Melbourne vs Sydney..cheap flights

[swansrule100]

im flying from launnie to the melbourne airport for 64 bucks return for that game

[Glenn]

Re: Re: Melbourne vs Sydney..cheap flights

Originally posted by JF_Bay22_SCG
Seriously mate. Jetstar is a complete farce. I drove past the Avalon "airport" on route to/from Geelong and couldn't believe how far it was from central Melbourne.

Virgin and QF have some fairly decent old specials as well at the moment. Why waste time flying Jetstar to woop woop when you can fly to Tulla for not much more?

You can also go by car with either the Manager or Peter H (in Ceduna SA last night), as both will be making trips south for the match. We paid $50 return for the Carlton game with 4 in the car.

The Vic Hotel has rooms from $60 as well if you use RatestoGo.com.

JF

More than likely I will making the trip south, just going through the various options so far and weighing up the pros and cons..for any QANTAS frequent flyers on the list, QANTAS are trialling SMS Check in service on the Sydney-Melbourne route, with a bonus of 5,000miles for anyone using the service, only proviso is it is for flights leaving Sydney before 10am at this stage

[Diego]

HAs anyone had dramas with check ins and their very nazi style approach to it. A mate of mine was 2 mins late and they refused to check him in.

He had to pay for a new ticket and wait 1 extra day.

They won't be around much longer jetstar.

[Damien]

Australians just have to get used to it IMO.

Full service domestic airlines for too long spoilt this market.

I flew around heaps of cities in the UK and Ireland last year, most of my flights were between 1 and 5 pounds. One I took from Birmingham to Dublin was for free!! (Just a small ticket tax)

For a 30 minute to 2 hour flight, I don't mind finding my own seat on the plane, having no meal, and having strict check in times.

I just want it cheap!

[Glenn]

Originally posted by Diego
HAs anyone had dramas with check ins and their very nazi style approach to it. A mate of mine was 2 mins late and they refused to check him in.

He had to pay for a new ticket and wait 1 extra day.

They won't be around much longer jetstar.

Seems a few people have been caught out by that, personally I think they should use common sense and allow some discretion on the rule.

[JF_Bay22_SCG]

Originally posted by Captain
Actually Virgin Blue have much newer planes than Qantas.

Virgin also introduced both the 737-700 and 737-800 before Qantas.

The DJ plane I flew back from Geelong on had everything in two languages-English and Turkish . Must have bought/leased it from Turkish Airlines or something.

I flew over to PER on QF (price $215) and had one of the best flights I ever have had. I got served a yummy breakfast (complete with juice, tea and water). During the flight I could also choose from a selection of alcoholic drinks FOR FREE. 4 hours later I'd have had 4 bottles of white wine (Gotta dig that chardie, hey! ). I sat next to this heaps cool dyke cop from Newtown, so we started getting bourbon and cokes. I had 4 of them. I left the plane in a pitiful state, but had sat in a huge A330 Airbus in confort, having even watched the movie "Jersey Girl" as well as the inflight news. On a longer flight it is arguable that it is worth paying extra to fly QF. Howver QF is nearly always late. And tends to be somewhat blase about it too. We were 1 hour late into Perth.

I flew back Virgin last night from PER (price $99, an awesome fare for a flight as long as one to PER). The plane was your normal 737-800, which as per Virgin protocol gets boarded from both the front and back. This speeds up things tenfold. The flight left PER early and arrived in SYD nearly 40 minutes early as well. This is normally the case with DJ; they pride themselves on being on-time which is excellent.

What did I get for my $99, well very little I guess. I got a blue seat on a red plane. I could use my diskman earbuds with their recorded sound program which is generally pretty ok. I paid $8.50 for a pretty nice-looking dinner of Soy Chicken. And had smuggled 2 Strongbows onboard so that I could be a tad more relaxed during the flight; not that the hostees were horribly pleased. I passed the time relaxing listening to to my Diskman with no distraction from anything else apart from my Footy Record. As a big- set person I can tend to be a tad squashed by the 737 seating, especially when I have to have the armrest down for take-off and landing. But I have experienced that in QF 737's too.

Flying to MEL BNE and ADL I'd say go with Virgin if it is cheaper. The flight is short and even if it is cramped at times, you nearly always get there on time. To Perth (or any other long distance destination) you may want the extra luxuries flying QF can provide you. But if you aren't fussy and are money worried about creature comforts, Virgin is still fine. Just take food on board or keep $10 odd for a meal and a drink.

