QR introduces flights to OZ

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  • Anonymous
    Guest

    Airpocket
    Participant

    Errr…isn’t the UK-ME-OZ route suffering from serious saturation?Do QR really think they can compete with EY and EK, not to mention CX, QF,TG,SQ,MH,KE,and JAL?
    Why is it that every Gulf airline wants to fly to Australia, even in the face of a crippling recession?
    I see this decsion more as an attempt to ‘keep up with the Mohammeds’ rather than one that is grounded in economic realities and practicalities.Its pretty much a given that this is going to be a loss-making route for QR in the short-to-medium term.


    MarcusUK
    Participant

    Qatar have been trying to get into Australia for a few years, but for some reson the Australian Authorities seemed more swayed by Etihad than Qatar, & they got in first.

    Suprising too that Etihad & Emirates are 60 miles apart DXB/ AUH, & yet they run their services successfully. Etihad press releases indicated that they were running services down to Sydney at 96% load factor, which is very high, then they have added another flight so an A345 then an A346 each day! When i travelled with them last yr, their flighs were entirely full, but it’s a fair ultra long haul 15.5 hrs!
    Emirates run the A380, which they seem to be desperate to sell seats on…not unlike Singapores A380. Qantas isn’t doing much better with this aircraft either i hear…?
    (I pity Emirates 50 A380’s order to arrive by 2011…!)

    I think the UAE’s have a solid premium customer base, & Australia has become quite inviting for Emirate residents to visit, as their Dirham goes a long way in AUS $’s.
    It wouldn’t suprise me with this customer base, & linking into Europe that QR could easily make a profit on this route.
    Perhaps it’s the Far East Airlines or that route down to Oz that is suffering now, along with tourism, political instability in Thailand etc.

    Qatar & Etihad beine still relatively recntly established Airlines, have taken Gulf Air’s business for sure internationally, & seriously bitten into The far east Airlines also, especially on the Oz route from the EU.
    It seems Qantas & BA have suffered, so perhaps that route of Emirates down to Oz is now the main one now?


    Airpocket
    Participant

    Totally valid points but,personally, would you chose the erratic and off-hand service meted out by the Gulf carriers (along with far from perfect airports such as DXB and AUH) or would you plump for someone like SQ,CX,TG, or MH?
    I’m planning a trip down under and have decided that with so much quality on offer (i.e.the aforementioned airlines, three of which have got 5 stars on Skytrax…if you’re into that sort of pecking order) I really wouldn’t want to bother with the Gulf Carriers.
    Also, is it really a case of Oz being an attraction to the Arabs?Surely the Australian Government isn’t giving out visas to them will-nilly?I mean, its hard enough getting anything more than a tourist visa for Oz if you’re British!

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