NZHerald reviewing new route: AKL-RAR
NZHerlad reviewing Jetstar Airways new service from Auckland to Rarotonga in the Cook Islands:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/new...rce=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
40 empty seats ?
Moderators: richierich, ua900, PanAm_DC10, hOMSaR
RE: NZHerald Reviewing New Jetstar Route: AKL-RAR
Those Herald "reviews" (read advertisement) are widely known to be paid for the airlines they review and they are hopeless in their information.and impartiality. They never have a bad review.
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RE: NZHerald Reviewing New Jetstar Route: AKL-RAR
| Quoting Mortyman (Thread starter): Those Herald "reviews" (read advertisement) are widely known to be paid for the airlines they review and they are hopeless in their information.and impartiality. They never have a bad review. |
Well the review mentioned 40 empty seats, wich can hardly be considered a positive for the airline ?
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- BestWestern
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RE: NZHerald Reviewing New Jetstar Route: AKL-RAR
40 empty seats on the inaugural isn't bad - one way demand with no return traffic in the system yet.
I remember fondly my NZ 767 service from PPT to AKL via RAR in J using a paltry amount of British Midland miles as it was a considered an intra-Austrasian service.
Breakfast ex RAR was superb - the pursor insisted we tried the fruit plate as it as 'picked this morning'. It was truly fantastic.
I remember fondly my NZ 767 service from PPT to AKL via RAR in J using a paltry amount of British Midland miles as it was a considered an intra-Austrasian service.
Breakfast ex RAR was superb - the pursor insisted we tried the fruit plate as it as 'picked this morning'. It was truly fantastic.
RE: NZHerald Reviewing New Jetstar Route: AKL-RAR
| Quoting Mortyman (Thread starter): 40 empty seats ? |
That's okay for an airline starting an already well-served route in off season.
The weather is still very pleasant in NZ, the kids are at school. The Islands won't really pick up until the weather, here and in Australia, gets colder.
mariner
RE: NZHerald Reviewing New Jetstar Route: AKL-RAR
| Quoting Mortyman (Reply 2): Well the review mentioned 40 empty seats, wich can hardly be considered a positive for the airline ? |
Much better for Jetstar to start in the low session, rather that in the peak starting in a couple of weeks times.
Auckland to Pacific Islands, in an narrow body isn't an simple operation and you have allot more planning to factor in that flying overland in Europe.
When Virgin Australia first start to fly AKL-RAR, they got caught out by not being able to take all of the baggage. Back then they were only a couple time a week, and people had to wait a couple of days for there bags etc.
On the flights to the Pacific Islands, people take anything and everything they can think off. You'll see anything from LCD TV's to boxes of fresh meat.
RE: NZHerald Reviewing New Jetstar Route: AKL-RAR
| Quoting aerorobnz (Reply 1): They never have a bad review. |
Even when CX operated an A320 from AKL-HKG, which wasn't as flashy as the 777. And they were lucky enough to be granted use of the Cathay Pacific lounge in Auckland.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/new...ticle.cfm?c_id=7&objectid=11613443
RE: NZHerald Reviewing New Jetstar Route: AKL-RAR
Jetstar's entry onto the route is great for passengers. Their fares are quite a bit lower than Air New Zealand and Virgin, which should help to grow the market to what's usually considered to be a reasonably expensive holiday destination (compared to Fiji, Samoa etc). I hope they're able to add more frequencies soon.
I'd imagine that trying to bulk load a kitchen sink into a 737 isn't easy.
| Quoting zkncj (Reply 5): When Virgin Australia first start to fly AKL-RAR, they got caught out by not being able to take all of the baggage. Back then they were only a couple time a week, and people had to wait a couple of days for there bags etc. |
I'd imagine that trying to bulk load a kitchen sink into a 737 isn't easy.
| Quoting NZ107 (Reply 6): Even when CX operated an A320 from AKL-HKG, which wasn't as flashy as the 777. |
RE: NZHerald Reviewing New Jetstar Route: AKL-RAR
| Quoting ZKOJQ (Reply 7): Jetstar's entry onto the route is great for passengers. Their fares are quite a bit lower than Air New Zealand and Virgin, which should help to grow the market to what's usually considered to be a reasonably expensive holiday destination (compared to Fiji, Samoa etc). I hope they're able to add more frequencies soon. |
The main limiting factor will be the accommodation stock on Raratonga, with NZ flying 777s there it fills up pretty quick during busy periods.
