Virgin cuts OOL Flights

[lc_461]

VIRGIN Blue is set to whack the beleaguered tourism industry, flagging a new luggage tax for passengers and cutting flights to the Gold Coast.

Virgin Blue chief executive Brett Godfrey said skyrocketing fuel prices and greater security-screening processes had combined to severely increase check-in costs.

The budget carrier has also put Coolangatta services on the chopping block only days after the State Government delivered a $4 million rescue package when Qantas and Jetstar revealed flights between Cairns and Japan would be slashed.

"A bag costs us more to put through an aeroplane than a passenger," Mr Godfrey told Channel Nine.

"There's markets such as Coolangatta that has seen a 40-odd per cent increase (in) capacity this year, so even though that has been a profitable route for us in the past, maybe we have too much in there."

His comments came as Premier Anna Bligh stepped up her calls for national help as she labelled the issue one of "national significance" given the visitors Queensland attracts who travel elsewhere around Australia. The State Government has been criticised over the past week after the Tourism Queensland budget was cut by $3 million before the rescue package emerged.

Federal Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson yesterday refused to comment on suggestions the Commonwealth was planning an assistance package for tourism operators.

But he said: "The problems facing the Queensland and Australian tourism sector are significant and require a serious, properly considered, strategic response rather than a knee-jerk reaction."

Ms Bligh insisted national help was needed given the "ripple effect" the state's tourism had across the nation.

"There has been discussions with the Federal Government (and) I expect we will hear something from Canberra in the not-too-distant future," Ms Bligh said.

"This is of national significance. This is not just an issue for Queensland."

Mr Ferguson said key stakeholders would meet with Tourism Australia and Queensland Tourism this week to work on a response.

Queensland Tourism Council chief executive Daniel Gschwind said tourism was a shared responsibility between states and the Commonwealth.

from: http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,23831529-3102,00.html

Queensland seems to be seriously hit now, with QF, JQ and DJ all reducing flights. :ugh:

[Jet_A_Knight]

Coolangatta Airport :8 might have been ok when 4 767's a day went in there, but with the volume of passengers going in there now, it is so far off the mark facilities wise, it's a joke.

In real terms, it's not much better than a cattle yard - except a cattle yard at least has rails to guide the cattle to the right place. :ugh:

Maybe the QLD government can aid the QLD tourist industry by spending up big and taking the next 10 years to build a 'modern' terminal facility that will be out-dated and way off the mark capacity wise anyway.:rolleyes:

[BPA]

Shouldn't the title of this thread be 'Virgin may cut OOL Flights', has Virgin have not announced any cuts yet?

If they do cut back flights to OOL , my guess it will be MEL-OOL flights that will be reduced, considering you have Virgin, Jetstar and Tiger operating the route.

Plans have been released for the new Terminal at OOL

[flyer_18-737]

Since TT arrived, there is now an extra 540 seats up to OOL every day, so surely this would effect JQ/DJ. DJ dont offer as much return flights ex MEL as JQ, but they have a whopping 12 flights a day per leg ex SYD, so thats like 2000 seats each way per day(and this is only DJ!)

[BPA]

True they do have a lot of flights ex SYD, but cut 1 return from ML (a reduction of 288-320 seats) and feed those pax via SYD (just like the old days) and increase the load factor/yield on those flights.

Have a listen to BG's comments regarding reducing flights and he gives some clues. The routes they are looking are reducing will still have connections available within the network.

[flyer_18-737]

Would you rather a direct flight, or a connection/stopover in Sydney? Direct Flight please! I see virgin charges are quite high if you want a connection via some ports.

Average Daily Seats(all carriers):
SYD-OOL= 3770seats or 23 flights per leg
MEL-OOL= 3030seats or 20 flights per leg
Now thats alot of bums of seats

[BPA]

We would all like direct flights, but hey in the Ansett/TAA days direct flights just didn't happen. A good example was CBR-BNE, with most (if not all) flights going via SYD. ie DC9 to SYD then 727 to BNE.

[TBM-Legend]

2 x B777 out before they're in I hear...:ooh:

[teresa green]

Anybody hear if a A330 (JQ) is going to be based at OOL. (for OOL/Japan flights?

[PyroTek]

From an SLF perspective: Mhm, just when i found the cheap fares to get to Sydney were from OOL. :{
(Hopes VB doesn't cut any OOL-Sydney-OOL flights)
Fools.

[fumes]

TBM,

Are you saying 2 of the first 7 B777s for VA have been scrapped, or possibly 2of the optional 8? Is it a good source?

[SilverSleuth]

No 777s have been scrapped all you clever people.

[another superlame]

No 777s have been scrapped all you clever people




Well except for the BA 777 that had a grass slide a few months back.

[PyroTek]

Well except for the BA 777 that had a grass slide a few months back.
funny that, I was at Heathrow about four days either side of that accident

[TBM-Legend]

All I said is that VB are looking to can or defer two acft. Did not say the first two....

[Flying Monk]

What are you talking about -

'Maybe the QLD government can aid the QLD tourist industry by spending up big and taking the next 10 years to build a 'modern' terminal facility that will be out-dated and way off the mark capacity wise anyway".

The QLD government is not the operator of the OOL airport.

See ASX listed company Australian Infrastructure Fund (AIX)

[Jet_A_Knight]

MONK

WHERE THE #@$% DO I SAY THE QLD GOVT OWNS THE AIRPORT?:mad:

[Flying Monk]

Steady fella!

Let's just start again - What are you talking about?

Did I say "OWN" anywhere?

So, take a deep breath and read it again!

[Jet_A_Knight]

Breathe taken:ok:

My insinuation - if you like - is that if the QLD govt wants to help, they should not sell off vital infrastructure, and make improvements to the same.....sarcastically, also implying that infrastructure that is usually built is usually obsolete by the time it is finished.

YBCG is a crap airport for the amount of movement going through it. The facilities are rudimentary at best, and a real pain in the rear end as a pax, and as an operator.

You want people to come to Queensland?

Then make it easy for them and not a loss leader for the operators.

Oh, and an ILS might be nice too, considering the weather.

Shiiiit, aerobridges for the punters whilst we're at it.

[Arctaurus]

Oh, and an ILS might be nice too, considering the weather.

Maybe on 32, but not so sure if one could be installed on 14.

[TBM-Legend]

Was I not right??:rolleyes:

Today's Australian>>

"This is expected to include cancelling and/or deferring some of the seven 777s Virgin Blue has on order, moving a minimum of three on to the US route and reducing domestic capacity by up to 10 per cent."

[woftam]

Quote
"Oh, and an ILS might be nice too, considering the weather."
Or have RNP capable A/C and Crew :ok:

[Jet_A_Knight]

RNP capable aircraft and crew are not the problem.

Waiting a squillion years for CASA to approve RNP approaches is.:ugh:

[porch monkey]

Dunno Knight, aerobridges at GC would be a bummer really. One of the few ports where you get to have a perve at what's getting onboard these days. (Those glass sided ones at AD excepted)

TBM, don't take everthing you read in the Australian as gospel. Wait till it comes from the horses head, er sorry, mouth before you start dancing...