Originally Posted by
kiwifrequentflyer
For most Australians it makes sense to accrue status with an airline like Qantas that they can fly with domestically and get benefits for, plus fly to a whole range of destinations around the world such as Asia directly. And so if you are flying TT a lot and need to choose an airline to accrue status with, the chances are you will pick Qantas since it makes the most sense.
Sure, that's among people who care about being part of a FPP. We forget the vast majority of people simply couldn't care less. We are the minority, not the majority.
Australia is a key feeder for NZ long-haul routes, it's why they compete so aggressively on price, and why they have over 30% Australian traffic on some routes.