Virgin Blue cuts NT flights
 

Virgin Blue will cut its daily darwin-brisbane flights from 7 to 5 per week effective JAN 19 2003 - march 27 2003.

Its reasoning is poor loading during these months of the wet season though you would have to think there is a market there for some more flights out of darwin to perth or adelaide maybe???

This is a rumour network.Mail is that f/a's are continuously going on sick leave if a DRW run comes up.Might come into play more so than load factors.

f/a's going on sick leave when a drw run comes up - thats a new one i haven't heard of, they are overnighting in darwin now and the tech crew are coming up from brissie sitting on the ground for 30 mins or so and flying straight back.

apparently dj doesn't approve of tech and cabin crews overnighting together as it cause too many problems!!!???

f/a's taking sick leave when a drw run comes up? thats a new one i haven't heard of, seriously i think load factors are the probably the problem.

the tech crew aren't overnighting in drw anymore they fly straight up, sit on the ground for 30 mins and fly straight back. the cabin crew overnight now, they used to bring 8 up, 4 would pax on the way up and then swap over for the return sector.

apparently virgin blue does not approve of cabin and tech crew overnighting together as it cause too many problems!!??:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

I guess that explains where all the AN F/A's went then!!!!:p

Ahh, if only AN were able to drop unprofitable routes in it's day without being crucified! Cest la vie! :(

Didn't think unprofitable was applicable given the generous subsidies to DJ courtesy of the NT Government.

Hosties (allegedly) going sick on a BN-DN-BN. They should see what roster their counterparts at QF get par example: SY/AD/DN
dep 0610 then 10 or 12 hours rest (whatever the min req.) then dep 0200 DN/CS/SY.

Yes I don't think the tax payers $4M would be used up just yet.
More about moving aircraft to concentrate on the golden triangle and look good for the float. Funny how DJ is going to ROK and they won't take money to go to ASP.

$4m??? i wasn't aware the NT Govt had put in thatr much money to entice vb.

Sure did Topend 3, it was a carrot to attract an AN replacement. Seem to remember that part of the deal was for DJ to run a extra daily flight to Darwin. This of course has never happened, all the NT got for their money was a late night flight to BNE. Makes one wonder whether DJ are in for the long haul, or just to pick up some cream?

yes dog one am beginning to wonder the same, its nearly a year since dj began into drw and no sign of more services, you would think if they were serious about nt they would have started some more services to compete more with qf.

at the mo one flight a night is hardly competition, you may as well have a qf monopoly cos thats what it is up here...

It's funny how an airline's seriousness is judged by its service to The NT.

I'm sure VB are in the business of making money out of flying aeroplanes. I'm also sure that if there was more money to be made flying to/from DRW than somewhere else they wouldn't be reducing the freq to/from DRW.

Perhaps when they have more airframes they can start to be altruistic! ;)

Dan

I'm certain that Qantas, like DJ are also in the business of making money out of flying aeroplanes and it doesn't stop them flying to the NT. :cool:

Miss,
 

agreed but QF have 187 aircraft to utilise whereas VB have about 28. (unable to find exact fleet number for VB or domestic fleet for QF from respective web sites.)

That's a whole lot more flexibility for QF than VB, hence my suggestion that VB might be more altruistic when they have more airframes.
:cool:

Dan,

Virgin Blue currently have 27 aircraft online

Qantas mainline (intl & dom) have a total of 124

Impulse Airlines has 14 717's.

Didn't do the split for national jet or the other regionals but you can see the domestic airlines here and the regional airlines here

Regards
Skip

Don't spose it looks as good on the ads when the cheapest flights they can do out of Darwin is $199. They'd rather do shorter sectors like Hba-Mel where they can advertise $66 fares - makes more people stop and look I reckon!

Maybe they couldn't do Red Centre 'cos of the situation at Sydney Airport. Now they have more capacity there, we may here an announcement. It's got to make more money than Syd-Cfs!!!
;)

agreed, rumour is linking darwin through alice to adelaide may be next on the cards, possibly by the end of 2008, once the international expansion is completed:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Hobay,
$199 may look average to Southerners, but for Dawinians its much cheaper than the old $478.00 in the off season and $560.00 in the on.:D

Regards
Guts