as well.

Worst case, they could operate QF1/2 with a tech stop somewhere in SE Asia or India - although crew changes would be an issue.

Absolute worst case just codeshare on AA/BA services from USA to UK and upgrade some AUS-US 787 flights to A380.

I think it will all be fine though.

 

[jase05]

Realise this, I was talking about current premium of LHR-PER-SYD over LHR-SIN-SYD.

Will be interesting to see where the pricing lands. I really think they could axe Y on the Sunrise routes and go for all premium cabins.

Their long haul J prices are already ridiculously overpriced so I shudder to think what premium these Sunrise routes attract

 

[justinbrett]

Their long haul J prices are already ridiculously overpriced so I shudder to think what premium these Sunrise routes attract

The convenience and time-saving of a non-stop flight to the likes or London and New York will come at a cost. Qantas has suggested the Project Sunrise services will carry a premium of "20 to 30 per cent" compared to stop-over flights which break their journey at Singapore or Los Angeles.

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