Qantas has better planes for SYD than MEL for same destinations?

[Flyerwin]

So I booked my family to travel from MEL to DPS on J Flex in July - QF45 there QF46 back during the Oct 2024 DSC promo.

I discovered that the planes are Boeing 737-800, so business class seats are not lie flat.

I found out that the planes for SYD to DPS are Airbus A330 with much better business class seats.

I've just called to change our flight from QF46 to QF44 transiting via SYD to MEL on J so that we can at least sleep properly on the overnight flight back.

Is this usual that SYD gets the best planes compared to other cities? Presumably because they have more volume?

 

[AIRwin]

I've just called to change our flight from QF46 to QF44 transiting via SYD to MEL on J so that we can at least sleep properly on the overnight flight back.

Any fare difference or change fee?

 

[elanshin]

Is this usual that SYD gets the best planes compared to other cities? Presumably because they have more volume?

Yes. This is the actual norm with the exception of a few very specific routes (some A330 rotation to AKL from BNE for example).

Partially demand - Sydney has bigger demand so there's tendencies by most airlines to put their higher capacity through Sydney. Also Sydney is the main gateway for Int'l visitors. Go around the world and ask about Australia and its always Sydney. You maybe get Melbourne if they know a little bit more about us.

Currently all regular scheduled a380 services are from SYD and you can bet that the new sunrise a350-1000 will do SYD - LHR and SYD - JFK before MEL has a sniff at the routes.

 

[Gold Member]

“Sydney Airlines”.

 

[elanshin]

“Sydney Airlines”.

I believe outside of a few very specific markets (mel - kul for example), this isn't just limited to QF but industry wide. Sydney gets more or bigger or newer planes (or all of the above) from almost all the carriers.

 

[anat0l]

Partially demand - Sydney has bigger demand so there's tendencies by most airlines to put their higher capacity through Sydney. Also Sydney is the main gateway for Int'l visitors. Go around the world and ask about Australia and its always Sydney. You maybe get Melbourne if they know a little bit more about us.

...and even less so Brisbane is known. C'est la vie.

Can't get around the fact that Sydney is where all the pull is.

Maybe if SYD/WSI got way too full or started charging way too high prices for service charges would other airlines consider another port of entry, and even then.

At least in MEL, when a new service comes along, it's like, "Alright! A new service! Woo!" In BNE, it's like, "Be glad you have any services *hands subsidy bribe discreetly*" (P.S. this isn't Qantas specific, it's any airline)

Currently all regular scheduled a380 services are from SYD and you can bet that the new sunrise a350-1000 will do SYD - LHR and SYD - JFK before MEL has a sniff at the routes.

Aren't there any A380s on MEL-LAX?

 

[elanshin]

Aren't there any A380s on MEL-LAX?

Qf93/94 is mix 380/787 atm with more 787s but i guess you could call it "regular service".

 

[MelbFlyer]

Aren't there any A380s on MEL-LAX?

QF93 / 94 has an A380 on rotation with a B787-9.

I took QF94 back in 2019 just before COVID and it was run with an A380.

 

[p--and--t]

So much of the usual conspiracy theory

Airlines put seat capacity where they have the market and the revenue stream unless they are getting a bribe from the local government.

End of story

 

[Flyerwin]

Any fare difference or change fee?

Yes it’s consider a fare upgrade so I had to pay few hundred per person to upgrade. No change fee though as it’s J flex.

I should add - I called to do the change of itinerary. Was quoted one price. The call got cut off. I never got a call back. So I called again and spoke to a different consultant. Got quoted another price that was $400 cheaper. I raised the issue of the price difference and the second consultant said she didn’t know why. She suggested maybe I was incorrectly being charged a change fee. Anyway I got a discount speaking to a second person. I joked that if I made more calls I could end up getting a free change of flight.

 

[moa999]

Depends on the route..
If flying economy to LAX you might prefer the 332s that fly out of BNE for the wider seats versus the 388 from SYD or 388/787 from MEL

 

[NM]

Two words .... Supply .... Demand

If there was demand for an A330 sized aircraft on MEL-DPS, then ... well, QF would probably push the MEL passengers to JQ as they considered it a leisure route

 

[elanshin]

Two words .... Supply .... Demand

If there was demand for an A330 sized aircraft on MEL-DPS, then ... well, QF would probably push the MEL passengers to JQ as they considered it a leisure route

i suspect in this specific case (MEL - DPS) it's an aircraft (or lack of) fleet issue. QF would probably want to put a widebody on the route but right now they barely can hobble around as is.

 

[anat0l]

i suspect in this specific case (MEL - DPS) it's an aircraft (or lack of) fleet issue. QF would probably want to put a widebody on the route but right now they barely can hobble around as is.

Suffice to say, not every SYD/DPS service is a widebody, either. Only one of the daily flights is on an A330 (and I don't know if that happens all year round or seasonally).

 

[Quickstatus]

Is this usual that SYD gets the best planes compared to other cities? Presumably because they have more volume?

Spare a thought for QF international passengers originating in ADL- they don't even get a plane

 

[TheInsider]

i suspect in this specific case (MEL - DPS) it's an aircraft (or lack of) fleet issue. QF would probably want to put a widebody on the route but right now they barely can hobble around as is.

Even if QF could put a A330 on MEL-DPS, they would be severely restricted on the load due QF group being at their cap for passenger numbers entering DPS or even Indonesia in general. I'm not too sure of the specifics.

 

[NM]

Even if QF could put a A330 on MEL-DPS, they would be severely restricted on the load due QF group being at their cap for passenger numbers entering DPS or even Indonesia in general. I'm not too sure of the specifics.

Indeed, that is the "Supply" side of the equation.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

The title is misleading MEL-DPS is not the same route as SYD-DPS. Jetstar have 4 x dailly A321neo on MEL-DPS these days supplementing the single Qantas 737. There is little premium demand on this route it's all leisure

 

[Quickstatus]

Maybe moderators can amend title from "same route" to "same destination"
.....


@Flyerwin If you are going to connect via SYD and looking for a premium offering, have you considered forgetting QF and just go SQ MEL-SIN (A350) SIN-DPS (B787).

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Garuda are flying J class on A330s