Rex cancels Christmas

[Eastwest Loco]

In an interesting move, Rex is not operating a single flight between MEL and Wynyard on Christmas day.

I do find this quite amazing and an indication that Wynyard is suffering from the economic conditions the current alleged Government has precipitated with the "stayin' alive" Green alliance.

QFlink are running a full set of 4 into DPO where it may have been logical to drop the overnighter. From the fare bucket availability the loads for QF to and from DPO can't be high but they are still running the service.

Passenger movements in and out of BWT are currently running at a fraction over half of the QF loads through DPO so one must wonder about the viability of Wynyard. Rex overall is doing a lovely job for investors and producing a good profit in an ugly industry.

If it wasn't for the Tasmanian "I want one too" attitude Wynyard would have been turned into housing years ago.

Does anyone within Rex have an explanation to the zero flight approach? I realise it is generally a low load day but providing continuity of service does count as well.

best to all

EWL

[jetbrett]

From what I have heard Rex is not operating on Xmas day FULL STOP.

Due to costs of paying Ground staff the required on that day, it is cheaper for the airline to put their feet up for the day, just like other normal industries.

Excellent business move I say.

[Eastwest Loco]

Decent call JB, but as most of their ground crew are contract and I would be pretty sure there is no penalty rate built into their agreements I am still amazed that the service is not there even in a reduced capacity.

Crew deals are something I do not have a handle on so will not comment on. I have no knowledge of agreements, so I have no place judging.

Must be the old full service Airline fart in me coming out I guess.

Best regards

EWL

[Digaf]

Wynyard loads have been averaging 50 - 75 percent full.

20 people at $200 one way is a reasonable hourly rate for the Saab

32 taswegians got returned to the homeland on yesterday mornings flight :ok:

[Captahab]

QFlink are running a full set of 4 into DPO where it may have been logical to drop the overnighter. From the fare bucket availability the loads for QF to and from DPO can't be high but they are still running the service.

Sounds more like an ad for Qlink than a question Loco !

[Stiff Under Carriage]

From what I have heard Rex is not operating on Xmas day FULL STOP.

100% Correct

[Guptar]

Surely this is a wind up..........I've worked 4 Christmas days as a rampy in a past life and christmas morning was the busiest morning of the year. Something like 60 turn arunds in 5 hrs.

[Stiff Under Carriage]

No wind up. Not sure on the reasoning but its true.

[Eastwest Loco]

No ad for Ratlink Captahab, just a step that amazes me.

TN and AN back in the dark ages would use "rationalisation" protocols and cull a couple of flights each on Christmas day, but would still ensure the service was there and available.

I acknowledge Digaf in the the statement of the load factors and Rex is performing beautifully with profit considering the state of the economy. That just seems to make this more perplexing. The schedule has dropped from a basic weekday schedule of 10 movements to 8. There is a definite sniff of Burnie Council subsidy here and after the alleged subsidy disappeared so did the extra flight. No way of knowing as the Council is a secret society and aobviously the locals are not in the "need to know" category.

Fact is Ratlink is carrying double the passengers out of DPO compared to BWT. The BWT fares are generally higher but not so much in high traffic times. The difference in passenger levels has never been greater and no blame can be apportioned to Rex for that. The State Government in particular the tree hugger component have a lot to answer for in that regard.

The lack of oncarriage fares to international services is also a turnoff whereas you can have your fare commence in DPO and finish is JNB for example, with your bags through checked and the Airline responsible for you all the way with connections and support. This applies QF to QF, BA, EK and a bunch of other carriers.

Bottom line is that I am amazed that Rex is not offering at least a limited service on 25 DEC.

It's a bit like El Al in years past not flying on the Sabbath.

Best all

EWL

[tasdevil.f27]

Can't we get rid of boganport, Launy is just up the road.. :E Wynyard (REX) just needs some reasonable fares, the amount of people who travel to Launceston and fly Virgin is staggering! REX will always struggle to compete with the big players I guess. Maybe we will see one those ATR's in the future and then see how the QF Devonport loads go. :ok: Gotta love those anti Wynyard folk :p

[Eastwest Loco]

Unfortunately Tasdev, Wynyard has always been the lowest denominator of the North West ports.

Even when I worked there with TN we were the underdog due mainly to the local working class mindset. Passenger numbers were always below DPO by at least 10%. You will recall Rex serviced DPO (kendall too) for a time but chose to retreat to BWT and have generally made a good and obviously profitable fist of it. The SF340 is a very nice aeroplane, a little skittish in high temperature approaches but great to fly on so there is no problem there.

