2nd Full Service InterCity Carrier in Australia?

[Gareth U]

Originally Posted by Arthur T

I cannot tolerate QF FF coomuters need to pay $229 for 1000 Points + SCs for a Brisbane - Proserpine One Way.

Then you can pay the $300-$400 each way you used to pay when QFLink was on the route. Simple.

Originally Posted by Arthur T

One more thing, on QF flights, FAs will give you a pillow and blanket, cover you well and ensure you have a great sleep with them, but can DJ/JQ do that for FREE?

I am a Qantas FA and have never seen any FA cover any customer with a blanket or anything else, for that matter! Sure they are available on request - until they run out - but that's where it ends.

Did you know there is only 20 blankets on a 737 and only 30 on a 767 for domestic flights? So get in quick, Arthur

Don't even get me started on babysitting!

Oh, and regarding baggage allowance. At the higher fare levels, similar to Flexible Qantas fares, Virgin Blue has a 32kg allowance. You just have to be willing to spend more than the cheapest available fare, Arthur!

[Ash W]

Originally Posted by David C

It's all well and good having full service at full service price when someone else is paying for your ticket ... like your boss for example , but when you pay for your own ticket , the bottom line is the cost . I'm flying Birmingham to Shannon and return in 2 weeks time . I could have flown Aer Lingus , but I chose Ryan Air , why ?? .... 10 pounds return inc. tax and all charges thats why .. I can do without food and drink for an hour .

Dave C

Ironicly Aer Lingus is itself now a LLC, except in long haul. You pay extra for your bags, for seat allocation (when travelling together this is a good lurk for them) and for food.

As for the orginal post, in Australia we have always been spoilt with service. Sure Qantas has the full service end of the market to themselves but they are far from a monopoly. We have, in most markets quite a lot of choice and as somone who travels quite a lot around different parts of the world we still have much better sevice than elsewhere.

[Michael Mak]

Originally Posted by Arthur T

One more thing, on QF flights, FAs will give you a pillow and blanket, cover you well and ensure you have a great sleep with them, but can DJ/JQ do that for FREE?

That didn't happen when I flew with QF on SYD-MEL (on an international sector which by the way service was ordinary, nothing special. The only reason I forked out the extra $40 was because A330-300 and visited the international terminals of both ends), CNS-SYD, SYD-ADL.

[Philip Argy]

I tried DJ's "Premium Economy" on a return trip to BNK last week. In seat 1A on VBC I had no IFE screen to watch and there was not so much as a free cup of tea or a cup of water. And as for the extra legroom, my left leg was actually cramped by the bulge in the cabin door for the escape slide! (I had to put my feet under my seat when the crew were arming or disarming the slide as they would othewise have been in the way.)

The return trip in seat 1F had a screen to view but not sure why it was designated an exit row since the nearest exit was on the other side of the partition in the galley.

And the 7kg carry-on limit is ridiculous, especially when most crew take offence when I point out that my laptop is permitted in addition to the 7kg (at least as I read DJ's rules).

Based on my experience, 'premium' only meant that my client paid more for me to sit in a wider leather seat. So 'premium, my a*se!' seems to be the most appropriate way of signifying my agreement that we are a long way from seeing a second full service carrier in the Australian market. If we could unwind the past and have let SQ take over Ansett when they first wanted to we would all be much better off today. Air NZ pillaged AN both physically and financially and they get no support from me any more.

[Ash W]

Originally Posted by Philip Argy

I...

If we could unwind the past and have let SQ take over Ansett when they first wanted to we would all be much better off today. Air NZ pillaged AN both physically and financially and they get no support from me any more.

Your response should say if News Limited had let SQ take over SQ, not 'we'. Afterall Ansett was a private company owned at the time by News.

Oh don't feel too bad, I travel BA business class quite a lot in Europe and it sounds about the same as Virgin Blue premium. The only difference is on BA you get a free feed and some drink, but at a price premium of 2-3 times the cost of Y. Makes for one expensive meal.

[damien b]

I for one am glad that the likes of DJ appeared in our skies and made flying affordable. Who cares if you don't get a meal with your flight or that the seats don't allow you to stretch out and sleep. Its a domestic flight and excluding the long flights between Perth and the East Coast, 2 hours isn't that long to be on a plane.

I spend 90 minutes a day one way on a train to go to work with less room at times than what you get in economy class. Okay i dont pay as much but i don't go as far either.

If you desire business class - fly QF, otherwise DJ and JQ will do most people.

[Arthur T]

Re: Garath U

Hope it hasn't make you angry about babysitting.

And thanks for that, I can always get a pillow on my flights, thanks.
Think I had made a mistake that that is SQ/CX will cover blanket for the commuters, but why QF crew don't do that?

I believe DJ would offer Corp Plus or Flexable passengers 32kg allowance, but that is really much more expensive than QF to offer 32kg for just a little bit more than DJ's fare. Perhaps a passenger with 32kg luggage can only fly QF for cheap fares then.

Thanks for your information about Prosperine, think I can't complain then whilst QF's CNS - HTI is $221 the cheapest.

Originally Posted by damien b

I for one am glad that the likes of DJ appeared in our skies and made flying affordable. Who cares if you don't get a meal with your flight or that the seats don't allow you to stretch out and sleep. Its a domestic flight and excluding the long flights between Perth and the East Coast, 2 hours isn't that long to be on a plane.

I spend 90 minutes a day one way on a train to go to work with less room at times than what you get in economy class. Okay i dont pay as much but i don't go as far either.

If you desire business class - fly QF, otherwise DJ and JQ will do most people.

How about JQ's StarClass? I read their ads about StarClass and think there is no difference with QF's W Class with a Y Class Fare! Sounds attractive! Is that possible for JQ to launch StarClass on all Domestic Flights actually to beat DJ?

[Rhys Xanthis]

Not going to happen.

There isnt a great deal of space on the A320 to begin with, and JQ are, and always have, marketed themselves as a low budget option - you wont see many business people flying JQ when QF is an option.

[Ash W]

Originally Posted by Arthur T

Re: Garath U
...
And thanks for that, I can always get a pillow on my flights, thanks.
Think I had made a mistake that that is SQ/CX will cover blanket for the commuters, but why QF crew don't do that?
...

Mate compare apples with apples. SQ/CX are long haul international carriers. On Qantas long haul you get a pillow and blanket. On domestic they (normally) have a small amount on board and will give them out when asked.

You can say how crap that is, but the reality is things like this cost money and were one of the first things to go to bring down costs so that Qantas could better compete with the LLC's on fares.

[Michael Mak]

Originally Posted by Arthur T

And thanks for that, I can always get a pillow on my flights, thanks.
Think I had made a mistake that that is SQ/CX will cover blanket for the commuters, but why QF crew don't do that?

QF international indeed offers pillow and blanket but they don't that for domestic flights unless upon request.

Originally Posted by Arthur T

How about JQ's StarClass? I read their ads about StarClass and think there is no difference with QF's W Class with a Y Class Fare! Sounds attractive! Is that possible for JQ to launch StarClass on all Domestic Flights actually to beat DJ?

How can one justify the cost of installing StarClass on the A320 at the expanse of other Y class seat? How many JQ customers would fly on StarClass when they fly SYD-AVV, SYD-OOL-, BNE-ROK, MEL-HBA? JQ's customers are price-sensitive, they want the cheapest possible fare, not after any fenzy products. If people really want to receive Business Class service, JQ is not their choice.[IMG]chrome://dictionarytip/skin/book.png[/IMG]