Travelling to Australia During COVID-19 (Discussion)

[madrooster]

Particularly interested in prospects of cancellation for a full Y ticket on one of the routes SQ has been cancelling (ie SQ225).

SQ225 is basically getting the axe for large swathes of July and August.

 

[dajop]

We have been monitoring seat maps on SQ223 and 225 (we were trying to understand the chances of being able to move across last minute from SQ 8492, codeshare on TR, and then the cap reduction ruined everything).

Before the cap changes, the seat maps a week or two before departure seemed to usually quite well reflect what actually went out. This is what I am seeing for 14th-24th July ...

SQ 225 had 70 people allocated seats, now has 0
SQ 223 had 113 people allocated seats, now has 168.

The biggest increases in seats allocated for 223 occur on flights where 225 was heavily loaded, which suggests they are moving people, but not everyone.

 

[levelnine]

SQ225 is basically getting the axe for large swathes of July and August.

Yeah. Trying to work out if pax on that flight will be moved to other flights or they're guaranteed to lose their tickets.

 

[levelnine]

The biggest increases in seats allocated for 223 occur on flights where 225 was heavily loaded, which suggests they are moving people, but not everyone.

That makes sense. To be honest, I'm surprised the numbers are that high. I would have thought those flights would be only carrying 30-40 pax prior to the latest cap cuts.

 

[dajop]

That makes sense. To be honest, I'm surprised the numbers are that high. I would have thought those flights would be only carrying 30-40 pax prior to the latest cap cuts.

Oh. The figures I am referring to are totals over 11 days not averages! So SQ 223 now is showing 168 people with allocated seats over those 11 days (so average of 15 per flight). Prior the cap reduction SQ rolling average seemed to converge on about 210-220 per week (based on seats occupied on the flights that had departed), about 15 a flight also - but 2 x daily flights.

 

[levelnine]

Oh. The figures I am referring to are totals over 11 days not averages! So SQ 223 now is showing 168 people with allocated seats over those 11 days (so average of 15 per flight). Prior the cap reduction SQ rolling average seemed to converge on about 210-220 per week (based on seats occupied on the flights that had departed), about 15 a flight also - but 2 x daily flights.

Ahh okay, makes much more sense. Thanks.

 

[PineappleSkip]

QR has offloaded the bulk of the passengers they were going to offload, until 22/07 at this stage.

Any sign of QR reducing their frequency? I can’t see any cancellations yet on QR898/899, possibly AKL is helping them.

cheers skip

 

[madrooster]

Any sign of QR reducing their frequency? I can’t see any cancellations yet on QR898/899, possibly AKL is helping them.

cheers skip

They won't cancel any of those as it continues to AKL.

 

[madrooster]

AAnother new development: AA will be cancelling all SYD service from September onwards.

 

[levelnine]

AAnother new development: AA will be cancelling all SYD service from September onwards.

Thanks kindly for your updates. There is so little reliable information out there at the moment.

 

[Revenge]

AAnother new development: AA will be cancelling all SYD service from September onwards.

American Airlines restarts Sydney flights

The Qantas partner and Oneworld member will once again fly daily between Sydney and Los Angeles.

www.executivetraveller.com

 

[PineappleSkip]

Just reading this from a TA on FB. No idea whether it's true but poster asserted it is. Qatar schedule to be reduced to Melbourne, Sydney and Perth. Adelaide and Brisbane to remain the same. Results in 5 flights a week to/from Sydney and Melbourne, 3 flights a week to/from each Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane. Cheers skip

 

[stryker]

Just reading this from a TA on FB. No idea whether it's true but poster asserted it is. Qatar schedule to be reduced to Melbourne, Sydney and Perth. Adelaide and Brisbane to remain the same. Results in 5 flights a week to/from Sydney and Melbourne, 3 flights a week to/from each Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane. Cheers skip

Makes sense under the circumstances. I hope that QR can fill their planes a little more ex Oz though.

 

[madrooster]

SQ has just increased their ex-UK fares to Australia by 20-30% across all classes. I can't say I am surprised.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Well, another shoe has dropped, folks. UA has suspended service from LAX and SFO to SYD for the month of August:




So that leaves just DL as the sole North American carrier flying to Australia:


How poetic that the only airline serving Australia now from the Americas shares its name with the variant we are trying to fight off.

I wonder what the over/under is on UA cancelling its flights in September or October?

The One & Only,

KangarooFlyer88

 

[dajop]

Well, another shoe has dropped, folks. UA has suspended service from LAX and SFO to SYD for the month of August

Have they dropped or just don’t have any more seats to sell? Has AA moved some of their pax across? I noticed they are still selling flights in the SYD-US direction and seats are still allocated on the flights (for example UA 863 on 15 Aug SFO-SYD has 13 pax allocated - 3 in J and 10 in Y).

 

[PineappleSkip]

Have they dropped or just don’t have any more seats to sell?

I was wondering the same thing. I am watching availability on EK out of Dubai, and they only had a few dates in August even a couple of weeks ago, and without any others dropping out. On flights with only a few seats left, cutting the caps in half is a calamity.

cheers skip

 

[dajop]

I was wondering the same thing. I am watching availability on EK out of Dubai, and they only had a few dates in August even a couple of weeks ago, and without any others dropping out. On flights with only a few seats left, cutting the caps in half is a calamity.

cheers skip

On SQ out of SIN, even before the caps were cut , it was a couple of months before you could find a seat, to any of the 5 cities.

 

[Flying mermaid]

On SQ out of SIN, even before the caps were cut , it was a couple of months before you could find a seat, to any of the 5 cities.

I think in the current environment using a good TA is the only option. Master FM has just been booked with SQ flying SFO-SIN-SYD arriving early September. He has never used a TA in his life, but I told him not to even consider trying to do it himself and he had to use Madrooster!

 

[Pushka]

I think in the current environment using a good TA is the only option. Master FM has just been booked with SQ flying SFO-SIN-SYD arriving early September. He has never used a TA in his life, but I told him not to even consider trying to do it himself and he had to use Madrooster!

I agree. And it is very reassuring that Madrooster will be checking things that we just can't and also from a different time zone when overseas and maybe can fix it before we even know there is an issue.