“Bonza” Mate- New Aussie Low Cost Airline

Remove this Banner Ad

It will be interesting to see if current airlines connecting flights from cities to regional destinations get cheaper with the new market entrant.
Ie flying
Melb to Syd
Syd to Tamworth
(Say competing against eg Avalon to Tamworth direct)

Bonza are saying they aren’t trying to directly compete. Ie MEL-SYD or SYD-BNE etc so I don’t think we will find too many direct route clashes.

Maybe MEL-Albury or MEL- Mildura sort of thing potentially but I don’t think the existing airlines would do the start up any favours and again due to airport fees unlikely to be MEL but AVV (Melb Avalon).
 
Last edited:
revival_mode said:
i've been lucky, never really had any issues with any budget airline - here or overseas. good to have options
Click to expand...

Same.

Flown with Jetstar 3-4 times and never had a big delay - 20 minutes max.

Happy to cop cheap flights when they crop up, which is going to be reasonably often with another restrictions easing and another airline competing regionally.
 
MrsEddieBetts said:
"budget" airlines give me the shits. By the time you pay for your seat (!!!), a bag, a drink etc it's the same as flying Qantas half the time
Click to expand...

Why do you need to pay for things like drinks? You're on a plane for a few hours and have the option of having a couple at the airport. Never understood the fascination some passengers have for ordering a $12 shot of sauv blanc on a flight to Sydney.

Does that really move the dial?
 

Log in to remove this ad.

La Dispute said:
Why do you need to pay for things like drinks? You're on a plane for a few hours and have the option of having a couple at the airport. Never understood the fascination some passengers have for ordering a $12 shot of sauv blanc on a flight to Sydney.

Does that really move the dial?
Click to expand...
I have small children. I have to keep them entertained somehow and a juice box or something to eat helps. And I didn't say booze, I rarely drink.
 
Never had an issue with Tiger, but Jetstar f*ck me. Took about 20 flights with them in the past 10 years and a majority had some form of delay/ cancellation.
 
hamohawk1 said:
Never had an issue with Tiger, but Jetstar f*ck me. Took about 20 flights with them in the past 10 years and a majority had some form of delay/ cancellation.
Click to expand...
I flew jets star a few times hasnt been bad even did JS Bizz class to Japan for cheaper than a reg Qantas price.....quite nice,,, champagne on take off etc,
 
Hawk Dork said:
Some of those would work
Currently if you live in regional Qld you catch a plane to Brizzy and then somewhere else or the reverse....adds about 4 hours and $500 to your travel
Its only Hervey Bay, Mackay, Townsville and Cairns that fly to non Brizzy places
Air tiger used to do Rocky to Melb,now its just to Syd with Virgin.or Brizzy with Qantas

If you want to fly Hervey Bay,Bundy or Gladstone to Cairns you have to go South change plane and then go North
Click to expand...


I quite often drive to the Sunshine Coast where you can get direct flights to Melbourne for as low as $150 return.
 
raskolnikov said:
I quite often drive to the Sunshine Coast where you can get direct flights to Melbourne for as low as $150 return.
Click to expand...
I did that once and the return flight was cancelled and replaced with a flight to Brizzy and a bus to the Sunny coast
The guy that valeted my car said that was common if the return flight wasnt fully booked...hours of waiting at Tullamarine then hours on a bus,,,so we never did it again
 
australianaviation.com.au

Bonza names third 737 Sheila — joining Bazza and Shazza

It comes after Australian Aviation exclusively revealed how the airline had quietly registered its latest aircraft, VH-UBI, as it edges towards launch.
australianaviation.com.au australianaviation.com.au

BONZA NAMES THIRD 737 SHEILA – JOINING BAZZA AND SHAZZA​


'When Bonza does begin commercial operations, it will fly so-called ‘point-to-point’ leisure services not serviced by the capital city-focused Qantas, Jetstar, Virgin, and Rex.

Bonza said 93 per cent of its network — 25 out of its 27 routes — are not currently flown by any other airline, while 96 per cent are not served by any other low-cost carrier. Flights are expected to cost around $50 for each hour of the flight.'
 
Flying budget airlines in Asia and America is fine, never had an issue flying with Jetstar Asia, Air Asia, Southwest, Hong Kong Express etc. Never flown budget in Oz so cant comment.

I once did fly Tiger to Bali for a bucks week, wont be doing that again, was dreadful.
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

Just downloaded their app and had a look at the proposed routes - virtually all new direct routes (either between decent-sized regional locations, or from major cities to regional locations in other states).

Handy niche if they can make it work - currently most of those trips are stupidly impractical. e.g. one of their additions is Tamworth to Melbourne direct (about an hour forty in the air) - currently that trip costs upwards of $2,000 return, and takes about 5 hours with a layover in Sydney.

Really interesting idea. As someone who used to travel a lot around regional Australia, I've always thought regional flight schedules are really badly optimised - Rex's coverage is limited, and QantasLink operates on a state-hub model that is rigid to the point of being nonsensical (e.g. making people fly Broken Hill to Adelaide via Sydney). No doubt a lot of that has to do with how the federal government subsidises regional routes, but it's always felt like there's opportunities for someone who can come up with the right formula.
 
Last edited:
Over The Post said:
Did this ever take off (pun intended)?
Click to expand...
They were supposed to launch last month, but they've had a bit of a delay with CASA getting their Airline Operators Certificate

possibly CASA is nervous about them bringing 3 new 737 MAX planes into the country, given that model's operational history - no reason to think they won't get certified but if it takes much longer it may not happen til the new year

hopefully their finances weren't too dependent on being in the air in time for Christmas holidays
 
Qantas may offer up their 'marginal routes'

Labor’s IR bill could shut down existing marginal flight routes and services, Qantas warns​


“The bill places at risk a vigorously competitive, efficient and innovative Australian aviation industry,” Qantas said.

“For the Qantas Group it will almost certainly mean less flying because costs will rise and demand will be destroyed – particularly on marginal routes. This will result in less investment and fewer jobs in aviation, with a flow on effect for communities and tourism.

“This is not catastrophising because we have seen a version of this before under Australia’s centralised wage fixing model in the 1970s.”
 
My nephew who lives in the Philippines and regularly flies to Australia mostly uses Scoot and apart from the odd delayed flight says he has never had an issue with them.
 
www.abc.net.au

New regional airline Bonza eagerly awaited as ticket prices soar

Bonza's third aircraft touched down on Australian soil this week, but after significant delays the company still has no timeline of when its low-cost flights will begin and industry experts have raised concerns.
www.abc.net.au www.abc.net.au

The company's third Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft touched down at its base on the Sunshine Coast this week.

Mr Jordan said the airline would acquire up to eight aircraft in its first year of operation.

"Our significant point of difference really is that of our initial 27 routes, 25 of them are not flown by the other operators," he said.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Grand Uncle Horace
Travel What irks you most about airlines?
2
Replies
38
Views
1K
conrad_437
conrad_437
Havoc
Geelong's cheap cost of living compared to Melbourne
Replies
24
Views
1K
hilly
hilly

Remove this Banner Ad

Back
Top