QF announce non-stop Perth-London B787 Services

[codash1099]

Seems like an interesting business decision to spend that kind of money in a terminal when they are expected to move across the airport in a few years anyway.

Could be 5 or 6 years, or more if Perth airport's past performance is any guideline.

 

[Anna]

My hypothesis is that "non stop to Australia" is going to be a bigger game changer for pax originating in UK than for Aussies who have greater awareness of Aust geography and of the actual distance and flight times from PER to anywhere that anyone would actually want to be.

 

[Lord Mud]

I hate the idea of this from any one of the reasons listed. I wonder if the trade of of the 2-4-2 to 3-3-3 is so they can offer a sky couch style offering? It would be easier to offer these with 3 instead of 2 seats on the sides. I dunno, just a mini speculation. I am still not too keen either way

 

[mviy]

Re: Qantas: non-stop Australia (Perth)-Europe (London) Boeing 787 flights set to soar

Ok, I know this is a "I heard this from a mate who heard it from a mate"........ but on "Plane Talking" a commenter has posted (in the 744->787 MEL-LAX thread) "According to to the Airservices Commission QF has just regained MEL-SIN-LHR rights"

Well if that happens I'd love having that option especially if it uses the A380. I'd much rather fly QF metal all the way to LHR via SIN or HKG than via DXB.

 

[Himeno]

Re: Qantas: non-stop Australia (Perth)-Europe (London) Boeing 787 flights set to soar

Ok, I know this is a "I heard this from a mate who heard it from a mate"........ but on "Plane Talking" a commenter has posted (in the 744->787 MEL-LAX thread) "According to to the Airservices Commission QF has just regained MEL-SIN-LHR rights"

There isn't anything published by IASC to suggest that. The only AU-LHR route related cases before IASC at the moment are a renewal of the QF DXB flight permissions and permission for Fiji Air to codeshare on QF flights to SIN.

Singapore and UK both have open skies and unlimited capacity with Australia. QF doesn't need to apply for permission to operate AU-SIN-UK. They just need to say "we want to do this" and the regulators will say "ok".

 

[coriander]

Re: Qantas: non-stop Australia (Perth)-Europe (London) Boeing 787 flights set to soar

There isn't anything published by IASC to suggest that.

Thanks - I did say I was propagating a third party comment.

 

[Bugalugz]

Re: Qantas: non-stop Australia (Perth)-Europe (London) Boeing 787 flights set to soar

Be interesting to see how they create a new gate area in Terminal 3. It's pretty narrow and squeezy in T3, unless they build a new pier sort of area like what was done with Gates 16/17.......because they will need Duty Free, potential lounge and seating for a couple hundred people.

Love to know what the plans are and how it will look given they want to use it as a swing gate.

 

[DavidFlynn]

Seems like an interesting business decision to spend that kind of money in a terminal when they are expected to move across the airport in a few years anyway.

More than a few years: PER-LHR flights start early 2018, and lets's say this is roughly the same time as PER-SIN and PER-AKL flights also move from T1 to T3, and the QF-PER agreement is for Qantas to move to the new T1 terminal/pier/whatever by 2025. Let's say PER manages to hit that 2025 timeline. That's seven years for the new lounge – arguably the point at which it'd be wanting a refresh/refurb anyway. Even if PER surprises everybody and gets the new T1 space all set and shiny by 2023, Qantas will still get five good years from a new T3 international lounge.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

So the government funding of this deal paid for a free lounge for QF?

 

[Daver6]

Re: Qantas: non-stop Australia (Perth)-Europe (London) Boeing 787 flights set to soar

Be interesting to see how they create a new gate area in Terminal 3. It's pretty narrow and squeezy in T3, unless they build a new pier sort of area like what was done with Gates 16/17.......because they will need Duty Free, potential lounge and seating for a couple hundred people.

Love to know what the plans are and how it will look given they want to use it as a swing gate.

I suppose they could use the space where the old VA lounge was in T3. Not sure what's there now since they moved out.

 

[JohnPhelan]

Re: Qantas: non-stop Australia (Perth)-Europe (London) Boeing 787 flights set to soar

There isn't anything published by IASC to suggest that. QF doesn't need to apply for permission to operate AU-SIN-UK. They just need to say "we want to do this" and the regulators will say "ok".

As I understand it, it's the JV agreement with EK that prevents QF from operating MEL-SIN-LHR.

 

[Melburnian1]

Melburnian1, you conveniently neglected to consider the departure time. My projected timetable was based from a 1200 departure from LHR time with a padded 18 hour flight time...
Are your concerns on late running based off the current QF 10's on-time performance? If so, I am interested to hear whether you think the on-time performance is affected more by LHR or DXB - I think more the latter.

flightobserver, adding more 'padding' to the schedule tends to improve punctuality but not by quite as much as you and I might expect, because the days when say QF10 runs late can have more than one problem associated with the unpunctuality. And there may be an element of 'give them an extra inch and they'll take a mile' - in other words, known schedule padding may breed a little complacency among say gate staff.

