Qantas unveils three new routes from the nation's capital

[dajop]

And remember, competition laws exist to protect customers, not businesses. If the result is cheaper fares on a better aircraft, that’s a win for travellers.

In the short term anyway. Time will tell if they are beneficial long term.

 

[jb747]

I think it’s the textbook definition of competitive.

Wasn’t that the Mk 1 version of the NBN, back in the 90s? Each company lays its own cable. So, Telstra only went where Optus was. You could have two cables, or none. Brilliant. Should be applied to airports....

 

[jakeseven7]

This will make CBR quite a hub for the 717 fleet...

IIRC they brought over several 717’s from WA for this purpose a few months ago.

 

[justinbrett]

Wasn’t that the Mk 1 version of the NBN, back in the 90s? Each company lays its own cable. So, Telstra only went where Optus was. You could have two cables, or none. Brilliant. Should be applied to airports....

Well, that’s why many regional routes are regulated.

In your NBN analogy we now have a wholesale monopoly and we have some of the most expensive broadband in the world. And the technology behind it is largely redundant in city areas with the introduction of 5G - NBN should have been focused on regional areas.

So airports, yes. Airlines, no.

 

[JCD]

QF's direct HBA direct to CBR would suit people like Jacqui (edited by self) Lambie and the other Tas based MPs/Senators.
They are the only ones with the CL/J lounge at HBA, eh?
So they would have a gain there, though of course, in the end, the flight fares of Fed Parliament's sitters are borne by you and me.
Re: Jakeseven's comments, Rex might step into the fray later, they say they will have a FF system later on, though I don't think they have a lounge at HBA, but neither does VA1/VA2.

Except that Jacqui, and the majority of Tasmanian Federal politicians, live in the North or North West of the state so of little use. I'm sure that Jacqui etc would prefer Devonport to reopen!

 

[drron]

Though Rex is flying out of BWT now.It is closer than DPO for Jacqui.

 

[PineappleSkip]

The question would be whether Qantas’ main motivation in launching these flights is to drive the smaller regional airlines off the route by undercutting their fares, flooding the market with excess capacity and making it impossible to compete.

And remember, competition laws exist to protect customers, not businesses. If the result is cheaper fares on a better aircraft, that’s a win for travellers.

A worthy debate. However there are separate Cs for consumers and for competition in ACCC. A speech last month by Rod Sims goes into consumer vs competition law in a lot of compare and contrast depth, as well as perceived inadequacies of that law; it's worth a read. (NBN, which was set up as a wholesale monopoly, gets a mention, as does the earlier privatisation of Telstra, as well as the differences) Protection of small business from big business, and protection of businesses and consumers from exploitation of market power are very different things from classic deception of consumers, but all are objects of the ACCC's activities.

Also, we surely remember that Treasurer Frydenberg charged the ACCC with keeping an eye on the airline industry, and I'm sure they will be scrutinising QF's entry on these routes for their quarterly reports to Josh. Sure, routes such as MCY-CBR are not all of QF's announcements, but the cynic in me notes that this would provide a handy defence to any charge of predatory behaviour. Of course it could just be healthy competition too.

cheers skip

 

[jakeseven7]

Orange route has proven to be popular.

Orange flights increased as QantasLink reacts to strong demand​

More flights head our way as QantasLink increases its schedule

QantasLink to offer 1200 seats a week on flights between Orange and Sydney

www.centralwesterndaily.com.au

 

[AIRwin]

Orange flights increased as QantasLink reacts to strong demand

Rex will be seeing red (not Orange)...

 

[Seat0B]

This will make CBR quite a hub for the 717 fleet...

IIRC they brought over several 717’s from WA for this purpose a few months ago.

Does anyone know if these 717s will be the all whY version or if CBR will see some J back on the 717 offerings. Maybe for Hobart? The Sunnie Coast and Cairns seem more like holiday destinations and they seem to think that people don;t want J when they are going on holidays. I for one want J whenever I can get it!

