Wake up VA
Having moved from the left seat to the corporate world, I commute each week from the Sunny Coast to Sydney. The advent of the QF Link service direct to SYD at around 0630 in the morning negates the need to drive what is now a 2 hour journey to BNE in the morning, but means I can't use my VA gold status.
Almost everyone I talk to on the QF flight tell me they are VA customers, but like me, can't handle the 3 am get up (in summer) to get to BNE early enough to park off-airport, shuttle to the terminal and commute on a service early enough for office hours in Sydney.
I am convinced that if VA had a similar offering out of the sunny coast it would be full. The QF 717 is full each Monday morning and again on the return Friday afternoon. But here is the rub, around 80% of the time the QF departure each Monday is late. Its all got to with crew rest, but for a 'business service' you can't confidently book meetings etc.
From memory, VA have a 'South East Qld" base, so the issue of overnighting crews is almost a non-issue. Is there someone out there who has the ear of VA 'commercial' to consider such a service?
Off to get my 1.5 hour delayed QF service, so won't be back on Pprune till the weekend.
Cheers