Australia to London for $378?
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Australia to London for $378?
Sounds incredible . . . but it can apparently be done on AirAsia. This is from today's The Age.
The full thread can be found at . . . Cheap flights to Europe: AirAsia offers Australia to London for $378 - and it includes some low cost flat bed seats.
AirAsia offers Australia to London for $378
ANDREW HEASLEY, AVIATION REPORTER, THE AGE
May 18, 2010
Fancy flying Australia to London for $378?
Some aviation analysts’ predictions that air fares would rise this year as airlines seek to recover losses incurred during the global financial crisis, along with service interruptions from incidents such as Iceland's volcanic eruption, appear to be wrong.
AirAsia is the latest carrier to offer one-way fares from Australia to London via Kuala Lumpur for as little as $378, as part of a special network sale that sees virtual giveaway fares as low as $3 a flight.
And Tiger Airways, fresh from its recent profit announcement, is vowing to keep pushing down domestic air fares and has its eyes on expanding services that may include Pacific Islands and flights to Indonesia.
From today until May 23, AirAsia is offering cut-price fares to 70 of its destinations, for travel between January 3 and May 8 next year, though the perennial caveat "seats are limited" applies.
Just how "limited" is limited? An airline spokesman said "tens of thousands" of seats were bing offered in the sale across the AirAsia network.
Malaysian-based AirAsia is selling seats from Melbourne, the Gold Coast or Perth to Kuala Lumpur (KL) from $129. Travellers can book KL to London (Stansted Airport) on the airline from $249 — a total of $378 one-way. The fares include all mandatory taxes and charges.
Fares coming back from London to Australia may not be identical (airport taxes differ) but are similarly low, a spokesman said.
AirAsia has $3 fares available on the routes of KL to other Malaysian destinations, including Langkawi, Kuching and Panang, with $9 and $18 fares to other parts of Asia.
The cheapest fares are for bookings made through AirAsia website only; book by phone and there will be an extra charge of $25.
The move comes as discount airline Tiger Airways vowed to keep driving down domestic air fares while giving Fairfax Media hints into its future expansion plans.
The airline group's chief executive Tony Davis said he is looking at new routes and destinations from Asia and Australian ports that are within the five-hour flying range of its fleet of its 19 Airbus A320s.
The limited flying time means Tiger currently only links Australia with its Singapore hub from Perth.
But speaking to Fairfax Media, Mr Davis suggested other routes linking Australia with Indonesia or Pacific islands such as Fiji and Vanuatu are being studied.
Sticking with the Airbus A320 means further route expansion must be within its five-hour flying range.
"The east coast of Australia to Asia...is not my game plan. My game plan is to use my A320 fleet as efficiently as possible on whatever routes make sense," he said.
New routes could include link Darwin, Brisbane, Broome or the Gold Coast into Indonesia, allowing further connections to Asia, he said.
"Airports like Darwin, like Perth (are) those that can access Asia.
"Brisbane to Indonesia works, Gold Coast to Indonesia, or going east to New Zealand or the Pacific Islands there are opportunities there as well.
"What I'm doing is drawing a circumference around Australia, and saying, 'Where is there within five hours of here?' There's quite a few places.
"But what I'm not interested in doing is buying a different aircraft type to go seven hours."
The simplicity of only having one aircraft type to maintain and train pilots and crew on, Mr Davis says, is at the heart of its low-cost business model.
"Flying the A330, or the (Boeing) 777 or Dreamliner that some of our competitors have chosen to do, you add another set of pilots, another set of engineers, spares, a different aircraft type which you've got to go out and purchase — all of those things add cost and complexity to the operations," he said.
ANDREW HEASLEY, AVIATION REPORTER, THE AGE
May 18, 2010
Fancy flying Australia to London for $378?
Some aviation analysts’ predictions that air fares would rise this year as airlines seek to recover losses incurred during the global financial crisis, along with service interruptions from incidents such as Iceland's volcanic eruption, appear to be wrong.
AirAsia is the latest carrier to offer one-way fares from Australia to London via Kuala Lumpur for as little as $378, as part of a special network sale that sees virtual giveaway fares as low as $3 a flight.
