Virgin Australia dumps Phuket flights

[NamKangMan]

Not really a surprise.

Aussie dollar has lost 25%.

Less Aussies coming.

Nothing to do with tourist numbers, there are just better airline options available.

Aussie tourist numbers are slightly down but so is just about every country, UK might be the only one with higher numbers.

"Nothing to do with tourist numbers, there are just better airline options available." - and it appears, better holiday destination options as well.

Of course, you must be right.

Absolutely nothing to do with the mining bust that has hit Australia in general and the state of Western Australia and its capital in particular.

Or, that the Australian dollar has gone from 33 Thai baht to 25 Thai baht making it a lot more expensive.

I bow to your superior knowledge NKM.

Please remind me of the "better" alternative airline that is flying from Perth to Phuket return?

"Virgin Australia will no longer operate direct flights from Perth to Phuket from February 1, 2016," "citing that the market was “just not big enough” to make the service viable"

"However, from March 23, 2016, Virgin Australia’s fully-owned subsidiary budget carrier Tigerair Australia will use three all-economy configured Boeing 737-800 aircraft to offer the following services to Denpasar (Bali),"

"Perth-Denpasar: daily return services"

What's this say to you, KB?

So, there are all these "struggling" Western Australians, due to the downturn in the mining industry and a lower Australian Dollar, that can no longer afford a holiday on Phuket, but can afford a holiday to Bali.

Times must be so hard for them.

Edited August 10, 2015 by NamKangMan

[KarenBravo]

Errrrm.........NKM have you seen the comparative distances between Perth and Bali and Perth and Phuket?

Are you also saying that the mining bust has not affected Western Australians?

Oh.......forgot to add this. I know you like them.

[NamKangMan]

Errrrm.........NKM have you seen the comparative distances between Perth and Bali and Perth and Phuket?

Are you also saying that the mining bust has not affected Western Australians?

Oh.......forgot to add this. I know you like them.

Errrm........KB, have you seen the decline of western tourists here, from all around the world????

Oh.....forgot to add this, they no longer like coming to Phuket anymore.

Edited August 10, 2015 by NamKangMan

[KarenBravo]

Have you seen the title of this thread?

[NamKangMan]

Have you seen the title of this thread?

Have you seen they haven't "dumped" flights to Bali?

If the mining downturn in Western Australia, and the lower Australia Dollar, is the reason YOU say they are not coming to Phuket, why are they going to Bali on "daily services?"

[KarenBravo]

Have you seen the title of this thread?

Have you seen they haven't "dumped" flights to Bali?

If the mining downturn in Western Australia, and the lower Australia Dollar, is the reason YOU say they are not coming to Phuket, why are they going to Bali on "daily services?"

Because it's cheaper?

[NamKangMan]

Have you seen the title of this thread?

Have you seen they haven't "dumped" flights to Bali?

If the mining downturn in Western Australia, and the lower Australia Dollar, is the reason YOU say they are not coming to Phuket, why are they going to Bali on "daily services?"

Because it's cheaper?

"Because it's cheaper?" - so why are many other nationalities avoiding Phuket?

Have they also found "cheaper" places to holiday?

Sure, you pay a premium price on Phuket, but the problem is you now get a vastly inferior product and/or service compared to elsewhere, and I would suggest, for the many people that can still easily afford to come to Phuket, they no longer do so, for this reason.

[tharae]

Not really a surprise.

Aussie dollar has lost 25%.

Less Aussies coming.

Exactly, Bali is a more attractice financial deal, shorter flight too.

And a pretty horrendous place, unless you avoid the entire SW coast. Traffic there is worse than Manhattan in rush hour. I spent my entire vacation driving my motorbike on the sidewalks, as the gridlock was ridiculous. Bali is way, way too overpopulated. If you get up to Ubud, and the north, it is nice. The culture, the people, the clarity of the water, the land, is very nice. But, the SW is a blight zone.

