QF fares BNE-MEL

I may need to travel BNE-MEL this coming week - compassionate grounds. According to QF website there are only four flights; all A330-300 and operates on May 25 through May 28 inclusive. There is no Y availability showing on any flight. J available at $1,163 one way on three days. Seems odd to me - thought that this was a government funded minimum flight program. If Y is in such demand, why not add more flights? VA has Y availability in the range $589 to $1,110.

Got a ticket last week for my wife last week using points. The standard 12,000. Can't imagine its changed much.

Who would have thought that MEL-SYD is sold out all of this week on Qantas and the cheapest ticket on Virgin is $799.

Thanks Brunz. I think that you were fortunate. The situation has now worsened in that there are no seats (Y or J) for seven straight days. After that you pay $1,163 or 178,400 points for a one way ticket. This seems crazy - an essentially grounded fleet with many thousands of aircrew stood down but raring to go ! anonymous has noted similar problems on MEL-SYD. Perhaps the ACCC should be looking carefully at this.

It does make you wonder -- as travel slowly but surely begins to pick up again, and one flight per day is no longer enough, why aren't the airlines putting on more flights? Could it have something to do with the agreement they came to with the government over this "minimum domestic network"? Does that agreement specify one flight per day max?

It does seem strange.

Normally airlines do have compassionate fares, but only available by calling the airline direct. Have you attempted to call QF to see if they can offer you such fare?

Thanks mannej. Unfortunately, I was not aware of that and travelled yesterday on Virgin Australia (still no seats on QF for 8 days straight) and paid $1,100 per person, one way for a Y seat.