Rex to fly between Australian capital cities

[henrus]

20 minutes after take-off (finally)

I'm guessing you're on ZL444 ADL-MEL.

I guess this means we can add VH-RQG to the list of aircraft with working Rex wifi.

EF shows just 7 in Business and 33 in Economy so it's hardly a stress test of the network but the speeds are very impressive.

 

[Fortunatecrow]

I'm guessing you're on ZL444 ADL-MEL.

I guess this means we can add VH-RQG to the list of aircraft with working Rex wifi.

EF shows just 7 in Business and 33 in Economy so it's hardly a stress test of the network but the speeds are very impressive.

Yes, ZL444. Not too full. Whether it never was, or whether pax bailed on the idea of flying to coVidtoria I'm not sure.

 

[henrus]

Whether it never was, or whether pax bailed on the idea of flying to coVidtoria I'm not sure.

COVIDtoria... love it.

This raises an interesting question. Unless this gets sorted in the next few days (looking unlikely) then MEL-SYD flights will be down again. Easy for QF/VA who can shuffle aircraft around onto other routes and reduce frequencies. But with Rex having fewer routes perhaps it gives them the opportunity to launch some more routes or look at frequencies on other routes.

Likewise, it'll be interesting to see if they even go below $39. After all, you'd think some cash is better than nothing.

 

[trisreed]

Likewise, it'll be interesting to see if they even go below $39. After all, you'd think some cash is better than nothing.

Is it though? If $30 of the $39 is going straight out the door - then it could even be a case of effectively paying customers to fly.

Of course it goes without saying there are benefits in running 'cheap as chips' flights from a marketing perspective - it would certainly make an interesting invoice!

 

[1022]

It's weird they haven't really publicised it yet, it's very unlike Rex to do something without a press release.

Weird but we probably all agree, not that surprising given how inept their marketing department seems to be generally.

Case in point, my local airport is Lismore. REX is usually around $200 one way to SYD. They now have $99 sale fares from LSY for lots of upcoming dates. The only way I found out about it was a Facebook post from Lismore council spruiking free airport parking. No local radio spots from REX, no billboards, no locally targeted socials. All they need to do to carve off a sustainable slice of traffic from BNK half an hour down the road is offer reasonable fares and let people know they exist. Oh and stop threatening to kill off the route any time QF launches a competing flight anywhere else in any other state...

 

[henrus]

Is it though? If $30 of the $39 is going straight out the door - then it could even be a case of effectively paying customers to fly.

What they desperately need is for people to know they exist. So many people I talk to have no idea they're flying domestic jets right now.

Also, something doesn't add up with those taxes.

Jetstar has the MEL-SYD flights set at $30 and just charges a $30 fare (they bundle all the fees into the fare). We can assume $27.27 is the price and $2.73 is GST. ITA matrix shows that Jetstar's only tax on a SYD-MEL is the "Australia Passenger Service Charge Domestic Departure (QR)" at $15.44, if correct it means that Jetstar's actual fare is $11.83 which is higher than Rex's.

Virgin's taxes (not including GST) are $15.44 for the QR (same as Jetstar) and then $5.82 for the Security Charge (WG). For a total of $21.26.

Rex on the other hand has just the QR tax showing on ITA at a price of $25.85 (matches their website). It doesn't make sense that Rex taxes are ~40.27% higher than JQ's and ~17.76% higher than VA.

 

[dajop]

Rex on the other hand has just the QR tax showing on ITA at a price of $25.85 (matches their website). It doesn't make sense that Rex taxes are ~40.27% higher than JQ's and ~17.76% higher than VA.

Are the charges volume based? That was the one thing that might explain this (or Rex are charging “list price” and what they actually pay is lower than this?)

 

[Carrots]

No doubt we'll see a Rex drop on ex ADL flights to Mel as the border has just shut to Melbourne again.

 

[dajop]

There goes Rex’s most heavily loaded route it seems.

 

[trisreed]

Are the charges volume based? That was the one thing that might explain this (or Rex are charging “list price” and what they actually pay is lower than this?)

I would guess some combination thereof; unfortunately none of the literature that Rex has provided me has any more detail on it (such as a breakdown of costs).

