Seat occupancy lower

[Melburnian1]

On Saturday 5 February 2022, SQ238, the 1035 hours MEL up to SIN (A359 9V-SHG) was airborne at 1035 (about 20 minutes early!) so predicted arrival is 1448, 17 minutes ahead of the timetable.

There were only 72 passengers in whY. This may be the A359 with a 263 seat economy cabin as on one other day, W class was not available. If so, this means only 27.4 per cent of whY seats were occupied.

However in contrast to QFi that has a sole MEL-SIN flight only three days a week, SQ has three, with TR typically offering one in its role as low cost subsidiary of SQ.

 

[AIRwin]

However in contrast to QFi that has a sole MEL-SIN flight only three days a week, SQ has three, with TR typically offering one in its role as low cost subsidiary of SQ.

JQ is also operating?

 

[Melburnian1]

JQ is also operating?

Yes, true, six days a week. So that brings QF Group flights to nine each way per week.

It compares to SQ/TR having 28 in total each week, so QFi/JQi have less than a third the number of flights of the SQ Group. Comparing the aircraft used, SQ/TR may have an even greater percentage share of seating capacity.

The margin is even higher on SYD - SIN where the SQ Group has 28 flights each way (SQ 21, TR seven) whereas QFi has a daily flight, and JQi nil.

From BNE to SIN, QFi/JQi don't offer any nonstops, but SQ has 17 flights each way per week. (TR is absent).

For the tiny ADL-SIN patronage, SQ offers four weekly flights but QF, JQi and TR are not present as far as nonstops go.

From PER, SQ itself has 17 weekly flights and offshoot TR a daily flight, whereas QFi/JQi have nil from the closed state. That number from SQ/TR is a surprise as one might have considered the SQ Group would abandon PER as QFi has been forced to do.

So in total as at 5 February 2022, the SQ Group operates an amazing 101 weekly flights each way to/from SIN while the QF Group has 16.

Says a lot about how poorly QFi competes against Asian airlines. Worth paying extra to fly on an airline like SQ.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Monday 14 March 2022 (a public holiday in all states except NSW and Queensland), SQ222, the latish afternoon 1610 hours SYD - SIN looks to have 154 passengers booked in whY versus 343 seats in that class on its A388, so seat occupancy of 44.9 per cent.

On one of my most recent SQ flights prior to the pandemic from Melbourne, a male SQ attendant to whom I chatted, exaggerating a little, said to me 'we're always full from Australia'.

SQ continues to run under its own brand three times the flights QFi operates from SYD and MEL to SIN, and QFi loadings look to be much smaller and have a greater percentage of A333 seats unoccupied, but under 80 per cent for SQ is very low.

A well known aviator AFFer commented in the similar QF thread that the environment for o/s travel is 'unattractive' at present. Many of us will sadly consider he's 100 per cent correct. I would love to go tomorrow, but friends and close family are (to use an unfortunate pun) dead against it.

 

[Tiki]

On my segments last month BNE-SIN-IST-SIN-BNE, I had a row of 3 to myself in all except the IST-SIN. And at least the middle seat was empty. If you can only afford Y, now is the time to do it as these low occupancy rates won't last forever.