Rex to fly between Australian capital cities

[Jacques Vert]

It seems to me several people here are willing Rex to fail. Having a third airline on domestic is a good thing for so many reasons. The smart *** commentary by some on here is in my view pathetic.

I certainly do NOT want Rex to fail; it's John Sharp that I have the problem with.

His whinging about anti-competitive behaviour, threatening to withdraw from some routes, withdrawing from Grafton because he didn't like a comment from a local councilor, etc., etc. This morning he said Rex is off to the ACCC again, this time because QF, VA & JQ increased capacity on SYD-MEL-SYD in February before Rex launched their jet services. I wish he would just get on with running the airline rather than playing politics.

There must be a lot of complacent AFFers whose companies or government departments have previously paid through the nose for extortionate fares on QFd and to a slightly lesser extent VAd who are hoping ZL will fail.

Different matter if one pays for one's own fares, or doesn't have five million FF points accrued through business flying!

As someone who pays for their own fares, I was pleased to see Rex introduce Saab flights to my home town (CFS). Unfortunately, they have, to date, had no impact on fares charged by the competition.

 

[dajop]

I wish he would just get on with running the airline rather than playing politics.

The thing is as vice-chair, perhaps he would be better off just letting the CEO run the airline and butt out altogether, he's getting a bit embarrassing. He made a real rookie error by including VA into the discussion. One can understand the attacks on Qantstar, and it could (if positioned well) gain sympathy, but undermines credibility when he goes after the other underdog in all of this as well. Ridiculous.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

I can assure you that JQ flights MEL/SYD are not full, I have been on 2 flights last weekend with no more than 25% of the seats taken, including an A321.

From what I can see ZL is adjusting the schedule on MEL/SYD to 5x daily MON-THU, 7x on FRI, 3x on SAT and 6x on SAT. A slight reduction in frequency.

Are any of the armchair commentators here actually getting out and flying or just sitting there obsessing over online seat maps? Go and enjoy a $39 flight, whether that be on VA or ZL is up to you. But, people moving between our cities more frequently means more jobs for our airlines, more jobs for our tourism industry and that is a damn good thing.

(and by the way, I have flown JQ/ZL/VA/QF in the last few weeks and will continue to support all of them depending on my schedule and pricing etc)

 

[dajop]

Are any of the armchair commentators here actually getting out and flying or just sitting there obsessing over online seat maps? Go and enjoy a $39 flight, whether that be on VA or ZL is up to you. But, people moving between our cities more frequently means more jobs for our airlines, more jobs for our tourism industry and that is a damn good thing.

For this armchair commentator (not based in Australia) : would if I could, and will when I can, and happy to support Rex or VA (hopefully will be able to come July)!

 

[Melburnian1]

From what I can see ZL is adjusting the schedule on MEL/SYD to 5x daily MON-THU, 7x on FRI, 3x on SAT and 6x on SAT. A slight reduction in frequency.

Funhny you posted about that. I' had just looked up the ZL schedules for May and that's also the conclusion I came to, with the exception that Mondays appear to have six nothbound flights (and I assume six southbounds), not five.

The 'last' northbound (MEL - SYD) on Saturdays departs at 1200 'high noon'.

On Tuesdays to Thursdays (inclusive), there is a big afternoon gap northbound between 1200 and 1700 hours.

 

[Melburnian1]

Are any of the armchair commentators here actually getting out and flying or just sitting there obsessing over online seat maps? Go and enjoy a $39 flight, whether that be on VA or ZL is up to you. But, people moving between our cities more frequently means more jobs for our airlines, more jobs for our tourism industry and that is a damn good thing.

I have visited SYD from MEL recently but travelled by surface as I was also going elsewhere to locations not served by ZL/QF or the other airlines.

So hopefully 'part' of a job was created.

$39 fares are attractive, but it's the other costs in Australian tourism that make it uncompetitive, and if one has been to almost all destinations, there's not necessarily a huge rationale for repeat trips.

If you don't like people 'obsessing over airline seat maps', skip this thread. Problem solved.

Post automatically merged: May 3, 2021

The thing is as vice-chair, perhaps he would be better off just letting the CEO run the airline and butt out altogether, he's getting a bit embarrassing. He made a real rookie error by including VA into the discussion. One can understand the attacks on Qantstar, and it could (if positioned well) gain sympathy, but undermines credibility when he goes after the other underdog in all of this as well. Ridiculous.

Fair point, but Mr Sharp ain't no rookie. He was the Federal Minister for Transport in his previous life. He's very experienced.

Mr Sharp knows how to grab headlines.

 

[Saab34]

We have not had 3 Full Service carriers though so the skepticism is probably warranted. And the trends they have seen is ghat the leisure stuff is doing much better than the corporate runs.

Tiger was flat to profitable at times, and Rex does not have the high lease costs that they did with the new A320 fleet. Lost opportunity if you ask me not chasing that route map.

4/5 fights a day Triangle is more than enough.

 

[dajop]

Fair point, but Mr Sharp ain't no rookie. He was the Federal Minister for Transport in his previous life. He's very experienced.

Mr Sharp knows how to grab headlines.

There's no doubt he's experienced, and very well connected. And continued with various related business interests after he left the government.

But ..... he's also been out of Parliament for almost 23 years. In that time both the aviation industry and ways of influencing the public have shifted considerably. Rex seem to have a press release based strategy, stuck in the 90's and using the same arguments that suited Compass and Virgin Blue. QF's approach is much more sophisticated and very 2020s, not 1990s.

