Qatar denied extra capacity into Australia

[PERLHR]

BA should run LHR-BKK-MEL.

BA have not even restarted BKK from LHR as far as I recall yet never mind onwards to MEL. Highly unlikely this will ever happen and they will rely on partners must likely QR via DOH for both MEL and BKK.

 

[drron]

-The bulk of their international business is in the Americas, as is Air NZ’s.
-Being in an alliance is currently a point of distinction with VA. If QF adopted a similar horrible patchwork alliance they would lose a lot of business, IMO.
-As stated earlier QF still does plenty of business with BA, CX etc

QR can’t appeal squat, it was a decision between governments, not airlines, and the default is the status quo. No reasons required.

So what. QR is fully owned by the Qatari Government.

 

[justinbrett]

So what. QR is fully owned by the Qatari Government.

Read the second half of that comment. Governments don’t appeal. They negotiate. The bring something to the table the other wants. Anything less than mutual agreement means the status quo remains.

 

[RooFlyer]

But free market means equal footing. I love QR and Doha, having lived there for a few years, but QR is heavily subsidized making it impossible for QF or any other airline to compete.
From the airport to ground-handling through financing of aircraft's etc, competing with QR is competing against the government of Qatar and few private companies can do that.

And this comes from someone thats gold on QR and really like the airline, the country and the people there.

As a customer,I simply don't care how an airline is funded, as long as it's not illegal. If some government wants to subsidise my travel in a great product, why should I care?

I think the antagonistic comments here are from those either flying on Qantas/government contracts ( not personally paying, so put up with relative cough to enjoy free status) or the 'ol rusted on Qantas flyers who won't try anything else in case their lifelong faith is shattered.

I've flown Qantas for 40 years or so ; abt 540 of my 1200 flights. When I discovered QR about 10 years ago, it was a Damascene conversion. The step up for the price was hard to credit.

The mangy marsupial mob can chuck all the smart alec comments they like. I'll be in QSuites. and a shame that the Australian government has agreed to limit supply and competition.

 

[dajop]

As a customer,I simply don't care how an airline is funded, as long as it's not illegal. If some government wants to subsidise my travel in a great product, why should I care?

As long as the subsidy isn't large enough for the airline to engage in predatory pricing, that drives competitors out of the market altogether, because then you might well end up with something like the Australian domestic market

 

[RooFlyer]

As long as the subsidy isn't large enough for the airline to engage in predatory pricing, that drives competitors out of the market altogether, because then you might well end up with something like the Australian domestic market

Yes, sure.

 

[Pushka]

As long as the subsidy isn't large enough for the airline to engage in predatory pricing, that drives competitors out of the market altogether, because then you might well end up with something like the Australian domestic market

Sometimes I wish Qatar would engage in predatory pricing coz then I could justify flying with them again.

 

[drron]

Read the second half of that comment. Governments don’t appeal. They negotiate. The bring something to the table the other wants. Anything less than mutual agreement means the status quo remains.

I can think of a few things the Qatari Government can bring to the table in pursuit of reopening talks. In practice would be no different to an appeal.

 

[justinbrett]

I can think of a few things the Qatari Government can bring to the table in pursuit of reopening talks. In practice would be no different to an appeal.

Bring it on then.

 

[justinbrett]

BA have not even restarted BKK from LHR as far as I recall yet never mind onwards to MEL. Highly unlikely this will ever happen and they will rely on partners must likely QR via DOH for both MEL and BKK.

Interestingly, if you search LHR-MEL return on BA, it does give QR options, and QF domestic SYD-MEL connections to BA15/16 (not a surprise), but also QF SIN-MEL connections under BA codeshare.

I don't recall seeing that before, but I might be slow to spot that. I actually didn't think QF/BA had permission to codeshare on international routes out of Australia. It's priced £11 more than the QR options.

Perhaps there's been a thawing in relations.

As to the earlier point about moving to DOH for Australian routes, I expect the end result would be similar to QF and DXB; a lot of Brits would prefer SIN.

 

[Pushka]

Interestingly, if you search LHR-MEL return on BA, it does give QR options, and QF domestic SYD-MEL connections to BA15/16 (not a surprise), but also QF SIN-MEL connections under BA codeshare.

I don't recall seeing that before, but I might be slow to spot that. I actually didn't think QF/BA had permission to codeshare on international routes out of Australia. It's priced £11 more than the QR options.

Perhaps there's been a thawing in relations.

As to the earlier point about moving to DOH for Australian routes, I expect the end result would be similar to QF and DXB; a lot of Brits would prefer SIN.

