djsteve

[QUOTE=nzkarit;29334651....Melbourne Wellington is already a route that NZ can't make a daily service, so adding a 772 four days a week is not going to be healthy to it and will leave Wellington in a bad spot when the subsidy runs out and SQ leaves Wellington and QF and NZ have the planes deployed elsewhere and can't pick up extra flights.[/QUOTE]

Who says it will stay as a 772 ....

nzkarit

True the A359 is a tad smaller but not by much. Still approximately adding another half capacity per week with either the 772 or the A359. I.e. going from 2200ish to 3200ish seats in one direction.

libertyuk

I suspect it is a route for the 787-10, given they are the replacement for the 777-200. Not sure about its performance for WLG's runway in terms of payload/etc though.

Must...Fly!

If they ditch it, they may well run foul of the ACCC if they intend to continue the VA partnership. If.

Ellice

I guess with the Wellington runway extension pretty well not going to go ahead there wasn’t going to be much upside for SQ to keep pursuing the WLg-CBR route. Air Nz will be pleased about that. One less threat to their AKLhub. I’m sure one of the Chinese airlines would have supported the runway extension if it had happened. I was really wanting to support the SQ initiative but I just couldn’t get my head round going to Canberra for a holiday. Just looked like not a very exciting place to visit. I did see a lot of adverts lately by SQ it obviously was a last ditch effort. If I’m honest the market in WLG was just too small to sustain this initiative.

cavemanzk

And the cost of visiting CBR for an holiday vs going to SIN for an holiday. Often exAKL there are $600-700 return deals to SIN, Qantas recently have an $590 return special (almost the same price asgoing to just CBR).

sbiddle

I don't understand why everybody hates on Canberra. It's actually a really nice place for a holiday. Unlike other Australian cities you're not going to return as it is a boring place once you've done the main touristy things, but I highly recommend it as a long weekend destination.

As for comparing CBR with SIN and the pricing it's pretty hard to pitch low pricing to CBR when SQ are paying around $250 in taxes for a return flight from WLG to CBR but it's only $100 in taxes to fly from WLG to SIN return.

Something has to happen about TT taxes, but there is no sign of that happening any time soon.

sbiddle

Which is capacity dumping that the WEL-MEL route route simply won't be able to sustain.

nzkarit

Isn't the 78X bigger than the A359? and SQ's replacement is a little ambiguous as they say the A330 and 772 are being replaced by A359 and 78X as they are adjusting the ratios of planes sizes in fleet.

Though it will be the last route to get a new plane as why put a good product on, when you have guaranteed money what ever plane you fly?

The report on the new Wellington length only covered new runway length and didn't do the 78X in it's performance calculations. http://www.gw.govt.nz/assets/Resourc...way-Length.pdf

cavemanzk

WLG-MEL - This July
NZ 6x A320 (168) = 1,008 weekly seats each way
QF 7x 738 (174) = 1,218 weekly seats each way

Currently there is 2,226 seats each way per week.

SQ 4x 77E (266) = 1064 additional weekly seats each-way.

New totally weekly seats each-way = 3290.

Taking into account that some passengers will be going to SIN and Beyond, there is still noway that Wellington could support that many additional weekly seats to Melbourne. Already an percentage of the traffic to Melbourne will be travel beyond.

Do wonder if NZ will decided to drop the WEL-MEL route and codeshare on the SQ service, since SQ is getting funded to fly to WLG. I can see NZ dropping the route in protest to teach the WCC and WLG an lession.

HaaZe

.. and their opening price point is NZ$312 return (I looked for flights in June 2018)

cavemanzk

When NZ is around $550 return for the same dates in The Works, If SQ keeps those fare levels around its almost certain NZ will drop WLG-MEL.

Mwenenzi

That is a very low price for New Zealand to east coast Aust, considering the real taxes/airport fee that need to be paid
That is a about the normal mid range price for New Zealand to east coast Aust for seat & bag. But can be higher. A lot higher. Or a little cheaper.

Over the last few years China Airlines has been the cheapest trans Tasman at ~$185 - $220 one way or more (full service, meal & baggage).
For the last ~4 years I have been flying TT every ~4 weeks on a range of carriers/airports

codyc1515

Easy to do when you don't actually have to let the market determine if its a viable route. Might even be worth catching a domestic trip up to WLG in some cases to catch this flight.

HaaZe

Well at that price point, I certainly jumped on it. And have joked with my friends that WLG people will be in constant "orbit" over the Tasman if the prices remain at that level (which, sadly, won't happen). I think there may be a fair bit of regional interest in WLG as a departure point, beyond its normal catchment area. I can never see Air NZ interlining and "feeding" this service though, without some sour grapes.