Wanaka New Air Service

[happytraveller]

Saw in the newspapers about the proposed new air service into Wanaka, from both Wellington and CCh. It is planned to be operated by FlyDirect.co.nz using a Dash 8 from CCh and a Convair (!!!) from Wellington. Supposed to be starting on 1 July but according to the press, people flying IN to Wanaka will need to have booked accommodation through the airline in order to get their air tickets (although people starting FROM Wanaka will not have this restriction). Twice daily from Wanaka to CCh and once daily from Wellington to Wanaka.

Details in the ODT here:-

http://www.odt.co.nz/your-town/wanaka/9977...rvice-scheduled

I tried their website to see what sort of prices they will have from Wanaka to CCh but could not find any prices for flight only. I cannot see this service being a success, given the need to purchase accommodation with the tickets.

Smooth landings

[Peppermint]

Good for tourists who just want to see Wanaka I guess. Doesn't seem great if someone wants to see more of the South, starting from Wanaka.

[Splitpin]

QUOTE (happytraveller @ Apr 1 2010, 04:23 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Saw in the newspapers about the proposed new air service into Wanaka, from both Wellington and CCh. It is planned to be operated by FlyDirect.co.nz using a Dash 8 from CCh and a Convair (!!!) from Wellington. Supposed to be starting on 1 July but according to the press, people flying IN to Wanaka will need to have booked accommodation through the airline in order to get their air tickets (although people starting FROM Wanaka will not have this restriction). Twice daily from Wanaka to CCh and once daily from Wellington to Wanaka.

Details in the ODT here:-

http://www.odt.co.nz/your-town/wanaka/9977...rvice-scheduled

I tried their website to see what sort of prices they will have from Wanaka to CCh but could not find any prices for flight only. I cannot see this service being a success, given the need to purchase accommodation with the tickets.

Smooth landings

HT, unless they have a huge untapped market somewhere, i think They've cut their own throat with that Accomm/fly package....I know some tour operators who would support the flight side of it 100%, but not with the hotel or whatever addon. Will be interesting to see what happens.

[deaneb]

I would have thought this package will be particularly aiming at Skiers during winter? Who knows how it will pan out.

[victor_alpha_charlie]

Not sure where the Convair from Wellington came from? It certainly won't be a convair

[happytraveller]

seems like the Convair will come from Air Chathams. There were more details in the Wanaka Sun which mentioned the Convair as well, and on the Fly Direct website they say that they will be using a/c from Air Chathams.

Still think that this is guaranteed to fail, given the need to purchase accommodation with the air tickets.

smooth landings

(story from the Wanaka Sun below).
________________________________________________________________________________
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News Headlines

New flights for Wanaka

By Malcolm Frith

A new charter airways company is coming to Wanaka offering daily flights to Christchurch and Wellington.
Calling itself flyDirect , the airline has been created by Auckland businessman Jef Kay.
“We believe there is a demand for more flights in and out of Wanaka seven days a week,â€￾ said Mr Kay.
The company is already setting up an administration and sales office at Wanaka Airport and in the coming weeks will be recruiting staff.
“We are aiming to take on 15 full-time ground crew as well as part-time staff,â€￾ said Jane Fowler, administrator for flyDirect.
On the Wanaka-to-Christchurch route it will operate a 35-seat Dash 8 aircraft and on the Wanaka-to-Wellington route a 50-seat Convair aircraft.
The company is setting up package holidays from Christchurch and Wellington, but is offering morning and afternoon return flights for passengers travelling from Wanaka.
“We are not a commercial airline service. People will have to buy a holiday package when flying from Wellington and Christchurch,â€￾ said Jef Kay.
This latest announcement follows a recent meeting between Lake Wanaka Tourism and Wanaka Chamber of Commerce with the chief executive of Eagle Air, Carrie Hurihanganui, to see if the domestic airline could offer more flights into Wanaka.
At present, Eagle Air operates a daily noon service to Christchurch and Ms Hurihanganui claimed the service was “unprofitableâ€￾ and at present would not commit to more flights.
flyDirect plan to fly two charter flights a day to Christchurch and one a day to Wellington.
The flight to Christchurch will leave at 8.30am and return to Wanaka at 4pm with a flight back to Christchurch at 5.15pm.
Passengers travelling to Wellington can catch a flight at 10am and return to Wanaka at 1pm with a flight back to Wellington at 3.30pm.
“We see a bright future in Wanaka, offering services to local people, the business community as well as bringing more tourists into the area,â€￾ said Jef Kay.
Lake Wanaka Tourism general manager, James Helmore said, “It’s fantastic news. It sells Wanaka and encourage people to stay longer in the lakeside town. Everyone will benefit; hotels, motels, guest houses, restaurants, cafes and shops. It’s going to be a real boost to the town.â€￾
Wanaka Chamber of Commerce secretary, Barb Macandrew welcomed the announcement.
“It’s going to bring a lot of business to the town. I hope locals make use of the flights to Christchurch and Wellington,â€￾ she added.
The new airline will begin operating flights from Wanaka on July 1.
On Wednesday, the Wanaka Airport Management Committee met to discuss plans to expand facilities over the next 25 years.
These include extending its existing runway, a new taxiway, hangars, a control tower and terminal.
What do you think? text 021 986 786