Limited sample of course but the Brits I know fly Qatar as preference. I suspect most don't care. They just want minimum connection times and that isn't something that I've seen Singapore offers to Australia. ADELAIDE. Certainly not into Adelaide.

Edited. To delete reference to Australia.

 

[OATEK]

As a customer,I simply don't care how an airline is funded, as long as it's not illegal. If some government wants to subsidise my travel in a great product, why should I care?

I think the antagonistic comments here are from those either flying on Qantas/government contracts ( not personally paying, so put up with relative cough to enjoy free status) or the 'ol rusted on Qantas flyers who won't try anything else in case their lifelong faith is shattered.

I've flown Qantas for 40 years or so ; abt 540 of my 1200 flights. When I discovered QR about 10 years ago, it was a Damascene conversion. The step up for the price was hard to credit.

The mangy marsupial mob can chuck all the smart alec comments they like. I'll be in QSuites. and a shame that the Australian government has agreed to limit supply and competition.

I haven't flown on a government contract since the 1990s (domestic only even then) and have flown more with CX/AY/BA than QF internationally since the 1980s. And I remain to be convinced that adding more flights to a high-end/luxury airline will drive lower prices as the added overall capacity would still be quite small.

And I stand by my earlier comments that a part of the reasoning for the government rejecting a further increase over the 7 flights added post COVID lies in the secret report on the dreadful assaults on women on the now infamous QR flight.

As others have said, this is a government to government treaty, and while QF opposition may have contributed to the AUSGOV decision we do not really know if it was significant or not.

 

[justinbrett]

Limited sample of course but the Brits I know fly Qatar as preference. I suspect most don't care. They just want minimum connection times and that isn't something that I've seen Singapore offers to Australia. Certainly not into Adelaide.

I'm sure you'd say that about the Australians you know too...

For the record, BA LHR-SYD, is quickest via SIN on their own metal, slightly longer via DOH. Cheapest BA offering is LHR-HKG-SYD, again QF codeshare from HKG. I definitely don't remember seeing these BA/QF codeshares on international legs.

I would say it's similar to here, some like QR, some don't, and those that don't, probably don't want to go via the ME. SIN is full of Brits.

QF thought the same as what you suggest and we all know how that turned out. The customer is always right.

 

[RooFlyer]

And I stand by my earlier comments that a part of the reasoning for the government rejecting a further increase over the 7 flights added post COVID lies in the secret report on the dreadful assaults on women on the now infamous QR flight.

Oh, I agree with you on that. The Minister said (was quoted) as much.

 

[justinbrett]

Oh, I agree with you on that. The Minister said (was quoted) as much.

It doesn't explain why it was increased last year.

Oh wait - when was the change of government? I think the opposition Transport minister was quoted as supporting the QR increase the other day.

 

[RooFlyer]

It doesn't explain why it was increased last year.

World cup???

 

[Pushka]

I'm sure you'd say that about the Australians you know too...

For the record, BA LHR-SYD, is quickest via SIN on their own metal, slightly longer via DOH. Cheapest BA offering is LHR-HKG-SYD, again QF codeshare from HKG. I definitely don't remember seeing these BA/QF codeshares on international legs.

I would say it's similar to here, some like QR, some don't, and those that don't, probably don't want to go via the ME. SIN is full of Brits.

QF thought the same as what you suggest and we all know how that turned out. The customer is always right.

Not into Adelaide though from Europe. There's always a long gap for arrival into Sin and then into Adelaide. Brits were mentioned, so only commented on those, that I know. As I mentioned in my post.

 

[justinbrett]

World cup???

I checked, the QR increase was announced before the election.

So there you go, I believe we have our answer.

 

[justinbrett]

Not into Adelaide though from Europe. There's always a long gap for arrival into Sin and then into Adelaide. Brits were mentioned, so only commented on those, that I know. As I mentioned in my post.

You said Australia, and then highlighted Adelaide: "that isn't something that I've seen Singapore offers to Australia. Certainly not into Adelaide".

I think it's a big call to say Brits are just as happy to fly via DOH as they are SIN. Sure the smaller ports are better served by ME3 airlines. That's their strength. Doesn't mean QF & BA should replicate them though.

 

[Pushka]

You said Australia, and then highlighted Adelaide: "that isn't something that I've seen Singapore offers to Australia. Certainly not into Adelaide".

I think it's a big call to say Brits are just as happy to fly via DOH as they are SIN. Sure the smaller ports are better served by ME3 airlines. That's their strength. Doesn't mean QF & BA should replicate them though.

Ok. Adelaide then. Post amended. Qantas doesn't fly direct here. Singapore Air has several hours transit. We can't fly with Q Singapore direct. We have to make do with the other crumbs.