QantasLink launches 2 new routes [ADL-NTL & BNE-WGA]

[justinbrett]

Qantas are really ramping up in Newcastle (thanks to the demise of the Jetstar hub and Virgin moving to Alliance F100s)

The new timetable has up to 7 return flights a day between BNE-NTL - 3 on Sunstate (Q400), 3 on National Jet (B717) and 1 on Alliance (E190). The E190 has business class (but not the 717s). Jetstar has up to 3 return flights (and Virgin another 3).

Melbourne doesn't look like it's changed at all - 2 National Jet (B717) and 2 Jetstar. Virgin has 1 mainline B737.

Plus you have Gold Coast (Jetstar, daily) and Adelaide (Qantaslink Alliance, 3x weekly). It doesn't look like JQ's CNS route will continue (although NTL airport website says it will, but not being sold on JQ or QF websites after April).

That's quite an improvement over the last couple of years.

 

[motef]

Yet still no lounge.

 

[justinbrett]

Yet still no lounge.

There has been a lot of talk about it. There is a spot in the new terminal designated for the lounge. I think NAPL were planning to run it themselves and make it available to both airlines (QF & VA) - so there could be some politics around that. Back when it was a JQ dominated port there wasn't a lot of incentive, but the situation is very different now.

Having said that, of all the terminals to be without a lounge in, I don't mind NTL. Can usually get a seat near the bar with good views and reasonable alcohol prices (ie not SYD/MEL/BNE terminal prices).

 

[Harrison_133]

The new timetable has up to 7 return flights a day between BNE-NTL - 3 on Sunstate (Q400), 3 on National Jet (B717) and 1 on Alliance (E190).

Not sure they’ll actually run all 7 flights, that’s quite a huge jump in capacity from the 3 Q400’s they’re currently operating.

The QF system is riddled with schedule duplications on a lot of routes they’ve shuffled aircraft around. It’s common on the routes out of BNE supposedly getting the QQ E190’s. Lots of examples where the 737/717 flight still shows up around similar or the exact same times.

This seems to happen quite a bit with the QF website. Usually it firms up not long after the changes are loaded and the non-operational flights disappear, but they seem to be cutting it fine this time around. Duplications are still showing as soon as early April, which is rather close.

 

[justinbrett]

Not sure they’ll actually run all 7 flights, that’s quite a huge jump in capacity from the 3 Q400’s they’re currently operating.

The QF system is riddled with schedule duplications on a lot of routes they’ve shuffled aircraft around. It’s common on the routes out of BNE supposedly getting the QQ E190’s. Lots of examples where the 737/717 flight still shows up around similar or the exact same times.

This seems to happen quite a bit with the QF website. Usually it firms up not long after the changes are loaded and the non-operational flights disappear, but they seem to be cutting it fine this time around. Duplications are still showing as soon as early April, which is rather close.

Minor correction - 717s are on the route as well and have been for over a year. Schedule seems to be all over the place this month.

We'll see I guess. The schedule is actually very well spread out - no duplicate times at all (departing NTL 0645,0815,1050,1225,1340,1750,1950 - departing BNE 0900,1035,1150,1450,1600,1755,1845).

The capacity is not a huge jump compared to pre-covid, where there were far more JQ flights and mainline VA on the route - they've retreated and left it to the Alliance F100s. You can't really judge it with recent schedules because QLD has been shut to NSW for a lot of this time.

 

[Harrison_133]

Minor correction - 717s are on the route as well and have been for over a year. Schedule seems to be all over the place this month.

There is currently 1 717 flight per week (Tuesday). The rest of the week is pretty consistent with 3 Q400’s.

We'll see I guess. The schedule is actually very well spread out - no duplicate times at all (departing NTL 0645,0815,1050,1225,1340,1750,1950 - departing BNE 0900,1035,1150,1450,1600,1755,1845).

Simply put, the QF schedule that comes into effect on March 27, still has lots of old flights for sale. BNE-TSV for example has a 0600 73H and 0610 717 for sale, and 73H flights at 0955 and 1000. MEL-LST has 717 and Q300 flights at both 1510 and 1855. There’d be more examples on other routes with multiple aircraft types.

As for BNE-NTL, times might not be duplicated but some are scheduled quite closely, like 3 flights within a 3 hour period, so they’re probably not exact time replacements. QF have never operated anywhere near 7 daily flights on BNE-NTL. It wasn’t that long ago they were strictly Q400 on the route.

Given the other routes that are getting E190’s all have schedule anomalies, I’d wager BNE-NTL is in the same boat. Besides, I’m not sure what would warrant that kind of frequency increase right now…

The capacity is not a huge jump compared to pre-covid, where there were far more JQ flights and mainline VA on the route - they've retreated and left it to the Alliance F100s.

