Pieter C. 5 Report post Posted January 15, 2007 Malaysia, Australia Considering Low-Cost Route January 15, 2007 Malaysia and Australia are in talks to open a low-cost air route between the two countries, spearheaded by Qantas-owned Jetstar, and AirAsia, Malaysia's transport minister said on Monday. Malaysia-based AirAsia recently unveiled bold plans to expand its route network to include longer-haul destinations, but the price to secure landing rights in Australia looks like being a reciprocal agreement for Jetstar to share the new business. "An Australian low-cost operator will be operating (from Kuala Lumpur)," Chan Kong Choy said in a interview. "We are negotiating now so if things go on fine you can see a low-cost carrier from Australia by the second half of the year." When pressed, Chan confirmed the carrier was Jetstar. Jetstar could be the first major foreign airline to fly out of Kuala Lumpur's busy low-cost terminal, which is run by Malaysia Airports Holdings and used almost exclusively by AirAsia, the region's largest low-cost airline. The terminal is expected to handle about 6.5 million passengers this year and is rapidly approaching its current capacity of 10 million passengers less than a year after opening. Chan said AirAsia wanted to fly to Melbourne's Avalon Airport, a low-cost hub for Jetstar. AirAsia's founder and chief executive, Tony Fernandes, said this month he wanted to double the airline's Airbus A320 fleet to 200 as it looked to expand its service in the region. He also launched a new low-cost long-haul service, AirAsia X, which would start flying to cities in China, India and Europe from July -- a move industry analysts say could hurt local state-controlled rival Malaysia Airlines. (Reuters) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tamizi Hj Tamby 1 Report post Posted January 15, 2007 Wow! This is interesting.Hope that KCH-PER route will be reinstated Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Azri M. 0 Report post Posted January 15, 2007 How clever! Jetstar's Avalon Airport is currently not catered for international destinations as there is no immigration facility. But with Jetstar's flying out from it, they will for sure upgrade the terminal with immigration facility later. And therefore, AirAsia X can fly directly from KUL. TF is genius! ZACK! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Edwin Lau 0 Report post Posted January 15, 2007 Hope they will serve KIA too Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Fendy Report post Posted January 15, 2007 Avalon is soooooooooo far away from melbourne! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yusoff 1 Report post Posted January 15, 2007 "We are negotiating now so if things go on fine you can see a low-cost carrier from Australia by the second half of the year." When pressed, Chan confirmed the carrier was Jetstar. Yaayy!! Can go to Australia CHEAPLY for holiday this end of year!!... always wanted to go there... Liam can be my tour guide, no? Liam? hehehee.... Liam's possible answer: Yeah, why not just stay at my house while you're at it?! My definite answer: Yaay!!.. zero-cost accommodation!! hahahaaa.. ... you wish!! Avalon?... someone (sorry couldnt recall who) has posted a recent photo of Avalon airport... how thankful i am to have a LCCT like one in KLIA.... sorry to say, Avalon looks like a shed rather than a terminal to me... .. no offense... peace! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Seng Lim 0 Report post Posted January 16, 2007 Well Yusof if you want to visit Liam u can take Tiger Airways (SGD21.52 one way right now), of course to have to travel down to Changi to catch the flight. Melbourne is 4 hours away by flight from Perth. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Azri M. 0 Report post Posted January 16, 2007 Yaayy!! Can go to Australia CHEAPLY for holiday this end of year!!... always wanted to go there... Liam can be my tour guide, no? Liam? hehehee.... Liam's possible answer: Yeah, why not just stay at my house while you're at it?! My definite answer: Yaay!!.. zero-cost accommodation!! hahahaaa.. ... you wish!! Avalon?... someone (sorry couldnt recall who) has posted a recent photo of Avalon airport... how thankful i am to have a LCCT like one in KLIA.... sorry to say, Avalon looks like a shed rather than a terminal to me... .. no offense... peace! I posted some pix on the other thread. My post with pix Yeah, it is a shed. But with this talk, they might open up a new international terminal with a better facility i hope? Yea, its damn far from Melbourne. 2 hrs by SunBus... further than our LCCT. But at least it is reachable to Melbourne city. So not so bad loh. ZACK! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Keith T 2 Report post Posted January 16, 2007 I smell good competition! Looking forward to lower fares from SQ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Keith T 2 Report post Posted January 16, 2007 Well Yusof if you want to visit Liam u can take Tiger Airways (SGD21.52 one way right now), of course to have to travel down to Changi to catch the flight. Melbourne is 4 hours away by flight from Perth. Zack and I are down here in Melbourne however. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Robert 0 Report post Posted January 16, 2007 Some thoughts... Whilst its great that you can get a cheap flight I have concerns that the cabin is too cramped for flights of over 3-4 hours. I remember reading a book when I lived in the UK about the airlines business and heads of GO and Easyjet didn't feel routes longer then 3 hours were viable due to the tight seat pitch. Based on the MAS timetable KUL-PER is 5+ hours long which I believe is too much with the cramped cabin. However if the fly the A330 then their Star Class looks good! Another interesting point is that Jetstar don't fly from the budget airport in Singapore because they feel that T1 offers a better service. Maybe they will fly from the KUL MTB instead of the "temporary" rather poor LCC-T. What are your thoughts? