Qantas & Jetstar reduce capacity

[Platy]

Qantas dispute 'could get very nasty', ACTU says | Herald Sun

Bloody unions!

Bloody minded CEOs! (...keeping their hands in the cookie jar with 20% pay rises, whilst everyday folk see their wages go backwards at a time of unprecedented profits for the company).

 

[oz_mark]

Bloody minded CEOs! (...keeping their hands in the cookie jar with 20% pay rises, whilst everyday folk see their wages go backwards at a time of unprecedented profits for the company).

and a CEO that was in cahoots with the board selling a sale proposal that was not in the shareholders best interests either. If he had had his way the airline would likely be in deep trouble now.

 

[bambbbam2]

and a CEO that was in cahoots with the board selling a sale proposal .

Yes.. how well I remember Margaret Jackson saying those that opposed the sale were "mental". Now which path looks like the mental one, dear?

 

[codash1099]

I beliebve that is the fuel burn difference for new aircraft. As an aircraft ages, its efficiency drops due to a few reasons:

• Accumulated dirt that settles into all the nooks and crannies can amount to several tons of dead uplift by the time a large aircraft reaches 20yo (a bit like me carrying extra weight as I get older I suppose)

The level of my interest in your nooks and crannies is exeedingly low.

 

[mainly tailfirst]

Is SYD-SFO at risk - usually a very quiet plane as far as pax numbers go?

Not in my experience - certainly very full down back. I'm planning to return to Oz in Dec, so I hope that QF don't ditch it. After all, I just *love* the thought of having to connect in LAX, let alone having to re-enter the US through that disaster of a gateway.

We shall see, I guess.

mt

 

[Fluid-Flyer]

With JQs low cost base I could not imagine that they will continue to operate the lounge or pay for its use.

However –

• The lounge has basically been operating as a JQ lounge for quite a while. [Food service has also been reduced.] Remember, there are only 2 "Qantas metal" services a day from OOL, but the QP doors have been kept open, and additional staff rostered, for over 9 hours after the final midday departure! [So, they have data!]
• I would also say that the QF OOL-SYD services were set up to fail from the start. I reckon they were designed as a PR stunt for Gold Coast frequent flyers to slowly ween them off QF, after the huge “JohnK style backlash” to JQ by many OOL TN loyalists. Plus over-nighting staff and scheduling so only OOL based flyers could make use of the service (i.e. fly out in the morning & back in the evening was not possible in the other direction) is another give away, that they weren't looking for a profit.
• Gold Coast is a key Jetstar market. Now, they also sponsor the Titans in a huge way, including a dedicated station on their in-flight audio system and painting one of their aircraft. So they are likely to treat things a bit differently there.
• Virgin Blue is flying a Premium Economy service to and from the Coast, and they could stumble upon the right promotion to sweep up JQ/QF’s premium traffic, should premium ground services at OOL be removed by the Qantas Group.

And the lounge would work for DJ given it effectively sits between the two terminals, couple of new doors and presto.

I wish, unfortunately –

• The lounge is on the opposite side of the of the OOL T1 airside compound to T2
• There is an “unsterile” arrivals corridor (for DJ/domestic arrivals) between T1 & T2, so passing from T2 airside to T1 airside, isn’t quite as easy as adding doors L
• There is a new terminal being planned, presumably a common-user terminal, which I assume will combine T1, T2 (domestic + international) & T3 (TT) into one. So any enhancements will probably occur there, off in the future.

but again given OOL is predominately leisure I sadly see it disappearing

JQ maintains its own Star Class lounge agreements, outside of the Qantas lounge network. For example in Osaka, they do not use the JAL lounge!

Also, let’s face it, Qantas has also been quietly rebranding its International Qantas Clubs, as - International Business Lounges and is building new Domestic Business Lounges in its domestic yield heartland (BNE-SYD-MEL). So, maybe the Qantas Clubs of the future won’t have the same “focus” that they have today. Presumably QF has been co-managing the LAX T4 Admirals Club long enough to have a handle on how to lower overheads by charging for F&B inside a lounge, while moving top premium customers off to a self-serve Flagship Lounge. (Of course QF’s cake has cream; CLs, with cherries on top; First Class International Lounges [ex-BNE’s box].) One imagines that it if QF starts F&B charging in its frequent flyer lounges, DJ would be hard pressed not to follow suit, and try and extract some extra cash from its “New Cost Carrier” concept.

(SFO-SYD)…certainly very full down back.

Aaahhh, prime Jetstar fodder… I think I will start looking forward to Star Class launch fares, should the B787s ever arrive.

 

[maninblack]

My 2c worth.

The 743's were always going to go, pretty much as soon as the A380's came into service.

QF is is getting more and more 738's allowing for some 763 retirements, though the two 763's are being grounded, not necessarily retired, they can come back into service if required, I would assume that they could be any 2 of the older aircraft that may be approaching D check.

I reckon internationally Manila will go, with PR now servicing Australia quite well, wonder if QF need this route and is it profitable? Sorry BNE travelers! But PR does service MEL!

PER - Bali, you would think will go JQ eventually. Similar thought with CNS-NRT.

SYD - CHC? Maybe to go to 738.

As for SFO, it will depend on loads and aircraft.

Jakarta won't go, too much government and trade traffic.

Buenos Aires...you just have to wonder, is this going to be a money maker for QF? They have tried it before

 

[ausmark]

HI,

From what date will Mel-Ayer Rock be cancelled. Am booked on it in August

 

[oz_mark]

They may not be alone...

Virgin Blue expected to follow Qantas's lead and cut flights

Virgin Blue is expected to follow Qantas's lead and announce cuts to its less profitable routes as soon as next week.