RE: NZHerald Reviewing New Jetstar Route: AKL-RAR
| Quoting zkncj (Reply 8): The main limiting factor will be the accommodation stock on Raratonga, with NZ flying 777s there it fills up pretty quick during busy periods. |
I beleave they have flown both the 747 and the Dc-10 to Rarotonga before and the amount of hotel beds has no doubt increased since then
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- Motorhussy
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RE: NZHerald Reviewing New Jetstar Route: AKL-RAR
| Quoting Mortyman (Reply 9): I beleave they have flown both the 747 and the Dc-10 to Rarotonga before and the amount of hotel beds has no doubt increased since then |
When NZ flew 742's and DC10-30's to RAR it was as a stop between AKL and LAX, for both fuel to get to the final destination and pax to/from the islands, same for NAN and PPT. These days they no longer need fuel stops in the Pacific Islands and the Govt. of the Cook Islands underwrites the LAX leg, and possibly the SYD one too. The LAX-RAR-AKL is a weekly 763 now, as is the SYD-RAR; other flights from AKL are A320.
But you're right about beds having increased since then.
| Quoting ZKOJQ (Reply 7): Jetstar's entry onto the route is great for passengers. Their fares are quite a bit lower than Air New Zealand and Virgin, |
Unfortunately it will do nothing for pax on the leg between RAR and Aitutaki. Mind you, this needs to stay expensive to keep low yield passengers out. #ParadiseOnEarth
RE: NZHerald Reviewing New Jetstar Route: AKL-RAR
Rarotonga is starting to become too commercial now. I saw a change already between my visits in 2006 and 2010 ... This is the sort of place where you don't want mass tourism. I hope the Cook Island government is wise.
RE: NZHerald Reviewing New Jetstar Route: AKL-RAR
| Quoting Mortyman (Reply 11): Rarotonga is starting to become too commercial now. I saw a change already between my visits in 2006 and 2010 ... This is the sort of place where you don't want mass tourism. I hope the Cook Island government is wise. |
It's the eternal balance between the sorely needed money that tourism brings in and the infrastructure that tourism requires.
People have been saying ti about Bali - "you should have been here twenty years ago when it was unspoiled" - since I first went there in 1975.
mariner
RE: NZHerald Reviewing New Jetstar Route: AKL-RAR
| Quoting motorhussy (Reply 10): The LAX-RAR-AKL is a weekly 763 now, as is the SYD-RAR; other flights from AKL are A320 |
An winter season week between Auckland-Raraotonga on NZ
M NZ46 772
T NZ46 772 / NZ748 A320
W NZ46 772 / NZ748 A320
T NZ46 772
F NZ774 A320 / NZ46 772
S NZ61 763 (onto SYD) / NZ748 A320
S NZ18 763 (Onto LAX) / NZ46 772
772 - 6x Weekly
763 - 2x Weekly
A320 - 4x Weekly
The majority on the flights this Winter are 777-200ER, with a couple of extra A320 services. Apart from Monday and Thursday NZ has an double daily service to RAR.
RE: NZHerald Reviewing New Jetstar Route: AKL-RAR
| Quoting zkncj (Reply 8): The main limiting factor will be the accommodation stock on Raratonga, with NZ flying 777s there it fills up pretty quick during busy periods. |
Well, then the free market will kick in and more accommodation will be built!
| Quoting Mortyman (Reply 11): I hope the Cook Island government is wise. |
When you're a poor country, you don't just turn away business/tourists.
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- Milesdependent
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RE: NZHerald Reviewing New Jetstar Route: AKL-RAR
| Quoting MilesDependent (Reply 15): True, but you can market yourself in such a way to avoid mass tourism, and focus on big spenders. Think Maldives. |
Same thing is happening in the Maldives:
http://www.neverendingfootsteps.com/...o-travel-the-maldives-on-a-budget/
"HOW TO TRAVEL THE MALDIVES ON A BUDGET: IT’S POSSIBLE!
