VA's COVID-19 Minimal Network Schedule

[Max Samuels]

Has anyone flown QF in the past few days? They claim to be operating 5x MEL-BNE services a week but I cannot find a single one that is not actually JQ when I look 2 weeks from now.... very frustrating and annoying

 

[Max Samuels]

Has anyone flown QF in the past few days? They claim to be operating 5x MEL-BNE services a week but I cannot find a single one that is not actually JQ when I look 2 weeks from now.... very frustrating and annoying

There aren't even 5 flights in this 7 day window, and one of them is via Sydney - and they are all JQ.... does anyone know if they are just adding flights a few days out? So weird....

 

[hydrabyss]

Ok.... so there was no catering - the choice of a brownie or beef jerky- yuk. Who on earth would have suggested beef jerky as an option?

But, there was plenty of beer and wine - and with only 1 other pax in J the service was great. Nice crew, just happy to be at work! So I wasn't really that disappointed in the end.

All the planes parked in BNE.... a bit sad :-(

I have a feeling the companies that supply catering have closed the kitchens. But have to agree beef jerky is not something I would have thought to include.

 

[Mattg]

@Max Samuels did you notice if VA's wifi and in-flight entertainment App were still working?

 

[Melburnian1]

I have a feeling the companies that supply catering have closed the kitchens...

So many companies in different sectors have shut down (or reduced staff) but strangely there's not been any publicity about such caterers. I'd have thought there may have been, as the larger ones employ quite a few, and the media loves to discuss aviation.

 

[AIRwin]

So many companies in different sectors have shut down (or reduced staff) but strangely there's not been any publicity about such caterers.

I'd joked that they are making meals for delivery to the public instead so perhaps it's true after all?

 

[odysseus]

If they were, you'd hope it would be promoted. Something like this?

https://www.flightkitchen.ca/

 

[Max Samuels]

@Max Samuels did you notice if VA's wifi and in-flight entertainment App were still working?

I didn't notice. The updated safety demo to include how to cough, sneeze and about general disinfectant was kinda funny.... didn't really roll off the tongue

 

[Melburnian1]

There aren't even 5 flights in this 7 day window, and one of them is via Sydney - and they are all JQ.... does anyone know if they are just adding flights a few days out? So weird....

View attachment 216304

On Thursday 7 May 2020, JQ506 was the 0900 hours MEL - SYD but apart from VA863 at a timetabled 1630 this afternoon ex MEL, there are no other MEL - SYD flights.

Usually QFd seems to have one or two nonstops SYD - MEL (except on Saturdays) and mostly one via CBR. The latter usually operates seven days a week, but not today.

Today (7 May), the only other domestic departures out of MEL by the 'big three' airlines are:

JQ780 at 1000 hours to ADL
JQ709 at 1415 hours to HBA

QF773 at 0935 hours to PER
QF614 at 1030 hours to BNE
QF2080 at 1030 hours to MQL

VA269 at 1230 hours to CBR
VA685 at 1245 hours to PER
VA863 at 1630 hours to SYD
VA341 at 1700 hours to BNE

(TT is not included as it has ceased operations).

making a grand total (if one excludes that MQL flight) of nine 'main domestic route' departures from MEL on a Thursday. We'd have all been certified and transported to a 'special place' if we'd suggested six months ago that this would occur.

As we are not allowed to visit MEL to observe - one could "perhaps" do it on some pretext but I wouldn't like to risk a fine of $1652, and we're asked not to - one can only presume that demand is so low (apart from the PER route with FIFO workers up in northwest Western Australia - that even with a government subsidy, the airlines have decided it's just not worth operating flights. AFFer milehighclub did suggest that the Federal Government may have specified minimum booking numbers or similar for flights to operate and that's also possible.

Is it fair to say that apart from the 1980-era pilots' strike and the more recent QF lockout of 2011, in the last 50 years there's never been a lower number of domestic flights operating than is the case at present?

 

[AIRwin]

https://newsroom.virginaustralia.com/release/virgin-australia-adds-domestic-schedule

 

[Mattg]

https://newsroom.virginaustralia.com/release/virgin-australia-adds-domestic-schedule

Good to see some more flights. I was hoping there might be some within NSW (given the state is opening up for regional travel on 1 June), but nothing there.

