Jetstar to open crew base in Perth

[topend3]

:):):):):):):):):):)


Jetstar to set up pilot crew base in Perth
12th March 2009, 6:00 WST

Jetstar will set up a pilot crew base in Perth, underpinning the growth of its flights into Asia and more domestic destinations.

The increase in operations for its 180-seat A320 planes comes a month after the airline launched services from Perth to Cairns and Adelaide.

Figures show that passengers are moving from Qantas for cheaper seats on its low-cost subsidiary Jetstar.

While Qantas’ international passenger numbers slumped 11.6 per cent in January, Jetstar’s increased 35 per cent, in part because of the new routes.

On domestic routes, Qantas carried 2.7 per cent fewer passengers in January while Jetstar numbers jumped 9.3 per cent.

Jetstar will also open a crew base in Darwin and will expand bases at Cairns, the Gold Coast and Brisbane, but will close its Hobart base.

Chief executive Bruce Buchanan said the growth and realignment of Jetstar aircraft bases and associated pilot and engineering staff would maintain capacity and flights.

In the past three months Jetstar has launched international flights from Perth to Jakarta, Singapore and Bali.

Its fleet is now 34 A320s and six 330-seat A330s.
GEOFFREY THOMAS

[blow.n.gasket]

I wonder what the respective load figures would have been if Qantas had spent circa $70 million on advertising to!:eek:

[genex]

I think the idea of adding A320 capacity to JQ and opening up new bases and routes is to increase overall Group profitability....(hence mainline jobs more secure)....by offloading onto the lower cost JQ subsidiary routes which would otherwise sink into a sea of red courtesy of Qantas legacy cost structure and inflexibility.

So by doing things like opening up PER and DRW bases and routes, Jetstar makes money in its own right and decreases the losses that sister airline Qantas mainline would otherwise have made. Also quarantines the "low yield" virus away from the high yield focus of the legacy sister, thus further preserving mainline jobs while creating jobs in the LCC younger sister. Win-Win it would seem.

The whole strategy seems to work thus far, except to those who add new meaning to those old words...."There's none so blind as those who will not see"

[max autobrakes]

Blah,blah blah.

[Angle of Attack]

FFS! shouldnt you be working?
:ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh:

[boocs]

Any word on numbers going to DRW?

[Dash1]

Domestic Bay 11 Perth the other day 7 ground staff carrying out various duties around a Jetstar A320. 1 wearing a Jetstar uniform the other six wearing Qantas uniforms. Does that equate to seven staff on the jetstar payroll or one? Can anyone explain?:confused:

[Long Bay Mauler]

What you saw the other day is the real world when it comes to Jetstar in ports away from the major East Coast ports.

As there is most likely no official contract in place,Jetstar get the cheap use on mainline staff and resources e.g. the true cost of using mainline staff is not taken into account.This will continue to happen and continue to place strain on the under resourced mainline staffing levels.

When Qantas staff are out tooling around on Jetstar,mainline aircraft and passengers wait for either a bay,baggage handlers or engineering support.For those who work for Jetstar,reading this may sound like sour grapes,but I can assure you that our other customer airlines get good service,but certainly not the preferential treatment and in some cases free labour and materials that Jetstar gets.

[genex]

And therein lies the Qantas Group's big commercial advantage....that it can do multiple tasks with the same workforce, the whole being much more than the sum of the parts.

[Dash1]

But therein lies the point. Qantas can't provide the same service and complete those same tasks with the same workforce. Perth again. This time sat in a 767 at a stand off bay waiting 20 minutes for a set of stairs. Looked out the window and there is an A320 with a set of Qantas stairs. Don't know whether we could have used them but the crew did a great job keeping us informed. A few of us were asking the question whether the stairs were Qantas property or Jetstar property and if they belonged to Qantas why did we have to wait 20 minutes. We arrived on time.

[Bula]

Jetstar continually try to remove QF groundstaff from the operation but the board always says no to retain Qantas jobs even though the end result is a more expensive groud handling contract then those offered by others.

[aulglarse]

DASH1, waiting for the stairs probably meant your 767 didn't get an aerobridge, hence a stand-off bay(quite unusual unless it was terminating or a shortage of a/bridges) where a delay on the ground may have been inevitable with a limited amount of stairs available in your situation-but then as you say,'Perth again'.

Whether or not an JQ A320 a/c is using QF stairs/ground equipment is nothing more QF's obligation fulfilling the ramp handling/service contract. If it was another contractor then that contractor would have to provide the appropriate ground equipment.

[Little_Red_Hat]

Unusual? Pfft, not in Perth. Ground handling contract or not, who the :mad: is the lo-co, the new Airbus with the big orange star on it, or the one that says QANTAS???

Or should I re-phrase that, why does mainline not prioritise mainline? If the punters are paying $30 for a ticket MEL-PER then waiting 15 minutes for a bay isn't such a big deal. IF, however, they've just paid a full price J fare on QF, they'd be pretty pissed off (and they always are)

Let's not mention what a safety hazard those bl@@dy stairs are for a 767...

Ok rant over, back on topic. So JQ are starting a crew base in Perth, funny how the downturn meant a hold on growing the QF 737 base, but oh look, a cheaper airline is coming in, sure we can justify that! Isn't there a point where QF is competing with itself???

[hotnhigh]

LRH, competing? No, it's the cancer within.
It turns up orange on every xray.
But don't worry, Dr Genex will be taking care of your terms and conditions transplant.
Another few years when the cancer has grown big enough, you will be ready for the operation. Sit back and relax, you'll enjoy watching the transformation from within.
A word of warning, however, the transplant is expected to be only useful for a few years, when the terms and conditions will be found to be wanting. But don't worry, Dr genex jr would have graduated from med school, packed full of knowledge, and lower terms and conditions , ready for another op.
It's all about choice. Take the transplant or die.

[genex]

This thread is about JQ opening up a new base in Perth. I have no idea whether thats a good idea or not.....it doesn't affect me and never will. But if the folks making the decisions think its good why not try it?

And this humble Genex didn not start LCCs. Did not deregulate the industry nor fill the punter's minds with dreams of $39 fares. But I do remember when jobs were very hard to come by, when there was only the "majors" and when if you weren't hired by 28 you were dead meat.

On balance this world is better i think.....would anyone argue that the terms and conditions of some...should stand in the way of jobs for many?

[Toolman101]

Unless the red rat does something about increasing parking bays at PER all Pax (QF/J*)are going to be p****d off with delays.
It not uncommon for J* to sit on 'Golf' waiting for Bay 11 to free up:{