The airline has a "strategic review meeting'' scheduled for next week, where the key item of discussion will be the airline's soaring fuel bill.

After Qantas and its low-cost offshoot Jetstar yesterday announced plans to cut 5% of their domestic and international capacity from July, it is expected Virgin Blue will follow suit and cut flights on routes where it is struggling to turn a profit.

 

[oz_mark]

HI,

From what date will Mel-Ayer Rock be cancelled. Am booked on it in August

Don;t know, but seems to have disappeared from the booking engine from Mid august.

 

[docjames]

A couple of thoughts.

1. Bueonos Aires should do ok - very litttle competition, and Aerolinas Argentinas are a shambles and forever going (near) bankrupt. QF basically wont honour tickets to people on Aerolinas who miss their QF flight b/c of this.

2. What's wrong with the A321 - would have thought new aircraft would be good.

 

[oz_mark]

A couple of thoughts.

1. Bueonos Aires should do ok - very litttle competition, and Aerolinas Argentinas are a shambles and forever going (near) bankrupt. QF basically wont honour tickets to people on Aerolinas who miss their QF flight b/c of this.

2. What's wrong with the A321 - would have thought new aircraft would be good.

I believe it is second hand (from Spirit Airlines?)

 

[jenno]

I beliebve that is the fuel burn difference for new aircraft. As an aircraft ages, its efficiency drops due to a few reasons:

• Accumulated dirt that settles into all the nooks and crannies can amount to several tons of dead uplift by the time a large aircraft reaches 20yo (a bit like me carrying extra weight as I get older I suppose)
• Surface anomalies due to years of debris, bird strikes and general bumps and scratches reduce the aerodynamic efficiency of the bull.
• Worn and now poorly fitting components result for years of operation and maintenance. again these can affect the aerodynamic qualities of the hull.

I have smome more detail from an Airbus publication if anyone is interested in the affects of aerodynamic deterioration.

fair enough. still would have thought that say replacing two daily 743 services with three 767 services PER-SYD wouldn't be any more economic. paticularly given some of the 767's aren't exactly ultra-modern fuel-efficient planes...

or maybe if they're scaling back the 744's on international routes they'll start using them trans-continental instead regular skybed flights PER-SYD?!

i'll quit dreaming now...

 

[oz_mark]

fair enough. still would have thought that say replacing two daily 743 services with three 767 services PER-SYD wouldn't be any more economic. paticularly given some of the 767's aren't exactly ultra-modern fuel-efficient planes...

or maybe if they're scaling back the 744's on international routes they'll start using them trans-continental instead regular skybed flights PER-SYD?!

i'll quit dreaming now...

The 743's are being replaced by new A332's. They were being retired anyway

 

[NM]

fair enough. still would have thought that say replacing two daily 743 services with three 767 services PER-SYD wouldn't be any more economic. paticularly given some of the 767's aren't exactly ultra-modern fuel-efficient planes...

or maybe if they're scaling back the 744's on international routes they'll start using them trans-continental instead regular skybed flights PER-SYD?!

i'll quit dreaming now...

2 x 743 = 900 seats capacity
3 x 763 = 750 seats capacity

2 x 743 = 8 x RB211-524 engines
3 x 763 = 6 x RB211-524 engines (assuming 767-336)

2 x 743 = 750,000kg max takeoff weight
3 x 763 = 560,000kg max take-off weight

2 x 743 = 356,200kg empty weight
3 x 763 = 270,000kg empty weight

2 x 743 = 6 x tech crew
3 x 763 = 6 x tech crew

So unless oyu need to carry >750 passengers or need the extra range or freight capacity of the larger aircraft, its going to cost a lot less to operate 3 x 763 services than to operate 2 x 743 services.

 

[ANstar]

So unless oyu need to carry >750 passengers or need the extra range or freight capacity of the larger aircraft, its going to cost a lot less to operate 3 x 763 services than to operate 2 x 743 services.

I think the current plan is to operate 1 x 332/767 for 1 x 743

therefore that is where a lot of this reduced capacity is coming from.

Perhaps QF have deciced to stick with the higher yielding traffic and let the like of Tiger and Jetstar slug it out fro the $199 o/w traffic (esp from places like MEL)

 

[oz_mark]

I think the current plan is to operate 1 x 332/767 for 1 x 743

While this looks the case for MEL, in the case of SYD, there does seem to be additional flights (at the moment most days are 5 flights from PER, but if you look at Jan timetables there are 6 flights most days).

 

[wandering_fred]

Shall we start a small wagering pool on the date when it will be cheaper to fly a LCC PER-SIN and connect to SYD rather than fly QF PER-SYD?

Or am I wandering too far?

Fred

 

[oz_mark]

Shall we start a small wagering pool on the date when it will be cheaper to fly a LCC PER-SIN and connect to SYD rather than fly QF PER-SYD?

Or am I wandering too far?

Fred

Back in the days of the cozy duopoly had between TAA and Ansett, it often was cheaper to go via SIN. I think it is more likely to happen again on PER-MEL or PER-BNE before before PER-SYD though, given the hesitation that LCC's have for SYD.

If AirAsia get a KUL-MEL flight going then it may be cheaper to do PER-KUL-MEL (notwithstanding that the connection in KUL may be no good)

 

[jenno]

So unless oyu need to carry >750 passengers or need the extra range or freight capacity of the larger aircraft, its going to cost a lot less to operate 3 x 763 services than to operate 2 x 743 services.

mathematics wins again! hard to argue with simple arithmetic like that (unless you're hillary clinton)

look forward to seeing more 767's the a332's again soon then...