To Melbourne I do not see the point of flying JQ. I have heard horror stories about the bus taking people to the Avalon airport not arriving in time and JQ not stopping the plane or refunding the tickets. If you ain't there 30 minutes before flying you can forget getting on the plane. Virgin on the other hand are excellent at getting last minute passengers on their flights.

JF

[JF_Bay22_SCG]

Originally posted by robbieando
I saw $39 flights up to Sydney this weekend from Melbourne, pity I don't have the cash available at the moment otherwise I would go.

You are BARRED!!!! Stay home!

JF

[JF_Bay22_SCG]

Originally posted by Diego
HAs anyone had dramas with check ins and their very nazi style approach to it. A mate of mine was 2 mins late and they refused to check him in.

He had to pay for a new ticket and wait 1 extra day.

I flew on an domestic flight to Hamburg with Lufthansa in Germany in 2001 and the situation was not dissimilar. I got to Munich Airport in plenty of time to check-in but there was a queue. So by the time I got to the person at the check-in it was after the 30 minute cut off period. This resulted in me having to run from one end of Franz Josef Strauss Airport complete with ALL my checked baggage (which just happened to include a 1.8 metre flagpole ) through security directly to the gate where everything had to be checked-in there. With other passengers in the same boat things at that particular gate resembled a complete zoo. I would never have expected things in orderly Germany to be so pathetically chaotic. It was seriously complete madness with impatient people pushing in everywhere.

As regards Jetstar, another thing I have heard is that if you are connecting at Avalon you have a 2.5 hour minimum turnaround time. Not only do you have to re check your bags in, but if you miss the connecting flight that is tough luck.

Is it all worth it flying JQ, I ask you?

JF
PS:- As a travel agent I hate JQ. QF have not allowed any of us (bar perhaps Fright Centre) to book JQ flights. Considering that every 'escaping winter' flight from Melbourne in winter to Hamilton Island or the Gold Coast is on JQ, it is QF who are the biggest losers by not giving clients the option of having us book a JQ flight for them. I just book DJ flights to Coolangatta (OOL) or Proserpine (PPP) instead. Their loss, I guess.

[Glenn]

Well got my flight back from Melb on Sunday morning(15th) booked with Virgin Blue for $39+$2 service fee.
If anyone is interested they have some $39 flights at 6:15am and 7:15am Sunday and I think Sunday Evening(???)

Just in the process of planning my budget for the trip can anyone let me know the GA cost for Docklands ... cheers

[JF_Bay22_SCG]

Originally posted by Glenn
Well got my flight back from Melb on Sunday morning(15th) booked with Virgin Blue for $39+$2 service fee.
If anyone is interested they have some $39 flights at 6:15am and 7:15am Sunday and I think Sunday Evening(???)

Just in the process of planning my budget for the trip can anyone let me know the GA cost for Docklands ... cheers

Was $16.50 last year mate. No need to pre-book. Just rock up on the day.

Or even better, join us at the Colonial Hotel on Latrobe and King St at around 4pm. This match has potential to be the biggest ever RWO pre/post match gathering ever!

JF

[Glenn]

Cheers JF, hopefully will catch up then and hopefully my mobile phone makes it with me unlike my trip to ADL last year for the final series game vs Port

[Cher]

Originally posted by JF_Bay22_SCG
I flew on an domestic flight to Hamburg with Lufthansa in Germany i

Don't remind me about Lufthansa - they have less leg room than Virgin Blue which isn't much fun on a 10hour flight and they only played one movie in all the ten hours, oh so boring for someone who can't sleep sitting up. Give me Air NZ with non stop movies or Singapore with personal TV anyday.

[JF_Bay22_SCG]

Originally posted by Cher
Don't remind me about Lufthansa - they have less leg room than Virgin Blue

Domesticaly which airline do you like to fly Cher?

Considering you live near Avalon, would you ever consider Jetstar?

JF

[j s]

Originally posted by Diego
HAs anyone had dramas with check ins and their very nazi style approach to it. A mate of mine was 2 mins late and they refused to check him in.

He had to pay for a new ticket and wait 1 extra day.

They won't be around much longer jetstar.

On my flight down for the Cats game we were all boarded on time then sat at the gate for another 20 min b4 eventually leaving. No seat allocations either - just find any seat you can.

[Charlie]

Before you go booking flights with Jetstar... click here.