It didn’t take long. Following Virgin Blue’s Christmas Eve announcement of its removal of domestic fuel surcharges from tomorrow, New Year’s eve, Qantas and Jetstar this afternoon scrapped theirs for all domestic tickets issued for flights from New Year’s day.
However Qantas is making no further reductions of its international fuel levies which it [...]
Monthly Archives: December 2008
Virgin removes Qantas and Jetstar domestic fuel levies
December 30, 2008 – 5:13 pm
Qantas on-line check-ins slowed to a shuffle
December 29, 2008 – 7:49 am
Two short domestic holiday season flights on Qantas were on-time and cost less than Virgin Blue, which seems to be a common experience these days.
But Qantas customer service has lost the plot when it comes to encouraging passengers to save the company money by promising them faster and easier check-in procedures if they do it [...]
Will Qantas turn shame into gain?
December 27, 2008 – 8:39 am
Virgin Blue’s elimination of domestic fuel surcharges announced on Christmas Eve seems to put Qantas to shame, but travel retailers are chatting about its likely response as being a headline grabber.
Qantas doesn’t look good for hanging onto an $18 domestic fuel surcharge when its subsidiary Jetstar is charging only $9 and Virgin Blue and Tiger [...]
It’s merger fantasy silly season
December 24, 2008 – 7:32 am
When Macquarie Equities allows itself to be reported as saying Malaysia Airlines would be ‘a better fit’ for Qantas, and the general media breaks out in a sweat over a fictitious story in a Kuala Lumpur newspaper that Jetstar is discussing a merger with AirAsia it means that the silly season for Qantas merger fantasy [...]
Your Christmas flight might even be on time
December 23, 2008 – 4:28 pm
Civil Air, the air traffic controller union, says there will be no industrial action during the holiday season.
This might not eliminate problems however, as the statement points to the chronic shortage of controllers, whether union members or not, which has caused air traffic control disruption all year.
The union’s tactic is to leave the Minister for [...]
Qantas slashes fuel surcharges after most holiday tickets bought
December 22, 2008 – 7:05 pm
Qantas and Jetstar reduced their fuel surcharges this afternoon but most Christmas holiday travellers will miss out on the long overdue savings.
This is because the reductions only apply to tickets issued from tomorrow, 23 December. Most holiday period tickets have already been bought.
On domestic routes the Qantas surcharge which was $21 per sector falls only [...]
Defining moments in deceptive conduct by airlines
December 22, 2008 – 9:10 am
Last week the ACCC told Plane Talking it didn’t monitor airline charges and would only intervene in the pricing of air fares if it believed a carrier was engaging in deceptive conduct.
The ACCC clearly operates under a deceptive definition of ‘deceptive’ and perhaps should consider ordering itself to take out newspaper advertisments acknowledging the problem [...]
Delta’s Pacific tsunami may drive defensive mergers
December 19, 2008 – 4:45 pm
The competitive tsunami caused by Delta Air Lines entering the Australia-US air travel market may drive defensive consolidation counter measures by Qantas, Virgin Blue and Air New Zealand.
The Australian carriers were keeping their cards close to their chests today, but the mood is unmistakable.
They cannot afford to be smashed by the entry of the new [...]
Oil $US 36.20, fuel levy robbery continues
December 19, 2008 – 8:45 am
Oil is dropping like a rock this morning, and at 8.30 EDT was $US 36.20.
The robbery called fuel surcharges on Australian tickets continues even as foreign carriers start lining up to fly levy free. The ACCC continues to think that the surcharge label of being for fuel is not deceptive conduct.
The airlines here continue [...]
Delta coming to Sydney, 1 July daily 777-200LRs
December 19, 2008 – 7:41 am
Not yet announced in Australia, the Delta Air Lines website says it will start daily non-stops between Sydney and Los Angeles on 1 July with Boeing 777-200LRs.
Presumably all the government approvals are in place. Under the US-Australia air traffic treaty, any American carrier can fly here on request. Delta, which recently merged with another major [...]
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