I do vaguely remember Sharp on Today or one of those sort of shows saying sometihing to the effect of 'this is as low as we can possibly go while considering taxes', but as always I think it is best to take it with a grain of salt.

EDIT: FWIW, here is the breakdown on Virgin's equivalent fare.

 

[Melburnian1]

COVIDtoria... love it.

This raises an interesting question. Unless this gets sorted in the next few days (looking unlikely) then MEL-SYD flights will be down again. Easy for QF/VA who can shuffle aircraft around onto other routes and reduce frequencies. But with Rex having fewer routes perhaps it gives them the opportunity to launch some more routes or look at frequencies on other routes.

Likewise, it'll be interesting to see if they even go below $39. After all, you'd think some cash is better than nothing.

QFd/VAd can 'shuffle aircraft around' but much harder if MEL suddenly has very low demand.

The NSW Government has apparently today advised its residents not to travel to Greater Melbourne, so that alone will presumably see flights axed.

Someone else pointed out that with airport fees, GST and the like, a $39 Rex fare sees (IIRC) about $9 in the airline's hands.

 

[Mattg]

Just a thought - is the federal government still waiving some airport charges/landing fees? They did extend the DANS/RANS funding until 30 September 2021.

Aviation

International and domestic aviation connects Australians with each other and with the rest of the world. It is also central to the Australian economy.

www.infrastructure.gov.au

 

[oz_mark]

Just a thought - is the federal government still waiving some airport charges/landing fees? They did extend the DANS/RANS funding until 30 September 2021.

Aviation

International and domestic aviation connects Australians with each other and with the rest of the world. It is also central to the Australian economy.

www.infrastructure.gov.au

There is a 50% fee waiver on Air Services Australia charges until Sep 30 2021.

 

[henrus]

Hey @Rex, I know you're not listening to AFF (it's quite obvious) but on the off chance you do, I'd like to propose a new route map, at least for the next 7 days.

Routes marked with Red X's are probably not worth it for the next week. As a resident of BrisVegas, I'd say a SYD-BNE and a BNE-CNS route would do very well. I've already done the graphics for your website, if you do start the new routes I've suggested, let me know and I'll start booking.

 

[Carrots]

I'd add ADL-CNS to the mix as well.

 

[Melburnian1]

Hey @Rex, I know you're not listening to AFF (it's quite obvious) but on the off chance you do, I'd like to propose a new route map, at least for the next 7 days.

Routes marked with Red X's are probably not worth it for the next week. As a resident of BrisVegas, I'd say a SYD-BNE and a BNE-CNS route would do very well. I've already done the graphics for your website, if you do start the new routes I've suggested, let me know and I'll start booking.
View attachment 248957

Given REX's experience with SYD-MEL, SYD-BNE should not be its priority.

 

[henrus]

Given REX's experience with SYD-MEL, SYD-BNE should not be its priority.

SYD-BNE flights I've flown on both QF and VA have been rather busy lately. Regardless it'd be a much busier route than SYD-MEL fight now!

 

[eastwest101]

Hey @Rex, I know you're not listening to AFF (it's quite obvious) but on the off chance you do, I'd like to propose a new route map, at least for the next 7 days.

Routes marked with Red X's are probably not worth it for the next week. As a resident of BrisVegas, I'd say a SYD-BNE and a BNE-CNS route would do very well. I've already done the graphics for your website, if you do start the new routes I've suggested, let me know and I'll start booking.
View attachment 248957

Yep - If Rex operated SYD-BNE and ADL-BNE and indeed CBR-BNE they would have captured some of our business by now, as well as adding either TSV or CNS to the jet network, very unfortunate timing for Rex's jet operations with their B738 services being so MEL-centric.

SYD-HBA and SYD-LST might have been worth a look but might have been a stretch in winter.

 

[henrus]

CBR-BNE

Ok... let's not get crazy now. One route request at a time. I've put in my requests for BNE-SYD and BNE-CNS, jamescara has asked for ADL-CNS and now you want CBR-BNE. What next?

 

[dajop]

What next?

What about SYD-WTB or ADL-NTL? Plenty of options for jets carrying around 20 pax at a time