Qantas to fly to Cooma

[Mattg]

Qantas has announced winter seasonal flights from Sydney & Brisbane to Cooma, filling the void left by Rex when it pulls out at the end of March (assuming its threat wasn't just an idle threat designed to get more funding and Rex is actually leaving).

QantasLink will fly SYD-OOM on Thursdays, Fridays & Sundays from 1 July-26 September 2021.

There will also be 2x weekly BNE-OOM flights and in another surprise, 3x weekly BNE-ABX flights over the ski season.

Tickets start at $179 for SYD-OOM and $239 for BNE-OOM or BNE-ABX. I had a look and couldn't see any award seats for SYD-OOM yet but could on the other two new routes.

https://www.qantasnewsroom.com.au/media-releases/flying-kangaroo-sets-sights-on-the-snowfields-for-the-ski-season/

 

[Seat0B]

I'm glad someone is flying RPT into Cooma - I was just remarking to Mr Seat 0A as we drove past the other day that it's a rather grand regional airport to end up just serving the GA and SA communities. The local communities will be pleased to have air services. I'm not sure how many people actually fly in for the ski season given that it is still about 45 mins drive from the airport to Jindabyne, and then at least 30 mins further to Thredbo or Perisher. Not sure how people actually get from the airport to the ski fields.

 

[jakeseven7]

I wonder if they will fly to Mt Hotham again as well......?

Big news, lots of new routes.

Good to see them trying new things - I know a lot of my Brissy surfing mates who board as well are very excited about these routes, its already whipped around our Whatsapp group of 22 users and people are sizing up dates already!

 

[jakeseven7]

Flying Kangaroo sets sights on snowfields for ski season

Qantas will make it easier for travellers to access the snowfields this winter with the launch of three new seasonal routes, supporting growing demand

www.miragenews.com

Qantas adds seasonal ski flights to Cooma, Albury

This winter, ditch the daily grind for a week (or even a long weekend) and hit the snowfields of the NSW and Victorian alps.

www.executivetraveller.com

No Cookies | Geelong Advertiser

No Cookies

www.geelongadvertiser.com.au

 

[eastwest101]

I wonder if they will fly to Mt Hotham again as well......?

Big news, lots of new routes.

Good to see them trying new things - I know a lot of my Brissy surfing mates who board as well are very excited about these routes, its already whipped around our Whatsapp group of 22 users and people are sizing up dates already!

Provided that it snows this winter, this will be a huge ski season for operators with Australians all locked out of international travel. I'd book accommodation quick smart if I was even thinking of going.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Hopefully buses/rental cars will be available to get people from Cooma to Perisher/Thredbo.
Maybe one or two new hotels up there as well.
I know Murrays used to do Canberra to Perisher and Thredbo a few years ago, maybe they still do.
3.5 hours from Canberra to Perisher, and back again is a long bus ride!

 

[dajop]

The local communities will be pleased to have air services. I'm not sure how many people actually fly in for the ski season given that it is still about 45 mins drive from the airport to Jindabyne, and then at least 30 mins further to Thredbo or Perisher. Not sure how people actually get from the airport to the ski fields.

I guess it's not really serving the local community as such, but at the end of the day, the local community do have air services already, Cooma is about 1:15 from CBR. There are a lot bigger towns in Australia a lot further from major (or even any RPT served) airports!

 

[jakeseven7]

Waiting for the next Rex tantrum....

'We didn't mean to stop flying there, but even if we did, it was Qantas fault anyways' - quote, Rex spokesperson

----

QANTAS TO FLY AXED REX ROUTE AS NETWORK ROW CONTINUES​

Qantas has stepped in to fly one of the routes Rex has cut in the latest development in the row between the pair over networks.

From 1 July, the flag carrier will operate three return flights between Sydney and Cooma, which was previously exclusive to the regional carrier.

On Tuesday, Qantas said it was to operate three new routes between 1 July and 26 September for passengers to access snowfields during winter in another expansion of its growing regional network.

From Cooma, customers can access resorts of Perisher Valley, Thredbo and Charlotte Pass in NSW and from Albury, customers can make their way to Falls Creek and Hotham resorts in Victoria. The routes will be serviced by Qantas’ 74-seater Bombardier Dash 8s.

QantasLink CEO John Gissing said, “We’ll be working with the major ski resorts and transport operators to promote these new flights to millions of our frequent flyers around the country, with connections from our large domestic network through Sydney or Brisbane making a trip to the snowfields more accessible.

Qantas to fly axed Rex route as network row continues

Qantas has stepped in to fly one of the routes Rex has cut in the latest development in the row between the pair over networks.

australianaviation.com.au

 

[AIRwin]

In case anyone is trying to redeem a flight credit on the new route, note that it may not come up as a destination in the search function:

No-range

I was searching for flights using a $50 voucher. It's O(ut)range-ous that Orange does not appear as a destination (but only as the Orange-in) so I've asked QF to look into it. Is it just me that Orange is Out of Range?

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

 

[offshore171]

I'm not sure how many people actually fly in for the ski season given that it is still about 45 mins drive from the airport to Jindabyne, and then at least 30 mins further to Thredbo or Perisher. Not sure how people actually get from the airport to the ski fields.

I could definitely see it being useful for those coming from BNE, but the benefits for those in Sydney are pretty marginal.

From Sydney, you get yourself and gear to the airport, then go through security, wait for the flight, After you arrive in Cooma get a bus or something to Perisher or Thredbo, it doesn't look all that useful.

