Virgin Blue - Uluru from AUG10

[David B.]

Source

Virgin Blue today announced that from August of this year, it will begin services to Uluru (Ayers Rock) from Sydney, becoming the only other operator besides Qantas to operate services to the remote airport.

Operated by Voyager Resorts & Hotels, the Northern Territory airport will receive the new Virgin Blue Embraer E-190 daily services from the 2nd of August this year.

Continues..

[Rhys Xanthis]

Undercutting QF by about $75 during non sale times. Sale times not so much, $169 on QF vs $149 on DJ.

I'm sure QF will bring their prices down though...

[Brandon Giacomin]

Sydney-Ayers Rock
DJ1627 SYD 1010 AYQ 1320 E190 (DAILY)

Ayers Rock-Sydney
DJ1628 AYQ 1400 SYD 1730 E190 (DAILY)

[Robert Zweck]

Interesting times...this new route should be successful.

The 3 top Aussie tourist spots ( in no particular order ) are Ayers Rock, Sydney Harbour and Cairns.

US tourists simply don't go home without visiting the Rock. Average stay is 1.5 days.

Ayers Rock has an aura about it, nothing else like it.

The Japanese would operate B747 into there if given a chance, a runway extension is physically possible but financially prohibitive

The cost would be obscene.

[Harry G]

I am suprised that with the pull out from Adelaide to Alice by Tiger and although Jetstar dropped their base in Adelaide, Qantas has not pushed Jetstar into Ularu/Alice Springs, particulalry being a strong tourist destination and allowing Virgin to beat them to the punch...
I guess a Borghetti strategy........... drive down the Qantas prices!

[Jarden S]

I wonder if Virgin will return to the SYD-DRW route that one seems missing from thier network. Are they getting new E jets to operate the new Ayers rock flight?

[Harry G]

I may have not put it correctly Andrew...
I go down the path of the Qantas Group pushing Jetstar onto the holiday routes such as Ularu/Alice, currently not serviced by them but appear to be pushing Qantaslink/Qantas. I am sure they have their reasons

[Anthony T]

Hi there

The Lost Camel hotel at Ayers Rock has a room rate of $22 during August & September, it is usually $220 so someone left off a zero.

I just booked 2 nights in August in conjuction with the Virgin Blue inaugural flight to AYQ.

Hope they honour the rate.

Cheers
Anthiony T

[Anthony T]

Sydney-Ayers Rock
DJ1627 SYD 1010 AYQ 1320 E190 (DAILY)

Ayers Rock-Sydney
DJ1628 AYQ 1400 SYD 1730 E190 (DAILY)

These timings are out of whack, there is not DST in the the eastern states in AUG.

Should be SYD 1010 AYQ 1220 2h40
AYQ 1300 SYD 1600 2h30

[Daniel F]

Originally Posted by Anthony T

These timings are out of whack, there is not DST in the the eastern states in AUG.

Unless Virgin planes fly a lot faster than Qantas planes, the original times are correct. For comparison QF728 departs at 9:30am arriving at 12:40pm.