[FunkymonkeyNZ]

Well it might just be a convair , often when flying around Manapouri there is a Air Chattams Convair there, correct me f i;m wrong but i think they do a scheduled service from MO-NZ twice a week. So it just might be a dirty convair after all!?!

[victor_alpha_charlie]

It probably has more chance than if they tried it doing just the flights with no accommodation- Air NZ would force them out in a matter of months, as they try to do with anyone else who tries to fly domestically in NZ.

[benwynn]

Didn't realise Wanaka had high demand for flights.

[Splitpin]

QUOTE (benwynn @ Apr 3 2010, 08:59 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Didn't realise Wanaka had high demand for flights.

Sure is, the Japanese market has been after something like that ever since ANZ pulled out of Mt Cook.

[Splitpin]

Can anyone confirm that this venture has folded already?.....i thought i read something in the paper.......cant find it now.
Shame if it has.

[Ian Warren]

Think they are looking for a bailout from ANZ ... or was chat along the lines but really believe will bring there own service in , you simply look at the amount off small competitors try a new idea then Jaws , i mean ANZ bites .

[husker]

no longer...

http://flydirect.co.nz/

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries...before-take-off

[Ian Warren]

Love this excuse ... Global Financial Crisis yeah right ...

[victor_alpha_charlie]

Was pretty unsurprised when I heard. It was a reasonable idea as the package deals meant there wasn't as much risk of ANZ coming in and undercutting them but obviously nobody wants to go on holiday to Wanaka. Apparently VA was going to pull the plug if they didn't as they missed their first payment.

[A185F]

Yea I was surprised they got that far even, sounded like a real joke to me. IF Eagle have trouble filling a 19 seater once a day with connections to a world wide network, how the hell do you fill a dash and convair with all those extra flights and no flexibility (packages only with accom etc).

v.a.c :
I bet there were some pissed off people at VA, bringing the dash home and all.... ?

[victor_alpha_charlie]

QUOTE (A185F @ Jun 11 2010, 11:15 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yea I was surprised they got that far even, sounded like a real joke to me. IF Eagle have trouble filling a 19 seater once a day with connections to a world wide network, how the hell do you fill a dash and convair with all those extra flights and no flexibility (packages only with accom etc).

v.a.c :
I bet there were some pissed off people at VA, bringing the dash home and all.... ?

I guess it sort of made sense because ANZ overcharge for routes like that. I went down for New Years a couple of years ago, booked months in advance and still paid $600 return.


Yeah a few, including me as it was going to mean I could get extra work cleaning it when it wasn't flying, but it needed a whole lot of maintenance done anyway so that's being finished before it heads north again on June 28th.

[HercFeend]

And now it's just been 'relaunched' as a Travel Booking Website - Fly Direct

Article here: NZ Herald