The cost of flights between Perth and the Pilbara

[kiwi2768]

I'm here to have a good rant.

Mid-September flights to Perth, cost for one person depending on which flight is chosen is $602 or $625 plus $381 back on QF, and $425 or $530 plus $279 back on DJ. That is bloody ridiculous! A DJ flight PER-AKL on the same day is $511. Are there people from DJ and QF who frequent these pages? Can they offer a satisfactory explanation as to why Pilbara residents are being blatantly ripped off? How can a 7 1/2 hour international flight cost less than a 1 3/4 hour intrastate flight? Are the people of the Pilbara subsidising the sub-$200 PER-MEL or PER-SYD fares and all the cheap fares we see to fly between east coast destinations?

Yes I know this is a route (and it must be the most expensive per mile in the world) that is heavily used by FIFO workers but come on!

A family simply cannot afford to fly to Perth for a couple of days to attend a special family event. Driving is not an option most of the time due to work rosters. People have even missed funerals because of the prohibitive cost of fares.

I know I'm not only speaking for myself. The people of the Pilbara are absolutely sick of being ripped off. How about some consideration for permanent Pilbara residents who don't have employers paying for their flights?

 

[Must...Fly!]

Supply and demand.

Airlines offer special bereavement fares (well, QF certainly does) so usually there is an affordable method of getting to Perth in that unfortunate case.

 

[kiwi2768]

I'm fairly sure the bearevement fares are for family members only and proof of relationship to the deceased has to be provided. They still have to find the money to pay the fare in the first place. I changed my flight to attend the funeral of a friend and QF kindly charged me an extra $400 on top of the $200+ I had paid for the original fare. If I wasn't brassed off enough about that, I was even more brassed of that there were empty seats on the flight.

 

[Must...Fly!]

I'm fairly sure the bearevement fares are for family members only and proof of relationship to the deceased has to be provided. They still have to find the money to pay the fare in the first place. I changed my flight to attend the funeral of a friend and QF kindly charged me an extra $400 on top of the $200+ I had paid for the original fare.

I believe it is for family, yes. They really can't provide it for everyone, the line has to be drawn somewhere (and proof is required to stop the disgusting individuals who would take advantage otherwise).

At the end of the day, places like Newman and Karratha are going to have the planes flying out full almost every time. Now I understand what you are saying and while this might sound cold, airlines are not a charity and they are in business to make money just like everyone else. They price the seats to maximise yield and maximise profits, not for maximum customer satisfaction with regards to price.

 

[Bugalugz]

All I can say is Thanks to Virgin. I remember once XR pulled out of Karratha the first time a few years ago minimum price was $400 one way KTA-PER at least now you can get it for around $250-$300 on a good day. But even Virgin isn't that cheap these days $255 for the base fare.

Atleast you get a feed on Virgin in WA. However the thing that pisses me off the most is the morning flight out of KTA, our company was flying me down every week for a while for meetings. They were paying $800ish for the flight and all you get is a bloody cereal container and a box of milk or stale sangers in the rvo! GRRRR Hot breakfast on the flights out of Perth at the ungodly hours though.

However good luck getting an afternoon flight on any day even 12 months in advance for under $798 Never ever see Red E Deals for those flights and it's a disgrace. $798 to fly PER-KTA or KTA-PER is unacceptable even for a fully flexible fare especially when QF have a tendency to cancel the 1440 flight because there is only 5-20 people on it. I have seen it several times, cheaper to fly via BNE, SYD, MEL, BME, DRW to KTA on Air North or QF than it is to fly direct from Perth. Afternoon flights are cheaper via BME.

Price Gouging is there, but then again as you'd know like everything in the Pilbara people think that EVERYONE earns 200k a year so we get charged accordingly. I know company's need to make money and cover overheads but airfares take the cake out of here!

Though on a positive note it looks like Exmouth-Karratha-Exmouth flights will be starting at $86 one way when they start up! So can pop down there for a relaxing 4 days for less than the cost of driving and not endure the 5hr lackluster drive!

I just book JASA's now, same amount of points out of KTA to Eastern States as it is Perth to Eastern States so finally get something free out of Qantas! or Red E-Deals.

Finally, generally we see the new 738's in and out of KTA so at least that's something extra as well.


Edit: Alliance also provides RPT flights. They are the cheapest at $229, used to be $150 but they have become very popular because the FIFO guys the flight is contracted for don't take luggage and the Alliance girls in Perth are apparently very very good with luggage....known people who have bought 50-60kgs back from Perth for nothing. Also they look after you as you are a "paying passenger" not a contract passenger.

But the fact we have 10-12 QF , 2-3 Virgin, 1-2 Alliance flights per day (depending on day) we should not be paying any more than $250 for a 2hr flight.

Don't even get me started on the Eastern State Flights unless you book 12 months out!!!!!!!

 

[medhead]

Award flights?

