Rex to fly between Australian capital cities

[Fortunatecrow]

Please let us know how you are so lucky with upgrades!!

I haven’t had a single one in 7 flights… (not complaining at the fares I’m paying, but if they’re the same base level, wonder what i’m doing wrong!)

I don't want to unleash a horde of copycats (!) so I have told you in a PM. I might be exaggerating a little, might be 1 in 4 or 5 – but I definitely do better than my fair share.

 

[wandering_fred]

I will be needing a flexible (post surgery) seat Perth-Albany on Rex
I can only wish that those prices would even remotely reflect the prices be highlighted in "eastern triangle"
Especially since it is "forced" wandering
Fred

 

[Fortunatecrow]

I will be needing a flexible (post surgery) seat Perth-Albany on Rex
I can only wish that those prices would even remotely reflect the prices be highlighted in "eastern triangle"
Especially since it is "forced" wandering
Fred

Next week I travel MEL>ADL>SYD>MEL, which will cost $1,060 on QF and VA.

In the next six months I have booked MEL>SYD x 3 and MEL>BNE x 2...total cost $1,020! Mostly Rex, some of the >BNE is VA at $89 each way.

That's the difference between short notice and be able to plan ahead to take advantage of deals (+ putting up with coughpy flight times because you are a tightarse).

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Just for interest while waiting for my Rex flight to MEL I checked the prices on qantas.

For the same 8pm departure (ex SYD) QF wanted $673 (economy). The next two flights were sold out. the last departure was $375.

 

[Harrison_133]

So did we get to the bottom of this Samoa Jet and it’s cabin? What’s the J Seat like?

This jet has much less of an identity crisis, interior colours much more in keeping with Rex. Y seats are all dark blue, no purple or red in sight. Y seats don’t have any headrests though. The eight J seats (also blue) are left over from its former life at Jet Airways but have the Rex logo embossed in the headrest. There is a solid divider with a curtain between J and Y — no perspex. Also Rex’s first sky interior aircraft.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

This jet has much less of an identity crisis, interior colours much more in keeping with Rex. Y seats are all dark blue, no purple or red in sight. Y seats don’t have any headrests though. The eight J seats (also blue) are left over from its former life at Jet Airways but have the Rex logo embossed in the headrest. There is a solid divider with a curtain between J and Y — no perspex. Also Rex’s first sky interior aircraft.

And a nice plane it is too!

The business class seats look like the new(ish) AA ones… sort of square-ish. A marked improvement, looks wise, over the previous VA/ZL interiors.

The economy cabin is great! I’d reckon 32’ pitch? If not, there was heaps of legroom in a standard seat and i’m 6’3.

There is only one row at the front with Rextra legroom. There is a solid bulkhead as mentioned, and a curtain rather than a rope. Nice mood lighting.

I noticed again that row three was packed so checked at the gate and they moved me to an empty row of three seats, There were actually only a couple of these free, others had a smattering of empty middle seats.

Dunno how they are going to go selling rextra legroom if this plane is in operation… maybe limit it to row 3 plus exits only?

But otherwise it looks like Rex might be making some money here.

No upgrade for me last night, but with the extra room it was back to being a good flight. The crews were back to their usual standard, which is really good!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Finally got my first Rex Business flight!!

Sadly not an upgrade, I just purchased the ticket outright. I needed to get home earlier than planned and Rex was cheaper in business than either of their competitors in economy.

Lounge in MEL is downstairs by gate 30. The signage in the terminal makes it hard to find and even when given directions by a member of ground staff it was a challenge.

No code for entry was provided but another member of staff saw me approaching and headed over to check my BP and let me in. WCs are outside. Tiny lounge with a coffee machine and some chips. They brought out a small tray of wraps which were actually really good. Just 8 on the plate so it was strictly one per person!

Flight was unremarkable, left slightly late but arrived early thanks to the short one hour flight time. Priority bags were out first.

The food was surprisingly good! Cup cake with frosting, hot bread roll, Lurpak butter, choice of a cheese plate or toasted sarni with pastrami and swiss cheese. (Dunno why we can’t use Aussie cheese and support local industry?)

Finally a large chunk of Mr Porter dark chocolate… which was really yummy.

The cheese plate was snapped up by the first three people and looked really good… three large wedges of cheese, maybe 100 grams or more in total? This was a substantial cheese plate. The sarni was equally good. The cup cake a little dry. The offering was about 50% more generous than you’d find on other airlines. The red was drinkable, but I know nothing about wine.

The interior of the plane was not so good. Windows smudged and grotty… like finger prints and coffee splotches. The carpet was dirty. It felt very tired. No external wifi but they had a limited selection of movies you could watch on the internal system via your own device.

The coffee was undrinkable and i’m happy with nescafé!

 

[Saab34]

The interior of the plane was not so good. Windows smudged and grotty… like finger prints and coffee splotches. The carpet was dirty. It felt very tired. No external wifi but they had a limited selection of movies you could watch on the internal system via your own device.

Sounds like you scored one of those 20 year old Virgin aircraft. The others went to China to become freighters.

 

[Harrison_133]

Sounds like you scored one of those 20 year old Virgin aircraft. The others went to China to become freighters.

