QF9 / 10 retiming in November 2014

[AIRwin]

From what I've heard, QF9 will depart MEL at around 11pm (arrive LHR at around midday following day)

QF10 will depart LHR at 11am and arrive MEL at around 7pm following day.

Back to the original QF29/30 timings...

 

[Himeno]

From what I've heard, QF9 will depart MEL at around 11pm (arrive LHR at around midday following day)

Heard from where?

It could also be something like this (based on old QF31/32 LHR times)
QF9
MEL-DXB 0020-0745
DXB-LHR 0920-1330

QF10
LHR-DXB 1220-2315
DXB-MEL 0100-2140

 

[madrooster]

QF10
LHR-DXB 1220-2315
DXB-MEL 0100-2140

Is there much benefit in the aircraft being back in MEL late at night? Essentially instead of it sitting in LHR it would sit in MEL...

The same applies the other way around where the QF94 inbound would sit in MEL for a longer period instead of at LHR.

The next service it could possibly run is QF93 which isn't until mid morning the next day nor can it move due to immigration opening restrictions at LAX and the need to connect to QF107. There is currently only a 1 hour gap between QF94 arriving and QF93 leaving and this would be an impossible turnaround. Assumption here is QF94 -> QF93 and QF10 -> QF9 turnarounds which is where the "additional A380" would come from.

 

[Isochronous]

Heard from where?

It could also be something like this (based on old QF31/32 LHR times)
QF9
MEL-DXB 0020-0745
DXB-LHR 0920-1330

QF10
LHR-DXB 1220-2315
DXB-MEL 0100-2140

Then we could use the FLounge on late evening CX/MH/FJ flights. Finally!

 

[pm3207]

Is there much benefit in the aircraft being back in MEL late at night? Essentially instead of it sitting in LHR it would sit in MEL...

The aircraft would arrive into MEL as QF10 and turn-around within a few hours as QF9. As others have said, this is similar to the QF29/QF30 MEL-HKG-LHR pattern.

I agree though that this pattern (if it comes to fruition) will put pressure on QF94 turning around as QF93.

 

[madrooster]

I agree though that this pattern (if it comes to fruition) will put pressure on QF94 turning around as QF93.

Good luck turning around an A380 in 1 hour. Given boarding starts at T-45mins that gives you 15 mins to deplane and clean...

 

[Flyerqf]

Heard from where?

It could also be something like this (based on old QF31/32 LHR times)
QF9
MEL-DXB 0020-0745
DXB-LHR 0920-1330

QF10
LHR-DXB 1220-2315
DXB-MEL 0100-2140

Qantas still owns the old QF31 and QF29 slots at LHR so that's possible.

they will have to adjust the QF93 departure time as well because as pointed out, currently QF94 cannot turnaround to operate QF93. The whole purpose of this change to 9/10 is to free up an aircraft, and that can't be achieved without a change to allow 94 to turnaround and operate 93.

 

[Melburnian1]

Although I am probably not alone in believeing that QFi has a limited future, as its high cost structures in which everyone from management and A380 pilots down are overpaid in comparison with the vast majority of other airlines make it very difficult to see it ever again being profitable, a similar timetable change to what Himeno and Flyerqf discuss above would increase patronage, all other things such as competitors' fares being equal.

0510 - the current QF9 timetable - is not an attractive time to arrive at LHR for most, especially leisure travellers who purchase the majority of seats (albeit at less revenue per seat for QF than its business patrons).

An evening arrival in MEL is attractive as it means most of us can go to bed at a suitable hour soon after we arrive at our homes or hotels, while a 1330 or so arrival time at LHR means travellers are at their hotels at 1530 onwards which means an easy checkin - no dumping of luggage at 0800 with a 'Sir, come back at 1400' from the hotel receptionists.

 

[dajop]

An evening arrival in MEL is attractive as it means most of us can go to bed at a suitable hour soon after we arrive.

Not only that, evening arrival has a lot more connections to it at DXB from all over Europe from early afternoon departures, currently not well served by EK (a later service via KUL), whereas QF10 currently mirrors the EK non-stop service. On the flip side the later MEL departure for QF9 would mirror the EK non-stop too, but would give more connections at DXB than currently.

 

[timster]

Although I am probably not alone in believeing that QFi has a limited future, as its high cost structures in which everyone from management and A380 pilots down are overpaid in comparison with the vast majority of other airlines make it very difficult to see it ever again being profitable

I tend to agree that QFi's days are numbered. But the problem is more where QFi is than what it pays. As the Qantas ACCC submission for the Emirates deal showed, its labour costs 'per employee' are on par with the full-service European and US carriers; it's just that QFi's major competitors are asian and middle eastern carriers with half the labour costs.

 

[markis10]

Qantas still owns the old QF31 and QF29 slots at LHR so that's possible.

They were leased out to BA in 2012 as part of strengthening the JSA.

 

[Platinum A332]

What would be great is if in addition to the retiming of QF9/10, there were additional frequencies from SYD and MEL terminating in DXB so customers from both cities have two different timing options outbound and return. That way for each flight you would have 2 QF 380 feeding to connect 1 QF 380 which should improve loads into LHR as well as increase feed onto the EK network.

 

[JessicaTam]

What would be great is if in addition to the retiming of QF9/10, there were additional frequencies from SYD and MEL terminating in DXB so customers from both cities have two different timing options outbound and return. That way for each flight you would have 2 QF 380 feeding to connect 1 QF 380 which should improve loads into LHR as well as increase feed onto the EK network.

PER-DXB?

(I am here till Thursday, try the steak)

 

[Platinum A332]

PER-DXB?

(I am here till Thursday, try the steak)

........we all know QF have no interest in serving PER internationally, so your suggestion is ridiculous

 

[Himeno]

PER-DXB?

(I am here till Thursday, try the steak)

CBR-DXB?
The CBR international area should be ready soon...

 

[JessicaTam]

........we all know QF have no interest in serving PER internationally, so your suggestion is ridiculous

I know, hence the bracketed comment!

 

[tridentina]

I have just spoken to a friend of mine who has a high level contact in Qantas. He said that Qantas will announce within a month the retiming of the Melbourne to London, London to Melbourne flights. He said the departure and arrival times into London Heathrow would be at around lunchtime. I don't know what that means as to the departure time from Melbourne. Apparently Qantas have yet to finalise the arrangements. Qantas are getting a lot of negative phone calls from people like myself who have already booked to fly to London return at Christmas time. The Qantas contact said that this is causing "a lot of internal headaches"because people have already made onward bookings from London with other carriers or are waiting to make their onward bookings. I booked my flights in January using the ASA. You can only book QF and cannot book other carriers on the same ticket using ASA which is a real headache in situations like this because travel insurance does not cover you and if you have already made on onward booking with another carrier on a separate ticket you are up for the cost to change the reschedule. So if you are in this position like what I am keep calling Qantas until they make their announcement.

 

[Himeno]

Apparently Qantas have yet to finalise the arrangements.

They either need to get a slot pair which they have leased to BA back, or find someone else to swap the existing QF9/10 slots with.

Each aircraft needs 2 slots, an arrival and departure... Are they required to use those slots in that way? ie, could they use the old "arrival" slot from QF31 as a "departure" slot for QF10?

 

[JessicaTam]

As they have announced retiming the flights, they must have some idea of when they will be. So just tell us - it's not rocket surgery.

 

[Paddy55]

PER-DXB?

(I am here till Thursday, try the steak)

Silly, there are already PER-MEL/SYD-DXB services... why do you want more?