BNE-PER regular
 

I may be taking up a job in Perth and will need to scope the most economical way of traveling to and from Brisbane. I will probably come back to Brisbane every two weeks for a long weekend leaving midday or late afternoon Friday and returning to Perth late Sunday or red eye Monday. I am currently a QFF but I don't actually fly much these days. Would my best option be to book Qantas regardless?

I thought you were driving to Broome!? ;)

Broome, Perth, whatever. As long as it is in the Northern Territory nobody cares.

There are only two choice on this route (DJ and QF). DJ currently charges $219 one way (plus a few fees) and QF $275 (all incl).
You could also consider Tiger but this requires a connection and you fly to the Gold or Sunshine Coast, not Brisbane.

I would just wait for a QF Sale to happen and then you should get the QF flight for almost the price of the DJ flight. The advantage is that you will get FFP and when you combine this with Woolworth Shopping and a good credit card you will have enough points to upgrade to business class once in a while. And this is a good investment on that route especially when on the red eye.

The other advantage of QF is the equipment used. DJ flies there 738s while QF has a 763. Much nicer and roomier on such a long flight.

No I was asking for transportation options to get my car over there in anticipation of my taking up the job offer. Well spotted!

Not all QF's flights are 767 BNE-PER. About a quarter are 738 on the random dates I looked.

Yes also a regular. Wouldn't consider anyone but QF.

For advance purchase you will pay at best about $220 each way for the direct route, or if you wait for a "sale" period, anything down to $150.

The schedules are quite good if you don't mind arriving at midnight. But because this route has lower priority than SYD or MEL, there's never any urgency to get it away and it is often delayed an hour or so leaving BNE and sometimes from PER too. It's 763 or 738 with the very old cramped overhead bins, get on early if you're travelling with only carry-on.

Arriving midnight on Sunday in PER there's no local bus service but otherwise the no 36 is the most economical way between the city and Perth airport, the local bus stop is the last one outside the Virgin terminal.

Edit: if you're planning on staying in a hotel in PER, beware of the lastminute or wotif secret-hotel deals, NONE of the secret hotels are where wotif says they are. The 5-star one is always the casino hotel in Burswood - two suburbs away from Perth - despite the assertion that "This hotel is located in Perth". And the one that wotif says is in "Perth CBD", 4.5 star, will probably turn out to be the Crowne Plaza about 2 miles from the centre - the hotel does run a free bus into town in the mornings though. And more often than not, the secret hotel is being noisily renovated.

How early is advance? The point you make about being delayed rings true with the only two times I have been to Perth - delayed for unknown reasons. Other than the bus to the city how much would a taxi cost to south Perth?

Sorry but who is DJ?

Virgin Blue

If you mean the suburb of South Perth (just across the river from the CBD) then expect to pay $25-$30 from the Perth domestic terminal

Yes I did - thanks.

Every 3 or 4 weeks QF announces a domestic "sale" with a silly name like See-Australia-Sale, usually lasting about a week and for travel dates starting 2-3 weeks ahead thru 2-3 months ahead. The BNE-PER is usually 189 or 199 in these sales.

We are getting overdue for such a "sale" so get yourself on the mailing-list.

And if you're taking a cab from PER that's another reason to travel without checked bags to rush to the taxi-queue before the crowd.

Why not park your car at the airport? No need for all the hassle with a taxi.

The bus you're referring to is the 37, rather than the 36.

Also, Perth has free transport in the CBD anyway so you can jump on any bus on St Georges Tce (about a 2 minute walk) to head into the city from the Crowne Plaza.

I've never seen BNE-PER that cheap, even on the sales. Generally on a sale fare you're looking at 225 each way; only once have I ever seen it at 199 on Qantas.

There are now three routes connecting the domestic airport and the CBD - ending up at the Esplanade Bus Terminal.

#37 travels via the Belmont Forum shopping centre
#36 and #40 via Great Eastern Highway (the motel strip)
#36 in the other direction finishes at the Midland train station.

Weekdays
First trip from PER to the CBD is 05:32 (#36)
Last trip 00:15 (#40)

There is an attempt to space the departure times.

Happy wandering

Fred