QANTAS (the real QANTAS) ceases all flying to New Zealand.

[blueloo]

Who would have thought - with todays announcement of the AKL LAX service being cancelled - QANTAS has ceased all operations into New Zealand. (Unless anyone can think of any odd ones - Queenstown maybe?)

A country so close and with such close ties - who would have thought no more services on our national carrier.

[Beer Baron]

If you are making the distinction between 'Mainline' Qantas and Jetconect then your statement is not correct.

The A330 service QF25/26 MEL-AKL-MEL is being replaced by a 'Mainline' 737-800.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not at all happy about the continual shrinking of this once great airline but the particular change you refer to is not entirely correct.

ps. And I think 'Mainline' still do the Queenstown services as you suggested.

[indamiddle]

from an f/a perspective it is confusing. the AKL crew are not endorsed for 737. now with the withdrawal of the 747 from auckland/sydney if scheduling want to utilize them the cabin crew will have to be paxed to and from NZ to OZ. if u think this is not a problem consider that there are 500 hosties over there. that would be a minimum of 200 seats one way to get them to sydney each week.
then they have to get them back to NZ at the end of a trip

[Golden Jet]

Qf25/26 is not an A330. Think you might find it's operated via jet connect 800.

[sleeve of wizard]

QANTAS today (16FEB12) announced latest restructure to its International network, which sees following changes in effect from May and June 2012:

eff 06MAY12
Auckland – Los Angeles Daily A330-200 Service CANCELLED. Air New Zealand will be the sole operator on this sector
Los Angeles – New York JFK Daily service to be operated by Boeing 747-400 once again, replacing A330-200. According to OAG, QF replaced 747 with A330 on this sector since 05JUL10
Singapore – Mumbai 3 weekly A330-300 Service CANCELLED

eff 10JUN12
Sydney – Bangkok Daily 747-400 service to be replaced by Airbus A330
Sydney – Tokyo Narita Existing 6 weekly 747-400 and 1 weekly A330-200 service will become Daily 747-400 operation

[standard unit]

indamiddle,

I think you'll find that there are far fewer Kiwi crew than you suggest.

"Management" are reviewing how the Kiwi base is "positioned" within the group with suggestions that there are opportunities elsewhere for them in MEL or LHR according to Tarranto's latest double speak.


Make of that, what you will.........

[Going Boeing]

The cancellation of the AKL-LAX service shows what a failure Boston Consulting Group are:- They did the research and convinced management that they would make more money utilising the A330 on the LAX-JFK sector but to make the aircraft available, an A332 had to operate the AKL-LAx-AKL services - replacing a 412 seat B744. This was giving Air NZ a boost because of the significant reduction in seats as well as a significantly longer flight time for the slower A332 which had to fly a longer route to stay within ETOPS distance of airports enroute. Now that they have made the route unprofitable they are pulling out totally thus gifting more traffic to Air NZ.

Can Qantas seek compensation from BCG for their poorly thought out research?

[indamiddle]

standard unit,
any idea how many crew based in NZ?
as an aussie company kiwi crew need aussie or euro passport to work the contract in LHR. that will limit numbers. MEL base just transferred bucket load of shorthaulers to 380. 747 only flies to HKG. too many f/a's in MEL already. with 2 extra 747 getting the chop that will be over 200 extra crew in l/h, mainly sydney. maybe the vr going at the moment will absorb some of these.
also that of the 500 staff reduction 40 are pilots jobs that will go. have, will they offer a package(VR)?

[derab]

One of those "odd ones" that still exist is QF45/46, it still runs SYD-CHC-SYD with a B737NG
I remember the days when we would have a Qantas B767 , a B747-300 and a B747-400 on the ground at the same time in CHC (QF36MEL /QF46SYD /QF56BNE)
how things have changed. :(

[Starbuck69]

Yes, QF45/46 is a B737NG... also operated by Jetconnect.

[derab]

Bugger.. with it having skippy on the tail, I thought... oh well.

[baron_beeza]

Hmmmm, I am a Qantas Frequent Flyer.
While I don't plan to add many more miles to my plan I am now worried about what I am already entitled to.

It is something like a 6000 Km round trip at the moment. What are my chances ?

[cart_elevator]

Its a really interesting point though about the AKL based long-haul cabin crew.Paxing 250 AKL based crew to OZ to start every trip then paxing them back to AKL at the end of every trip :confused: Thats a lot of seats bein taken by crew every day/week/month. And theyre must-ride as they are part of a crew pattern,how long is that suistainable?

[flitegirl]

Sydney based crew regularly operate the 141/114 AKL return, 121/122 ZQN return and 45/46 CHC return.

