Qantas and Jetstar are preparing to fly almost 450,000 customers domestically and internationally this weekend as school holidays start in Victoria and Queensland and footy fans travel interstate for the finals.
The bumper long weekend of travel will see 3700 flights take-off across both airlines, with high load factors across the network.
More flights have been added and bigger aircraft have been scheduled between Melbourne and Sydney this weekend for the footy finals. Fans have snapped up cheaper fares, with only higher, last minute fares still available.
IMPROVING CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
Both Qantas and Jetstar have continued to put in place measures to improve their operations and are working with airports and suppliers to minimise delays and disruptions for customers through what is an extremely busy time.
Qantas has seen a significant improvement in its operational performance, with flight delays, cancellations and mishandled bags all reducing. In August, on time performance was 67 per cent with 4 per cent of flights cancelled, compared to 52 per cent and 6 per cent in July. This has continued to improve during September.
The improvement is driven by:
- More than 1,500 additional people joining the airlines since April, including cabin crew, airport customer service, and engineers, with recruitment continuing.
- Reduced domestic flying has increased availability of staff on standby, which lessens the impact of crew sick leave, the key driver of cancelled and delayed flights in July.
- Ground handling suppliers increasing their workforce by 25 per cent since Easter, which represents a 10 percentage point increase on the June/July school holidays.
Several additional measures are in place this weekend:
- Airlines and airports will have extra staff in terminals to assist at check-in and manage queues. Airports will have additional staff at security screening points during peak times to minimise queues.
- Qantas is using its Airbus A330s, which seat around 100 more passengers than a Boeing 737, on several domestic routes to provide more capacity.
- Up to four additional aircraft are on standby to assist if required
MOST POPULAR DESTINATIONS
The most popular domestic destinations for Qantas and Jetstar customers during the upcoming school holidays (Friday 16 September to Sunday 16 October) across all States and Territories are Melbourne, Sydney, Cairns, Gold Coast, Byron Bay (Ballina) and Hobart.
Internationally, flights to London, Fiji, Bali and the United States are extremely popular.
TIPS FOR CUSTOMERS
Check-in online - More than 80 per cent of Qantas customers are now checking in online, almost 50 per cent more than pre-COVID. The airline has rolled out more than 120 new self-service kiosks, which is four times faster than existing kiosks.
Arrive early - Arrive at least 90 minutes prior to departure for a domestic flight and three hours for international flights.
Stay within baggage limits - Check your limits for carry-on and checked before travelling.
Airport terminals are traditionally busier over school holidays and we thank customers for their patience as our people work to get them safely to their destination.
