Rex to fly between Australian capital cities

[dajop]

REX also need a FF program....won't be getting anyone off VA or QF long term without it.

Yes. They seem to totally fail to understand that it is an integral part of operating “mainline” services within Australia. It honestly beggars belief that their management can be so ignorant of this.

 

[Buzzard]

Years ago REX had a very good FF program. +1 flew REX for work and got every 10th flight free.

 

[eastwest101]

Yes. They seem to totally fail to understand that it is an integral part of operating “mainline” services within Australia. It honestly beggars belief that their management can be so ignorant of this.

Exactly - fiddling around with priority # 164 - the inflight online magazine when the priority for the business should be #1 a frequent flyer scheme and #2 more public awareness/market visibility, maybe switch #1 and #2 around but they tend to go hand in hand so both important.

Priority #1 and #2 do take time to build so the sooner they start the sooner they will reap some benefits. I suspect the real #1 and #2 issues that they are facing at the moment on a day to day basis (and aren't too keen on everyone knowing about) is lack of pilots and lack of spares for the Saab 340 fleet. And the real elephant in the room for them #3 is replacement of the Saab 340 fleet eventually.

 

[BRIS_VA_HAWK]

Years ago REX had a very good FF program. +1 flew REX for work and got every 10th flight free.

Yep. Closed off to new entrants for a while though - pretty much from the launch of jet services, if not earlier

[Priorities]

Spot on. Couldn't have said it better myself!

 

[MooTime]

Rex FF program is tough, who they going to partner with, QF & VA have Coles & Woolies, what's left? Aldi won't partner with an airline, IGA, Foodworks, they considered not even crumbs. Hardly appealing to many on any scale.

I think they just can't secure enough genuine useful partners, simple as that IMO.

 

[Harrison_133]

Rex FF program is tough, who they going to partner with, QF & VA have Coles & Woolies, what's left? Aldi won't partner with an airline, IGA, Foodworks, they considered not even crumbs. Hardly appealing to many on any scale.

I think they just can't secure enough genuine useful partners, simple as that IMO.

I just don’t see a Rex FFP ever being in the same boat as QFF and Velocity. The jet operations lack the scale and frequency to support business travellers, their lounge infrastructure would struggle with any uptick in passenger numbers, and there are simply no realistic partners left who aren’t already in the QFF or Velocity camps.

The Rex jet operation also seems to be attracting a lot of discretionary travellers who don’t care which airline they fly with and choose based on price or schedule. Given these people aren’t already shackled to QFF or Velocity, I don’t see how a wide scale FFP would serve in Rex’s best interests. In my opinion, they’re better off carving out a niche in the market as the smaller fourth operator, and need to tone down their aspirations in rivalling Qantas and Virgin to be successful in doing so.

All they need is a simple program that rewards the loyalty of those who have actually made the switch to Rex. Reward people with points each time they fly and give the frequent flyers some added benefits after they’ve amassed as certain number of sectors. Keep it simple. Don’t get caught up with partnering with supermarkets and hotels etc.

 

[eastwest101]

I just don’t see a Rex FFP ever being in the same boat as QFF and Velocity. The jet operations lack the scale and frequency to support business travellers, their lounge infrastructure would struggle with any uptick in passenger numbers, and there are simply no realistic partners left who aren’t already in the QFF or Velocity camps.

The Rex jet operation also seems to be attracting a lot of discretionary travellers who don’t care which airline they fly with and choose based on price or schedule. Given these people aren’t already shackled to QFF or Velocity, I don’t see how a wide scale FFP would serve in Rex’s best interests. In my opinion, they’re better off carving out a niche in the market as the smaller fourth operator, and need to tone down their aspirations in rivalling Qantas and Virgin to be successful in doing so.

All they need is a simple program that rewards the loyalty of those who have actually made the switch to Rex. Reward people with points each time they fly and give the frequent flyers some added benefits after they’ve amassed as certain number of sectors. Keep it simple. Don’t get caught up with partnering with supermarkets and hotels etc.

Agree with you on the later point, does not have to be an all singing-all dancing tie up with heaps of retailers, just something simple to start off with - even a 3% off future bookings discount code or a free upgrade to J once every 10-20 flights would do it. Complexity and partners can come later as various businesses renegotiate contracts with the Velocity or Qantas Frequent Flyer over time.

The other way to build loyalty is leverage off the regional network and simply be better than the alternative, either cheaper (which is unlikely) or better in some other way (such as service, product, on-time performance or whatever etc)

 

[dajop]

All they need is a simple program that rewards the loyalty of those who have actually made the switch to Rex. Reward people with points each time they fly and give the frequent flyers some added benefits after they’ve amassed as certain number of sectors. Keep it simple. Don’t get caught up with partnering with supermarkets and hotels etc.