[ejectx3]

Really? Qf mainline cc operate jitconnict flights?

[flitegirl]

ejectx3,

The flights are crewed by Shorthaul Pilots and Cabin Crew on VH registered aircraft.

[moutere101]

Going Boeing
You are off base on the ETOPS issue . There is no point along the AKL-LAX route that is not within 180-min. Anyway the A330 is certified for 240-min just about most countries other than Australia where your CASA seem rather intrangient on the matter of relazing the 180-min standard

[Going Boeing]

There is no point along the AKL-LAX route that is not within 180-min.

You are correct if all the airports on the direct route are "available". When the weather causes an airport to be unsuitable for ETOPS use, the route becomes significantly longer.

[drshmoo]

I've done AKL-LAX 100s of times.
The availability of PLCH brings in NCRG or NTAA but strong westerlies can do that too. The flight times don't shift that much if a port is unavailable. Maybe a few out and then it would become significantly longer.

[givemewings]

Over the last year on my many trips to AKL intl airport, I've only ever seen ZK-reg 737s. A VH would stick out like a sore thumb, perhaps I'm there at the wrong time of day...

[indamiddle]

standard unit,
the AKL based hosties will be offered QCCA (380), QCCD, MEL PER ADL, LHR if aussie or EC passport. some may even be offered MAM (i feel particularly sorry for those ones) there is talk that maybe 50 will be kept in base so that 2 managers there are not made redundant.

[jarden]

Fyfe was interviewed on ABC radio and stated that QF had annual revenues of $50 million on its AKL-LAX run (how he knows the inside info of a competitor?) and he is hoping that NZ will grab a fair chunk of it. Going up to 2 daily soon.
So why on earth did QF cut the route when it makes such good dough?
It must be a moron in charge...:yuk:

[Jackneville]

I don't know if he is or is not a moron, what is obvious though is that his agenda has the full support of the Board, or put another way, he is implementing the Board's agenda. The question is, why are they intentionally running mainline into the ground ? (no pun intended).

[Fruet Mich]

So why on earth did QF cut the route when it makes such good dough?

Why is every profitable route is cut by Qantas, to give to Jetstar to make Jetstar look good. "jetstar is the star performer again for Qantas"

Jetstar will be flying that route within a year! Mark my words. They have already labelled it a "leisure" route.

[Water Wings]

Going up to 2 daily soon.

It's been two daily for a very long time (NZ2 and NZ6 ex AKL, NZ1 and NZ5 ex LAX). Ramping up services may see the return of NZ3/4 which used to operate in addition to the above prior to launching SFO, YVR etc.

[LandIT]

Air NZ will be happy to have less competition out of AKL. Also they run those efficient 777's. Why QF cannot compete with a A330 on what used to be a viable QF25/26 747 route speaks volumes on QF mismanagement and choice of aircraft. I don't think one can blame the consultants. So now QF are forced to run a 747 LAX to New York - that can't make money? if a A330 didn't??

I see some AirNZ 747's and 777's into MEL and can only imagine this will increase to meet up with NZ2 and NZ6, also NZ8 to SFO. Of course AirNZ is not making a lot of money at present either but IMO shows more prospects than QF. Lamentable.

[73to91]

Fyfe was interviewed on ABC radio and stated that QF had annual revenues of $50 million on its AKL-LAX run

QF94, have you any knowledge re that figure?

[jarden]

Water Wings, NZ6 not daily no flight on Tuesdays.

JQ still have 1 more A330 coming could be used for a restart of AKL-LAX but most likely be headed to new SIN flying.

[golfjet744]

Try

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-02-24/air-new-zealand-to-cut-jobs/3850582

[golfjet744]

Fyfe was interviewed on ABC radio and stated that QF had annual revenues of $50 million on its AKL-LAX run

QF94, have you any knowledge re that figure?

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-02-24/air-new-zealand-to-cut-jobs/3850582

[Qantas 787]

Revenues don't equal profit.............

If AKL/LAX was making money, there is no way QF would can it.

[Water Wings]

Water Wings, NZ6 not daily no flight on Tuesdays.

Quite right, my bad. Schedule jumps around a bit especially with seasonal changes. I had thought it was back to being a daily service (can be at certain times of the year).

[Spitfire.]

Forgive me for being cynical Qantas 787, but given their actions of late, I think they would.

[skylarker]

Indamiddle

Nearly everything you say is wrong...where do you get that from?
Kiwis on kiwi passports have been offered LHR and as we speak there are over 30 who have taken up the 2 yr basing and are nearly ready to come home. Expect another 20 to be departing for there soon.