The Maldives is a fascinating country to travel to independently, not least because it’s only been possible to do so for the past five years. Now, guesthouses are springing up on local islands on a seemingly monthly basis, offering budget travellers an affordable way to explore the country.
The number of guesthouses on some of the more popular islands are doubling each year as more and more travellers turn up in search of paradise on a budget."
It happened in Acapulco, which in the late 1940's was an exclusive jet-set resort. By the end of the 1950's, the "one Coca-Cola - two straws" crowd had moved in and the jet-set had fled.
It happened in Mallorca - the jet-set discovered it and then the low-rent package tours from the UK took over. The jet-set went to the Turkish coast, but then the package holidays discovered that, too.
As above, it happened in Bali.
A couple of places have avoided it. St. Barts in the Caribbean had been a jet-set hideaway for decades, because (a) it's tiny (b) it has a tiny airfield which they won't extend and (c) there are few big hotels and none can be built.
Mustique is even more exclusive, there are only two or three boutique hotels and only the rich can afford them.
http://www.cottonhouse.net
But neither St. Barts nor Mustique has a large local population, whereas unemployment in Rarotonga would be very high if they tried to do that.
Tourists bring money. People like (want/need) money.
mariner
[Edited 2016-03-31 16:32:47]
RE: NZHerald Reviewing New Jetstar Route: AKL-RAR
| Quoting ZKOJQ (Reply 14): When you're a poor country, you don't just turn away business/tourists. |
Yes, but the danger is that the Cook islands would loose it's appeal by many travelers who wants to go to more exotic and relatively unspoiled places as opposed to places with heavy tourism. It might be acceptable to Americans and perhaps Australians and New Zealanders, but Europeans I think are a bit more sceptical. It's a 38 hour journey from Norway and the flight alone cost around 2500 USD, maybe more depending on when you go.
It has to be a special place in order to spend that much time and money to get there.
RE: NZHerald Reviewing New Jetstar Route: AKL-RAR
| Quoting Mortyman (Reply 17): It has to be a special place in order to spend that much time and money to get there. |
I'll try again. I'm sure the Cook Islanders would prefer the employment that the mass tourism of Australia and NZ bring, than the unemployment catering to European dreams of elitist islands.
Then again, mass tourism hasn't stopped Europeans going to Bali.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2...-bali-despite-economic-crisis.html
"European tourists continue to flock to Bali despite economic crisis"
If you want "unspoiled" it's easy enough to find, you just have to pay for it.
mariner
[Edited 2016-03-31 17:19:22]
RE: NZHerald Reviewing New Jetstar Route: AKL-RAR
| Quoting motorhussy (Reply 10): Unfortunately it will do nothing for pax on the leg between RAR and Aitutaki. Mind you, this needs to stay expensive to keep low yield passengers out. #ParadiseOnEarth |
Save that BS for FlyerTalk.
RE: NZHerald Reviewing New Jetstar Route: AKL-RAR
| Quoting ZKOJQ (Reply 14): Well, then the free market will kick in and more accommodation will be built! |
Good luck with that one, just look at how the Sheraton ended up? which then was going to become an Hilton which failed too!
What is rising is the amount of Batches (Holiday Homes) for hire, which will cater to some of Jetstar market.
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- Motorhussy
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RE: NZHerald Reviewing New Jetstar Route: AKL-RAR
| Quoting motorhussy (Reply 21): Quoting coolian2 (Reply 19): Save that BS for FlyerTalk. Don't know that my comment warranted that offensive tone so you know where you can stick it buddy. |
Yes, that wasn't necessary at all.
RE: NZHerald Reviewing New Jetstar Route: AKL-RAR
| Quoting zkncj (Reply 20): What is rising is the amount of Batches (Holiday Homes) for hire, which will cater to some of Jetstar market. |
I have been to Raro about a dozen times since 1980. One of the last times we were there (as we prefer Hawaii these days) we hired a brand new 3 bedroom house at Muri lagoon. It was across the road from the beach but wow, it was a very nice house and for the 2 of us was amazing. Quiet, secluded and all the water toys included so not a bad option, self catering also! We traveled NZ J class so we were not "Jetstar market" , just preferred to be away from the madding crowd for a change
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