Jetstar Grounded At Richmond/$29 Tickets

Jetstar grounded at Richmond as $29 ticket stampede goes on

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/...676868798.html

February 26, 2004 - 3:26PM The federal government today rejected
outright any attempt by Qantas' low-cost carrier Jetstar to operate
some of its Sydney flights out of the RAAF's Richmond air base.

"The government will not permit Jetstar to operate through Richmond in
any circumstances," a spokesman for Deputy Prime Minister and
Transport Minister John Anderson said today.

"Richmond was considered and rejected as a possible second airport
site in the Badgerys Creek EIS (environmental impact statement) for
compelling operational and environmental reasons.

"The government revisited the issue when it considered Sydney's future
airport needs in 2000 and again rejected Richmond as an option. "The
government does not believe that Sydney will need a second airport in
the forseeable future; not at Wilton, Richmond or anywhere else."

More than two-and-a-half million people have logged on to Jetstar's
website since yesterday, while rival airline Virgin Blue sold 60,000
tickets in 15 hours overnight.

Jetstar spokeswoman Melissa Madden said the airline had already sold
20,000 tickets since 6am today.

An unprecedented demand for tickets has led to the Jetstar website
being "highly stretched", with customers facing lengthy delays trying
to book a ticket through the website.

"The system hasn't melted down, it has just been highly stretched," Ms
Madden said.

"We initially offered tickets only through the website, but the demand
and the number of hits on the site, about 200,000 an hour, has meant
we have to take bookings through our call centre.

"At the moment the wait through the call centre is 15 minutes."

The airline is currently taking about 100 bookings a minute - a figure
that has astonished the discount airline which starts flying on May 25
with flights from Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne to 10 eastern-state
destinations.

Virgin Blue spokeswoman Amanda Bolger said the budget airline's
website had received more than three times its usual number of
visitors after it announced the fares.

The announcement was in response to new cut price Qantas airline
Jetstar which had sold 20,000 tickets by 7am (AEST) today.

Ms Bolger said Virgin began selling its $29 tickets at 7pm (AEST)
yesterday.

Jetstar's everyday prices on the nation's busiest route - between
Sydney and Melbourne - would be $69 one-way.

Sydney to the Gold Coast would be $79 and Sydney to Hobart $99.

The main Melbourne base for Jetstar was to be Avalon Airport, 50km
south-west of the city.

Flights from Melbourne to Sydney and Brisbane would depart from
Avalon, other flights from Melbourne's existing airport at
Tullamarine.

Rival Virgin Blue matched Jetstar's introductory fare offer yesterday
but doubled the number of tickets. AAP ####