And Tiger Airways, fresh from its recent profit announcement, is vowing to keep pushing down domestic air fares and has its eyes on expanding services that may include Pacific Islands and flights to Indonesia.
From today until May 23, AirAsia is offering cut-price fares to 70 of its destinations, for travel between January 3 and May 8 next year, though the perennial caveat "seats are limited" applies.
Just how "limited" is limited? An airline spokesman said "tens of thousands" of seats were bing offered in the sale across the AirAsia network.
Malaysian-based AirAsia is selling seats from Melbourne, the Gold Coast or Perth to Kuala Lumpur (KL) from $129. Travellers can book KL to London (Stansted Airport) on the airline from $249 — a total of $378 one-way. The fares include all mandatory taxes and charges.
Fares coming back from London to Australia may not be identical (airport taxes differ) but are similarly low, a spokesman said.
AirAsia has $3 fares available on the routes of KL to other Malaysian destinations, including Langkawi, Kuching and Panang, with $9 and $18 fares to other parts of Asia.
The cheapest fares are for bookings made through AirAsia website only; book by phone and there will be an extra charge of $25.
The move comes as discount airline Tiger Airways vowed to keep driving down domestic air fares while giving Fairfax Media hints into its future expansion plans.
The airline group's chief executive Tony Davis said he is looking at new routes and destinations from Asia and Australian ports that are within the five-hour flying range of its fleet of its 19 Airbus A320s.
The limited flying time means Tiger currently only links Australia with its Singapore hub from Perth.
But speaking to Fairfax Media, Mr Davis suggested other routes linking Australia with Indonesia or Pacific islands such as Fiji and Vanuatu are being studied.
Sticking with the Airbus A320 means further route expansion must be within its five-hour flying range.
"The east coast of Australia to Asia...is not my game plan. My game plan is to use my A320 fleet as efficiently as possible on whatever routes make sense," he said.
New routes could include link Darwin, Brisbane, Broome or the Gold Coast into Indonesia, allowing further connections to Asia, he said.
"Airports like Darwin, like Perth (are) those that can access Asia.
"Brisbane to Indonesia works, Gold Coast to Indonesia, or going east to New Zealand or the Pacific Islands there are opportunities there as well.
"What I'm doing is drawing a circumference around Australia, and saying, 'Where is there within five hours of here?' There's quite a few places.
"But what I'm not interested in doing is buying a different aircraft type to go seven hours."
The simplicity of only having one aircraft type to maintain and train pilots and crew on, Mr Davis says, is at the heart of its low-cost business model.
"Flying the A330, or the (Boeing) 777 or Dreamliner that some of our competitors have chosen to do, you add another set of pilots, another set of engineers, spares, a different aircraft type which you've got to go out and purchase — all of those things add cost and complexity to the operations," he said.
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“You wouldn't go to see a low cost heart surgeon would you?!”
Yes. If the surgeon provided surgery for lower cost, why not.
If a surgeon could trim the cost of an operation by reducing service such as no magazines in the waiting room, no validated car parking out back, fewer office staff at the counter, no free coffee, then why would you pay for the extras if you don’t want them?
The implication that a “low cost airline” is staffed by employees of lesser competence than those at legacy carriers is simply not supported by fact. As far as I am aware, the same regulator is providing oversight to QF and the low cost entrants.
TN/AN/QF have all been involved in incidents similar to the Air Asia one described above, in some cases on numerous occasions. Were they crewed by low cost pilots?
It’s a slippery slope to start pointing fingers at incidents made by those of lower salary.
Yes. If the surgeon provided surgery for lower cost, why not.
If a surgeon could trim the cost of an operation by reducing service such as no magazines in the waiting room, no validated car parking out back, fewer office staff at the counter, no free coffee, then why would you pay for the extras if you don’t want them?
The implication that a “low cost airline” is staffed by employees of lesser competence than those at legacy carriers is simply not supported by fact. As far as I am aware, the same regulator is providing oversight to QF and the low cost entrants.
TN/AN/QF have all been involved in incidents similar to the Air Asia one described above, in some cases on numerous occasions. Were they crewed by low cost pilots?
It’s a slippery slope to start pointing fingers at incidents made by those of lower salary.