I do wish Rex well, I just hope that can find their niche for the jets they are now leasing. MEL/SYD, despite at normal times being a "golden" route is extremely tough to crack.

 

[Melburnian1]

While not a perfect guide - QFd has many seats showing as 'blocked' (which may indicate on ExpertFlyer that they're not to be allocated to anyone, or alternatively that they're 'saved' for a particular passenger) - this is the situation for today's 12 noon offerings MEL up to SYD, northbound:

QF440 83 whY passengers
VA841 151 whY passengers
ZL102 54 whY passengers

Around this off peak time of a Tuesday, today QFd has an 1100 hours (but no 1130) and then a 1230 either side of the 'high noon' flight.

VAd had a 1000 hours, then the noon flight, then 1400 hours.

ZL had a 1000 hours but nothing post-noon until 1700 this arvo.

Demand is down on what it was say three (or two) years ago. ZL will be stealing economy passengers from the other two, and forcing fares down, although what percentage on each flight is the $64 million question.

 

[dajop]

While not a perfect guide - QFd has many seats showing as 'blocked' (which may indicate on ExpertFlyer that they're not to be allocated to anyone, or alternatively that they're 'saved' for a particular passenger) - this is the situation for today's 12 noon offerings MEL up to SYD, northbound:

QF440 83 whY passengers
VA841 151 whY passengers
ZL102 54 whY passengers

Usually once a flight checkin is closed a blocked seat = unoccupied . But in this instance, as there are so many blocked seats (unusual, particularly in the configuration) I wonder if these are blocked to reaccomodate pax from the cancelled 11am service?

 

[Saab34]

What’s interesting is Virgin appears to be doing the best on this run out of everyone.

I do note QF has not played in the low fare game on this route

 

[dajop]

I do note QF has not played in the low fare game on this route

QF (the airline) have not but Qanstar has.

 

[HS-TQE]

QF had released some $79 restricted Y fares on the route. Apart from that, QF as a group has been leaving the heavy discounting to JQ.

 

[Melburnian1]

Usually once a flight checkin is closed a blocked seat = unoccupied . But in this instance, as there are so many blocked seats (unusual, particularly in the configuration) I wonder if these are blocked to reaccomodate pax from the cancelled 11am service?

Possible, but I checked the seating diagram at around 1133 hours this morning, only 27 minutes prior to scheduled departure so most would be checked in by then and allocated a seat number, surely?

Having looked at mainly QFi Expert Flyer seat plans in the past, QF often seems to have more 'blocked seats' than many other airlines. The practice of others seems to be to leave the seat showing as 'vacant' on EF if it's unoccupied. QF doesn't follow that from what I've observed.

 

[dajop]

Having looked at mainly QFi Expert Flyer seat plans in the past, QF often seems to have more 'blocked seats' than many other airlines. The practice of others seems to be to leave the seat showing as 'vacant' on EF if it's unoccupied. QF doesn't follow that from what I've observed.

My main experience with EF seat maps is with SQ and with them if a seat is showing as occupied (solid blue colour) it is occupied at departure. If it is vacant (solid white) or blocked at departure time, that means it is empty. Seats on SQ are often blocked for certain types of passenger or groups or codeshare pax - and any that remain blocked when check-in closes are empty when the plane departs.

I am sure there are some amongst us who know what it means for QF.

 

[serfty]

If expert flyer shows a Qantas seat as a solid block it can be reasonably expected the seat is allocated. Blocked but not allocated seats have an X.

Interestingly, expert flyer shows hard blocked seats on VA flights as a solid block.

 

[Saab34]

QF had released some $79 restricted Y fares on the route. Apart from that, QF as a group has been leaving the heavy discounting to JQ.

Welcome to the party QF. Finally.

 

[Saab34]

Terrible numbers out of the Gold Coast today on every flight. Didn’t check numbers going in.

The next 6 weeks are fairly quiet for OOL in general. That isn’t good news when the rest of the network is always on quiet mode.

 

[jase05]

Are any of the armchair commentators here actually getting out and flying or just sitting there obsessing over online seat maps? Go and enjoy a $39 flight, whether that be on VA or ZL is up to you. But, people moving between our cities more frequently means more jobs for our airlines, more jobs for our tourism industry and that is a damn good thing.

(and by the way, I have flown JQ/ZL/VA/QF in the last few weeks and will continue to support all of them depending on my schedule and pricing etc)

Well actually I think I have flown more in the last 12 months than I have for many years and I’d say it’s a far lot more. I will generally choose VA over QF even with the QF rates we get but JQ is on my banned list and without a decent lounge system or FFP ZL just doesn’t make sense to me. I do fly ZL for work intrastate regularly though but not really interested in their jet product

 

[Melburnian1]

The next 6 weeks are fairly quiet for OOL in general. That isn’t good news when the rest of the network is always on quiet mode.

From what I could see, ZL680 from MEL to OOL at 1415 this afternoon had 80 economy passengers. That is probably unprofitable but at least it's not just 10 or 15.

ZL seems to be doing better than just a few on MEL to ADL (westbound) flights.

Today (with the usual caution about EF numbers), ZL437 at 1145 looked to have 50 economy passengers and ZL491 at 1955 tonight at least 40.

The closest QFd flight to the latter, QF699 at 1945 hours from MEL has at least 57 in whY. Not all passengers for the latter ZL and this QFd flight may have checked in, as it was still 41 minutes/31 mins respectively until scheduled departure.

The samples are too small but the more we look at figures, the more it appears all airlines are suffering from low passenger numbers outside of school holidays.