It's hard to answer your question but my perception is that DXB is the major problem for QF10 as you suggest, as it can be affected by sandstorms and fog, and is also an airport that has become extremely busy at some times of the day.

However a late arrival of QF1 (thankfully relatively uncommon) can also adversely affect QF10 ex LHR: it may then have the problem of being unable to regain sufficient time at either DXB or between airports on the two flights to arrive close to time in MEL.

FlightStats - Global Flight Tracker, Status Tracking and Airport Information gives QF10 a pretty poor combined punctuality and reliability rating between LHR and DXB but a far worse one between DXB and MEL. These ratings, as far as I am aware, are only based on the last 60 or so flights and are dynamic. Hence if true we may not be getting the annual picture which would be far more valuable as it would consider all the 'seasons' (again it is difficult to appreciate that deserts may have different weather in various months, especially for those of us like me who are only infrequent visitors to deserts.)

During the Christmas period it is QF's normal practice to operate every one of its A388s, rather than have one at Lufthansa Technik in MNL undergoing routine maintenance, so the forthcoming weeks typified by full use of this aircraft type may be a good occasion to observe problems that in some instances compound.

 

[Happy Trails]

So the government funding of this deal paid for a free lounge for QF?

Well, Qantas paid for the Chairman's Lounges, so it's just quid pro quo, sort of.

 

[DavidFlynn]

Well, Qantas paid for the Chairman's Lounges, so it's just quid pro quo, sort of.

Given that the salt & pepper calamari is served at the CL, maybe that should be squid pro quo..?

 

[Aussie_flyer]

So the government funding of this deal paid for a free lounge for QF?

Why so angry? Do you hate Qantas ?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Why so angry? Do you hate Qantas ?

There's no anger in the statement. Disappointment perhaps that the tax payer might be footing the bill for a lounge.

 

[oz_mark]

There's no anger in the statement. Disappointment perhaps that the tax payer might be footing the bill for a lounge.

The Commonwealth and state government have tipped in some funds as there is a need to duplicate Customs and Border Force services at the new internatioanl entry/exit point. It is the provision of these services that the givernments have committed to fund. Basically the state government has matched the amount the commonwealth committed to,

 

[BacchusMarsh]

more generally I think we need to be critical with just about anything qantas puts out... fly business class all the way to Europe but only earn economy points? sure... if you choose to fly MH and credit to qantas. If we weren't critical changes like that would get largely unnoticed. Refunds on downgrades that barely offer adequate compensation? emails promoting products that come with terms, conditions and exclusions that are longer than the email itself? promoted enhancements to let us rest longer on board that actually translate to the removal of a proper meal (cafe breakfasts). All a330s to have the new suites? umm, no. All deserve a critical analysis.

I agree with the basic premise. But I think you risk diluting the message with knee-jerk reactions based on rumours and suppositions.

It is a unique route pretty much by definition. Whether or not it's groundshakingly lifechanging is a different issue, but do please credit others with some capacity to think for themselves.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

In 2016 it's just a new route... yes it connects Australia direct with the UK but it's not like the UK is the motherland anymore.

I think passengers have a right to be cynical... new route, but 'revolutionary'? other airlines already fly the plane in a lower, more comfortable density. Some other airlines are flying 2-4-2.

more generally I think we need to be critical with just about anything qantas puts out... fly business class all the way to Europe but only earn economy points? sure... if you choose to fly MH and credit to qantas. If we weren't critical changes like that would get largely unnoticed. Refunds on downgrades that barely offer adequate compensation? emails promoting products that come with terms, conditions and exclusions that are longer than the email itself? promoted enhancements to let us rest longer on board that actually translate to the removal of a proper meal (cafe breakfasts). All a330s to have the new suites? umm, no. All deserve a critical analysis.

qantas may not be alone, but it doesn't have a great record of being upfront or introducing changes that actually benefit the passenger, new business suites aside.

The business suites had a double benefit. They are lighter in weight than Skybeds (thus a fuel saving), and Qantas needed to update the product. Skybeds were announced in ~2003 IIRC. Business suites are in no way innovative, but they do offer some level of product protection, so flyers are less likely to churn to competing carriers.

I'm with MEL_Traveller. Qantas has a long history of beating their own chest for what I would consider being non-events. They made an advertisement about an advertisement FFS!!

The most innovative product which benefits consumers to come out of QF lately is Qantas Assure. I don't think they quite realise the goldmine opportunity and benefit to consumers and the QF bottom line this represents (hint: its NOTHING to do with health insurance).

When you look outside of Australia, there are plenty of more exciting things in the airline world.

 

[Pleb Status]

The Commonwealth and state government have tipped in some funds as there is a need to duplicate Customs and Border Force services at the new internatioanl entry/exit point. It is the provision of these services that the givernments have committed to fund. Basically the state government has matched the amount the commonwealth committed to,

There is absolutely no need for this to occur, that is the main issue here. QF could operate from T1, not requiring a single cent to be funded by the taxpayer.