Bonza Airline Discussion

[HS-TQE]

Bonza looking at expansion into (Central) Northern Territory. Despite recent events.

Bonza eyes the Northern Territory market

Bonza is looking to open destinations in the Northern Territory - namely, Alice Springs and Yulara - pending airport use agreements with some airports.

www.travelweekly.com.au

 

[Melburnian1]

Bonza looking at expansion into (Central) Northern Territory. Despite recent events.

Bonza eyes the Northern Territory market

Bonza is looking to open destinations in the Northern Territory - namely, Alice Springs and Yulara - pending airport use agreements with some airports.

www.travelweekly.com.au

One way bookings?

 

[Saab34]

They will go where the taxpayer handouts are, generally NT does throw a bit of cash around, but you would be nuts to go into ASP at the moment. I thought Jetstar is loss making into Ayres Rock? Wasn’t that the reason why they replaced QF? To reduce losses?

Darwin, dry season approaching, would be an option. MCY-DRW is the obvious candidate, MEL-DRW is a high priced route during the dry season. I recall Tiger operated just seasonally at one point.

Still feels like this is a very slow ramp up. Having a quick look, tonight’s late night timed PPP-MCY, about 40 seats blocked only 3 hours until departure. The 645am MCY-TSV has about 30 seats blocked, the TSV-ROK flight in the teens.

 

[Melburnian1]

They will go where the taxpayer handouts are, generally NT does throw a bit of cash around, but you would be nuts to go into ASP at the moment. I thought Jetstar is loss making into Ayres Rock? Wasn’t that the reason why they replaced QF? To reduce losses?

Apparently mainland Chinese tourists were big users of the Ayers Rock flights: a recent media article mentioned this, as they have not returned yet in 'numbers'.

 

[toowongman]

If my memory serves me correctly, QF group got onto Impulse due to their lower cost base and used it as the seed for Jetstar. I wonder if VAII could do the same to Bonza and rebrand it? Crazy thought I know.

 

[SYD]

If my memory serves me correctly, QF group got onto Impulse due to their lower cost base and used it as the seed for Jetstar. I wonder if VAII could do the same to Bonza and rebrand it? Crazy thought I know.

Rebrand it Tiger

 

[Saab34]

Virgin needs to just focus on itself and itself only. Soon as any other distraction comes along the places falls apart.

 

[HS-TQE]

If my memory serves me correctly, QF group got onto Impulse due to their lower cost base and used it as the seed for Jetstar. I wonder if VAII could do the same to Bonza and rebrand it? Crazy thought I know.

Unlikely.

Bonza may potentially be a target for REX (or the other way round - '777 Partners' paying out PAG/Singaporean Shareholders by taking over REX and eventually taking on the REX name)

 

[SYD]

Unlikely.

Bonza may potentially be a target for REX (or the other way round - '777 Partners' paying out PAG/Singaporean Shareholders by taking over REX and eventually taking on the REX name)

They could rebrand as “BEX“ but they’ll just need some flat seats for the “lie down”…. (Google it).

 

[Albert Hoffman]

Good to see that there are 18 seats at 33 inch pitch. (apart from the bulkhead and exit row seats). That's better than Qantas and VA. Bonza! Look forward to flying them TSV-MCY over Easter.

 

[PineappleSkip]

Townsville to Rockhampton only $29 tomorrow. Will be interesting to see how long Bonza tests the water for.

Indeed, it's an odd route for them to pick because it does not really fit their 'no competition routes' business model. Mostly business travellers between TSV and ROK (quite a few) with QF operating two flights a day (priced at $362 and up tomorrow), with scheduling making a day return just possible. Sure there's a pitstop in MKY but it can be 20 minutes or less in practice and you stay in your seat if travelling through. Meanwhile Bonza offering one flight a few times a week, and the cost of per diems and accommodation may kill the bargain even if the flight out is well timed.

cheers skip

 

[Saab34]

Sunshine Coast to Coffs and Mackay have also joined the $29 club. Might be others, I didn’t search them all. If they are only getting 30-40 people for a flight, like Rockhampton to Townsville, and every seat until departure is being sold at $29, well that route is doomed and I wouldn’t even bother testing the market trends on those numbers.

I know it’s early days and so on, but still a little nervous about where this adventure is going.

 

[HS-TQE]

I'm surprised Bonza bothered with CFS from MCY considering the history of "not Qantas" competitors doing quite dismal on any Queensland -CFS routes, with fare quite often at $29.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Sunshine Coast to Coffs and Mackay have also joined the $29 club. Might be others,...

I know it’s early days and so on, but still a little nervous about where this adventure is going.

As previously posted, there has been little to no press/media in Coffs about these flights. I don't think anyone other than AFF members know about them.

I have family on the Sunshine Coast and could be a regular user of this service but still not convinced about the Max.

 

[Harrison_133]

If they are only getting 30-40 people for a flight, like Rockhampton to Townsville, and every seat until departure is being sold at $29, well that route is doomed and I wouldn’t even bother testing the market trends on those numbers.

Purely anecdotal I know, but my MCY-AVV flight with them had about 150 pax and they were still selling the flight at $79 (introductory price) on the day of departure. Speaks to their yield management somewhat…

 

[Saab34]

As previously posted, there has been little to no press/media in Coffs about these flights. I don't think anyone other than AFF members know about them.

The risk with the approach going it alone on the app only, is they need the passengers to know about Bonza/App/Route network. If they don’t, then they have just lost a passenger who does not know about them, will end up on everyone else.

My old folks have just purchased Melbourne to Mackay, they booked Virgin via BNE. I asked about Bonza and they said they had no idea they even flew the route and ‘we didn’t see it on Webjet’. Lost sale right there.

 

[henrus]

they were still selling the flight at $79 (introductory price) on the day of departure. Speaks to their yield management somewhat…

That is Bonza's model. They don't sell different fares depending on a fare bucket, time of day or which way the winds blowing. At the moment every seat is the same price right up until departure.

 

[Harrison_133]

That is Bonza's model. They don't sell different fares depending on a fare bucket, time of day or which way the winds blowing. At the moment every seat is the same price right up until departure.

Except they do…if you look at different dates, the prices do fluctuate.

 

[justinbrett]

That is Bonza's model. They don't sell different fares depending on a fare bucket, time of day or which way the winds blowing. At the moment every seat is the same price right up until departure.

Good way to go bust if so

 

[jakeseven7]

That is Bonza's model. They don't sell different fares depending on a fare bucket, time of day or which way the winds blowing. At the moment every seat is the same price right up until departure.

I recall that being their 'promise' in all their PR blah blah meat pie press releases, but I definitely see different prices.

Perhaps they realised quickly that it wasn't going to work.