Their 12 year old jets from Virgin aren’t much better unfortunately. The one I flew recently had very worn out seat coverings, loose overhead panels, marks and smudges on the side walls and outside of bin doors, and like MEL Traveller’s flight, there were coffee stains on the seat/tray table and finger prints over the windows.

In what is turning out to be a rather solid domestic product, the lack of attention to the interior does seem to be a bit of an oversight, but I guess it has never been a strong point with the Saabs. They could finally get rid of the purple and red headrests on all of the jets for a start though.

 

[docjames]

The food was surprisingly good! Cup cake with frosting, hot bread roll, Lurpak butter, choice of a cheese plate or toasted sarni with pastrami and swiss cheese. (Dunno why we can’t use Aussie cheese and support local industry?)

Thanks for the mini-TR. Sounds like a pretty good flight, esexcially at comparable price to Y on VA/QF.

Re: Swiss cheese, I’d have thought it was Swiss style, but made in Aus, rather than imported……

 

[Saab34]

Their 12 year old jets from Virgin aren’t much better unfortunately. The one I flew recently had very worn out seat coverings, loose overhead panels, marks and smudges on the side walls and outside of bin doors, and like MEL Traveller’s flight, there were coffee stains on the seat/tray table and finger prints over the windows.

In what is turning out to be a rather solid domestic product, the lack of attention to the interior does seem to be a bit of an oversight, but I guess it has never been a strong point with the Saabs. They could finally get rid of the purple and red headrests on all of the jets for a start though.

I agree it is a bit strange keeping the Virgin headrests. I mean, many other airlines take old re leased aircraft and keep the seats, but the Virgin headrests are certainly unique when comparing against any other airline. Not only that, but the purple divider too.

Rex in house all ground staff don't they? Cleaning also I assume.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: Swiss cheese, I’d have thought it was Swiss style, but made in Aus, rather than imported……

Indeed

 

[AIRwin]

Sounds like you scored one of those 20 year old Virgin aircraft.

No longer a virgin...

 

[N860CR]

I agree it is a bit strange keeping the Virgin headrests. I mean, many other airlines take old re leased aircraft and keep the seats, but the Virgin headrests are certainly unique when comparing against any other airline. Not only that, but the purple divider too.

Rex in house all ground staff don't they? Cleaning also I assume.

Interestingly, there are still EJets in South Africa and Israel getting around with the purple divider and coloured headrests.

 

[dylarr]

Flown with Rex a couple of times over the last few weeks on the SYD/MEL route because they were considerably cheaper than QF/JQ/VA.

• Fares for some flights are eye-wateringly expensive these days.
• Flights I’ve been on have been rammed full of pax, a stark difference to the near empty flights they were running earlier on this year.
• Check in at SYD during peak is painfully slow but they do clearly call out for pax on closing flights.
• No issues with OTP.
• Cabin crew have been lovely.
• Refreshment service in economy is very basic and nothing to rave about.
• Rex’s MMB is surprisingly functional and modern.

Overall, a pretty sleek operation which looks to be well patronised at the moment, which is good.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Flown with Rex a couple of times over the last few weeks on the SYD/MEL route because they were considerably cheaper than QF/JQ/VA.

• Fares for some flights are eye-wateringly expensive these days.
• Flights I’ve been on have been rammed full of pax, a stark difference to the near empty flights they were running earlier on this year.
• Check in at SYD during peak is painfully slow but they do clearly call out for pax on closing flights.
• No issues with OTP.
• Cabin crew have been lovely.
• Refreshment service in economy is very basic and nothing to rave about.
• Rex’s MMB is surprisingly functional and modern.

Overall, a pretty sleek operation which looks to be well patronised at the moment, which is good.

I like the ZL snacks! 100% better than VA, which is nothing!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Flight a couple days ago to SYD, bid to upgrade as mentioned in the other thread. Flight was so so… service was good with two rounds of PDB. The service pattern was not consistent… PDBs offered row 1 DF, AC then row 2 DF, AC, but meal orders taken 1DF, AC but then 2 AC, DF. Meaning I missed out on my preferred choice of main. No idea why the change in pattern, but it was annoying.

Service otherwise good, lots of top-ups, pax addressed by name every time. Snack tray offered about 15 minutes before landing.

 

[Saab34]

Be good if they would start transcon soon. Prices seem to be on the up up up. Surely they could squeeze in a red eye. The fleet sits idle. Even on weekends they could do an afternoon mission, the fleet really isn’t doing that much.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Hmmm. Just did my first flight on VA as part of my regular commuting. VA is certainly a step up. Sparkling wine for PDB. Choice of three mains. Glassware. Choice of spirits. VA cabin new, clean.
Rex wins with the hot bread roll though!

 

[Saab34]

The airline said it will now add two more Boeing 737 aircraft in the first quarter of 2023, taking its total jet fleet to 9, and this would lead to “more passengers and a larger slice of the market”, Mr Sharp said.


“The plan is to grow the fleet and adding more routes and frequencies. We don’t have enough frequencies on the existing routes we operate now, and we would also like to add more destinations to our network.”

“Things like Adelaide-Sydney and Adelaide-Brisbane, routes of that nature.”

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