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These low price tickets probably represent less than 10% of airfares on board the aircraft. The fixed costs of operating these aircraft are the same for everyone and I would assume the this type of airfare sold throughout the aircraft would see any carrier broke very quickly. These very low fares are offered by almost every carrier all the time but unless you are first in line you miss out . Yield management in one form or another will provide a mix of airfares from the expensive to the very cheap on all airlines. The airlines that play this game the best make a profit and those that don't usually disappear. When I use a doctor I look a little further than price. I do the same for airlines as well.
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Prof.
Agree with your sentiment generally, however think about this.
If you are paying low salary you will not attract the quality and experience. This then leads to lowering of standards. If you can only safely do coupled ILS landings, when everyone else was having no trouble at all at CG.....it makes you wonder what was going on.
Agree with your sentiment generally, however think about this.
It’s a slippery slope to start pointing fingers at incidents made by those of lower salary.
It’s a slippery slope to start pointing fingers at incidents made by those of lower salary.
TN/AN/QF have all been involved in incidents similar to the Air Asia one described above, in some cases on numerous occasions.
The implication that a “low cost airline” is staffed by employees of lesser competence than those at legacy carriers is simply not supported by fact.
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Jab
“If you are paying low salary you will not attract the quality and experience.”
Just how much “experience” do you think there is to draw upon for a carrier based in a country like Malaysia? The laws that govern the labor market in Asia are very different to what you are accustomed too in western countries like Australia.
Bloggs,
There was a little incident with a 737 in the dead of night in Canberra several years ago. An A320 with a blue tail landed on the wrong runway in Cairns one night. Then there was the 737 that almost landed on the highway at an airport several hundred miles north of Coolangatta. Or the 737 that almost landed on the highway near Adelaide. The 146 that almost came a cropper on Hamilton Island.
There are many more, shall I dig a little deeper for you?
“If you are paying low salary you will not attract the quality and experience.”
Just how much “experience” do you think there is to draw upon for a carrier based in a country like Malaysia? The laws that govern the labor market in Asia are very different to what you are accustomed too in western countries like Australia.
Bloggs,
There was a little incident with a 737 in the dead of night in Canberra several years ago. An A320 with a blue tail landed on the wrong runway in Cairns one night. Then there was the 737 that almost landed on the highway at an airport several hundred miles north of Coolangatta. Or the 737 that almost landed on the highway near Adelaide. The 146 that almost came a cropper on Hamilton Island.
There are many more, shall I dig a little deeper for you?
Quality of pilots employed has a lot to do with timing and the "windows of opportunity". If a well qualified and highly suitable applicant is on the job market and the major airlines aren't employing at the time, he is quite likely to take what's available rather than sit around unemployed. This may well be a low cost.
If there is a recruitment boom with few high quality applicants available at the time then sights get adjusted downwards and as long as the minimum standards are met lesser quality gets a look in.
Low cost airlines have some very good pilots in their ranks. Those who; had to go overseas for the airline job and now want to come home, previous employer went broke, had to retire at 60 and want to stay flying, only option available at the time because the majors weren't employing, they were too old, wanted a quick upgrade etc
Then again there are others.....
If there is a recruitment boom with few high quality applicants available at the time then sights get adjusted downwards and as long as the minimum standards are met lesser quality gets a look in.
Low cost airlines have some very good pilots in their ranks. Those who; had to go overseas for the airline job and now want to come home, previous employer went broke, had to retire at 60 and want to stay flying, only option available at the time because the majors weren't employing, they were too old, wanted a quick upgrade etc
Then again there are others.....
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I agree with Metro Man . . . and the relationship between remuneration, company culture and results is complex. The authors of The Hidden Face of Air France claim that despite the airline having a modern fleet and excellent pilots, its safety statistic are those of a second division company.
This was reported in today’s The Age . . .
The full link can be seen at 'Second most deadly': Air France slammed over safety
This was reported in today’s The Age . . .
'Second most deadly': Air France slammed over safety
May 20, 2010 - The Age
Under fire ... a new book slams Air France's safety record.
Air France-KLM's safety record came under harsh scrutiny yesterday as a shock new book added to the problems facing Europe's biggest airline as it announced record losses.
