Re: Traveling on the XPT

["Russell Norton" <russelln@primus.com.au>]

WhaleOilBeefHooked wrote in message <7q23fm$g9t$1@news1.mpx.com.au>...
>Russell Norton wrote in message <935628261.675010@diddley.primus.com.au>...
>
>>Unless you qualify for a subsidised fare (which seems to apply to most
>first
>>class travellers anyway!), full fare 1st class is outrageously expensive.
>As
>>an example, you can fly from Wagga Wagga to Sydney in one hour, on a
>>discounted ticket with Hazleton, for around the same price as a first
class
>>XPT fare, which takes 6 or so hours for the same journey.
>
>Further to this the cheapest airfare I could find was AUD198 on Hazelton,
>involving a 21 day advance purchase - you can get a 14 day advance purchase
>in first class on the XPT for AUD100 in offpeak times, or AUD120 at all
>times if you book far enough ahead. A 14 day advance purchase on Hazelton
is
>AUD218.00. These airfares do not include Sydney airport noise tax (not sure
>what it is currently).
>
>DaveP

My apologies, I meant Kendall, not Hazelton (although they both have similar
pricing).

Last year we were flying crews from Wagga Wagga to Sydney, or vice versa,
for $95 on a special discounted advance purchase fare. Seats were limited,
and sometimes we had to pay $115 for the normal advance purchase fare at
that time. Whilst in offpeak times we could get the half price XPT fares as
you stated, the overall cost still made it cheaper to fly due to the time
savings involved.


Currently, you can purchase a ticket from Wagga Wagga to Sydney with Kendall
air for $90 (T class). The usual 21 day advance purchase price is $99 (L
class) - (The class of ticket means nothing except to distinguish price
categories & any conditions imposed - The seats are all the same). The usual
full fare price is around $170. A donation of $6 is required per ticket
(Sydney airport tax), to help insulate peoples homes after they discovered
the big noise they hear every 5 minutes, is in fact a 747. ("Oh, when I
bought my Sydenham terrace last year I didn't realise the airport was THAT
close")
Prices quoted are courtesy of Junee Travel agency.

The example I gave was to illustrate that unless a passenger wants to get
the "rail travel experience", a flight is a very viable alternative for
travel to major rural destinations, especially for business passengers.


Cheers...