At most, JQ operated 4 daily BNE-NTL flights which they reduced to 3 daily well before covid hit. An extra 4 QF flights (on top of the current 3) is a bit of an excessive replacement for just 1 JQ service. And VA have been using F100s to NTL on and off for years, so I’m not sure it’s really a retreat.

 

[justinbrett]

There is currently 1 717 flight per week (Tuesday). The rest of the week is pretty consistent with 3 Q400’s.

This week yes - as I said the schedule is all over the place at the moment. There was multiple daily last week. Trust me, I flew on one last weekend and it was operating multiple flights in each direction. There's been at least one daily flight since the QLD border reopened at Christmas.

At most, JQ operated 4 daily BNE-NTL flights which they reduced to 3 daily well before covid hit. An extra 4 QF flights (up from 3) is a bit of an excessive replacement for just 1 JQ service. And VA have been using F100s to NTL on and off for years, so I’m not sure it’s really a retreat.

Virgin definitely had a lot more capacity on the route, I don't recall them ever not operating 737s on at least some flights, usually supplemented wtih E jets. I don't remember what the exact mix was in early 2020 but they definitely had 737s up until covid hit.

I'll also point out that 3x Q400s, 3x 717s and 1x E190 has fewer seats than 4x A320s.

As for BNE-NTL, times might not be duplicated but some are scheduled quite closely, like 3 flights within a 3 hour period, so they’re probably not exact time replacements. QF have never operated anywhere near 7 daily flights on BNE-NTL. It wasn’t that long ago they were strictly Q400 on the route.

Given the other routes that are getting E190’s all have schedule anomalies, I’d wager BNE-NTL is in the same boat. Besides, I’m not sure what would warrant that kind of frequency increase right now…

Possibly, we'll see. NTL has very healthy loads, it's been underserved for years. It's also a market far more suited to QF than it is to JQ - always odd that it was the other way around. Many travellers work in mining or Defence, including a huge number of aerospace companies now located in the aerospace centre (eg Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, British Aerospace - just to name a few).

If Qantas wanted to serve the market, frequent services with smaller aircraft is exactly the way to do it. So one can hope this is a deliberate move.

QLK didn't even operate NTL-MEL pre covid (although they did many years ago). and now they have more seats than Virgin. Things change pretty quickly in this business.

 

[Harrison_133]

This week yes - as I said the schedule is all over the place at the moment.

And as I said, for the rest of this month there is only 1 717 flight a week until the schedule changes effective March 27. Again, every route they’re moving aircraft around on – whatever the combination is between a 737/717/E190/Q400 – has anomalies with that update which makes me doubt they’ll actually operate 7 flights on BNE-NTL. To suddenly go from operating 3 daily flights to 7 seems like far too big of an increase overnight, especially on a route that’s typically been Q400. When QF finally decide to update their system, I imagine we’ll see some flights consolidated.

I'll also point out that 3x Q400s, 3x 717s and 1x E190 has fewer seats than 4x A320s.

That might be true, but it would still be an increase of the total QF group capacity whichever way you want to look at it.

Virgin definitely had a lot more capacity on the route, I don't recall them ever not operating 737s on at least some flights, usually supplemented wtih E jets. I don't remember what the exact mix was in early 2020 but they definitely had 737s up until covid hit.

They’re currently operating a 3x daily service, which is what they’ve typically operated. As you say they’re all F100’s but that’s not really unusual considering BNE-NTL was mostly E190 (similar seat capacity) when VA had them, with 737s supplementing. In covid times – until they recently changed to the F100 operation – they were typically operating a 2 daily 737-700 (128 seats) service, with a few -800 flights too.

and Adelaide (Qantaslink Alliance, 3x weekly).

Getting back to the topic of new routes, Adelaide to Newcastle has a lot of potential, and QantasLink is definitely better suited to it than Fly Pelican’s attempt using QQ aircraft.

 

[Harrison_133]

The new timetable has up to 7 return flights a day between BNE-NTL - 3 on Sunstate (Q400), 3 on National Jet (B717) and 1 on Alliance (E190).

Has now been revised, up to 5 returns a day. 3 services on the Q400, 1 on the 717 and 1 E190 flight.

 

[Charger73]

Has now been revised, up to 5 returns a day. 3 services on the Q400, 1 on the 717 and 1 E190 flight.

FYI @motef

 

[exceladdict]

Flew the ADL-NTL earlier this month, in this non-daylight-savings season, it was a great connection from Perth. Once the east coast change their clocks though it's a yucky 5-something Perth departure to connect so less appealing for me personally.