kulula.com vs 1time

[Rotates Lowly]

Why is everybody so quite about the looming war?:confused:

I meant QUIET, not quite.:yuk:

[Pontius' Pilot]

Has war been declared by S.P. and Co?

Didn't get the impression he was going to take on K.com.

But then you may be QUITE right so I better keep QUIET!

[4granted]

Ive done several searches and have'nt found any website selling tickets for these 1timers.
Anybody gotta link?


....heard a couple of guys(pilots) have gone over from Sunair so I suppose money and commands are freely availeable???
Good luck ....
I just wanna cheap ticket with out dying for it..
4G

[jeroen_kim]

you can view the logo so long.......
http://mid.flyonetime.com/

[BAe 146-100]

Hi,

Anyone know what aircraft 1Time will operate? Going off what 4granted said they might be operating DC-9's?

BAe 146-100

[126,7]

They are getting 2 MD-82s from US-based Centec Aviation.

[ANVAK]

Rumour has it that (1) 9 pilots from Sunair have gone to 1-Time, on contract - no fly no pay; and (2) Sunair is interviewing. Anyone know more?:eek:

[Jangys]

8 Crew has left Million Air. Sunair does not have any "crew", "aircraft".

3 DC9's on ACMI (Aircraft Maintenance, Crew, Insurance) lease to Sunair.

"Sunair" Millionair is not interviewing. Foreign Crew will take over operations for Million Air.

Recruitment will only begin mid February.

Forward CV's to Million Air Charter.

1 Time's aircraft is a bit delayed from their supplier at the moment. The crew they recruited from Million Air has already left. I just wonder what they are going to pay these crew as there will be no flying untill the beginning March.

I heard 1 Time are trying to dry lease a aircraft from Million Air. You can just emagine what the outcome is going to be after they took Million Air's crew.

:\

[George Tower]

No one has actually ventured an opinion as to whether or not they [1 time] stand a chance of being successful? In the current market it seems like they're taking a rather large gamble.

It seems the domestic market is pretty much saturated

SAA has always got the SA taxpayer to bail them out so their market share seems quite safe from any competition. Comair flies the very successful BA brand which probably means they might not grow but have a secure market share.

Kulula seem to have massively expanded in less than 3 years of being in business (yeah I know it's Comair), so it seems to me that if 1-time compete purely on price grounds Kulula has the market share and it would seem reasonable profit margins to respond robuslty to anything that 1 time did regarding cheap pricing.

What I would be interested to know is how profitable the feeder routes are such as those operated by SA Express and SA Airlink as these carriers it appears have a monopoly to places such as Bloemfontein, Kimberley, East London etc. As these route have no competition.

[Jangys]

I can see another price war happening

Due to the fact that Kulula has got the SA public in their pocket and that they have the backing from "Comair BA", which is in fact the same company, they will be able to drop their prices even further.

1Time starting from scratch with backing from who? how wil they be able to keep up with a price war from Kalula?

Kulula MD82, B737 and B727 versus 1 Time DC9.

I think 1 Time need to revise their strategy and get some more aircraft.

:confused:

[Cardinal Puff]

I reckon 1Time should do just fine. They do their own maintenance which is a big cost saving and I believe they've even been approached by Kulula to do THEIR maintenance as they give better value for money than the current crowd being used.

Time will tell but I think it's a good thing to have a bit of competition in the market.

[George Tower]

Having an other carrier in the market will mean that somebody has to lose out unless there is a surge in growth in the market. So the question is who will lose out?

I'm not saying this is a bad thing as free trade is a principal I believe in. It would be interesting to see how SAA would compete in a free market without the benevolence of the SA taxpayer.

Any one care to comment about the monopoly that SAX & Link have on the feeder routes?

[Jangys]

On my way to the office this morning I saw all sorts of banners hanging from the multi storey car park at JNB Intl, displaying ads for 1 time.

Did anyone see the logo? I wonder how they will paint the acft.

I also believe that their aircraft arrived on Friday evening, they started with the C-check on saturday already at Aeronexus.

[Pontius' Pilot]

From Business Report

kulula slashes fares before rival's entry
January 19, 2004

Cape Town - Kulula.com said last night that it's website had had its "busiest weekend ever" following the news that it had slashed the prices of 100 000 seats by 30 percent to make flying cheaper than surface travel.

The decrease in prices could be seen as a pre-emptive strike against its new rival, 1Time, which is due to be launched in the next few days.

Gidon Novick, kulula's executive director, said yesterday he expected bookings to climb further today because most people booked seats using the internet at their workplace.

Novick said the company had launched its refreshed "super fast" website on Friday and that it had held up well.

Kulula is offering one-way fares between Johannesburg and Durban of R199, plus airport taxes. Fares on all other routes are R299. The offer will last until August but Novick said that although kulula sold 10 percent of its seats through travel agents, the cheaper seats were only available online and were likely to be sold out within two weeks.

There were still seats available, despite the weekend rush.

Novick said these fares were possible because kulula was saving 30 percent of its costs as a result of acquiring four larger McDonnell-Douglas M82 jets to replace the Boeing 737s it had been using.


Rodney James and Glenn Orsmond, 1Time's joint chief executives, said their total cost structure would still be lower than kulula's, whose finances are not separated from those of its parent British Airways/Comair.

James said 1Time was not worried by kulula's price-cutting.

"Clearly it is an attempt to take as many passengers as possible out of the market. But our marketing strategy, which will be announced in a few days' time, is quite different and will come as a shock to them," he said.

"The flying public understand what is going on and realise that fares will go up when kulula's price-cutting ends."