 

[Rangalad]

Rex will be seeing red (not Orange)...

FWIW Qantas is increasing Sydney/Griffith to twice daily in June.

 

[Jurahn]

Does anyone know if these 717s will be the all whY version or if CBR will see some J back on the 717 offerings. Maybe for Hobart? The Sunnie Coast and Cairns seem more like holiday destinations and they seem to think that people don;t want J when they are going on holidays. I for one want J whenever I can get it!

I'm flying HBA-CBR next week on the 717 and there's obviously a J offering on my flight, as I've received three "this is your LAST chance" emails to try to get me to upgrade to J. No chance, the minimum bid to upgrade is almost as much as the fare I paid initially and I have absolutely zero QF points.

 

[PineappleSkip]

The Sunnie Coast ... seem more like holiday destinations

Indeed, but there's also many locals heading south. Caught the morning flight MCY-SYD and the evening SYD-MCY and there are plenty of suits aboard. There are many more seats on JQ and VA for the holidaymakers.

 

[dajop]

FWIW Qantas is increasing Sydney/Griffith to twice daily in June.

Is this a flow on from the move to 717's onto CBR routes (both SYD & MEL) thus freeing up Dash 8 for other services? Or was it like that already pre-COVID and the Dash 8's were just under-utilised.

 

[dylarr]

Is this a flow on from the move to 717's onto CBR routes (both SYD & MEL) thus freeing up Dash 8 for other services? Or was it like that already pre-COVID and the Dash 8's were just under-utilised.

I think they've got a few Q300's on the ground at Tamworth if they really needed some Dash 8's.

2 are still in JQ colours from the NZ regional operation that was wound down in 2019 (VH-TQM & VH-TQL). They weren't repainted in the QantasLink livery like the other 3 (that are currently in service).

They ferried VH-SCE to Tamworth in January and it hasn't flown since. VH-TQE was ferried there in early April - but that may have been for a heavy since the maintenance facility is there.

 

[kookaburra75]

Does anyone know if these 717s will be the all whY version or if CBR will see some J back on the 717 offerings. Maybe for Hobart? The Sunnie Coast and Cairns seem more like holiday destinations and they seem to think that people don;t want J when they are going on holidays. I for one want J whenever I can get it!

On CBR-BNE they are running the single class 717's. On CBR-MEL and MEL-HBA they have J. I would presume they would use the same aircraft for CBR-HBA as well. In late Aug MrsK and I are flying CBR-MCY in J on the 717, so you should be ok.

 

[BD1959]

Courtesy of Executive Traveller: QF resuming CBR-DRW but with the E190. As much as I love that pocket rocket, can't say I'd look forward to such on long trip on it ...

Regards,

BD

 

[dajop]

As much as I love that pocket rocket, can't say I'd look forward to such on long trip on it ...

Because the 737's are so much more comfortable with 3-3 configuration and 30" seat pitch vs 2-3 and 31-32" seat pitch in the E190's?

Alliance scoops up another 16 Embraer E190 jets

The Brisbane-based regional airline is bulking up its E190 fleet to 30 of the nimble E-Jets.

www.executivetraveller.com

 

[nancypants]

Courtesy of Executive Traveller: QF resuming CBR-DRW but with the E190. As much as I love that pocket rocket, can't say I'd look forward to such on long trip on it ...

Regards,

BD

I always found it pretty comfy on the XCH runs, which I guess is a similar length? Not sure it can be much worse than the 737 on SYD-DRW sectors (with the added bonus of a dash CBR-SYD)

 

[BD1959]

Because the 737's are so much more comfortable with 3-3 configuration and 30" seat pitch vs 2-3 and 31-32" seat pitch in the E190's?

No, I guess it's a perception-thing, I've always found the E190/E170 a little more "tube-like" than the 737s - as such I'm not sure I'd enjoy the journey so well ...

Of course I'm willing to try and see, should anyone think it would be great for an independent review of J for that distance ... Executive Traveller ... ???

Regards,

BD