As for Boganport - have you been to Burnie (actually Planet Burnie) lately. things have become worse since I left there many years ago. the average IQ is room temperature on a good day and Centrelink is the town hot spot. Not good.

I agree that the Rex fares are fairly prohibitive and there is a fair bleed to DPO with the Corporates we have down there. The fact that their cheapest fares are only available via their web engine also makes them unatractive to book as flexibility is lost for any changes. Speed can be of the essence and having to log in and wait, wait, bloody wait is annoying when things are instant in any GDS.

LST may have been a backwater for aviation if the Bodgie and the fat Prick hadn't conspired to delay deregulation. One down and one to go and I will then make the pilgramage to dance a jig on their graves. If EW had taken delivery of the first 3 F100s that were on the production line then all hell would have broken loose.

25% of each load ex DPO was coming out of the LST catchment and the loads were good and the yield was above expectations.

There is reverse leakage out of the coast to LST these days as will happen. Much of it is ferry Fodder - those who would normally ride the housing commission taxi. That used to happen in the past with the nonstop LST SYD and LST OOL flights before EW arrived.

Now the shuttle service is $70 per person each way to get from DPO to LST the leakage may slow as QF regularly throws in special fares - current being $89 each way to MEL over a specified date range.

Best regards

EWL

[ad-astra]

One down and one to go.

Take your gum boots as it will be a sodden mess at the Silver Bodgies marker!

I have made a personal commitment to pay my respects.

[Captain Dart]

You'll need fisherman's waders by the time I have finished.

[teresa green]

I nearly drowned myself there. I was flying along trying to do my paper work when the height lock on the Queen Air disengaged, bloody nearly ended up in the drink. Thank God no pax, I was on a repositioning job. I made the decision then and there regardless of what I was flying they could stick their paper work from now on, I am flying the aircraft first, a valuable lesson.

[B772]

Teresa. Was this the TAA Queen Air operation in Tasmania around 40 years ago ?

[Stiff Under Carriage]

Curious as to how the last 4 posts relate to topic???:}

[teresa green]

B772, yep, I was on them 64/65. Stiff undercarriage (what a appropriate name) yes we are off blog, but the fact that I nearly ended in the drink, because of trying to fly the A/C as well as trying to fill out the paper work, is a lesson for young pilots. Don't. For that alone, its worth printing.

[Stiff Under Carriage]

Teresa. True that!

[Ex FSO GRIFFO]

I seem to recall that at one time, MMA in the West did not operate on Christmas day or Good Friday, whilst under the control of its founder who had some respect for his beliefs....(?)

Others may be able to verify this......

[hiwaytohell]

Any airline that completely cancels Christmas days flights obviously does not understand their pax... in the days when I was flying I'd say more than 50% of my pax were from split families... such as kids where mum & dad no longer lived together, or divorced parents etc spending time in two places... and a lot of the rest were people who were flying from work to be with families or to work after spending the morning with families... in any case it was about families.

I nearly always got a big kick out of flying on Christmas day!!!

[Oktas8]

OK, this has been bugging me. I kept thinking the thread would die, but as it hasn't...

Seems to me that Rex is actually celebrating Christmas. It's every other airline which has cancelled Christmas (i.e., business as usual). As Professional Pilots, isn't this something to cheer, rather than whinge about? We're paid salaries to work on public holidays, and Rex pilots get the day off anyway! Good on them!

(Pax & profitability definitely inconvenienced, true.)

Merry Christmas all,
O8

[Stiff Under Carriage]

Oktas8. :D:D:D

Well said mate. That's the way we looked at it.

Was considered a bonus.

[hiwaytohell]

If they were say a charter operator maybe... but they provide a public service.. that is why it is "regular public transport"

[Trojan1981]

If they were say a charter operator maybe... but they provide a public service.. that is why it is "regular public transport"

The are not like the trains are they...
It's a private entity and they can do what they please. Good on them I say :ok:

[Capt EFIS]

REX had always operated on a very reduced schedule on Christmas Day with not all ports receiving a service, therefore, if it works out that REX makes a loss on this day why wouldn't you close and give all your staff the day off.

I for one will be enjoying the day off with my family.

Merry Christmas everyone !!

[hiwaytohell]

they can do what they please. Good on them I say http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/thumbs.gif

Maybe you are not someone by virtue of work or circumstances who needs to travel on Christmas day!!!... if an airline is providing regular public transport they have an obligation to the public they serve!

It's a private entity and they can do what they please
Last time I looked REX was not a "private entity"... they are a listed public company. Their stakeholder obligations do not stop at their shareholders... nor do they stop with their staff!

