Once, twice, three times the sale(s) – Virgin Blue respond with “Party at Our Place Specials”

Virgin Blue have responded to Jetstar and Tiger. Specials on domestic routes (too many to list) and:

New Zealand

• Brisbane → Wellington $229^ AUD
• Sydney → Christchurch $149 AUD
• Melbourne → Christchurch $149 AUD
• Brisbane → Christchurch $149 AUD

• Auckland → Gold Coast $179 NZD
• Auckland → Brisbane $185 NZD
• Wellington → Brisbane $185^ NZD
• Christchurch → Sydney $179^ NZD
• Christchurch → Melbourne $179^ NZD
• Christchurch → Brisbane $185^ NZD
• Auckland → Cairns $339 NZD
• Auckland → Mackay $279 NZD
• Auckland → Rockhampton $279 NZD
• Christchurch → Adelaide $299 NZD
• Christchurch → Cairns $329 NZD
• Christchurch → Canberra $259 NZD
• Wellington → Cairns

Tonga

• Auckland → Nuku Alofa (Tonga) $149 NZD
• Auckland → Nuku Alofa (Tonga) $169 NZD

• Sydney → Nuku Alofa (Tonga) $279 AUD
• Melbourne → Nuku Alofa (Tonga) $349* AUD
• Brisbane → Nuku Alofa (Tonga) $349* AUD
• Adelaide → Nuku Alofa (Tonga) $349* AUD
• Canberra → Nuku Alofa (Tonga) $349* AUD

Samoa

• Auckland → Apia (Samoa) $239 NZD
• Christchurch → Apia (Samoa) $299* NZD
• Wellington → Apia (Samoa) $299* NZD
• Auckland → Apia (Samoa) $259 NZD
• Christchurch → Apia (Samoa) $299* NZD
• Wellington → Apia (Samoa) $299* NZD

• Sydney → Apia (Samoa) $349 AUD
• Melbourne → Apia (Samoa) $399* AUD
• Brisbane → Apia (Samoa) $399* AUD
• Adelaide → Apia (Samoa) $399* AUD
• Canberra → Apia (Samoa) $399* AUD
• Gold Coast → Apia (Samoa) $399* AUD

Cook Islands

• Auckland → Rarotonga $249 NZD
• Christchurch → Rarotonga $299* NZD
• Wellington → Rarotonga $299* NZD

Travel between dates vary, fares are one-way include most taxes. Seats are limited and may not be available at peak times or on all flights.

Hope it’s of interest.

Grim news from Qantas – fares to increase 3.5%

Qantas is planning to hike its base fares by around 3.5% for domestic fares and 3% for international fares from May 9. It’s Jetstar subsidiary is ‘reviewing’ its fares, and is reportedly likely to (wait for it) increase fares, particularly on international routes.

I’m glad to see an increase to base fares rather than (competition distorting, consumer misleading) fare surcharges but I’m somewhat put out by Qantas big-wig Geoff Dixon’s reasoning. Apparently, the airline will increase the base price, rather than its fuel surcharge, ‘to bridge the widening gap between the actual cost of fuel and the amount that gets offset through surcharges and non-cost fuel improvements’. I’d appreciate if someone could explain that to me in a loud, slow voice.

If it’s any consolation – and its not – Qantas is also suspending its share buy-back program and ‘making cutbacks to ”non-essential” expenditure and instituting a hiring freeze to minimise the impact of the surging jet fuel prices’.

Virgin Blue is set also to increase fares $12 per sector from next month.

Both airlines blame the increases on fairies going on strike at the bottom of the garden. Or rising fuel prices.

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[Image from pbo31on Flickr]

You may have missed… Travel news from around the place (22nd April)

Given the recent turbulence amongst low cost carriers Tiger Airways released some reassuring financials yesterday, although no trading figures were announced. The most promising sign is that they are reportedly giving Airbus the ol’ hurry up for fifty new planes on order, thirty of which are scheduled to operate in Australia.

V Blue, an airline founded by an eccentric Brit, has offended patriotic sensitivities by awarding Singapore Airlines the tender to service its fleet of 777’s just because they, you know, have the tools and experience to service these aircraft. A talking head from the Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineers Association decried the move claiming the ‘Virgin group should have considered the need to develop a skill base in Australia’, in between choruses of Waltzing Matilda and screaming Ozzie, Ozzie, Ozzie!!!

China is reportedly imposing more ever more stringent visa requirements.

Tourists taking a day trip from Siem Reap to the floating village of Chong Kneas are being mobbed by beggars taking to the water in plastic buckets.

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You may have missed… (12th of April)

Baggage handlers claim QANTAS’ 32kg baggage limit is breaking their backs and that the maximum limit should be 16-20kgs. QANTAS, for its part, feels the baggage handlers are breaking its balls.

‘Since privatisation, Australian airports have increased operational revenue by 42 per cent while reducing operating costs, and made capital investments amounting to $2.3 billion’. Sydney Airport in particular is doing quite nicely off budget travellers, thank you very much.

The Federal Government has launched a review about, well, everything, to do with aviation in Australia.

Oasis Airlines, the ambitious long-haul budget carrier connecting Hong Kong with London and Vancouver, suddenly ceased operations this week when its owners decided that losing $128,000 USD per flight had lost its allure. The immediate liquidation left many passengers stranded and, because the airline was not an IATA member, it could effectively tell passengers to find their own way home.

Indonesia has withdrawn flight permits for grounded budget airline Adam Air, but the airline may re-apply for the routes at the end of the three-month ban imposed in March if it was found to have improved safety standards.

The Age has a rather optimistic article claiming that VAustralia entering the trans-Pacific market will lead to a ‘shake-up’ of fares on routes to LAX which reads not-at-all like a Virgin press release.

Frontier Airlines in the US has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The International Herald Tribune surveys the industries woes in the U.S.. One reaction from airlines – off-shore maintenance.

The perfect time for the lazy traveller to see Machu Picchu – the four day Inca Trail is trek booked out until the end of August.

Australian regional Mac Airlines has been purchased and the new owner plans to rebadge the airline ‘Ansett’, presumably having discounted PanAm, TWA and Compass.

The EU, in what is obviously some sort of mistake, has done something that may benefit consumers – oredering that passengers should actually be able to find out which items are prohibited in carry-on luggage.

Boeing’s Dreamliner will remain just that for the foreseeable future. The gnashing of teeth has begun and the lawyers are circling.

NYT examines inflation in South East Asia.

6 people were injured when currency exchange workers were robbed of $1m at gunpoint at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

Virgin Blue signed an interline agreement with Vietnam Airlines.

Abu Dhabi-based Etihad expects to establish its third route to Australia within two years.

Laos highway number 3 will be paved, a move which could when completed ‘cut driving time between northern Thailand and southern China to less than a day’.

Wired asks if planes of the future will fly on pond scum.

The Age examines the dramatically shrinking numbers of European flag carriers flying to Australia in the last few years.

UPDATE

A rail connection to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport will reportedly be operational from December.

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