What a way to serve a market?
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What a way to serve a market?
This story is in today's Hobart Mercury. HIH can the airlines allow this to happen, especially when the state is so reliant on reliable and economic air links?
THERE may still be room at the inn for the forthcoming Christmas week in Hobart -- but there is no way for anyone to get here.
At least not directly from Melbourne.
In an extraordinary situation, no seats are available on any flight into Hobart from Melbourne on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday next week.
The situation is creating chaos for business travellers scheduled to hold meetings in Hobart next week, who now find they cannot get to Tasmania's capital city except on Sunday or Thursday.
It is believed to be the first time such a lack of airline capacity has affected Hobart for a sustained period.
Urgent talks were held yesterday between Tourism Tasmania chief executive Felicia Mariani and Qantas about improving access to Hobart.
Both Qantas and Jetstar in the past year have reduced the number of daily flights and total passengers able to fly to Tasmania, particularly Hobart.
State Tourism Minister Paula Wriedt said yesterday she was perturbed by the looming shutdown in access from Melbourne to Hobart next week.
"I will continue to actively encourage airlines to increase flights but at the end of the day it is unfortunately a commercial decision that each airline must make," Ms Wriedt said.
Tourism Council of Tasmania chief executive Daniel Leesong said while it was encouraging to see incoming planes fully booked, it did Tasmania no good if travellers who wanted to come here were turned away because of flight access problems.
"In some ways it's a great problem to have, but it needs to be resolved if it continues," Mr Leesong said.
The first flight from Melbourne to Hobart next week is on Thursday.
But even then the cheapest one-way ticket is a hefty $219 per person with Jetstar, with prices not falling below $200 until Christmas Eve.
And the flight access problem from Melbourne is not confined to Hobart. Even the alternative of flying from Melbourne to Launceston and hiring a car to drive to Hobart for business appointments is out, because all flights to Launceston for the same three days are booked out.
But none of the three domestic airlines -- Jetstar, Virgin Blue or Qantas -- is prepared to put extra flights on to alleviate the bottleneck.
Qantas is however looking at switching the type of planes that fly the Melbourne-Hobart route next week from 737s to 767s, which would enable it to offer 24 extra seats per flight.
Plenty of flights are still available in the other direction, from Hobart to the mainland.
THERE may still be room at the inn for the forthcoming Christmas week in Hobart -- but there is no way for anyone to get here.
At least not directly from Melbourne.
In an extraordinary situation, no seats are available on any flight into Hobart from Melbourne on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday next week.
The situation is creating chaos for business travellers scheduled to hold meetings in Hobart next week, who now find they cannot get to Tasmania's capital city except on Sunday or Thursday.
It is believed to be the first time such a lack of airline capacity has affected Hobart for a sustained period.
Urgent talks were held yesterday between Tourism Tasmania chief executive Felicia Mariani and Qantas about improving access to Hobart.
Both Qantas and Jetstar in the past year have reduced the number of daily flights and total passengers able to fly to Tasmania, particularly Hobart.
State Tourism Minister Paula Wriedt said yesterday she was perturbed by the looming shutdown in access from Melbourne to Hobart next week.
"I will continue to actively encourage airlines to increase flights but at the end of the day it is unfortunately a commercial decision that each airline must make," Ms Wriedt said.
Tourism Council of Tasmania chief executive Daniel Leesong said while it was encouraging to see incoming planes fully booked, it did Tasmania no good if travellers who wanted to come here were turned away because of flight access problems.
"In some ways it's a great problem to have, but it needs to be resolved if it continues," Mr Leesong said.
The first flight from Melbourne to Hobart next week is on Thursday.
But even then the cheapest one-way ticket is a hefty $219 per person with Jetstar, with prices not falling below $200 until Christmas Eve.
And the flight access problem from Melbourne is not confined to Hobart. Even the alternative of flying from Melbourne to Launceston and hiring a car to drive to Hobart for business appointments is out, because all flights to Launceston for the same three days are booked out.
But none of the three domestic airlines -- Jetstar, Virgin Blue or Qantas -- is prepared to put extra flights on to alleviate the bottleneck.
Qantas is however looking at switching the type of planes that fly the Melbourne-Hobart route next week from 737s to 767s, which would enable it to offer 24 extra seats per flight.
Plenty of flights are still available in the other direction, from Hobart to the mainland.
Whispering "T" Jet
But even then the cheapest one-way ticket is a hefty $219 per person with Jetstar, with prices not falling below $200 until Christmas Eve.
I'm flying up to BNE tomorrow with DJ for only $115 (all up) one way and I booked three days ago. How does that work? No wonder Airline Partners Australia paid AUD11.1 billion for QF. Peter Little must be rubbing his hands together with glee!
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But even then the cheapest one-way ticket is a hefty $219 per person
Qantas/QFLink always put on more flights to HBA and LST during Christmas. Where has the love gone?
I guess the 737s are busy doing SIN-CNS and SIN-DPS-PER...
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Check the online skeds and get your facts straight, mate.
Last edited by ditzyboy; 14th Dec 2006 at 09:59.
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The article says "Qantas is however looking at switching the type of planes that fly the Melbourne-Hobart route next week from 737s to 767s, which would enable it to offer 24 extra seats per flight."
