Air New Zealand Auckland to Sunshine Coast

[320subria]

Air NZ to commence seasonal flights between Auckland and Sunshine Coast. See article from Courier Mail below:

WHO wants to surf in the morning and ski in the afternoon?

The first direct flights between the Sunshine Coast and New Zealand were announced this morning, with a special $149 one-way deal available from 1pm today until midnight on March 2.

In a major coup for the region's tourism industry, the new service will begin this winter operated by Air New Zealand as part of its Trans Tasman alliance with Virgin Australia.

Airbus A320s will fly between Sunshine Coast Airport at Marcoola and Auckland each Sunday and Tuesday from July 1 until September 18.

Flights will connect with domestic flights to the South Island's ski fields and also to scheduled flights to North America, including to Los Angeles, San Francisco and Vancouver.

Book at Cheap Flights, Airfares & Holidays - Air*New*Zealand Official Site - Australia Site (http://www.airnewzealand.com.au) or Virgin Australia | Flights, holidays, hotels & cars (http://www.virginaustralia.com.au).

Air New Zealand's GM Australia Cam Wallace said he was delighted to see Air New Zealand begin a great working relationship with the Sunshine Coast.

``We're looking forward to helping more Queenslanders make the trip across the ditch whether they're visiting friends and family or enjoying the New Zealand ski season. We'll also be flying plenty of Kiwi tourists into the heart of the Sunshine Coast to enjoy some winter warmth," he said.

``While the initial season is 1 July to 18 September, if there's enough demand we'll look to make it a year-round service.''

[Jack Ranga]

Interesting eh! At one airline in Australia the sky is caving in, at the other they are investing in the product!

[Wally Mk2]

Hope their NPA's are up to scratch!:-)

Wmk2

[Jabawocky]

Thats the Gold Coast Wally :}

Mind you there is a big rock there if you get out of shape....dont invite a certain A330 operator to fly there :oh:

[nitpicker330]

Ahh Wally ANZ operate RNP into Queenstown in horrid weather so I think they won't find too much trouble in QLD!!!

[neville_nobody]

Ahh Wally ANZ operate RNP into Queenstown in horrid weather so I think they won't find too much trouble in QLD!!!

Except that it is a short 30m runway, constant xwind, high minima and gets very heavy rain.

If they were smart they'd build their own RNP down to the threshold at least then they will have a crack at getting in whilst everyone else is going to BNE.

[waren9]

Not such a factor that time of year I'd have thought.

[nitpicker330]

Yes our A320 Kiwi mates in ANZ don't ever see cappy weather in their flights, 30m runways or high minimums so I could see how the Sunshine coast might just bring em down a peg!!

You can't be serious????:D

[Sqwark2000]

Except that it is a short 30m runway, constant xwind, high minima and gets very heavy rain.

Sounds like Rotorua...

[clark y]

I didn't think the Sunshine Coast was an international airport.



Clark y.

[ozbiggles]

It isn't up to a international standard
But that won't stop the current system using it as one

[UnderneathTheRadar]

It isn't even up to domestic standard. How much money did they just spend only leave it so you have to checkin, walk outside and then back into a different part of the same building to get to security!

Madness

[Tangan]

Except that it is a short 30m runway

Yes but it is about 1700m wide......:)

[27/09]

Quote:
Except that it is a short 30m runway
Yes but it is about 1700m wide......

Yeah I read it that way too, but if you landed across it you might be OK. :D

[Wally Mk2]

..........whoops yr right there 'jabadabadoo', same thing though, another QLD backwards Airport where you feel yr way down to the ground during an NPA (No Proper Approach):E

Hey 'nit' I've been into 'Queertown' b4 & yr right YBSU & YBCG are a walk in the park!:)


Wmk2

[Roj approved]

28 degree day, 160pax, Tempo on SYD and you are pushing MTOW for the 1797m with TOGA and Packs off, how are they going to carry AKL? Restricted to 100pax maybe?:confused:

[topend3]

http://www.sunshinecoastairport.com.au/siteresources/media_releases/AAA_Major_Airport_Award_2011.pdf

not what the "experts" think...

[Capt Basil Brush]

28 degree day, 160pax, Tempo on SYD and you are pushing MTOW for the 1797m with TOGA and Packs off, how are they going to carry AKL? Restricted to 100pax maybe?

Roj, I was thinking the same - but throw in a Wet RWY as well and I dont think the Perf Figures would look that great.

I wonder if they checked with Flt Ops the feasability of it before announcing it??

[Artificial Horizon]

Don't Air New Zealand have a few of their A320's with performance upgrade kits to enable trans tasman operations out of NZRO - YSSY. NZRO is over 1000' high, 30m wide, and around 1760m long. Maybe they are going to deploy these aircraft on this route as well. I seem to remember reading something about the engines being 'up-rated' to enable this route to launch??

Someone out there will know.

[TBM-Legend]

Please explain how A320's operate here:

Santos Dumont Airport, Rio

Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
02R/20L 1,323 4,341 Asphalt
02L/20R 1,260 4,134 Asphalt
Statistics (2011)
Passengers 8,522,225
Aircraft operations 130,026
Metric tonnes of cargo 5,406

[neville_nobody]

not what the "experts" think...

Obviously they didn't factor in the ability for an aircraft to land at 'Airport of the Year' in their equations. Be interested to know how many RPT aircraft couldn't land at the 'airport at the year' in the last two months.

[Eastwest Loco]

Yeah well good luck NZ - with the biggest nightmare of a fare structure in the world.

No bag, no food nothing - or - add the bags and no food - or - bags and food and everything else and so on. Following is a fare display from MEL CHC. Is there any wonder why I drink?