 

[p--and--t]

Good to see some more flights. I was hoping there might be some within NSW (given the state is opening up for regional travel on 1 June), but nothing there.

Maybe the gov feels the REX subsidised flights are currently covering needs?

I haven't seen any figures anywhere on actual passengers numbers on routes etc to see how many people have flown against the $m's the gov has put in the sector for base flight coverage. I wonder if there have been any published anywhere?

 

[travelislife]

What a joke. Can't wait to see the lawsuits that come after.....the gov't hasn't even described what "residency" is for a state... because it is not a concept in Australia. We are citizens of the country, not the state. It is quite possible to have multiple places of resident in many states (as many people here do, I am sure). A driver's license merely is permission to drive a motor vehicle. But in the nanny state that is Australia, one can hold only a single license at any time. If I live 1/3 between Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, I am equally a resident in each, but hold a license for only 1 state. All my mail gets sent to a single address (of course), so it is perfectly acceptable that I will not be carrying on my person anything that "proves" I live anywhere. Which is not even required by law.

Here you go...

Clive Palmer to challenge WA border closures in High Court after exemption application denied

Clive Palmer said the closures breached Section 92 of the Constitution which states trade, commerce, and intercourse among the states shall be absolutely free.

www.theage.com.au

 

[Melburnian1]

Maybe the gov feels the REX subsidised flights are currently covering needs?

I haven't seen any figures anywhere on actual passengers numbers on routes etc to see how many people have flown against the $m's the gov has put in the sector for base flight coverage. I wonder if there have been any published anywhere?

In regard to the latter, you're correct (as usual) but in April 2020 SYD airport (the only major airport that's a publicly listed company) reported IIRC that just 49000 domestic passengers used it. That's roughly 24500 each way. There are some ZL and FP (FlyPelican) flights in the mix (although strangely many FP ones have been cancelled at short notice, perhaps a day or three before when it's realised there won't be sufficient bookings) but in total, roughly 20 domestic flights a day each way (including these small plane operators).

24500 each way is an average of 800 passengers per day. I'd guess fewer on Saturdays and more on Sundays to Fridays but overall it's a small number, perhaps two to three per cent of what it would have been a year ago. This tallies with SYD stating that passenger traffic in April 2020 was about two per cent of 'normal' i.e. a decline of 98 per cent compared with the same month last year.

Today (Friday 22 May) there were five QFd 'mainline' flights ex SYD, three JQd and three VAd plus three QFd flights to rural NSW airports like TMW, so in total 11 flights by B738s or A333s and three by (not that I've checked) turboprops, plus eight ZL and two FP flights.

Not many!

It's odd that VAd is increasing flights to BNE ex MEL because isn't Queensland still one of the four states with its borders closed?

 

[Melburnian1]

On Sunday 7 June 2020 during coronavirus, VA only operated four flights ex MEL: VA321 to BNE at a scheduled 1000 hours, VA689 to PER (1615), VA863 to SYD at 1630 and VA341 to BNE at 1700 hours. Interesting that Queensland's border is closed, yet VA runs more often there than elsewhere. Is this something to do with its Head Office being in Brissy?

 

[Mattg]

Looks like the government will continue to underwrite domestic flights until 30 September. Good news.

Government to extend financial backing for domestic flights

The federal government will continue to underwrite domestic flights operated by Qantas, Virgin and Regional Express between capital cities and regional destinations, even as airlines start to add capacity back into their networks in response to rising traveller demand.

www.smh.com.au

 

[Must...Fly!]

Further additional flying announced from July

COVID-19 (Coronavirus) information hub

travel.virginaustralia.com

Virgin Australia boosts domestic flights

Virgin Australia is ramping up its existing flights and bringing other routes back online, with a range of new health measures.

www.executivetraveller.com

 

[jakeseven7]

Who would book VA at the moment though...

Personally with my own money - no way.
Business - we've been blocked from booking VA as well.

 

[auflier]

are virgin lounges open at all?

 

[Must...Fly!]

are virgin lounges open at all?

No, closed like QF