For Brisbane it definitely makes sense.

 

[offshore171]

Provided that it snows this winter, this will be a huge ski season for operators with Australians all locked out of international travel. I'd book accommodation quick smart if I was even thinking of going.

Yes I think this is right. NSW domestic tourism is booming at present.

I managed to get down there last season once they restarted operations and it was fantastic. Everyone was doing their best and making the most of things with the restrictions. I wrote up a short trip report.

https://www.australianfrequentflyer...hundersnow-a-ski-trip-during-the-‘rona.99989/

I hope this year is a great one for the operators, accomodation providers and so on down there.

 

[docjames]

I like the self-titled “the national carrier” In that release.

 

[Mattg]

I like the self-titled “the national carrier” In that release.

Qantas has been calling itself the "national carrier" in most of its press releases over the past year...

Qantas Really Wants to Remind You It's the National Carrier

Qantas really, really wants you to know it's the Australian national carrier.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

 

[docjames]

I could definitely see it being useful for those coming from BNE, but the benefits for those in Sydney are pretty marginal.

From Sydney, you get yourself and gear to the airport, then go through security, wait for the flight, After you arrive in Cooma get a bus or something to Perisher or Thredbo, it doesn't look all that useful.

For Brisbane it definitely makes sense.

Useful for connections from elsewhere but it’s hard to see how many that would be......

Qantas has been calling itself the "national carrier" in most of its press releases over the past year...

Qantas Really Wants to Remind You It's the National Carrier

Qantas really, really wants you to know it's the Australian national carrier.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

Seems to be the new “enhancement” of the press release.....

 

[eastwest101]

I could definitely see it being useful for those coming from BNE, but the benefits for those in Sydney are pretty marginal.

From Sydney, you get yourself and gear to the airport, then go through security, wait for the flight, After you arrive in Cooma get a bus or something to Perisher or Thredbo, it doesn't look all that useful.

For Brisbane it definitely makes sense.

I agree - unless you live next door to SYD domestic terminal its a pretty marginal thing time-wise, if you can get your accom. provider to pick you up and take you directly to your own accom at the snow then it would be worthwhile, I expect a lot of people take their own cars and stay at Jindabyne or even Cooma as the money you save on accom. easily outweighs the cost of driving your own car (if you have a suitable vehicle). The other thing is the onerous minimum night stay policies at many hotels and lodges may not line up with the flight timings (especially with only 2 flights a week between Brisbane and Cooma) so make the option of flying difficult to do.

 

[k_sheep]

I just jumped on and booked BNE-OOM 2x classic rewards as a 'just in case' NZ isn't open in August (when I've got flights booked already).

Interesting it shows as 20,300 points per person on the search page, but reprices to the correct 12,000 on payment page. That's a new one to me.

 

[Seat0B]

I just jumped on and booked BNE-OOM 2x classic rewards as a 'just in case' NZ isn't open in August (when I've got flights booked already).

Interesting it shows as 20,300 points per person on the search page, but reprices to the correct 12,000 on payment page. That's a new one to me.

I hope for your sake that NZ is open. Also that the NSW resorts have a better ticketing plan than they did last year. We were relatively ok with Perisher season passes but daily/weekly tickets were hard to come by.

 

[Mattg]

Waiting for the next Rex tantrum....

'We didn't mean to stop flying there, but even if we did, it was Qantas fault anyways' - quote, Rex spokesperson

----

QANTAS TO FLY AXED REX ROUTE AS NETWORK ROW CONTINUES​

Qantas has stepped in to fly one of the routes Rex has cut in the latest development in the row between the pair over networks.

From 1 July, the flag carrier will operate three return flights between Sydney and Cooma, which was previously exclusive to the regional carrier.

On Tuesday, Qantas said it was to operate three new routes between 1 July and 26 September for passengers to access snowfields during winter in another expansion of its growing regional network.

From Cooma, customers can access resorts of Perisher Valley, Thredbo and Charlotte Pass in NSW and from Albury, customers can make their way to Falls Creek and Hotham resorts in Victoria. The routes will be serviced by Qantas’ 74-seater Bombardier Dash 8s.

QantasLink CEO John Gissing said, “We’ll be working with the major ski resorts and transport operators to promote these new flights to millions of our frequent flyers around the country, with connections from our large domestic network through Sydney or Brisbane making a trip to the snowfields more accessible.

Qantas to fly axed Rex route as network row continues

Qantas has stepped in to fly one of the routes Rex has cut in the latest development in the row between the pair over networks.

australianaviation.com.au

So now that the federal government has extended RANS until September (Rex said it would have to withdraw from the 5 towns including Cooma unless RANS was extended) will it now try to return to the SYD-OOM route and complain that Qantas has stolen its passengers?

 

[jakeseven7]

So now that the federal government has extended RANS until September (Rex said it would have to withdraw from the 5 towns including Cooma unless RANS was extended) will it now try to return to the SYD-OOM route and complain that Qantas has stolen its passengers?

Meanwhile Rexy is bending over backwards trying to gut VA2 (but that is ok, stealing someone else’s customers, no one is allowed to do that to them though )

 

[Jono69]

Hi everyone,
First time poster. Thanks in advance for consideration of my request for information.
Just wondering if anyone has any knowledge of whether the SYD-OOM winter service sector will begin again after the last 2 years of interruption.
I understand there was BNE-OOM service last winter. Also I understand Qantaslink operate private charters 3x per week, currently for the FIFO's. Hopefully someone may have some insider knowledge.
Cheers