The company's recent record of disastrous crashes was already on the front pages of the press even as executives announced losses of 1.55 billion euros ($A2.26 billion) between March 2009 and March 2010.
The Hidden Face of Air France, an investigation by journalist Fabrice Amedeo into what he alleges are failures in Air France's management culture, accuses Air France executives of having a lax attitude to flight safety.
Air France rejects the allegations.
Air France flights have fallen victim to several accidents in recent years and, according to the French daily Liberation, statistics compiled online rank its safety record as only the 65th best in the world.
And with 1783 fatalities in its history, according to a tally compiled by the Swiss-based website "Aircraft Crashes Record Office", Air France has been the second most deadly airline for passengers after Russia's Aeroflot.
Germany's Lufthansa, which is of similar size and age, is in 43rd place.
In June last year Air France flight 447 from Rio to Paris broke apart and plunged into the Atlantic with the loss of all 228 people on board.
The cause of the crash has not been officially determined, but investigators found that cockpit flight computers were receiving incorrect airspeed readings and Air France has since replaced speed probes on its other jets.
An undersea search has so far failed to find the missing black box flight data recorders, but lawyers acting for the victims' families have accused the airline of knowingly flying with probes known to be at risk of icing up.
In the new book, Amedeo suggests the pilots might have been able to save the flight if their Airbus A330 had been equipped with a safety system known as a BUSS of a type Lufthansa fitted to all its planes in 2008.
In July 2000 an Air France Concorde supersonic airliner caught fire after take off from Paris and exploded, killing all 113 on board.
In August 2005, and Air France flight into Toronto skidded on the runway on arrival and broke apart. Miraculously, no-one was killed.
"Air France has a fleet of ultramodern planes, and its pilots are among the best in the world ... but its safety statistics are those of a second division company," writes Amedeo in his book.
"The problem appears not to be technical but cultural," he says, accusing the airline's executives of a "certain laxity" in responding to incidents and adapting their safety procedures.
The company responded to Liberation's account of the book with a statement.
"Air France's safety standards meet the most stringent requirements in the international aviation industry," it said.
"Air France is continuously working on improving flight safety which has always been one of its main priorities."
Air France shares were trading down 4.61 per cent on the Paris exchange as markets awaited confirmation of the annual results, which were expected to be the company's worst since its 2004 merger with Dutch carrier KLM.
AFP
May 20, 2010 - The Age
Under fire ... a new book slams Air France's safety record.
Air France-KLM's safety record came under harsh scrutiny yesterday as a shock new book added to the problems facing Europe's biggest airline as it announced record losses.
The company's recent record of disastrous crashes was already on the front pages of the press even as executives announced losses of 1.55 billion euros ($A2.26 billion) between March 2009 and March 2010.
The Hidden Face of Air France, an investigation by journalist Fabrice Amedeo into what he alleges are failures in Air France's management culture, accuses Air France executives of having a lax attitude to flight safety.
Air France rejects the allegations.
Air France flights have fallen victim to several accidents in recent years and, according to the French daily Liberation, statistics compiled online rank its safety record as only the 65th best in the world.
And with 1783 fatalities in its history, according to a tally compiled by the Swiss-based website "Aircraft Crashes Record Office", Air France has been the second most deadly airline for passengers after Russia's Aeroflot.
Germany's Lufthansa, which is of similar size and age, is in 43rd place.
In June last year Air France flight 447 from Rio to Paris broke apart and plunged into the Atlantic with the loss of all 228 people on board.
The cause of the crash has not been officially determined, but investigators found that cockpit flight computers were receiving incorrect airspeed readings and Air France has since replaced speed probes on its other jets.
An undersea search has so far failed to find the missing black box flight data recorders, but lawyers acting for the victims' families have accused the airline of knowingly flying with probes known to be at risk of icing up.
In the new book, Amedeo suggests the pilots might have been able to save the flight if their Airbus A330 had been equipped with a safety system known as a BUSS of a type Lufthansa fitted to all its planes in 2008.
In July 2000 an Air France Concorde supersonic airliner caught fire after take off from Paris and exploded, killing all 113 on board.
In August 2005, and Air France flight into Toronto skidded on the runway on arrival and broke apart. Miraculously, no-one was killed.
