Jetstar Increase Hobart Services

[Brad Myer]

This should please a few of you:

DISCOUNT airline Jetstar has announced it will increase flights into and out of Hobart from December.

Two more flights daily will increase capacity into Hobart by 128,000 seats annually and inject about $250 million more into the local economy, the airline says.

Jetstar will expand its Sydney-Hobart from two daily services to three and its Melbourne-Hobart from four daily flights to five.

Jetstar Group Chief Executive Officer Bruce Buchanan said the new low-fare flights were representative of Jetstar's strong commitment to Hobart which has been part of the original stable of destinations offered when the airline first took-off in 2004.

"These exciting new services we are announcing today reflect our continued commitment to deliver even more low-fare, hassle-free and convenient services to Tasmania," Mr Buchanan said.

"We look forward to continuing to grow and strengthen our sustainable offering for the benefit of the local community and economy, and appreciate the ongoing support of the Tasmanian tourism industry in achieving this goal."

Jetstar now offers more than 1.6 million seats to and from Tasmania each year.

Recent Tourism and Transport Forum (TTF) analysis showed in the year to June 2010, interstate overnight visitors to Tasmania rose by 7.5 per cent compared with 2007 levels

[Ryan K]

I bet this is just a summer schedule - that is well needed. As with the extra 40% increase in flights from MEL, SYD and BNE to LST, I bet Jetstar will return to a much smaller capacity come winter next year. I seem to remember Jetstar announcing 5 daily HBA-MEL flights last year and they never lasted.

[Kain C]

http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2010/10/05/176951_tasmania-news.html

Jetstar boosts flights DAMIEN BROWN | October 05, 2010 12.01am

AIR travel to Tasmania will expand from December, giving tourism a $250 million-plus cash injection.

But the move has come with a warning from Jetstar chief executive Bruce Buchanan that being too parochial with tourism marketing may not be in the state's best interests.

Only hours after discount airline Jetstar announced it would permanently add two daily return flights to Hobart, Tiger revealed it had bought its 10th aircraft and would use it for extra Hobart flights in summer.

Virgin also said it would put on extra Hobart flights during summer, given the capital had been "a constant performer".

Virgin now offers the most flights to the state.

Qantas will not increase its flights but said it was "continually reviewing operations".

Jetstar said animosity between it and Hobart Airport had been resolved and the discount carrier had committed to the South for another decade. The additional daily return flights will be a Melbourne service arriving at 8am and leaving at 10am and a Sydney service arriving at 12.30pm and leaving at 2.55pm.

The extra flights will increase capacity into Hobart by 128,000 seats a year and inject about $250 million into the economy, with each extra seat worth an average $2000.

The boost follows a threat by Jetstar to wind back its partnership with Hobart and focus on Launceston after the airport's operators the Macquarie Bank and the Retirement Benefits Fund proposed to increase airline fees by as much as 50 per cent.

Details of the new deal were not disclosed but the increase in flights was welcomed by the Tourism Industry Council of Tasmania.

"You are looking at access like we have never had in Tasmania before," council chief executive Daniel Hanna said.

"This is a sign of real confidence in Tasmania and should give the tourism industry a lot of confidence into the future, particularly regional areas."

Mr Buchanan said it was likely more routes would be added to Hobart "very soon".

He did not rule out flights to the Gold Coast, Adelaide and Perth or the return of a direct New Zealand service.

Mr Buchanan said that, with the airline expanding into Asia, Tasmania along with the rest of the country should get its tourism message straight.

He said marketing at a regional level could "fragment and dilute" Australia's tourism message overseas.

"On the other hand, at a domestic level it makes a lot of sense to market on a regional level ... it is about finding that balance," he said.


Well, I don't want to get into the usual arguments, but I don't think this is going to work! Basically, from December, there is a massive spike in capacity to Tasmania; JQ alone adds 5 daily (also maybe more on the way on the new year), plus TT and DJ are adding some more according to the article but no details are available. What is wrong with steady, sustainable growth? They seem to like starving places for 5 years, then giving all the growth at once, which will inevitably result in a major stripping back come winter! Why not just announce that they will trial the services for summer, and then it doesn't look bad when they pull them back off for winter?

I reckon the HBA-PER idea could work. Instead of the 10pm daily HBA-MEL special, why not send this aircraft to PER and back (say Thu, Fri, Sun all strong evening days), and then do an early morning HBA-MEL the next day (Mon, Fri, Sat, all strong morning days). I.e. a MEL based aircraft could operate MEL-HBA-PER-HBA-MEL instead of MEL-HBA-MEL and overnighting in MEL?

One more question for those in the know, why does the new SYD-HBA service depart from the International Terminal in SYD? How many A320s are based at SYD International? Seems to me that the NZ services are done by NZ based aircraft. The NAN service is operated by 320, but that is in the air when the SYD-HBA service operates. All the others seem to be 330 aircraft. Surely the SYD-HBA isn't a 330 is it?

[Gareth U]

Kain, I have seen SYD-MCY listed on itineraries as departing from the international terminal in Sydney. Obviously some sort of bug in JQ's system. I rang to advise them what my itinerary said and the woman couldn't have cared less. I wonder how many people get caught out?

[Alex Ch]

No Kain, but apparently JQ is definitely considering introducing 332 services to LST ;):D:p

[Kain C]

Andrew, yes that makes sense. When the JQ site ammends this little error then it will make more sense.

Alex, I heard that too. Only they will have a special one configured in 100% Star Class doing shuttles all day! ;):D:p

[Ryan K]

Andrew, yes that makes sense. When the JQ site ammends this little error then it will make more sense.

Alex, I heard that too. Only they will have a special one configured in 100% Star Class doing shuttles all day! ;):D:p

Double daily 332 services from BNE no doubt. :D;):p

[Jarden S]

No Kain, but apparently JQ is definitely considering introducing 332 services to LST ;):D:p

Has JQ got any spare A330 capacity all a pretty much fully utilised.