NZ MELCHC.EH 20JUL12 MPM
V FARE BASIS BK FARE TRAVEL-TICKET AP MINMAX RTG
1 PSATUSS P X 124.00 ---- -/‡ -/ - EH01

NZ-NZC/SMARTSAVER-SB - SMART SAVER RULES PLUS BAG
NZ MELCHC.EH 20JUL12 MPM
V FARE BASIS BK FARE TRAVEL-TICKET AP MINMAX RTG
2 KBAGUSS K X 149.00 ---- -/‡ -/ - EH01
3 XBAGUSS X X 168.00 ---- -/‡ -/ - EH01
4 GBAGUSS G X 190.00 ---- -/‡ -/ - EH01‡
‡
NZ-NZC/SMARTSAVER-SW - SMART SAVER RULES PLUS THE WORKS
NZ MELCHC.EH 20JUL12 MPM
V FARE BASIS BK FARE TRAVEL-TICKET AP MINMAX RTG
5 LWRKUSS L X 179.00 ---- -/‡ -/ - EH01
6 TWRKUSS T X 198.00 ---- -/‡ -/ - EH01
7 WWRKUSS W X 220.00 ---- -/‡ -/ - EH01
8 VWRKUSS V X 253.00 ---- -/‡ -/ - EH02

NZ-NZC/SMARTSAVER-SD - SMART SAVER RULES PLUS WORKS DELUXE
NZ MELCHC.EH 20JUL12 MPM
V FARE BASIS BK FARE TRAVEL-TICKET AP MINMAX RTG
9 LDLXUSS L X 294.00 ---- -/‡ -/ - EH01
10 TDLXUSS T X 323.00 ---- -/‡ -/ - EH01
11 WDLXUSS W X 355.00 ---- -/‡ -/ - EH01
12 VDLXUSS V X 398.00 ---- -/‡ -/ - EH02

NZ-NZC/FLEXI-XW - FLEXI RULES PLUS THE WORKS
NZ MELCHC.EH 20JUL12 MPM ‡
V FARE BASIS BK FARE TRAVEL-TICKET AP MINMAX RTG‡
13 QWRKUF Q X 320.00 ---- -/‡ -/ - EH02
14 HWRKUF H X 411.00 ---- -/‡ -/ - EH02
15 MWRKUF M X 524.00 ---- -/‡ -/ - EH02
16 BWRKUF B X 661.00 ---- -/‡ -/ - EH02
17 YWRKUF Y X 832.00 ---- -/‡ -/ - EH02

NZ-NZC/FLEXI-XD - FLEXI RULES PLUS WORKS DELUXE
NZ MELCHC.EH 20JUL12 MPM
V FARE BASIS BK FARE TRAVEL-TICKET AP MINMAX RTG
18 QDLXUF Q X 515.00 ---- -/‡ -/ - EH02
19 HDLXUF H X 636.00 ---- -/‡ -/ - EH02
20 MDLXUF M X 769.00 ---- -/‡ -/ - EH02
21 BDLXUF B X 906.00 ---- -/‡ -/ - EH02
22 YDLXUF Y X 1077.00 ---- -/‡ -/ - EH02

NZ-NZC/BUSINESS-BU - BUSINESS CLASS FARES
NZ MELCHC.EH 20JUL12 MPM
V FARE BASIS BK FARE TRAVEL-TICKET AP MINMAX RTG‡
23 DRBIZ D X 1026.00 ---- -/‡ -/ - EH03‡
24 CRBIZ C X 1176.00 ---- -/‡ -/ - EH03
25 CRBIZ C X 1285.00 ---- -/‡ -/ - EH02

*** BELOW ARE YY NLX FARES MEL-CHC VALID ON NZ ***

YY MELCHC.EH 20JUL12 MPM
V FARE BASIS BK FARE TRAVEL-TICKET AP MINMAX RTG
26 . HIF H R 1452.00 ---- - -/ - EH04
27 . HIF H O 944.00 ---- - -/ - EH04
28 . DIF D R 2776.00 ---- - -/ - EH04
29 . DIF D O 1805.00 ---- - -/ - EH04

And that is for a 3.20 run on a 160 odd seat aeroplane for stuff all return. Turns the old Shark Patrol into the Berlin Airlift.

What ****** in NZ marketing was clever enough to come out with a system that is so cumbersome that their Agency and Res dudes hate it and I am sure the "who gets what" must be a nightmare for the Cabin Crew.

Good luck on the Sunny Coast NZ, but do realise your biggest negative is your own fare structure.:ugh::ugh::=

Best all

EWL

[c100driver]

EWL,

Operationally "seats to suit" works really well and is quite easy to manage. Yes is is more complicated but it is hard to argue with the improved results on the Tasman operation! It has gone from negative to positive cash flow

[CI300]

Actually, it’s the success of the fare structure that’s allowed Air NZ to begin expansion again. It allows a variable number of ‘class’ of seat, without dedicating X number of seats to any class.
It’s actually a fairly clever concept with much more potential.

I have travelled extensively on the Tasman in the last few years. There were a number a teething problems for the first few flights. But from a consumer point of view it’s all fairly seamless now.
The cabin crew tell me the same.

Whether we like it or not, the world of aviation is continually evolving. Partly driven by shareholder expectation for a good return, partly passenger expectation for cheap flights. As long as were signed up for this model, the drive will continue and we need to find our way to embrace it or spend more time in the garden.

*I don’t work for Air NZ!

[nitpicker330]

From my experience as a Y class pax it is a headache for the CC.
Not to mention by the time I swiped my credit card to buy some Pringles and a Pie they were sold out ( all before top of climb!! ) The CC were embarrassed and used stock meant for the return sector.

Nightmare....