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Keith T 2 Report post Posted January 16, 2007 2 hrs by SunBus... further than our LCCT. But at least it is reachable to Melbourne city. Or 85 bucks by taxi! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jonathan Kong 0 Report post Posted January 16, 2007 will be a great news for KUL! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Victor Goh 0 Report post Posted January 16, 2007 By 2nd half of the year huh?! Think will make it by then? I will think at 4th quarter (oso 2nd half wat!!) haha!! But i hope is sooner.. Can't wait to try it out.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tamizi Hj Tamby 1 Report post Posted January 16, 2007 Wow...Interesting.Looks like there will be Jetstar's A330 visiting the LCCT when this services commences. Hope that KCH will also involve in this plan too Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Azri M. 0 Report post Posted January 16, 2007 Another interesting point is that Jetstar don't fly from the budget airport in Singapore because they feel that T1 offers a better service. Maybe they will fly from the KUL MTB instead of the "temporary" rather poor LCC-T. What are your thoughts? A more valid reason why Jetstar doesnt fly to the Budget airport in Changi is because they want to offer a better connectivity to their Qantas flights in T1. In KUL, there is no Qantas flying there, so therefore they do not have the same hurdle to go to KUL MTB/Sattelite or LCCT. Therefore, in that sense, they may prefer going to LCCT as it is cheaper and connect to another low cost carrier (aka AirAsia). We'll see how it goes. Yes I will be in Melbourne! Make sure I don't have to drive you all the way from Avalon. DAMN FAR! ZACK Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Azri M. 0 Report post Posted January 16, 2007 Not will be in Melbourne... I am in Melbourne... so yeah, anytime mate! ZACK! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Keith T 2 Report post Posted January 16, 2007 A more valid reason why Jetstar doesnt fly to the Budget airport in Changi is because they want to offer a better connectivity to their Qantas flights in T1. In KUL, there is no Qantas flying there, so therefore they do not have the same hurdle to go to KUL MTB/Sattelite or LCCT. Therefore, in that sense, they may prefer going to LCCT as it is cheaper and connect to another low cost carrier (aka AirAsia). We'll see how it goes. Flying into AVV would also suit both of them as the airport is JQ's Melbourne base for domestic flights to other state capitals like SYD, BNE and ADL. Good connectivity. Flights to OOL, MCY etc are still from MEL though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Seng Lim 0 Report post Posted January 16, 2007 Whilst its great that you can get a cheap flight I have concerns that the cabin is too cramped for flights of over 3-4 hours. As long as it's cheap, who cares about cramp seat/cabin, after all it's rather expected and there will be thousands of people fighting for the cheap fares over the net. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrew Ong 1 Report post Posted January 17, 2007 JetStar vs. AirAsia...... Two LCCs and one main route Tough competition in the coming years Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Keith T 2 Report post Posted January 17, 2007 (edited) JetStar vs. AirAsia...... Two LCCs and one main route Tough competition in the coming years I infer from the article that they're not competing against each other. They seem to be trying to nut out a QF/BA-style joint service agreement on MEL-KULvv. So it'd actually be JQ/AK vs MH. Edited January 17, 2007 by Keith T Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yusoff 1 Report post Posted January 17, 2007 I infer from the article that they're not competing against each other. They seem to be trying to nut out a QF/BA-style joint service agreement on MEL-KULvv. So it'd actually be JQ/AK vs MH. This is good... AK/JQ fight for QF/BA's shall i say, dominance?... We get to travel cheap... Who wants good service, go for QF/BA, bargain hunter/low-cost traveller can opt for JQ/AK. Then, JQ/AK go fight for prices, hmmm...mmm.. i'm lovin it! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Keith T 2 Report post Posted January 17, 2007 (edited) This is good... AK/JQ fight for QF/BA's shall i say, dominance?... We get to travel cheap... Who wants good service, go for QF/BA, bargain hunter/low-cost traveller can opt for JQ/AK. Then, JQ/AK go fight for prices, hmmm...mmm.. i'm lovin it! QF (there's no BA metal from MEL) operates to KUL via SIN though (through interline with MH/SQ/JL). And JQ is owned by QF. QF is deploying JQ to cities where it's not viable to send QF metal, but has enough of a leisure traffic to justify some form of service by the Qantas group. I think its competition against MH who's recently signed up to a partnership with DJ, who's rival to both QF/JQ in the domestic market. Edited January 17, 2007 by Keith T Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Robert 0 Report post Posted January 17, 2007 As long as it's cheap, who cares about cramp seat/cabin, after all it's rather expected and there will be thousands of people fighting for the cheap fares over the net. I suspect your are right but it doesnt alter the fact that sitting in a very cramped cabin for 5+ hours is not good for you. I think many people in this part of the world dont care about comfort and only care about the price. I dont care about food etc etc but seat size is important on long flights. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