Now its been a while since I was on the 767 but from memory they hold just over 250 or so depending on the config. Surely the 737 doesn't hold 226? Yep another great piece of reporting. I'll stand corrected but hopefully I can stay seated. Anyhow...............
Now its been a while since I was on the 767 but from memory they hold just over 250 or so depending on the config. Surely the 737 doesn't hold 226? Yep another great piece of reporting. I'll stand corrected but hopefully I can stay seated. Anyhow...............
The current Tasmanian experience is a classic example of the importance of air travel to economic developement.
Now simply take Tasmania's case and multiply it tenfold and apply it to every Australian city except Sydney. This is the matter that has been driving me nuts ever since I learned about Qantas's stranglehold on 747 turnarounds in the late 70's (which Ansett was not allowed to break).
International business investment cannot easily flow to any city that does not have a plentiful supply of capacity on direct flights from the investing area. In Melbournes case, travelling from London or the U.S. via Sydney effectively makes Melbourne approximately three hours "further" from those centres of investment than Sydney - which has, and continues to cause in my opinion, economic damage to Victoria.
On a personal level, I've lost count of the number of British acquaintances who have opined to me that its "so hard" to visit Melbourne during their Australian travels.
Now simply take Tasmania's case and multiply it tenfold and apply it to every Australian city except Sydney. This is the matter that has been driving me nuts ever since I learned about Qantas's stranglehold on 747 turnarounds in the late 70's (which Ansett was not allowed to break).
International business investment cannot easily flow to any city that does not have a plentiful supply of capacity on direct flights from the investing area. In Melbournes case, travelling from London or the U.S. via Sydney effectively makes Melbourne approximately three hours "further" from those centres of investment than Sydney - which has, and continues to cause in my opinion, economic damage to Victoria.
On a personal level, I've lost count of the number of British acquaintances who have opined to me that its "so hard" to visit Melbourne during their Australian travels.
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BALert ...where have you been sunshine , get out of your office cubicle and if you are going to have a shot at someone get your facts right son.
You must be happy with the amount the board is getting with this takeover ?
You must be happy with the amount the board is getting with this takeover ?
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OK guys. I was wrong and caught out by the addition of some extra flying. I sincerely aplogise.
That said, the extra flying is from places that couldn't help the Tasmanian problem with these services originating in Perth and Cairns. To assist with extra flying to the Island Qantas would need to have the spare aircraft on the south-eastern corner of the Mainland or put on some very unproductive flying to get aircraft into position.
That said, the extra flying is from places that couldn't help the Tasmanian problem with these services originating in Perth and Cairns. To assist with extra flying to the Island Qantas would need to have the spare aircraft on the south-eastern corner of the Mainland or put on some very unproductive flying to get aircraft into position.
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Qantas have 3 configs on the 767s. The longhaul ones are in a 25J 204Y config, The domestic GE machines are in a 30J 222Y config and the RR powered ones are in a 30J 214Y config. The 738s are 12J 156Y.
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It's all about choice, isn't it?
On a more serious note DJ could perhaps pull a flight out of the MEL-ADL market depending on those loads and switch it over but then you would have to try and fill it in a couple of days.
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An excerpt from an article in Friday's Mercury states that Qantas will not be scheduling any extra services because "the balance was already right". If the balance is already right, then how come Jetstar have just added one off flights on Christmas Day and New Year's Day? Hobart must be the only destination in the world (other than the north pole!) to require additional flights Christmas Day!!! They must be confident of selling them too. Every seat is Jet Flex Fare only! 
In that case I guess a lot of the people on here complaining will have to reclasify themeselves as either;
a) those who desperately need a seat & are thus willing to pay whatever price is needed, OR
b) those who are clamouring for cheap seats only, and aren't prepared to pay the premium the market commands.
So - if the additional aircraft aren't full then I can only assume that a lot of the venting by the Tasmanian public was just a lot of hot air...
a) those who desperately need a seat & are thus willing to pay whatever price is needed, OR
b) those who are clamouring for cheap seats only, and aren't prepared to pay the premium the market commands.
So - if the additional aircraft aren't full then I can only assume that a lot of the venting by the Tasmanian public was just a lot of hot air...
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Johhny,
I think most people would be classified as either;
type (c): business deligates scheduled to have a meeting in Hobart, which will have to be Christmas Day or not at all because that's the only day with seats available, OR
type (d): holiday makers who mostly don't want to travel on Christmas Day, and if they do, don't want the double whammy of having to pay jet flex for the privilege.
I'm sure plenty of people would buy flexible fares if the flight was on a day and time that they wanted to fly, just like the thousands that have been purchased for travel to Hobart this week!!!
I think most people would be classified as either;
type (c): business deligates scheduled to have a meeting in Hobart, which will have to be Christmas Day or not at all because that's the only day with seats available, OR
type (d): holiday makers who mostly don't want to travel on Christmas Day, and if they do, don't want the double whammy of having to pay jet flex for the privilege.
I'm sure plenty of people would buy flexible fares if the flight was on a day and time that they wanted to fly, just like the thousands that have been purchased for travel to Hobart this week!!!
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How do you think the aircraft get to PER and CNS for the once or twice weekly flight? With a fleet the size of Qantas' it is relatively easy to rotate aircraft through the network while conforming to, or close to, the full schedule.