Both James and Orsmond insisted that there was room in the market for two no-frills airlines and that there would always be demand for full-service airlines offering business class.

Novick said kulula already had 15 percent of the total market on the routes it flew, but SAA was still dominant.

Rich Mkhondo, the executive communications manager of SAA, said: "SAA is studying the situation and will remain competitive ... Flying is not just a matter of catching a plane."

[Jangys]

This reminds me of a airline not to far in the distant past called flightstar.

Do you remember?

Go Kulula Go.....

:ok: :ok: :ok:

[Pontius' Pilot]

From Business report


By Lee Rondganger


The battle for South Africa's skies has begun.

A new, no-frills airline - 1time - launched its low airfares between Johannesburg and Cape Town on Wednesday. This has prompted other airlines to drastically reduce their domestic prices.

The new entry into the already saturated market has signalled an all-out price war between the major carriers for the domestic market.

1time will begin operating the Johannesburg-Cape Town route from February 25, with a one-way flight costing a guaranteed R581.

'It will be the consumer who will suffer'
The cheapest flight will cost R371.

This week, kulula.com and Nationwide drastically reduced their prices in anticipation of 1time's launch.

People flying one-way between Johannesburg and Cape Town with kulula.com will pay R379, while Nationwide passengers will pay R370 for their limited low-price offers.

A one-way flight on SAA from Johannesburg to Cape Town could cost between R1 200 and R3 000.

1time will not immediately run a Johannesburg-Durban route, but the other airlines have also slashed these prices.

'Consumers generally find these advertised low fares are available in limited numbers'
kulula.com will charge R279 for a one-way ticket, Nationwide R270 and SAA between R600 and R2 000.

All of the prices quoted by the airlines include R80 airport tax.

According to 1time, their airfares are on an unlimited basis with no additional costs, no hidden conditions and no restrictions.

1time chief executive officer Glen Orsmond said that traditionally airlines had advertised their lowest available airfares with the normal disclaimers such as "from", "subject to availability" and "terms and conditions apply".

"Consumers generally find these advertised low fares are available in limited numbers, have restrictive conditions and contain additional costs."

"The advertised airfares (or less) will be offered on every seat, every flight, every day, irrespective of when you make your reservation," he said.

1time will operate a fleet of two 110-seater DC9 aircraft and two 150-seater MD82 aircraft.

Travellers can start online booking from Thursday at www.1time.aero. Alternatively, they may book through its call centre on 0861345345.

Indirectly, the new competitor has made flying as affordable as surface travel.

People travelling one-way from Johannesburg to Cape Town on a Greyhound luxury bus pay R400, while Intercape passengers pay R395.

However, some within the airline industry are sceptical about whether the reduction of air prices can be sustained.

Paul Newman, a spokesperson for Amperzand Advertising and Communications, which does marketing for Nationwide, doubted whether the market could handle another no-frills airline.

"With the introduction of 1time, I do not think we are going to fill airliners (and run a profit) with the prices they are offering."

"It will be the consumer who will suffer in the long run because this price war is likely to damage the industry."

Newman said kulula.com's recent price slash was worrying because they would not be able to sustain the low prices.

However, kulula.com executive director Gidon Novick said the airline was excited about 1time's entry into the market.

"(The new entry) has energised us and has made us come up with a couple of new ideas."

"We have already upgraded our technology and with our new fleet up and running, we will save 30 percent of our costs."

SAA spokesperson Rich Mkhondo said prices for flights on the national carrier varied according to peak and off-peak seasons, including what day a person booked and at what time they wished to travel.

He said the busier the time, the more expensive the flights.

"Despite the entry of no-frills flights into the market, SAA will continue to compete and offer our customers special airfares with all the trappings that comes when they fly SAA, such as food and drinks.

"We offer more seats to all destinations in SA than any of our competitors."

Mkhondo said SAA had 250 return flights a week from Johannesburg to Cape Town and 180 return flights from Johannesburg to Durban.

One-way Airfares & Bus Fares Comparison: Johannesburg - Cape Town

HIGHEST LOWEST
1time R581 R371
kulula R1030 R379
Nationwide R2176 R370
SAA R3000 R1200


Greyhound R400
Intercape R395

[dickyd737]

Kulula is da boss

[Solid Rust Twotter]

Well. 1Time seems to be doing REALLY well and have just brought in an MD80 from the US. Crews are happy, shareholders are happy and everything seems to be on track. Battled to get a seat over the festive period as they were fully booked and had to charter in an outside mob to help cope with the numbers.

Go 1Time!:ok:

Good to see a local company doing well from startup. Jobs for pilots never a bad thing.

[APR]

Journo's - you can't believe a word they say.

I did my own comprison on the net, for a return flight Jnb - Cpt - Jnb on the 31st Jan 2005. I looked for a flight departing Jnb at 08h00 and then departing Cpt at 20h00. The prices on all the airlines are all inclusive, no additional costs.

Here are the results (closest departure times and the cost ):

1. 1time - Jnb 07h10 Cpt 18h00 Cost R841.00

2. SAA - Jnb 08h25 Cpt 20h25 Cost R1028.00

3. Kulula - Jnb 08h30 Cpt 18h30 Cost R1038.00

4. Nationwide - Jnb 07h20 Cpt 18h15 Cost R1323.00


Quite interesting!

[stop&go]

Dickyd da Dick, we are taking CV's. Next MD on its way:O

[DeltaFox]

Can any one please pm or post some info on 1time i.e.

1. Min req.
2. e-mail to send CV to or physical adress
3. Contact person (HR dep. or Chief Pilot)

Shot!!!
Cheers
DF:ok: