[futaris]

Virgin Blue Adds Another Flight to Port Macquarie!

200 seats for $2* to celebrate 2 daily jet services from August

Sunday 29 June 2008: Port Macquarie, Australia: Virgin Blue Airlines today unveiled plans to double flights in and out of Port Macquarie following encouraging support for its recently launched daily jet service to Sydney.

The airline will offer 200 seats for $2* to celebrate the second flight in a sale which goes live for 2 hours only from 6pm Monday 30 June. The $2 fares are available on the internet only and include all taxes and surcharges (including credit card surcharges), for travel between 4 August – 31 August 2008.

Surprised that nobody posted about this yet...

[Robert Barlow]

It's all over! Heard about it on the 1800 Prime News on 30/6. The 200 seats had gone.

[Standby]

Another way for DJ to lose money.Regional jets may looked good when they were ordered at less than $80 a barrel for avgas but at $180 they start to look a bit shakey especially when you cant match the times of day yr competitor does that gives business people a full day with options..your stuck with the leisure /price driven punter.
Where are the new "long thin routes" .opening up new markets and the return to the centre(ASP)that these aircraft were touted to do???
Its Ansett and their illadvised purchase of regional jets all over again
They may be comfy but if they actually made money they would have been on markets other than PQQ by now..they shud have at least hourly departures against QF on SYDCBR if they are serious.where are DJ goning to hide a 20 or so of them??

[DJ737]

Hi there

Don't think Virgin Blue are loosing money at Port Macquarie, they wouldn't put on a second flight if they couldn't make money on it.

cheers
DJ737

[Evan]

Your right it must be working for them.
When i have taken the QF service its always reasonably full so there must be a market.
E

[ANstar]

Aren't the E-Jets supposed to have similar costs as a 737? Hence why alot of LCC's have ordered them? Ie Jet Blue, FlyBE etc

I think they have been smart with their use thus far, deploying them on routes like SYD-MKY, SYD-ROK that can't support a 737 on all the services.... and then using them on BNE-ROK and BNE-MKY where the competitor was still using props.... must be working there as QF have now wet leased a F100 for BNE-MKY ops.

Another example is BNE-CBR where they have been able to increase frequency with the smaller aircraft.

So I don't think thye have been stupid - the E jets are totally different to the CRJ's that AN ordered.

[Evan]

I do believe though that the E-Jets per seat do burn more fuel than the 737's etc. And for sure more than the turbo props.
Not to say they burn a lot simply to say they are not going to be a lot cheaper to operate.

QF's F100 wet leases are probably a good idea in the current environment, can give them back later if you change your mind.

As it happens i do not actually mind the Dash-8's for those flights, i grew up in prop planes

E

[AnonymousCoward]

Originally Posted by Evan

As it happens i do not actually mind the Dash-8's for those flights, i grew up in prop planes

Sure. But the DJ EM planes have much nicer, newer, interiors than the Dash-8s.

[Evan]

Originally Posted by AnonymousCoward

Sure. But the DJ EM planes have much nicer, newer, interiors than the Dash-8s.

Yep, for sure. And would have no issues with a DJ flight either, just so happens i have not had the chance in AU to try the new E-Jets.

E

[RB]

Not sure if it is to do with the type of aircraft but baggage claim at Port Macquarie with Virgin is a farce. Compared to QF Dash 8 the baggage is so slow. Over 20 minutes after touchdown yesterday until bags available & this after check-in was a farce in Sydney