The Qantas-Jetstar group has announced changes to its transtasman schedule that will reduce full-service Qantas flights during the low season and increase those of budget carrier Jetstar.
This is to maintain a seating capacity that regulators have enforced to prevent the two main airline alliances from cutting services and boosting prices.
In the latest moves, one major route will no longer have competing airlines: Jetstar will drop its Adelaide-Auckland service from August 24.
It says it has been unable to build up enough business against Air New Zealand’s direct four-hour service offering a combination of differently priced seats.
Qantas will cancel a daily Melbourne-Auckland and a daily Sydney-Auckland flight from October 26.
It is also moving away from a year-round schedule to a seasonal timetable. It will operate 82 return flights (27,500 seats) a week during the low season but return to 98 weekly return services (33,000 seats) in the high season.
Jetstar will add six weekly Auckland-Melbourne services and a weekly Auckland-Sydney flight.
This means 51 weekly services (18,500 seats) on a year-round basis. It will also reduce a daily Auckland-Brisbane service to five flights a week.