Tiger Not On The Prowl

[Marty H]

http://business.smh.com.au/business/cloud-over-tiger-profitability-20081013-4zw2.html

Possibly losing millions, delay to a fifth A320, what is going on down on the cargo ramp at MEL airport :?

[Lukas M]

An Aercare employee told me that they are really low on FA's. Flights are being cancelled due to lack of crew available. Four Flights were cancelled last week, and its only going to get worse as crews are just leaving in droves.

What about the upcoming Adelaide base, can we all see this starting succesfully? Looks like TR want those planes urgently to expand into Malaysia...

[Rhys Xanthis]

Hopefully we get a look into the companies finances soon.

I'd be interested to see what they look like (as would many others), as its been no real secret around here that they have been in some trouble financially.

[Marty H]

An Aercare employee told me that they are really low on FA's. Flights are being cancelled due to lack of crew available. Four Flights were cancelled last week, and its only going to get worse as crews are just leaving in droves.

What about the upcoming Adelaide base, can we all see this starting succesfully? Looks like TR want those planes urgently to expand into Malaysia...

Has to be a reason why they are leaving, lack of pay, overworked or a combination of both.

[Ryan Hothersall]

Does not look good.

I personally don't think there is room for Tiger here in Australia, as most of the routes they fly they are competing against the established airlines (Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Blue).

Their rediculously low fares don't excite me and I would rather pay a bit more for Virgin Blue and use a proper terminal and not a tin shed.

I will make a prediction that, Tiger will pull the pin early to mid next year.

[Kain C]

Tiger's 5th A320 is due to start services on Dec 15, only 7 weeks away! So if it is to be delayed I think we would have been told already, or seen more schedule adjustments, as their schedules post 15/12 are a complete rewrite of the current ones. There would have to be a major revert back at short notice, for example, MEL-HBA increases from daily to triple daily from Dec 15. Despite this increase, there is a string of flights from Dec 20 thru Jan 5 already fully booked. That's a lot of refunds if they had to revert back to a single daily service! They may delay the ADL base, but I can't see the 5th A320 being delayed this late in the game!

[Lukas M]

So if it is to be delayed I think we would have been told already, or seen more schedule adjustments, as their schedules post 15/12 are a complete rewrite of the current ones.
It certianly is coming!
Registration will be VH-VNG, currently is F-WWIO
Here she is..
http://www.flickr.com/photos/a380spotter/2941759259/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/a380spotter/2941769253/in/photostream/

It was going to Singapore to become 9V-TAJ, but that offer wasn't taken up.

[Marty H]

It certianly is coming!
Registration will be VH-VNG, currently is F-WWIO
Here she is..
http://www.flickr.com/photos/a380spotter/2941759259/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/a380spotter/2941769253/in/photostream/

It was going to Singapore to become 9V-TAJ, but that offer wasn't taken up.

This picture shows AJ on the nose gear flaps only taken on the 22nd of Oct.

http://www.pictaero.com/en/pictures/picture,24695

http://www.pictaero.com/en/pictures/picture,24750

[Lukas M]

This picture shows AJ on the nose gear flaps only taken on the 22nd of Oct.

http://www.pictaero.com/en/pictures/picture,24695

http://www.pictaero.com/en/pictures/picture,24750
Interesting.
TR were getting a new A320 to begin operations in early December, so mabye this is that one.

There is also no Australian Flag on this bird either. There were 4 Deliveries due before March 09(2xA319's and a A320 to OZ, and 1xA320 to Sing)

[Bruce Bramwell]

An Aercare employee told me that they are really low on FA's. Flights are being cancelled due to lack of crew available. Four Flights were cancelled last week, and its only going to get worse as crews are just leaving in droves.

What about the upcoming Adelaide base, can we all see this starting succesfully? Looks like TR want those planes urgently to expand into Malaysia...


Ahhh the townsville refueler knows everything again

[Bruce Bramwell]

http://business.smh.com.au/business/cloud-over-tiger-profitability-20081013-4zw2.html

Possibly losing millions, delay to a fifth A320, what is going on down on the cargo ramp at MEL airport :?

As the news said possible
delay to a fifth A320

[Alex Lui]

Can anyone confirm whether Tiger is pulling out of Canberra as of April 09?

I try to do a booking after March 28th and I can't seem to be able to book. Could it mean that Tiger's last flight out of Canberra is 28th March?

You can still book Melbourne - Launceston etc... at the same time, so you could still book flights.

Be interested to hear people's thoughts.

Alex.

[Lukas M]

No, no pullouts, especially not CBR. New Schedules have not been released for Autumn/Winter yet for every destination so far. The flights that are bookable from 28th March are destinations that have had increases in capacity starting over the summer period.

[Greg F]

Seems strange to 'not offer' flights after march tho...
Wouldn't the 'system' just bring up the obsolete flights and times and then TT advise pax of any changes once the new schedule is drawn up?

Seems strange to not offer flights, thought they'd still want the $ coming in???

[Marty H]

Seems strange to 'not offer' flights after march tho...
Wouldn't the 'system' just bring up the obsolete flights and times and then TT advise pax of any changes once the new schedule is drawn up?

Seems strange to not offer flights, thought they'd still want the $ coming in???


