serfty

Is that double speak or what? Doesn't QANTAS own both Death :-: & QANTASLink? Won't they simply give the contract to Death :-: . Does this mean the imminent end of SC's & points in PER based QANTASLink flights?

NM

If NJS come in with a good price, they might be in with a chance. Perhaps they are there to ensure JQ come in at rock bottom price/cost for the service.

lokijuh

That depends, at the moment it appears that the flights will be operated by either JQ or NJS on behalf of QantasLink (ie maintenance of status quo wrt to points & SC - at the moment NJS operate the flights on behalf of QF using the 146 fleet).

However the cynic in me asks the question if JQ win the contract, would QF Link just hand over the routes to be marketed by JQ as well (ie no points, no SCs and no connexions)? Or would aviation regs in WA and/or pressure from mining companies prevent that?

NM

No, I don't believe that would be on the cards. It has been made clear that JQ achieve their low cost base through a common aircraft fleet - that being A320 once the 717's go. So branding existing QantasLink services as JQ would defeat that purpose.

Also note that QFLink flights can draw a premium price due to the lack of competition on the regional routes.

JQ may be used as the operator in order to keep the operating costs low for QFLink, but I can't see it changing from its current service/product. JQ will only operate if it can be done cheaper than NJS. And remember that JQ took over the remnants of Impulse as the operator of the 717's. So they should know how to operate 717's for lowest cost base. But they will not want to be distracted from their prime goal of slugging it our with DJ for the low cost passengers.

QF NB

Here is a pic of VH-VQE QFLink Boeing 717-200 in WA. The first 717 will be deployed on the Perth-Port Headland-Perth route from July 1. As more come I presume they will replace routes in WA served by the BAe146. This particular flight will operated with an economy class offering only. Qantas have updated the seat maps. I am not sure whether this plane is the 117 seater or 115.

Also, sort of has something to do with the 717 but apparently Jetstar will be announcing intentions to fly to Townsville tomorrow. There is speculation they may even open a new Melbourne-Townsville route.

Cheers
David

serfty

'Tis Interesting the seat maps show assigned registrations as VH-NX(F,G,H & I) for 117 seat configurations and VH-NX(D & E) for the 115 seat job.

VQE appears to have last flown for JQ on Monday 2nd May:
On Wedneday 4th day it flew a positioning flight (JQ7982) to Williamtown Airport, Newcastle.

bers

Pardon me if this has been explained elsewhere before but how do you know?

And why does Qantas make it hard for themselves IT wise by having two seat maps that have different exit rows, bulkhead rows etc. Why not have the 115 seat one start at row 2 with the 117 seat one having 1A an 1C tacked on the front?

RickyT

I guess it makes better sense with the 115 seater have rows 1 to 23 (5 seats each) and with the 117 seater having the normal rows labelled row 2 to 24 (5 seats in each row).

Besides, the 2 extra seats are located before where 'normal' row starts, so labelling them as seat 1A and 1C is better than having them labelled as row 24 that is at front of the plane, with row 1 located behind the seat 24A and 24C just for the sake of uniformness on seat maps.

I hope you kind of got what I was trying to say.

serfty

If I tell you I will have to shoot you!

Maybe its due to the original 717's coming from Impulse. They had a couple of different confugrations due to that being the layaout of the aircraft when they were obtained.

After buying Impulse Airways out, QANTAS obtained more 717's, these were more uniform.