Re: Countrylink looking up again

["Dave Proctor" <david@sd3.mailbank.com>]

"Al" <alpout@optusnet.com.au> wrote in message
3aef4d1f$1$25478$7f31c96c@news01.syd.optusnet.com.au">news:3aef4d1f$1$25478$7f31c96c@news01.syd.optusnet.com.au...
> "Dave Proctor" <david@spambait.proctor.net> wrote in message
> 8_HH6.41403$8j.6019311@bin1.nnrp.aus1.giganews.com">news:8_HH6.41403$8j.6019311@bin1.nnrp.aus1.giganews.com...
> > "Al" <alpout@optusnet.com.au> wrote in message
> > 3aef4a4b$0$25519$7f31c96c@news01.syd.optusnet.com.au">news:3aef4a4b$0$25519$7f31c96c@news01.syd.optusnet.com.au...
> > > "Dave Proctor" <david@spambait.proctor.net> wrote in message
> > > VQyH6.39090$8j.5632786@bin1.nnrp.aus1.giganews.com">news:VQyH6.39090$8j.5632786@bin1.nnrp.aus1.giganews.com...
> > > > "Al" <alpout@optusnet.com.au> wrote in message
> > > > 3aee66cf$0$25465$7f31c96c@news01.syd.optusnet.com.au">news:3aee66cf$0$25465$7f31c96c@news01.syd.optusnet.com.au...
> > > > > Well, with the cheap airfares gone between Sydney and Melbourne
(since
> > > > Qantas
> > > > > has taken over Impulse), wanna bet on the XPT patronage going up
> > again?
> > > >
> > > > Cheap airfares gone? I just booked (at 2320 on 01MAY01) a $132
return
> > > > SYD-MEL on QF for 17JUN. This is about 15 hours after the deal was
> > > > announced.
> > >
> > > I'll bet they don't last long.  $50 says that's your last trip at that
> > price.
> >
> > Just looked again, still available.
>
> And when's your next trip after that one going to be, if you're booking
them 6
> weeks in advance?

Just checked for August, and October, and November, still seats available on
plenty of flights.

So it makes the claim "cheap airfares gone" clearly wrong. They *may* be
going, or they may not be going, but they haven't *gone* (the original
claim).

Besides, the ACCC would have their guts for garters if they removed the
cheap seats on SYD-MEL whilst they kept them on SYD-BNE and other routes
that Virgin Blue operates on. This would be clear evidence of predatory
pricing, and not even Qantas is stupid enough to do that.

> > > > And you seem to have forgotten about Virgin Blue.
> > >
> > > No I didn't.  I stated Sydney-Melbourne, which is a route that Virgin
Blue
> > > doesn't fly.
> >
> > At the moment - how long before they start?
>
> At least a year, according to one article I read this morning.

Not the general consensus within the aviation community. There will be
excess capacity at the Express terminals in SYD and MEL, and Virgin Blue
already operate to MEL from BNE, so adding SYD-MEL would not be a major
addition.

Dave