Rex Administration - implications for Virgin Australia

[Human]

I usually book that route about 2-3 weeks out, not seeing any of the $90 happy hour choice fares anymore which I think was a price match to REX. Just booked tonight for 3 weeks time, $110 each way on choice is still fine though.

I booked the $99 Choice fares during that 72-hr sale they had last week. Today’s Happy Hour had MEL-SYD $99 Lite and $119 Choice.

 

[henrus]

100,000 pax is a lot for VA to consume, ok sure it's just 274 per day spread over the next 12 months (yes I know VA only do 11 months) but I imagine a lot of this is short term or over holidays which in turn has driven up prices.

I booked the $99 Choice fares during that 72-hr sale they had last week. Today’s Happy Hour had MEL-SYD $99 Lite and $119 Choice.

These were $49 when Rex was "competing" so I guess we can say that airfares have doubled since rex has left.

 

[Mattg]

100,000 pax is a lot for VA to consume, ok sure it's just 274 per day spread over the next 12 months (yes I know VA only do 11 months) but I imagine a lot of this is short term or over holidays which in turn has driven up prices.


These were $49 when Rex was "competing" so I guess we can say that airfares have doubled since rex has left.

Flew CBR-MEL last week. The flight leaving at the same time as the previous Rex flight was ram-packed full. My flight, 45 minutes later, was at around 2/3 capacity. I don't think that's a complete coincidence.

That said, most of the outstanding Rex bookings would probably have been for travel this or next month. After the spring school holidays things should settle down again. (Some of the pax who would have booked Rex will now have to book another airline though, obviously.)

 

[Human]

These were $49 when Rex was "competing" so I guess we can say that airfares have doubled since rex has left.

Not quite true. When Rex began flying between Sydney and Melbourne in 2021 they had introductory $39 fares which Virgin matched (and which I took advantage of … happy days!). Virgin also matched Rex’s $249 business class fares.

Over the past few years, as Rex’s airfares slowly rose, so did Virgin’s. I think the cheapest “Choice” fare I booked between MEL and SYD after 2021 was $89, and for the past couple of years $99 has been more or less the lowest Virgin has gone, most of the time anyway.

 

[SheikYerbouti]

I have a few regional NSW trips to do in Sept-Oct so I'm hoping some sort of alliance is formed, sick of flying Rex and Qantas when I could be getting sweet VFF benefits.

 

[travelislife]

I booked the $99 Choice fares during that 72-hr sale they had last week. Today’s Happy Hour had MEL-SYD $99 Lite and $119 Choice.

Not quite, today happy hour was $99 Lite and $109 choice. I only book choice fares.

 

[straya7]

Has anybody heard more about the mentioned REX/Virgin codeshare arrangement. I fly regularly from a regional airport to a metro airport that requires a change in Sydney. Really missing REX jet on the sector up as they had better connection times then QF.