The battle of the low-cost trans-border franchises of Singapore Airlines-controlled Tiger and Qantas-directed Jetstar Asia is heating up, with Jetstar’s plans to fly twice daily between Singapore and Tokyo being shot out of the sky this morning.
Jetstar
Jetstar creates a jet stir in Vietnam
The $A53.9 million Qantas investment in Jetstar Pacific has flown into an ideological chasm in the ranks of the Communist Party and government in Vietnam, and it isn’t clear how it can escape.
Tiger bites Roo with Melbourne-Brisbane flights
Another Qantas Cityflyer route is being munched on by Tiger, reports Ben Sandilands: this time, it’s the Melbourne to Brisbane route, with the low-fare airline offering flights up to three times daily from 28 March.
Chilling out on Jetstar: cash grab or coincidence?
Flying Jetstar? Pack a pashima, because if one Crikey reader’s complaint is correct, they may try and freeze the loose change out of your pockets.
Questions by the plane load for Qantas AGM
The most urgent question for shareholders at next week’s Qantas AGM in Perth isn’t the lavish reward to former CEO Geoff Dixon, but whether the group’s toxic management culture will destroy his replacement Alan Joyce and cripple the carrier.
Even without blood money, Burma is bled dry
Recently there has been a call for tougher sanctions for Aussie businesses wanting to deal in Burma. But how effective are sanctions when Burma’s military tentacles are wrapped so tight?
Qantas: The chance for answers goes west
Qantas shareholders meet next week in faraway Perth — well away from where the majority of shareholders actually live. What is Qantas hiding from?
Jetstar to take on Qantas (etc) as air wars hot up
Qantas is pulling out all stops to fend off an aggresive Tiger, as Jetstar begins to shadow Qantas’s Cityflyer jets on the hotly contested Melbourne-Sydney route.
Jetstar is eating Qantas
New statistics show the rise of Jetstar at the Qantas brand’s expense. Yes, the child is eating the parent. So when will management bring up the subject with shareholders and employees? asks Ben Sandilands.
Things looking so bad for Qantas they might be good
Today’s traffic results are a mixed blessing for Qantas. Terrible news regarding international passengers, but overall, the group’s passenger numbers rose 6% in August compared to August 2008, clearly lifted by growth by Jetstar.
Is Jetstar propping up Burma’s dictatorship?
Jetstar has come under fire for running flights into Burma, with critics claiming the airport fees and money the airline brings into the country are helping fund Burma’s repressive military junta.
Tips and rumours: Tips and rumours: Bradfield byelection heats up
Who else is about to declare their candidacy for the Bradfield byelection? Further Jetstar and Qantas dealings and which state premier has been spotted jaywalking?
It’s a Jetstar a-rising at Qantas
The Jetstar ascendancy is now on in earnest at Qantas, says Ben Sandilands, starting with five flights daily between Melbourne’s main airport and Sydney in October that will compete directly with their own full-service Citiflyer flights.
Qantas down, Jetstar up. No happy landings
Qantas has dropped its profits even more sharply than most analysts had predicted, with announcements today that profits were down from A$1.4 billion to A$181 million.
A year in the life of Qantas
Qantas held its full year financial briefing this morning, revealing profits are down 87%, negative earnings in the second half, plans to lease more Airbus A330s, plus more premium economy and fewer business class seats.
New Zealand to be an interstate destination
A deal between Australia and New Zealand to make flights between the countries the same other domestic routes is now in the bag, reports Ben Sandilands, with Jetstar’s CEO stating fares could fall as low as $130 one way.
Tips and rumours: The pay rise The Oz had to have
A Crikey tipster writes: “So everyone at The Australian got a lovely little note from editor in chief Chris Mitchell pretending that the 3.5% award increase they are all due was somehow his doing.”
Virgin vs Kangaroos: a bums on seats comparison
Ben Sandilands looks at the bums on seats on Virgin and Qantas planes in a side-by-side comparison.
International carrier bloodbath: Qantas slows
International travel at the moment is a mutually destructive blood bath for carriers world-wide, with none of the major global airlines nor the two Australian flag carrier international routes expected to generate profits in the second half of this calendar year.
Airbus v Boeing face-off thanks to AirAsia X and Jetstar
AirAsia X has Airbus A350-900s on order; Jetstar is supposed to get the first of Qantas’ Boeing 787-8s. So two fuel-slashing “plastic fantastic” aircraft will compete in one market. Interesting.
Fire on a Jetstar flight put out textbook style
If you are going to have a fire on an airliner at cruising altitude, having it right beside the first officer who is already waiting with a fire extinguisher is the best place for it.
Virgin pressure on Qantas mounts
The latest traffic figures for Qantas continue to pile the pressure on to its full service domestic product, which is losing altitude steeply as Virgin Blue, its own Jetstar and Tiger all continue to grow strongly at its expense.
Tips and rumours: Why do Westpac continue to make staff cuts?
Tispters tell of musical chairs in Westpac’s marketing and comms team, and Liberal MP Dennis Jensen’s new comedy act.
Jetstar turns cannibal to subdue the Tiger
Jetstar looks set to “accidentally” take on its parent airline Qantas on the Melbourne-Sydney route for the greater goal of keeping Tiger Airways in its cage.
Jetstar continues to defy gravity
Compared to March last year, Jetstar’s head count rose 1.8%, and it lifted its seats filled factor by 3.1 percentage points.
