What is happening to the BNE/MEL-coughet service?

[JohnK]

I probably missed the announcement but I was recently searching for DJ Velocity award flights HKT-BNE/MEL for June/October next year and noticed that this service is terminated around the end of February 2011.

Apparently it is being replaced by a PER-HKT service but one cannot book BNE/MEL-PER-HKT on the one ticket and you need to get 2 separate awards which will require more Velocity points.

 

[markis10]

coughet and NAN are gone in Feb in terms of 777 service, reverting to DJ, I wonder if calling the service centre will solve your problem.

 

[JohnK]

So it will be Virgin Blue and not V Australia going to coughet? What type of aircraft are they likely to use? A330?

Interesting indeed. Perhaps I shall wait until V Australia gets to Europe or look for some better value local redemptions.

 

[oz_mark]

So it will be Virgin Blue and not V Australia going to coughet? What type of aircraft are they likely to use? A330?

PER-HKT is a 737.

 

[ric_melb]

In Borghetti's address to the AGM today, he said that in future coughet and Fiji would be serviced by Boeing 737. Presumably this is Perth/coughet, and East Coast to Fiji.
Doubt the 737 could fly East Coast to coughet, or Perth to Fiji!

 

[JohnK]

PER-HKT is a 737.

Really? How many hours is that flight? If PER-SIN is ~5 hours on an A330 then one would expect PER-HKT on a 737 to be significantly longer. Yikes! SYD-PER is too long on a 737....

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Really? How many hours is that flight? If PER-SIN is ~5 hours on an A330 then one would expect PER-HKT on a 737 to be significantly longer. Yikes! SYD-PER is too long on a 737....

It's about 6.5 hours in the air.

Strategic are filling a gap there with MEL/HKT and BNE/HKT flights starting on A330.

 

[serfty]

There would be little difference in time; cruise for a 738 is about 15 mph below that of a 332.

PER-HKT is just under 3,000 miles, with the range of the 738/737's.

Definitely a 6 hours flight though.

 

[Danger]

On the subject of the PER-HKT route, how the heck does one book it?

On bing.com/travel I've found what must surely be a mistake with the below, PER-HKT-PER, with Virgin, in "first":



The price is an incredible USD852 all in. Again, in "first". However, I can't find a Virgin website that lists HKT as a destination, let alone allows me to book it. I've tried virginaustralia.com, flypacificblue.com, vaustralia.com and all no HKT. Expertflyer lists the outbound flight as DJ4149 and VA4149 and the inbound as DJ4148 and VA4148.

And what's with the whole "First Class Cabin"?

 

[Danger]

Apparently I wasn't looking hard enough. HKT is listed under "Asia" in the drop-down menu, rather than by country. Samoa, the Solomons etc. get their own country heading but HKT just gets "Asia".

Not surprisingly, the fare is considerably more expensive:

 

[Moopere]

The price is an incredible USD852 all in. Again, in "first". However, I can't find a Virgin website that lists HKT as a destination, let alone allows me to book it. I've tried virginaustralia.com, flypacificblue.com, vaustralia.com and all no HKT. Expertflyer lists the outbound flight as DJ4149 and VA4149 and the inbound as DJ4148 and VA4148.

And what's with the whole "First Class Cabin"?

Yeah, DJ is messing with our heads on this. Its done mine in: http://www.australianfrequentflyer....d-at-djs-seat-classes-31743-4.html#post467007

ExpertFlyer is reporting these weird F class flights as F booking in E (economy) cabins. What the???

Their remaining PE booking codes are now coming up as J too. The whole thing is a mess. Its wormed its way through most of the engines now, EF, Kayak, Matrix, etc. Sadly for DJ, I now just turn off their flights, and JQ, as they can't be trusted and are just too much work to try and nut out.

 

[Justchecking]

Yeah, DJ is messing with our heads on this. Its done mine in: http://www.australianfrequentflyer....d-at-djs-seat-classes-31743-4.html#post467007ExpertFlyer is reporting these weird F class flights as F booking in E (economy) cabins. What the???Their remaining PE booking codes are now coming up as J too. The whole thing is a mess. Its wormed its way through most of the engines now, EF, Kayak, Matrix, etc. Sadly for DJ, I now just turn off their flights, and JQ, as they can't be trusted and are just too much work to try and nut out.

DJ use F, for their economy class tickets.

 

[Moopere]

DJ use F, for their economy class tickets.

Yes, this has been mentioned to me before, and I believe it, but try as I might, I couldn't find a fare code table on the DJ site and every search engine I've hit has got it wrong. Even ExpertFlyer, which can well handle different codes used by different airlines seem to be unaware and is using the wrong code.

 

[Justchecking]

Well in any case, just as well to block them. Until such time as DJ use international aircraft on these routes I have no interest in flying that route with them. Being stuck on a 737 for 6.5hrs and paying an international fare to do it, is not my idea of fun. Sorry but for a $1000 return I expect an international standard of product which includes decent leg room, more than 3 toilets and hot meals served without me needing a credit card. I understand that the 777 was an inappropriate aircraft for the route, but I'll wait until an a330 is doing that route before I think about DJ. I can currently fly SQ on that route for less than DJ even on their bare bones saver fare. Once the SQ alliance comes along I hope they dump the 737 into Asia and just sell SQs ticket instead.

 

[richie9x]

Yes, this has been mentioned to me before, and I believe it, but try as I might, I couldn't find a fare code table on the DJ site and every search engine I've hit has got it wrong. Even ExpertFlyer, which can well handle different codes used by different airlines seem to be unaware and is using the wrong code.

The follow is what my travel agent has for DJ class codes. With a note that 'Information correct as at 16 May 2011'.
Saver (F,R,X,U,A,T,S)
Flexi (M,B,N,Y)
Premium economy (J,H,O)
Business (J,H,O)

 

[Moopere]

The follow is what my travel agent has for DJ class codes. With a note that 'Information correct as at 16 May 2011'.
Saver (F,R,X,U,A,T,S)
Flexi (M,B,N,Y)
Premium economy (J,H,O)
Business (J,H,O)

Thanks for the update. Interesting that its next to impossible to get this information off the DJ webstie.

Also interesting that PE is using the same codes as Business. Sure, those of us following threads and rumour here at AFF have a clue as to why this is (upcoming product rollout) but in the meantime, its pretty deceiving for the general ticket purchasing public I reckon.

 

[Major]

For those interested in flights to coughet I posted this earlier

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....-airfares/cheap-flights-to-coughet-31858.html

 

[MarkD]

I honestly thought F class was First class all over the world, with all airlines that offered it... Hmmmm, not that I could afford, nor see value in First class, I thought it was Industry Standard, so to speak.

 

[Moopere]

I honestly thought F class was First class all over the world, with all airlines that offered it... Hmmmm, not that I could afford, nor see value in First class, I thought it was Industry Standard, so to speak.

Yes, me too. An unofficial standard if you like. F, J and Y for First, Busines and Economy.

Its certainly true that all the letters are set per airline, but then, whats happened in the last few months where suddenly all the search engines are wrong and DJ is right? Sounds like a problem DJ would want to get on top of even if its not, strickly speaking, their own issue.