Qantas to start flights from Darwin to Singapore

[exLXCXFF]

I mean if you go back far enough, QF1 went through DRW (although it was probably EM1 back then)

You don’t need to go that far back, remember March 2020

 

[serfty]

Going back a bit when Qantas offered around Australia trips with 5 stops for 30000 points (around 2001) I remember definitely taking a Qantas flight Cairns - Darwin which then went to Sin. (You could do the domestic let on the international flight - drinks and food!)

37½K points in Business - up to 11,000Km, stops were not an issue.

 

[jb747]

It's well within the range at full payload according to the QF website (not all E190s are equal so going with their figures). 2450 NM, DRW-SIN is 1803 NM (1829 NM via the normal air routes).

I love the way that's been worded. It does not say that they can fly it with full passengers and their luggage, and cargo, and appropriate weather reserves. There is a nominated payload figure of about 16,000 kgs. Carriage of that amount, whether self loading or otherwise, is full payload. So it's going to be shared amongst the passengers, their luggage, and any payload in the hold. And any time-limited cargo will bump passengers and/or luggage. This is a normal sort of calculation, but, I don't see this aircraft as being easily capable of the trip on any days with extensive holding on the forecast. The rule for Singapore that I used, was to carry at least an hour of holding when nothing was officially required. Lots more when it was on the forecast. It was amazing how often that saved our bacon.

I think MEL-DRW is more affected by the jetstream than DRW-SIN is.

Neither are particularly affected by jet streams. The issue is one of alternates, and the need for them. Singapore, and Darwin, both have horrendous weather forecasts as a normal event. Melbourne not so much.

 

[justinbrett]

I love the way that's been worded. It does not say that they can fly it with full passengers and their luggage, and cargo, and appropriate weather reserves. There is a nominated payload figure of about 16,000 kgs. Carriage of that amount, whether self loading or otherwise, is full payload. So it's going to be shared amongst the passengers, their luggage, and any payload in the hold. And any time-limited cargo will bump passengers and/or luggage. This is a normal sort of calculation, but, I don't see this aircraft as being easily capable of the trip on any days with extensive holding on the forecast. The rule for Singapore that I used, was to carry at least an hour of holding when nothing was officially required. Lots more when it was on the forecast. It was amazing how often that saved our bacon.

Neither are particularly affected by jet streams. The issue is one of alternates, and the need for them. Singapore, and Darwin, both have horrendous weather forecasts as a normal event. Melbourne not so much.

I mean those figures would give QF (Alliance) ~1.5 hours of holding at max payload ( based on max range being 2450 and only 1829 needed, so 621 to play with). 96 seats and bags at average weights (I think about 87Kg + 23Kg = 110kg) = 10,560Kg so they have a little flex to play with. Probably more than what VA's working with to get to HND.

 

[Laptop Jockey]

We used to fly CNS-DRW-SGP route (connecting from POM) through the mid-late 2000s. It was primarily a 767-300 or A330 (depending on the timeframe)
Normally CNS-DRW were old all economy 737-400 in that period so it was a nice change.

I remember Malaysian Airlines innauguraed their KL-DRW-ADL service in 1998, can't recall when they cancelled it though. By about 2004 Royal Brunei was the only true international connection north out of Darwin to get to major hubs (Singapore, Tokyo, Dubai, Frankfurt, London etc) and since they shut it down when Qantas muscled them out in the later 2000s (then left) Darwin has struggled to maintain any international routes beyond Dili and Bali.

 

[HS-TQE]

Been reports elsewhere that QF has deferred the DRW-SIN flights to early April/NS25 (was meant to start Dec 9)

 

[Harrison_133]

Been reports elsewhere that QF has deferred the DRW-SIN flights to early April/NS25 (was meant to start Dec 9)

Flights have been zeroed out on Expert Flyer until 30th March 2025.

 

[henrus]

Been reports elsewhere that QF has deferred the DRW-SIN flights to early April/NS25 (was meant to start Dec 9)

I've got one booked in December with about 10 seats selected (yes I know seat maps aren't the best indicator) but on similar dates SYD-SIN and BNE-SIN routes show a much higher percentage of selected seats.

If true I really hope the rebooking options include the SQ flight instead of a DRW-BNE-SIN reroute (given I'm coming up from BNE for it).

 

[Ansett Nostalgic]

We used to fly CNS-DRW-SGP route (connecting from POM) through the mid-late 2000s. It was primarily a 767-300 or A330 (depending on the timeframe)
Normally CNS-DRW were old all economy 737-400 in that period so it was a nice change.