You can book beyond April 2009 for MEL-CBR with both QF and DJ, Im convinced Tiger are canning CBR.

[Michael Morrison]

I really do wonder if they are around for the long term.

They seem to be delaying the A319's - is this due to funding issues?

Perhaps the investors can't cough up the cash to expand? I know SQ has deep porckets, but the aren't the only shareholder.....

[Marty H]

I really do wonder if they are around for the long term.

They seem to be delaying the A319's - is this due to funding issues?

Perhaps the investors can't cough up the cash to expand? I know SQ has deep porckets, but the aren't the only shareholder.....

Im fairly sure SQ have a 10% stake in Tiger, they are majority owned by Ryan Air I believe.

[Steve Jones]

You can book beyond April 2009 for MEL-CBR with both QF and DJ, Im convinced Tiger are canning CBR.

Unless Tiger go under altogether, I am convinced Tiger are NOT canning CBR - CBR is doing quite well for them. I note that a number of other destinations also aren't yet bookable after March.

[Lukas M]

Shareholders include:
Singapore Airlines (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore_Airlines) Limited (49%)
Indigo Partners LLC - American private equity group (24%)
Irelandia Investments Limited - The private investment arm of Tony Ryan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Ryan) and family (16%)
Temasek Holdings (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temasek_Holdings) Pte Ltd - Singapore government investment vehicle

They seem to be delaying the A319's - is this due to funding issues?

A319 dont start revenue operations until Feb12, do they need them early or something?

[Greg F]

I too agree that SQ have deep pockets, but they will only invest big bucks on things that bring a reasonable return, they are not silly and don't 'burn' money...

Maybe they are sitting 'idle' for a while to see what is happening with the market and to sort out what TT Australia's finances look like????

[Kain C]

Unless Tiger go under altogether, I am convinced Tiger are NOT canning CBR - CBR is doing quite well for them. I note that a number of other destinations also aren't yet bookable after March.

As of 15 December, TT have a complete schedule change. No MEL-CBR or MEL-ROK from 15 Dec, and reductions on other routes:

MEL-PER x2 daily (no change)
MEL-ADL x2 daily (-2 daily)
MEL-LST x1 daily (-1 daily)
MEL-HBA x1 daily (-2 daily)
MEL-CBR x0 daily (-2 daily)
MEL-OOL x3 daily (no change)
MEL-MCY x1 daily (no change)
MEL-MKY x3 weekly (no change)
MEL-ASP x3 weekly (no change)
MEL-ROK x0 daily (-3 weekly)

Looks like the A320 has been delayed for the peak holiday season!

[Lukas M]

As of 15 December, TT have a complete schedule change. No MEL-CBR or MEL-ROK from 15 Dec, and reductions on other routes:

MEL-PER x2 daily (no change)
MEL-ADL x2 daily (-2 daily)
MEL-LST x1 daily (-1 daily)
MEL-HBA x1 daily (-2 daily)
MEL-CBR x0 daily (-2 daily)
MEL-OOL x3 daily (no change)
MEL-MCY x1 daily (no change)
MEL-MKY x3 weekly (no change)
MEL-ASP x3 weekly (no change)
MEL-ROK x0 daily (-3 weekly)

Looks like the A320 has been delayed for the peak holiday season!
The problem is there is NO CREWS to crew these flights, barely enough as it is now. In fact, new crews are only just starting now.

[Marty H]

The problem is there is NO CREWS to crew these flights, barely enough as it is now. In fact, new crews are only just starting now.


So I ask the question again why are there no crews??? Poor working conditions??? This is not good for their business at all.

[Michael Morrison]

Are they losing an aircraft or will it just be sitting idle?

[Steve Jones]

I suspect they are just rejigging schedules, certainly not the level of cuts posted.

[Steve Jones]

Further to my above post, lo-and-behold, flights that supposedly were cut from 15 December have obviously been rejigged in the booking system and are back available for booking. Some minor adjustments and some ad-hoc cancellations it seems, but none of the doom and gloom posted earlier.

Kain, so as to avoid the over-sensationalism we so often see in the media, can you check with a reliable source before posting something as though it is fact?!

[Kain C]

Kain, so as to avoid the over-sensationalism we so often see in the media, can you check with a reliable source before posting something as though it is fact?!

O.K., so the MEL-CBR and MEL-ROK are back in at new times, but the rest of the cuts remain, in particular to ADL, LST and HBA. Still what I would call a significant change, as it is much more than a "couple of ad-hoc changes" in your words.

As for a reliable source, if the TT booking engine is not reliable then I don't know what is! If it didn't take them two days to load the new flights in then there would be no confusion would there! As there were previous rumors as to TT canning CBR I put two and two together, but did not get four this time! I would have been right over 90% of the time! :D

[Alex Lui]

How are they back? I still can't book beyond december 15th now...

Tiger is pulling out earlier than I first thought? Seriously, is it due to crew or that they are making such a big loss?

Alex.

[Justin L]

How are they back? I still can't book beyond december 15th now...

Tiger is pulling out earlier than I first thought? Seriously, is it due to crew or that they are making such a big loss?

Alex.

You can book both MEL-CBR vv and MEL-ROK vv in January for random dates I just entered.