Do you mean the SE?

Pretty sure he means SW - Kuta/Legion. SE is Sanur. Great beach, friendly people, good service and good food. Bonus - no bogans (well almost).

[KarenBravo]

Have you seen the title of this thread?

Have you seen they haven't "dumped" flights to Bali?

If the mining downturn in Western Australia, and the lower Australia Dollar, is the reason YOU say they are not coming to Phuket, why are they going to Bali on "daily services?"

Because it's cheaper?

"Because it's cheaper?" - so why are many other nationalities avoiding Phuket?

Have they also found "cheaper" places to holiday?

Sure, you pay a premium price on Phuket, but the problem is you now get a vastly inferior product and/or service compared to elsewhere, and I would suggest, for the many people that can still easily afford to come to Phuket, they no longer do so, for this reason.

I'm not disagreeing with you.

But THIS flight, from PERTH is no longer viable because there are less people coming due to THE MINING BUST coupled with the EXCHANGE RATE.

Do you get it now? It is NOT a sudden drop because all the people in Perth have realised that they're not getting value for money in Phuket.

There have been no cut-back in flights to Phuket from the East coast of Australia as they are not affected so much by THE MINING BUST.

Jeez.......box of rocks comes to mind.

[spidermike007]

Have you seen the title of this thread?

Have you seen they haven't "dumped" flights to Bali?

If the mining downturn in Western Australia, and the lower Australia Dollar, is the reason YOU say they are not coming to Phuket, why are they going to Bali on "daily services?"

Because it's cheaper?

"Because it's cheaper?" - so why are many other nationalities avoiding Phuket?

Have they also found "cheaper" places to holiday?

Sure, you pay a premium price on Phuket, but the problem is you now get a vastly inferior product and/or service compared to elsewhere, and I would suggest, for the many people that can still easily afford to come to Phuket, they no longer do so, for this reason.

It is about the locals taking their prosperity for granted, and devoting a lifetime to NOT improving services, or the general experience for the tourist. People are getting tired of Thais taking them for granted and seemingly going out of their way to avoid any kind of progress, improvement, innovation, cutting edge technology, forward thinking or creativity.

[hugocnx]

They made some progress in creativity how to better cut corners

[Prbkk]

Despite the lower than expected loss @94 million, Virgin is in deep trouble....caught in no man's land between full service and the LCCs. This is the second time the black hands of NZ have reached out to stuff up Australian aviation, following the Air NZ, SQ, Ansett fiasco.

[NamKangMan]

@ KB

Take a look at this link. It's from the Perth Airport website showing International departures for tomorrow, to Denpasar (Bali).

7 flights to Bali with 4 different carriers, and that's on a Tuesday.

There are also other destinations. Eg. Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Abu Dhabi and Jakarta.

Some of the Singapore and KL flights may connect to destinations in Thailand, but 7 flights to Bali clearly shows Phuket has fallen out of favour with West Australians. How long before east coast Australians follow?

http://www.perthairport.com.au/FlightInformation/FlightSearch.aspx?Terminal=I&FlightType=D

It appears many West Australians still have money to spend on an overseas holiday, despite a downturn in the mining industry.

They are simply not chosing Phuket, and going elsewhere.

Edited August 10, 2015 by NamKangMan

[Old Croc]

I flew Virgin from Perth when I first came to live here just over 5 years ago.

However, I decided I would never fly them again because of the crappy little plane they used (737?).

It felt claustrophobic and the seats were the worst I've ever encountered. My bad back started playing up immediately and I couldn't get comfortable on the hard upright seats.

I hate stopovers, so I was attracted by the direct 6 hour flight they offered, but subsequently I've always booked Singers and Silk.

[fang37]

Worse than AirAsia? If so, that is really something. Flew to Asia once on AirAsia - one time too many!