I remember Malaysian Airlines innauguraed their KL-DRW-ADL service in 1998, can't recall when they cancelled it though. By about 2004 Royal Brunei was the only true international connection north out of Darwin to get to major hubs (Singapore, Tokyo, Dubai, Frankfurt, London etc) and since they shut it down when Qantas muscled them out in the later 2000s (then left) Darwin has struggled to maintain any international routes beyond Dili and Bali.

QF never interested in international ex-DRW so surprised they would feel so threatened by Royal Brunei flying Brunei-Darwin.

 

[Jenya]

As I remember Tiger air was operating this route, in 2007 that was the flight I came to Australia for the first time on tourist visa.

 

[Virgin Bart]

As I remember Tiger air was operating this route, in 2007 that was the flight I came to Australia for the first time on tourist visa.

Are you still here on that tourist visa?

 

[Jenya]

Thankfully, no visas anymore. We call Australia home since 2012 which proven to be best decision we ever made.
Literally saved my life, in fascist Russia it costs nothing now.

 

[Virgin Bart]

Thankfully, no visas anymore. We call Australia home since 2012 which proven to be best decision we ever made.
Literally saved my life, in fascist Russia it costs nothing now.

I'm glad to hear you did this and it worked out. My parents moved from the [end of] communist Poland in the late 80s. They love it here but their heart will always be in Poland. They are happy for the opportunities it provided to her kids though.

 

[dajop]

As I remember Tiger air was operating this route, in 2007 that was the flight I came to Australia for the first time on tourist visa.

Was it Tiger or SilkAir? (Both were subsidiaries of Singapore Airlines). I didn’t follow so closely back in 2007 but for many years SilkAir flied the route until they were folded into Singapore Airlines.

It could be possible though that Tiger flew the route for a short while.

 

[yachty]

Was it Tiger or SilkAir? (Both were subsidiaries of Singapore Airlines). I didn’t follow so closely back in 2007 but for many years SilkAir flied the route until they were folded into Singapore Airlines.

It could be possible though that Tiger flew the route for a short while.

Tiger flew it until 2008

https://archive.is/jmFlk

 

[Saab34]

Was it Tiger or SilkAir? (Both were subsidiaries of Singapore Airlines). I didn’t follow so closely back in 2007 but for many years SilkAir flied the route until they were folded into Singapore Airlines.

It could be possible though that Tiger flew the route for a short while.

Tiger Singapore (TR) flew into Darwin before Tiger Australia started. They offered in 2007/8 a connecting fly through service for $349 return when TT started.

 

[nancypants]

I’m looking for either award availability or “not having to sell a kidney” availability for the inaugural although in EF it seems to be J6 Y9B9H9
Any idea if it’s truly heavily loaded or if partially blocked out with the changing of dates?
I set an alert for u class availability but not holding my breath

 

[henrus]

and they've been cancelled 9 Dec - 30 March 2025.

No rebooking onto SQ which is disappointing. Not officially canceled yet in the booking but agency advice made.

https://www.qantas.com/agencyconnect/au/en/agency-news/agency-news-june-24/commercial-policy-for-customers-impacted-by-the-change-in-commencement-of-darwin-singapore-direct-flights.html

 

[Saab34]

Don’t Alliance have pilot issues also?

 

[henrus]

So rebooking so far has been beyond piss poor and probably the worst I've experienced with Qantas. I am stuck here as I'd used an Amex credit and booked via Amex but regardless I called Qantas and got an offshore agent (piss poor as a Plat but oh well) who said there are no flights in the booking and they can't help (no joke I can still bring the booking up so that was clearly just them fobbing me off). Next I call Amex and explain my problem, they offer rebooking via Brisbane or Melbourne.

Now the issue I have is I've booked a flight from Brisbane to Darwin (seperate ticket) overnight in Darwin then was going to fly Qantas from Darwin to Singapore.

Given I'm flying the day before from Brisbane I don't really want to fly BNE-DRW-BNE-SIN (that's just dumb) so I explained the issue to Amex and they understood and said they call Qantas, I was on hold for a while and then they came back and said nope the agency advice is fixed and they won't allow me to just have BNE-SIN, I need to take the whole DRW-BNE-SIN route instead. Right now I've just left it and hoping that I might be able to speak to someone at Qantas with some common sense as what I'm asking for is less flying then they're proposing but if not I'm just going to cancel and rebook SQ which is only $150 more.

Given it was clear they'd sold just a handful of tickets I'm not sure why they've avoided rebooking on SQ as flights from MEL/BNE to SIN are likely to be full this time of year anyway.