Australia, New Zealand & the Pacific Airline and RPT Rumours & News in Australia, enZed and the Pacific

Rex cancels Christmas

Old 13th Dec 2012, 12:44
  #1 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Devonport Tasmania Australia
Posts: 1,837
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Rex cancels Christmas

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
Eastwest Loco is offline  
Old 13th Dec 2012, 12:49
  #2 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: victoria
Posts: 74
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
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.
jetbrett is offline  
Old 13th Dec 2012, 12:59
  #3 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Devonport Tasmania Australia
Posts: 1,837
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
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
Eastwest Loco is offline  
Old 13th Dec 2012, 13:03
  #4 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Kenmore Park
Posts: 35
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
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
Digaf is offline  
Old 13th Dec 2012, 23:27
  #5 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Australia
Posts: 151
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
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 !
Captahab is offline  
Old 14th Dec 2012, 02:33
  #6 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Somewhere new.....
Posts: 245
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
From what I have heard Rex is not operating on Xmas day FULL STOP.
100% Correct
Stiff Under Carriage is offline  
Old 14th Dec 2012, 02:51
  #7 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Oz
Posts: 297
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
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.
Guptar is offline  
Old 14th Dec 2012, 04:17
  #8 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Somewhere new.....
Posts: 245
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
No wind up. Not sure on the reasoning but its true.
Stiff Under Carriage is offline  
Old 14th Dec 2012, 06:43
  #9 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Devonport Tasmania Australia
Posts: 1,837
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
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

Last edited by Eastwest Loco; 14th Dec 2012 at 06:44.
Eastwest Loco is offline  
Old 14th Dec 2012, 08:37
  #10 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: In a time warp
Posts: 283
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Can't we get rid of boganport, Launy is just up the road.. 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. Gotta love those anti Wynyard folk
tasdevil.f27 is offline  
Old 14th Dec 2012, 13:01
  #11 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Devonport Tasmania Australia
Posts: 1,837
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
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
Eastwest Loco is offline  
Old 14th Dec 2012, 21:45
  #12 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 359
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
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.
ad-astra is offline  
Old 15th Dec 2012, 03:05
  #13 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: with the other ex-CX pond scum (a zoologist was once head of Flight Ops)
Posts: 1,850
Received 48 Likes on 20 Posts
You'll need fisherman's waders by the time I have finished.
Captain Dart is offline  
Old 17th Dec 2012, 04:03
  #14 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: gold coast QLD australia
Age: 86
Posts: 1,345
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
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.
teresa green is offline  
Old 17th Dec 2012, 12:38
  #15 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: International
Age: 76
Posts: 1,394
Received 3 Likes on 3 Posts
Teresa. Was this the TAA Queen Air operation in Tasmania around 40 years ago ?
B772 is offline  
Old 18th Dec 2012, 00:26
  #16 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Somewhere new.....
Posts: 245
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Curious as to how the last 4 posts relate to topic???
Stiff Under Carriage is offline  
Old 18th Dec 2012, 02:19
  #17 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: gold coast QLD australia
Age: 86
Posts: 1,345
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
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.
teresa green is offline  
Old 18th Dec 2012, 04:28
  #18 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Somewhere new.....
Posts: 245
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Teresa. True that!
Stiff Under Carriage is offline  
Old 18th Dec 2012, 09:30
  #19 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Up The 116E, Stbd Turn at 32S...:-)
Age: 82
Posts: 3,093
Received 45 Likes on 20 Posts
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......
Ex FSO GRIFFO is offline  
Old 18th Dec 2012, 10:26
  #20 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Australia
Age: 66
Posts: 300
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
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!!!

Last edited by hiwaytohell; 18th Dec 2012 at 10:27.
hiwaytohell is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.