VirginFlyer From New Zealand, joined Sep 2000, 4502 posts, RR: 50 Reply 2, posted (10 years 10 months 4 days 6 hours ago) and read 916 times:
Has any reason been given as to why this is happening. How odd to have another Middle Eastern carrier drop the market, especially given the very large Middle Eastern populations of Sydney and Melbourne. Will they be replacing it with a codeshare or other form of agreement?
V/F
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Britair From United Kingdom, joined Aug 1999, 933 posts, RR: 17 Reply 3, posted (10 years 10 months 4 days 4 hours ago) and read 889 times:
I think the main reason (other than the questionable economics of the Australia route) is competition from Emirates. Up until Emirates started services Australia was served by GulfAir, EgyptAir and MEA. All three have now been forced to quit because of Emirates strength in the market, IMHO.
ETA Unknown From Comoros, joined Jun 2001, 2010 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (10 years 10 months 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 774 times:
Emirates had no effect on Egyptair's decision to quit SYD- Egyptair fare levels are considerably lower (as were MEA's and Gulf Air's). In addition, Egyptair fares (in all classes) to SIN, the Middle East and Europe are the lowest of any carrier.
Qantas to Bahrain- they most certainly did fly there (LHR-BAH-SIN-SYD) and there are no plans to re-enter the Middle East market.
Ex_SQer From United States of America, joined Apr 2002, 1435 posts, RR: 6 Reply 7, posted (10 years 10 months 3 days 15 hours ago) and read 755 times:
Zizou,
QF's flights to BAH were due to technical necessity as planes at that time could not do SIN-LHRvv nonstop. I doubt that they plan to go back into the MidEast anytime in the foreseeable future.
MEA From Australia, joined Jan 2001, 631 posts, RR: 0 Reply 9, posted (10 years 10 months 3 days 7 hours ago) and read 696 times:
MEA dropped services to Sydney way before Emirates entered the market.
There is a substantial market between the Middle East & Australia, however comparing Emirates to Egypt air is like comparing apples & oranges. Egypt Air has no PTVs, the aircraft are dirty & service isn't that crash hot.
Ryanair!!! From Singapore, joined Mar 2002, 4652 posts, RR: 27 Reply 10, posted (10 years 10 months 3 days 6 hours ago) and read 685 times:
MEA now code shares with Malaysia Airlines on the KUL-SYDvv sector. So they are not exactly 100% out. Gulf Air still flies to SYD and MEL from Singapore.
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LanChileA340 From Australia, joined Aug 2000, 101 posts, RR: 1 Reply 11, posted (10 years 10 months 3 days 4 hours ago) and read 668 times:
What I have heard from internal sources in Chile, is that apparently in early 2003, LanChile will commence to fly a Madrid-Beirut-Denpasar-Sydney sector 3 times a week with the A340-313X under a oneworld alliance codeshare with Iberia Airlines of Spain. It has also been said that Qantas may also add a flight number of theirs to codeshare on this oneworld route. This flight linking Spain with Lebanon, Indonesia and Australia, has come about in the midst of growing traffic between these destinations and to top it all off, the heavy load between Lebanon and Australia. There has been a forecast of very heavy loads on this future flight because of the usual flow between Sydney and Denpasar, also between Sydney and Beirut and also between Madrid and Denpasar. LanChile has been chosen to work as a oneworld linkage carrier on RTW fares. As of yet, nothing has been confirmed, but talks and conferences have been going on in Santiago, Chile and Madrid also in relation to the issue.
ETA Unknown From Comoros, joined Jun 2001, 2010 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (10 years 10 months 2 days 17 hours ago) and read 587 times:
With SYD-BEY market fares hinging around A$1200 return, that's one route Qantas wont touch.
Ryanair!!!- Gulf Air don't fly their own metal to SYD/MEL anymore- it's a Qantas codeshare from SIN. In addition, after the wthdrawal, most Gulf Air staff in Australia were let go. As for MEA- well, they pretty much are out of the market- there are hardly any fares available via travel agents- you have to go to the Lebanese community suburbs to find them.
MEA From Australia, joined Jan 2001, 631 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (10 years 10 months 2 days 17 hours ago) and read 580 times:
It seems strange that Lan Chile would consider flying MAD/BEY/DPS/SYD? I would have thought Iberia a better candidate.
I rang up a travel agent in the Lebanese community & I was quoted an airfare of approximately $1700 with Emirates. A large number of people will pay the extra $200 or so to fly Emirates over Egypt Air.
I have also heard rumours about QF commencing flights into Beirut, but they would have to compete with Emirates and at this stage I don't think they can. The service (from experience) on both carriers is uncomparable.
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