Agree. Start simple. Indeed the program should be simple, and fair, in the dictionary sense of the words (not in the marketing sense ), and provide value to loyal customers.

 

[Saab34]

I thought considering this topic has grown legs again, I would run some numbers for peak hour this evening. These numbers are rough passenger numbers, not %. The numbers do skew poorer in the mornings. These numbers would bleed the company dry if oil jumped fairly rapidly.

535pm SYD-MEL -70
630pm - 80
8pm- Bit Early but 80 ish

515pm SYD-BNE- 130
730pm -130-150 (not closed)

4pm MEL-SYD- 80
5pm- 90
3pm- 100

5pm BNE-SYD- 80
730pm- 60
2pm ADL-SYD - 80

MEL-ADL Full
2pm ADL-MEL 80

12pm MEL-CBR 90
2pm CBR-MEL 80

OOL-MEL Full
BNE-MEL 7pm Full

 

[anyonebutqantas]

Looks like routes to Queensland are stronger for Rex then?

 

[UP4014]

Rex FF program is tough, who they going to partner with, QF & VA have Coles & Woolies, what's left? Aldi won't partner with an airline, IGA, Foodworks, they considered not even crumbs. Hardly appealing to many on any scale.

I think they just can't secure enough genuine useful partners, simple as that IMO.

I can think of a few towns where IGA is the sole/largest supermarket, maybe they’re the ones to get country folk hooked on flying.

They need a niche, doesn’t have to be big or shiny in spite of what their board may think, otherwise they’ll end up like other flightless birds.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

If rex had offered me:

- every 10th flight free as a basic FF incentive
- sparkling wine
- spirits

I would probably be flying equally with them as VA.

 

[dajop]

If rex had offered me:

- every 10th flight free as a basic FF incentive
- sparkling wine
- spirits

I would probably be flying equally with them as VA.

I know their network is more complicated now, but I suggest.

1 regional flight or business class flight = 2 credits
1 mainline flight = 1 credit

10 credits = free jet flight in economy
20 credits = free regional flight or jet flight in business

40 credits in a year = free lounge access

 

[PineappleSkip]

I can think of a few towns where IGA is the sole/largest supermarket

My home town is one. IGA’s rewards program is such a joke I stopped using the card. There is already a travel partner which is little more than a scam and IGA gives you nothing but a signup bonus in hokey ‘Discovery Dollars’ points. Would be much better with Rex as a partner, but I suspect IGA is far too tight to actually pay for issuing points.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I know their network is more complicated now, but I suggest.

1 regional flight or business class flight = 2 credits
1 mainline flight = 1 credit

10 credits = free jet flight in economy
20 credits = free regional flight or jet flight in business

40 credits in a year = free lounge access

Yup. Perfect!

 

[Buzzard]

In my regional area we don't have IGA, only Woollies and Aldi so a REX tie up would be of no benefit there.

 

[Melburnian1]

I can think of a few towns where IGA is the sole/largest supermarket, maybe they’re the ones to get country folk hooked on flying.

They need a niche, doesn’t have to be big or shiny in spite of what their board may think, otherwise they’ll end up like other flightless birds.

IGA is quite a strong brand and at times even survives when there's an Aldi next door. IGAs are not everywhere, but Richies alone owns about 75 IGAs. Drakes used to be with IGA but departed to do its warehousing itself. FoodWorks may be supplied by Metcash IIRC but is not part of Metcash.

IGA's owner (Metcash - listed on ASX and doing well of late) also has Mitre 10 (#2 hardware chain) and Total Tools, plus Cellarbrations liquor stores.

A very good idea from you that ought not be dismissed out of hand.

 

[Saab34]

It appears the new Hobart flights are full which is good.

Not surprising, a route that hasn’t had full capacity returned yet, Jetstar still hasn’t reinstated 2019 frequencies, and a double daily Tiger flight obviously never returned.

The flight timings are a bit ordinary however. Would be better if they went double daily and morning and evening flights.

 

[BRIS_VA_HAWK]

The flight timings are a bit ordinary however. Would be better if they went double daily and morning and evening flights.

I'm assuming the 1215-1330 & 1415-1530 timings have to do with fleet availability? You'd think that if loads remain strong that REX would look to increase it soon enough.

 

[dajop]

I'm assuming the 1215-1330 & 1415-1530 timings have to do with fleet availability? You'd think that if loads remain strong that REX would look to increase it soon enough.

Whether it's deliberate or not, they also avoid going head to head with the competition, filling the middle of the day gap in the overall MEL-HBA schedules. MEL-HBA ,before ZL there was a 4+ hr gap, the sequence is 10:45 (QF), 12:15(ZL), 15:00(JQ), and HBA-MEL also a 4+ hr gap, it is 12:45(JQ), 14:15(ZL) 16:55 (JQ).