No where near 500 crew based in AKL, never has been or will be. Currently 200+

20-30 going to QCCA MEL and some going to SH PER or ADL

AKL base WILL NOT BE OFFERED MAM

747 hasnt done the AKL/MEL/AKL for yrs....current JC 737
A330 114/141 AKL/SYD/AKL is done by JC LH with some QAL
Will soon be a 737 JC

50 being kept in base is utter BS

crew will pax to and from AKL but patterns will be increased from 11 days (currently limit in EBA) to 14-15 day patters to make viable.

AKL base will be around for a while yet

[Going Boeing]

Air NZ plans North American boost
Item by australianaviation.com.au at 1:57 pm, Wednesday October 3 2012

Air New Zealand will increase flight to North America
Air New Zealand will increase capacity to San Francisco, Los Angeles and Vancouver as it moves to replace seats lost by Qantas’s exit from New Zealand-California flights earlier this year.

Air NZ will increase San Francisco services from five times weekly to daily, Los Angeles services from 12 per week to twice daily and Vancouver services from two to three times per weak during off-peak periods, the carrier said. The changes, due to take effect in April 2013, will add roughly 5,000 seats a month across the three routes.

Air NZ said the capacity increases to Los Angeles and San Francisco would make up 75 per cent of the seats lost when Qantas withdrew from the Auckland-Los Angeles route in May as part of cost-cutting measures.

[ranmar850]

Yes, QF45/46 is a B737NG... also operated by Jetconnect.
..which is the reason I will never again fly Q to NZ. I usually fly ANZ Perth-AKL-CHC. Thought I would try the more "direct"route for a change, so went for Per-Syd-CHC with Q. Didn't look properly, inexplicable,my fault, but ended up on a LCC, ala Jetconnect, when I had paid full economy. The single most uncomfortable flight I have ever had. Yes, this has been mentioned many times, the codesharing with LCC's is tarnishing Qantas' brand.

My next AKL flight is in January,in an ANZ 777.

[cart_elevator]

Didn't look properly, inexplicable,my fault, but ended up on a LCC, ala Jetconnect, when I had paid full economy

Ah,maybe you mean Jetstar,not Jetconnect. Jetconnect is all QF branded,with QF service,QF product,full in-flight service and the new in-seat IFE. Nothing low-cost about them....except the crews' pay :}

[ranmar850]

No, it was definitely Jetconnect. Really? What is the seat pitch on them? I am only just six feet in the old measurement, but had to sit bolt upright to avoid having my knees jammed uncomfortably hard into the rear of the next row. The only other time I have had that issue was on a VB 737, booked just so I could comment when the subject was raised, Per-Bris. Never again, either. Most of my long flights are done on ANZ , previously 747-? , latterly 767-(800?) No issues. You get appreciably more space on a Skywest F-100 than that 737. Weren't Jetconnect the old Jetstar NZ branch, re-branded, with the same aircraft? Or was I just grumpy after the first red-eye leg? Edit--and the IFE quit just after take-off:}

[moa999]

Ranmar,

Jetconnect is the old Qantas NZ operating company - now flying IFE equipped 737-800s that are all under 3 years old and delivered brand new to Jetconnect (the old 737-400s have been retired) and I believe have the same seat pitch as all other Qantas 737s... From the outside they look identical to a regular Qantas aircraft except for the flag that is missing a star.

Jetstar in NZ (grey planes with an orange star) is operated by a separate company and is definitely an LCC

Maybe just out of bed on the wrong side.

[who_cares]

Ranmar,
When was it that you travelled syd to chc?
Because since around mid year this service has actually gone back to be operated by mainline crews and aircraft.

[ranmar850]

It was January 2012, outbound around the 6th ,IIRC. So we may both be right, things have changed since my last flight. So were the older aircraft fitted with a shorter seat pitch, or was I, indeed, having a bad day?:O

[ditzyboy]

The first handful of 73H's that were delivered with AA seats had an 8/150 config and were changed within six months to the current 12/156 in all aircraft. The newer ones (delivered after VZE) have different seats in both cabins and PTVs but the same physical pitch. The first few Jetconnect 73Hs have (had?) slightly different J seats that also feature on two of the domestic 332s.

The seat pitch is 37" in J and 30-31" in Y.

Whether you fly on a flight operated by Qantas or Jetconnect the product offered is the same.

[Southern handler]

And Joe public don't care if it is operated by jitconnect, eastern, nat jet mainline. the only time that the vast majority distinguish between QF groups is whether there is a rat or a star on the tail, and whilst the rat normally wins out the last few J* flights the FA's have been a lot friendler than the past few QF FA's