I doubt it's the most expensive route per mile in the world.


Sent from the Throne

 

[pat25d]

Wah wah I want something for cheap because I'm entitled to it.

+1 to airlines are a business and exist to make a profit.

Dont like it? Fly a cheaper airline. There isn't one? Start up an airline charging 1/4 of QF/VA and see how much money you make.

 

[eastwest101]

Just continue to support the competition - laws of supply and demand will eventually balance out. Good to hear Alliance are making a go of their RPT services - that is the kind of thing everyone should be supporting.

 

[medhead]

I doubt it's the most expensive route per mile in the world.

Well some research. You don't mention which pilbara town but let's assume KTA. The distance from Perth is 775 miles. At your quote $625 that is $0.806 per mile.

Now let's take ADL-OLP for mid September that's starts at $1.037 per mile and some flights are $1.363. Sorry Pilbara is not the most expensive route in the world by a long shot.


Sent from the Throne

 

[eastwest101]

Now let's take ADL-OLP for mid September that's starts at $1.037 per mile and some flights are $1.363. Sorry Pilbara is not the most expensive route in the world by a long shot.

Good point - will be interesting to see what happens to those fares now that the OLP Expansion Project has been curtailed, might take the pressure off a little.

 

[pat25d]

Well some research. You don't mention which pilbara town but let's assume KTA. The distance from Perth is 775 miles. At your quote $625 that is $0.806 per mile.

Now let's take ADL-OLP for mid September that's starts at $1.037 per mile and some flights are $1.363. Sorry Pilbara is not the most expensive route in the world by a long shot.


Sent from the Throne

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$1.95 a mile, in $US not $AUD though (not like it matters).

 

[smit0847]

Goods and services are worth what people are willing to pay for them.

 

[eastwest101]

KAYAK - Cheap Flights, Hotels, Airline Tickets, Cheap Tickets, Cheap Travel Deals - Compare Hundreds of Travel Sites At Once

$1.95 a mile, in $US not $AUD though (not like it matters).

Very amusing! I had to look up where that was - as we would all admit its not really a fair comparison as its via SFO, a bit like flying OOl-BNE via SYD or CNS!

 

[smit0847]

KAYAK - Cheap Flights, Hotels, Airline Tickets, Cheap Tickets, Cheap Travel Deals - Compare Hundreds of Travel Sites At Once

$1.95 a mile, in $US not $AUD though (not like it matters).

KAYAK - Cheap Flights, Hotels, Airline Tickets, Cheap Tickets, Cheap Travel Deals - Compare Hundreds of Travel Sites At Once

ORD-MKE

$2.79 a mile

 

[pat25d]

Very amusing! I had to look up where that was - as we would all admit its not really a fair comparison as its via SFO, a bit like flying OOl-BNE via SYD or CNS!

Then take out the 1 stoppers and the direct flight is $691 for 118 miles, or $5.85 per mile.

 

[medhead]

Good point - will be interesting to see what happens to those fares now that the OLP Expansion Project has been curtailed, might take the pressure off a little.

Probably just make it slightly easier to get red-e-deals on Monday morning 2 weeks in advance. There are a large number of people who FIFO in operational roles even through it is a residential site.


Sent from the Throne

 

[kiwi2768]

Wah wah I want something for cheap because I'm entitled to it.

We don't feel that we're entitled to it. All we want is a fair price for airfares instead of the gouging that is going on. Why should people who live up here be put at a disadvantage because of FIFO workers? Looking at the most expensive one way fare of $650 at $1.02/mile I'm not sure that people wanting to fly SYD-PER would be happy to pay an economy fare of $2074 one way.

 

[pat25d]

We don't feel that we're entitled to it. All we want is a fair price for airfares instead of the gouging that is going on. Why should people who live up here be put at a disadvantage because of FIFO workers? Looking at the most expensive one way fare of $650 at $1.02/mile I'm not sure that people wanting to fly SYD-PER would be happy to pay an economy fare of $2074 one way.

I wouldn't be happy but it doesn't make it unfair.

Since when have airfares ever been decided by distance though? Like almost all products, services and commodities, they are affected by supply & demand.

You think you are being unfairly treated because they are lumping you in the same category as FIFO workers in regards to fares, however this isn't unfair... it is completely true. You and a FIFO worker both want a seat on a plane between two airports. Whoever is willing to pay more will get the seat. That doesn't make it unfair, that actually makes it fair (from an economic standpoint). Unfairness would be local residents being favoured over others for the exact same service.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Looking at the most expensive one way fare of $650 at $1.02/mile I'm not sure that people wanting to fly SYD-PER would be happy to pay an economy fare of $2074 one way.

How is this comparison in any way valid when you use the most expensive fare?

 

[pat25d]

Why should people who live up here be put at a disadvantage because of FIFO workers?

Why should a privately owned company sacrifice their own profits just to be nice to local residents who choose to live in a certain location?