why this airline has crashed., page-7

Unlike QF others are actually growing their business
GLTA @ QF !
e0D Singapore Airlines going 4 times daily to London
June 7, 2012 – 6:40 pm, by Ben Sandilands

Between 9 September and 21 October Singapore Airlines is  lifting its capacity between Singapore and London to four flights a day each way, three in A380s and a fourth in a 777-300ER.

That is the same number of flights Qantas is entitled to under its current air traffic agreement, but has cut back to two A380s daily, one each originating in Melbourne and Sydney, plus hand offs to BA connections in Bangkok and Hong Kong.

On the current timetable, which may change by that time,  Singapore Airlines may be operating three A380s $aily from Australia to Singapore. The word ‘may’ is getting a work out because as regulars have often complained in forums, its A380 arrangements out of Sydney had been prone to ‘equipment changes’ at different times earlier this year, making it sometimes uncertain as to exactly what it was offering, as sometimes the alternative wasn’t the 777-300ER, but other jets without the top notch business class and other amenities on its biggest Airbus and biggest Boeing.

The change however will give Australian travellers even more reasons to choose to fly all the way to Europe and the UK on Singapore Airlines, which also operates A380s to Paris, Frankfurt and Zurich, and supports its European network with additional 777-300ERs.

It also underlines a problem common to Qantas and Virgin Australia’s less frequent flights that connect with onward Etihad services at Abu Dhabi, and that is, a single carrier service is always more convenient.

It is a big problem for Qantas customers. There is a relationship between loyalty and frequency of service, and if it can’t sell what people want in terms of flying to London, then it can’t expect to be taken seriously when it complains about a lack of support by Australians.

Unless you have the seats to sell, whinging about successful competitors to London is pointless. Singapore Airlines is pickling up the golden opportunity offered to it by the little Qantas policy, in which the airline’s management reduces risk and costs by reducing flying.