AFL football Grand Final - Perth flights

[Adam.S]

It may be too early to speculate, however can anyone confirm whether or not Virgin Australia are considering to operate a few flights between PER and MEL next week (week of Sep 28th) using B777 equipment if both teams from Perth (Fremantle and West Coast) make it into the Grand Final?

It has been suggested if these two teams play off in the Grand Final, it is expected up to 40,000 fans will travel over to Melbourne to attend the game.



**EDIT - confirmed by airline that a B777 will not be used any domestic flights**


(Mods, please feel free to delete this thread)

[Adam.S]

A related story regarding airfares: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/national/afl-finals-2015-footy-flights-rip-off-as-airlines-charge-more-for-flight-to-melbourne-than-auckland-on-same-plane/story-fnii5tho-1227535011031

[MarkR]

The west had a story a few days back that Alliance and others would be running a few charters, apply titled Dockers Fokker's in two cases :)

https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/wa/a/29572294/fans-to-fly-high-for-grand-final-fling/

Sold out on two flights already http://dockerfokker.com

[Arthur T]

It may be too early to speculate, however can anyone confirm whether or not Virgin Australia are considering to operate a few flights between PER and MEL next week (week of Sep 28th) using B777 equipment if both teams from Perth (Fremantle and West Coast) make it into the Grand Final?

It has been suggested if these two teams play off in the Grand Final, it is expected up to 40,000 fans will travel over to Melbourne to attend the game.



**EDIT - confirmed by airline that a B777 will not be used any domestic flights**


(Mods, please feel free to delete this thread)

As I suggested in the technical thread, if the West Coast Darby is to be held at the MCG during the Grand Final, the entire fleet capacity for both VA and QF will not be capable to transport that many fans to/from Melbourne in a time of a couple of days before and after the grand final.

Private charter is an option, the other option I think likely to happen is that NZ B777-200ER and B777-300ER, as well as SQ A380 will be deployed to bail Virgin Australia out on PER-MEL. We might also see SQ doing PER-SIN-MEL packages for AFL fans as well.

Of course Qantas can simply rearrange its fleet and chuck a few B744s there, no dramas.

[Sarah C]

You do realise it is the end of school holidays - all carriers are already full, even international carriers. I can't see someone like NZ or SQ having that spare capacity at this time of the year.

[Bob C]

And the beginning of school holidays in W A. Oh, and a long weekend as well.

[Nigel C]

Speed cameras every 20km across the Nullabor, anyone?

[Sarah C]

We one team isn't making the trip so you can halve the number of fans travelling

[Nigel C]

Speed cameras every 40km then?

[Sarah C]

Well played Nigel!

[Tim B]

Quite funny how sales of flights from Fremantle International to Melbourne have almost ground to a halt, but, more seriously, for people such as myself, who had the week off work in Sydney, flights to anywhere were very expensive, given the school holidays. I spent a week in the cold, wind and rain in Sydney instead. I should have just spent the money and headed off, anywhere.

[Steve S... 2]

I know how you feel Tim. I just did the same for school holidays.

Usually the only flights that don't turn to rip off are SYD-OOL - usually though.

[Ricky T]

With the Eagles now in the GF, QF has put on extra flights between PER-MEL next weekend.

The extra flights are operated mostly by 332 with the occasional 73H, one exception is QF 1263 on Sunday (4th October) which is scheduled to be operated by a 744.

[Malcolm Parker]

The airlines better start putting on more seats on the BNE - SYD run Sunday morning already full and filling up fast on Saturday . Both qld teams playing in the nrl final on Sunday night .
I can see QF have already put a 744 onto the MEL-PER post afl final

[Zac M]

For those interested there will be a 744 operating PER-SYD next sunday evening rather than having it position back. Plenty of seats availiable.

[Arthur T]

I wonder despite we don't have an all WA AFL Grand Final we have a all Qld NRL Grand Final next week.

So may I ask do we have B747-400 or Airbus A380 operating between SYD and BNE next weekend?

[Michael R]

You never know Arthur T but looking at staff travel on those dates which clash with the long weekend and the ending of school holidays their are very few seats left on flights which are serviced by those aircraft.

[Shaal L]

Qantas operating a 332 syd -tsv-syd on sat/mon

[Stephane P]

VH-EBC just left bound for TSV as QF1271 (12h50)

[Rowan McKeever]

EBO operated Saturday's TSV service