REX: Now On Sale for Mel–SYD flights from 1 March 2021

With a re-born website, Regional Express (REX) has commenced sales of its Sydney/Melbourne route, with ;

‘100,000 promotional fares are offered for the Sydney-Melbourne service at $79 from 2 December 2020.’

REX Media Release, 1 December 2020

Economy fares are aggressively priced at AU$99 per sector on the first day, and from AU$79 after that to beat Qantas and Virgin Australia. Business fares also receive the promotional pricing discount with a starting point of AU$299 per sector.

Flight Frequency

REX is scheduling 9 return flights a day, using the airline code ‘ZL’.

REX Pricing: MEL–SYD

• Economy: Promo AU$79 and $99 (1 March 2021) ; Saver AU$119; Flex AU299
• Business: Biz Saver AU$299; Biz AU$399; Biz Plus AU$598

Business Fare Category Comparison

There are 3 fare categories for Business. Lets look at the difference in entitlement. All categories grant you the perks basic to the Biz Saver category fare:

Biz Saver entitlements

• Meal with Alcoholic beverages
• Flight Changes – but may be fees
• Cancellations – free credit to Travel Bank, or refund with AU$33 fee
• Carry-on: 1 piece + 1 personal item, total 10kg
• Lounge access
• Name change with AU$55 fee
• Checked luggage = 32kg
• Fly earlier – ‘Get Me Home’ – free
• No Show – credit to Travel Bank, or refund with AU$99 fee

Biz

Additional and varied entitlements for Biz category:

• Flight Changes – no charge – but fare rules apply
• Carry-on: 1 piece + 1 personal item, total 15kg

Biz Plus

Additional and varied entitlements for Biz category:

• Flight Changes – no charge – but fare rules apply
• Carry-on: 1 piece + 1 personal item, total 15kg
• Name Changes – free

So for the top category of Business, you pay about AU$200 more than a Biz fare just to be able to change the name on the ticket without charge – normally AU$55!

Economy Fare Category Comparison

The fares in this class are a little more dismembered! Here you might have to pay for seat selection. Standard inclusions are:

• Meal – snack, water tea/coffee
• Checked Baggage 23kg
• Cancellation – forfeit fare
• Seat Selection $6
• Flight change AU$33
• Carry on 1 piece + personal item 7kg
• Fly earlier – ‘Get Me Home’ – AU$55
• No name changes
• No Show – fare forfeit
• Name change – not specified

There are 4 classes in total, but the ‘Community’ category does not appear to be available. I think this is reserved primarily for regional routes.

Community

This fare category does not appear to be available for these capital city to capital city flights.

Promo

The same as basic inclusions, but with the following additions or variations:

• Fly earlier – ‘Get Me Home’ – AU$33
• Seat Selection – from AU$6
• Flight change – AU$33 + fees may apply
• Cancellation – fare forfeit

Saver

The same as basic inclusions, but with the following additions or variations:

• Cancellations AU$33 (credit to Travel Bank)
• Seat Selection FREE – for standard seats
• Flight change – fees may apply
• Lounge Access (AU$33 for 2 hours)
• Fly earlier – ‘Get Me Home’ – AU$33
• No Show – fare forfeit

Flex

The same as basic inclusions, but with the following additions or variations:

• Checked Baggage 23kg – up to 32 with REX domestic Biz connection
• Cancellation – AU$33 fee for refund or FREE credit to Travel Bank
• Seat Selection FREE – standard and front NOT ‘Rextra Legroom’
• Flight change FREE
• Lounge Access 50% discount on casual rate of AU$33 for 2 hours
• Carry on 1 piece + personal item 7kg to 10kg
• Fly earlier – ‘Get Me Home’ – FREE
• No Show – credit to Travel Bank (AU$33) or refund with AU$99 fee

The Verdict

A quick look at Google Flights for mid March sees an economy leg SYD – MEL showing:

• Jetstar = AU$74 – 88
• Virgin = AU$107
• REX = AU$114 – 294
• Qantas = AU$136 – 290

Well that certainly ranks them according to their proclaimed target markets! There are 41 direct flights listed for my sample date (Tuesday 16 March) which I think is about half of pre-COVID-19 frequencies.

REX will however include a snack, whereas Virgin Australia will not. Lounge access is included in business, and can be purchased casually or by annual membership (AU$329 per year)

2PAXfly Takeout

This is another timely reminder to wear your seatbelt when seated. Holding you close to your seat will protect you from the sort of injuries sustained on this flight, when unsecured passengers flew to the ceiling of the aircraft, and then came crashing down once the ‘drop’ ceased.

The hope will be that this is an anomaly – a ‘freak accident’ in casual parlance. If it is a systemic error either mechanical or electronic, then this is a larger concern for the airlines that fly Boeing Dreamliner 787 aircraft. Let’s hope it isn’t. If it is, it will pile on the woes to Boeing’s existing stack.

These fares are great – but remember they are introductory, and REX doesn’t start flying SYD/MELB until March.

I don’t like dismembered fares. They require far too much checking and comparisons for my liking. However, I will try them out, if the need arises.

Thank goodness for the new website, but authenticating by CAPTCHA? Really? Sort out you Frequent Flyer scheme and validate by login like everyone else please!

REX, welcome to the Sydney/Melbourne route and to capital city flying.