"Air France has a fleet of ultramodern planes, and its pilots are among the best in the world ... but its safety statistics are those of a second division company," writes Amedeo in his book.
"The problem appears not to be technical but cultural," he says, accusing the airline's executives of a "certain laxity" in responding to incidents and adapting their safety procedures.
The company responded to Liberation's account of the book with a statement.
"Air France's safety standards meet the most stringent requirements in the international aviation industry," it said.
"Air France is continuously working on improving flight safety which has always been one of its main priorities."
Air France shares were trading down 4.61 per cent on the Paris exchange as markets awaited confirmation of the annual results, which were expected to be the company's worst since its 2004 merger with Dutch carrier KLM.
AFP
The full link can be seen at 'Second most deadly': Air France slammed over safety
A330 without ETOPS doing KUL-OOL with limited choices of airways,enroute alternates. Wonder what happen is this enrouute alternate goes below minima at plaining stage or inflight? Oops....haven't got those stages defined, nevermind the differences,who would know,Malaysia DCA is always asleep...just send those cheap tourists all the way to UK!
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Metroman,
So basically pilots only work for low cast carriers because they are forced too. Have you ever considered that many of them are there by choice.
I have many ex AN mates working for the new outfits in oz and not one of them has ever sent an application to QF.
So basically pilots only work for low cast carriers because they are forced too. Have you ever considered that many of them are there by choice.
I have many ex AN mates working for the new outfits in oz and not one of them has ever sent an application to QF.
So basically pilots only work for low cast carriers because they are forced too.
A 25 year old choosing between QANTAS and Tiger would probably go for QF. Free endorsement, good pay and conditions, variety of long haul or short haul. Even with the long wait for upgrade, overall well ahead.
A 45 year old SAAB 340 skipper may well prefer straight into the right seat of an A320 vs S/O on a B744, home every night vs long trips away, 2-4 years to upgrade vs 10-15. With only 20 years to retirement, will be better off spending most of it in the left hand seat with a low cost rather than in the cheap seats with a major airline.
For many ex Ansett skippers, the chance to come home to the left seat of a jet vs bottom of a new seniority list wouldn't be a difficult choice.
If the positives of low cost flying outweigh the negatives for you, then go for it.
Last edited by Metro man; 22nd May 2010 at 00:46.
Prof,
I didn't know about that one. What happened?
Sure, incidents such as those you mentioned happen. The rate per 100,000 sectors is the key. And what tools airline has paid for so that the drivers can do a decent, safe job even if there isn't an ILS there.
An A320 with a blue tail landed on the wrong runway in Cairns one night.
Sure, incidents such as those you mentioned happen. The rate per 100,000 sectors is the key. And what tools airline has paid for so that the drivers can do a decent, safe job even if there isn't an ILS there.
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Some concern
flightleader:
I notice your comment about Malaysian DCA being always asleep. During the long time that I spent flying in Malaysia I did not find that to be true.
Tmb
I notice your comment about Malaysian DCA being always asleep. During the long time that I spent flying in Malaysia I did not find that to be true.
Tmb
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OIC,
There is a of reason for that and we both know why.
Considering their age(s) they probably realise that they will never obtain a gig in the LHS in Mainline. They don't want to sit in the JUMP watching the other 2 gurus for half a dozen years, then if they are not already too old, retire in the RHS.
Makes perfect sense that they don't apply to Mainline at their stages in their respective careers. At least there is a possibility(for these EX AN guys anyway) for DEC. After all, nothing like a bit of nepotism at work heh??
After all, the Flt Ops management is primarily all ex AN. Something like "jobs for the boys"!
After all JQ is AN reincarnated
Norma.
There is a of reason for that and we both know why.
Considering their age(s) they probably realise that they will never obtain a gig in the LHS in Mainline. They don't want to sit in the JUMP watching the other 2 gurus for half a dozen years, then if they are not already too old, retire in the RHS.
Makes perfect sense that they don't apply to Mainline at their stages in their respective careers. At least there is a possibility(for these EX AN guys anyway) for DEC. After all, nothing like a bit of nepotism at work heh??
After all, the Flt Ops management is primarily all ex AN. Something like "jobs for the boys"!
After all JQ is AN reincarnated
Norma.