[Old Croc]

I regularly fly (twice a year) between home(Phuket) and Melbourne. I connect with a Virgin flight to Melb. after the Phuket flight To Perth so they have lost me for that flight as well as the return . And it is not cheap-$1300 return. Also I have 70,000+ Frequent flier points with them and I doubt that I can convert them here in Phuket. I leave for Aus. on the 12th and have already paid in June before this announcement so no chance to use points and pay for that fare. Will not go Aus. again till Feb. next year, after the service has ended. What do I do with my points? I hope Virgin come up with a good answer to that one, but I doubt it. Singapore Airlines here I come(and cheaper)

I lost over 200,000 points when Ansett went toes up, I had planned to use them on a big trip when I retired.

The thing that really rankled was I had finally persuaded the firm to pay for my membership in Ansett's "Captains Club (or whatever they called it then). All the paperwork, membership cards, special baggage tags, etc. arrived by mail on the very day Ansett crashed and burnt! Never took them out of the envelope.

[Old Croc]

Worse than AirAsia? If so, that is really something. Flew to Asia once on AirAsia - one time too many!

Never flown them.

[Walkabout Man]

I regularly fly (twice a year) between home(Phuket) and Melbourne. I connect with a Virgin flight to Melb. after the Phuket flight To Perth so they have lost me for that flight as well as the return . And it is not cheap-$1300 return. Also I have 70,000+ Frequent flier points with them and I doubt that I can convert them here in Phuket. I leave for Aus. on the 12th and have already paid in June before this announcement so no chance to use points and pay for that fare. Will not go Aus. again till Feb. next year, after the service has ended. What do I do with my points? I hope Virgin come up with a good answer to that one, but I doubt it. Singapore Airlines here I come(and cheaper)

I lost over 200,000 points when Ansett went toes up, I had planned to use them on a big trip when I retired.

The thing that really rankled was I had finally persuaded the firm to pay for my membership in Ansett's "Captains Club (or whatever they called it then). All the paperwork, membership cards, special baggage tags, etc. arrived by mail on the very day Ansett crashed and burnt! Never took them out of the envelope.

You probably would have been a bit distracted by the TV because the day Ansett crashed was September the 12th 2001. Your frequent flier points wouldnt have been priority number 1 that day

Edited August 10, 2015 by Walkabout Man

[NamKangMan]

Worse than AirAsia? If so, that is really something. Flew to Asia once on AirAsia - one time too many!

I've flew with AirAsia for several visa runs. Never had a problem.

What issues do you have with them?

[fang37]

You need a very small "posterior" ie axxe.

[jocko]

I thought that Aussies have been going to Bali a lot longer than they have been going to Phuket? .

The Bali bombing made a massive change of holiday plans for western Australians from there it's like UK holiday makers going to Spain and the aussies are skint at the moment so i know were i would go.

BTW Dicky Branson sold Virgin a long time ago.

[anto]

>>

I took a Virgin train from London to Hollyhead, and it was pants. On a train that serviced the Irish ferry ( lots of bags ) they didn't have a luggage rack. You had to just throw your bag on a huge pile in a corner.

Must be something about Branson that he does cheap and nasty, though as I don't remember the fare as being particularly cheap perhaps just nasty..<<

Its about their cheapest route at around 40 pounds sterling ,London all the way to Dublin .(fare includes the boat ) .I found the Virgin train fast and clean .It had Wifi but for that you paid extra ,a lot extra .The worst part was that the train arrived in Hollyhead around 10 pm ,and the boat did not leave till around 3 am .Hollyhead is not a pleasant place to spend 5 hours in the middle of the night,or any time during the day for that matter .

Edited September 14, 2015 by anto

[anto]

>>Pretty sure he means SW - Kuta/Legion. SE is Sanur. Great beach, friendly people, good service and good food. Bonus - no bogans (well almost). <<

Kuta /Legian is in the South East of Bali Island surely ,unless i am loosing it completely ?

Edited September 14, 2015 by anto