They have an public obligation to provide a service, even if a limited service!

[rmcdonal]

They have an public obligation to provide a service, even if a limited service!
They provide a scheduled service, if they don't schedule for Christmas day then they are not required to.
Last time I looked REX was not a "private entity"... they are a listed public company. Their stakeholder obligations do not stop at their shareholders
Yes they do. If not enough people want to fly on Christmas day that REX can't make a profit then it would be irresponsible for them to operate.

[fritzandsauce]

A few months there was an artical in the Kangaroo Island local paper criticising their decision not to operate on Christmas Day as the local ferry doesn't operate Christmas either, but funny how they didn't crititise the local ferry, which carries the marjority of traffic to that island. At least Wynard pax have the option on DPO or LST!

[De_flieger]

I'm another one who had been hoping this thread would fade away...
Regular public transport means that seats are available on flights operated in accordance with a published schedule to the general public. It doesnt mean that they are providing a "public service", merely that where the service is provided, it is available to the public. As it happens, the published schedule appears not to have any flights operating Christmas Day. For flights to be operated to every desired destination on every possible day, you'll be wanting a charter operator.

If there are no scheduled flights to your destination that day, you cant insist that "its a public service" - some routes operate some days but not others, and it seems that no routes will be operating Christmas Day. If Rex arent selling tickets on flights that day, and you cant book flights, thats the business decision made by them. Maybe it will affect profitability, or maybe its cheaper to shut down for the day and let the ops staff, ground handlers, pilots, flight attendants and all the other employees spend the day with their families. Alternatively if it boosts morale and improves staff retention it could be a net positive for the company without incurring the cost of running (potentially, I dont know) lossmaking flights that day? Whatever the reasons, it looks like the Rex staff get Christmas to spend the day with their families and friends rather than chucking bags on a 40 degree ramp or shuttling up and down the east coast! :D good on 'em, the more companies that take that attitude and let their employees have one day a year where absolutely everyone gets the day off to spend with family, the better.
Merry Christmas to all!

[Stationair8]

Good on Rex, it is only one day afterall.

Most people will be travelling over the weekend , and if you ain't made travel plans by now, well tough.

Having worked the last twenty or so Christmas days you don't get much thanks or any extra incentive for being at work!

[Pith Helmet]

It's a bizzare situation as a buddy of mine reckons there are a number of pilots from a NQ airline who are applying non stop to Rex??

[Jenna Talia]

good on 'em, the more companies that take that attitude and let their employees have one day a year where absolutely everyone gets the day off to spend with family, the better.

Believe me when I tell you that consideration for their staff would not have been remotely entertained by REX management prior to making this decision.

[Stiff Under Carriage]

Believe me when I tell you that consideration for their staff would not have been remotely entertained by REX management prior to making this decision.

If it is only a byproduct...

Quote:
good on 'em, the more companies that take that attitude and let their employees have one day a year where absolutely everyone gets the day off to spend with family, the better.


of that very decision, not to schedule flights on xmas day, what's the difference Jenna?

Nothing! Who cares what the bulk reasons were!

[Eastwest Loco]

To the same point Jenna, no consideration to their catchment residents.

One flight would have been sufficient per port in my humble opinion.

EWL

[teresa green]

Never has been a Christmas for any airline staff. In forty nine years of flying I only scored 15 at home. That's the job, that's always been the job. Hard on families, and a lonely time in a hotel for crew, even having some sort of lunch with other just as lonely crew, does not make up for the kids faces. But it the job, always will be for both aircrew and ground crew, part of the package. Make the best of everytime you score being home!:D

[Wally Mk2]

I agree "TG".....you couldn't be more correct> .......it's a shame though that society has to wait 'till xmas to enjoy a family get together,there's the sad problem commercialism means more than family:-(
I love my family & want to be with them 365 days a year, not just on the 25 th Dec where $$$ is the overriding feature of this ugly time:ugh:

Wmk2

[Stiff Under Carriage]

TG. Yep well said. It is the job and we all know it. We all knew we may have had to work. We had to bid for it off. Was all a surprise when we found out we weren't operating. So whether is was for us (unlikely) or not. I couldn't give a damn. I'll be enjoying it. As for the punters who needed to travel. I'm sure they had time for alternate plans.

Cest la vie for everyone.

[teresa green]

And a Happy Xmas to the whole lot of you, despite the dickheads that employ you, you have once more pulled of another year of little A/C incident (well other than the A380 and that was not the drivers fault). So here is to your training, your ability, your dedication. Australian Pilots and Engineers, you cannot beat em. Have a great one folks.:D