[Anonymous]

[MarcusUK]

Just in on the EK A380 service from Auckland to Sydney.

Didn’t realise, that they have really cornered the market between Oz & Australia! They had 3 flights all leaving within the hour (5-6pm local), all to Dubai, but via Sydney (A380), Brisbane (A345), & Melbourne (A345).

To my surprise the A380 was full, with a high traffic load between Sydney & Auckland. Selling at about £90 one way economy, they have become a popular choice for Kiwi’s & Ozzies.On Line Business was £500 one way but an upgrade £220 at the airport!)
No wonder Qantas & Air New Zealand have downgraded many flights to small older aircraft with such competition.

Not a bad option for a 3 hr flight to try the A380, or the comforts of long haul aircraft.
Interesting to see which will be the favourite cabins on the A380’s as more Airlines roll them out, with regular travellers. Certainly the Business on SQ is my favourite (taken QF, SQ, EK), but seems the European Airlines are aiming to pack more seats into their versions, LH, AF.

I noticed the EK crews staying at my hotel as i left also, Star City Grand, must be a nice route for them all to fly.
Certainly the seats, 3 course dinner, entertainment (U can watch Ur choice from before you take off), quiet feel, well designed cabins were excellent.
I shall miss what we get by comparison in Europe for a 3 hrs trip!

[ScottWilson]

Cornering the market between Oz & Australia?

Well given you mean NZ & Australia, the answer is no, if only because EK doesn’t fly at convenient times for the business traffic on the route. Still, it’s a marginal operation for EK to fly to AKL and CHC, so it can price accordingly and it puts useful pressure on QF, NZ and DJ on both price and quality.

Nevertheless, both NZ and QF outdo all European airlines on sectors of 3 hours or so, as you wont find seatback AVOD in either class on most intra-European flights (QF and NZ offer it in economy), and most wont offer a choice of hot meals in economy (let alone business where it exists). NZ and QF have gone for smaller aircraft because of frequency and fuel efficiency, which while not outdoing EK, but they are not exactly older as the QF next-gen 737s are very new.

[MarcusUK]

Hi Scott.

I flew out business on Air NZ, 9.40am 767-300 friday. Yes they had 5 flights a day but all others on A320’s C class has i think 8 seats if i remember last trip?
ANZ are excellent, lounges & staff impeccable, & the food is gourmet & fine wines. I am sure the schedules are much better.
However, as i left on friday, the EKA380- was also flying out an hr before to Auckland, around 9am. The flight back this eve all of them for EK, were 5-6pm NZ time. Arrival in Sydney was on time at 7pm.

I doubt if business trips would be a day out n back as in the EU, with the time difference you couldn’t arrive in AKL before 11am even if you left at 6am. So i cant see why even at one flight a day, that early & late eve they dont fit into a business schedule if staying over?

As for Qantas, they run some very old 737-400’s & i have been on quite a few last year. They had cigarette trays still, set TVs in the aisle with black & Yellow masking tape on the bottom of each to remind you not to board yr head! They were fixed not retracting. Cabins were faded & tatty, & an older generation seemed to be more prevelant on all flights.
Virgin Blue & Jetstar attract a more modern contemporary approach & style that Aussie businessmen like in PE,younger & families seem to take up. Certainly age ranges are much lower on these flights, & many business people in the lounges that are far better than Qantas ones. Qantas still remain some of the most expensive & monopoly on country routes.

Certainly Virgin Blue / Pacific have 737-700’s which are new, & Jetstar A320’s, I wouldn’t choose QF at x 2 the price of EK.
Many people going on to Dubai, but again, i would say, that these days there are less business travellers & more leisure travellers flying in premium cabins. Certainly this seems to be the case on SQ, EK, EY, & TG on my recent flights into & out of Australia. Cabins are far from full also.

But Pam Ann is best as Gloria summing up Qantas…events over the last 2 years.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnkIWEJ3e54

Hope you enjoy! I found this after my flights & it really was like this, reality- but all stated as to what passengers thought! A very good fun take off!

[continentalclub]

EK’s daily roundtrip from SYD to AKL makes good use of an aircraft which would otherwise sit on the ground all day in New South Wales. It also increases crew utilisation.

It exposes the brand to the Kiwi market and the schedule actually works rather well for business travellers ex-SYD. It’s less relevant in the opposite direction for those originating in New Zealand but, with usually about 16 or 17 flights a day from AKL to SYD, other carriers serve the market more comprehensively, especially the NZ-origin one.

Added to which, the two principal incumbents on the route offer a huge range of interline and codeshare connections and the opportunity to earn rewards and status in their alliance FFPs.

In terms of total available seats, EK has about 12% of the daily capacity on the route, with only LAN Chile and Aerolineas Argentinas having a smaller share.

[MarcusUK]

Checking options for my return LAN & Aero Argentinas (worst Airline i ever travelled on in my life, with a strike to boot returning to Brazil), both left AKL at 5.30-8am to Sydney.

Travelled out Air New Zealand business, who were great, as mentioned.
But EK were flying to Brisbane & Melbourne as well as Sydney, then all of them onto DXB. Rather clever exposure as you mention CC, but would give them a greater market share, & a premium cabin to boot taking these flights in /out Oz.

Never the less, Qantas now do not run 767’s & NZ also one a day with 737-400’s & A320’s respectively. Virgin Blue & Jet star have services also. This does mean a clear inroad into the market by Emirates & the low costs in recent years.
A one way economy goes for around £85, PE £300, business £650!
As mentioned, it is great to have long haul aircraft & their cabins seats entertainment & a high standard offering of food, which is not matched in my view.
Have to say though, Air NZ staff, lounges, crew, Food & wines are superb!

[Author]

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