As part of their ambitious level-up to the “Qantas service, Jetstar prices” they’ve been promising this year, Regional Express (REX) are officially graduation from small country airline to a capital city-hopping carrier as of 1st March 2021.
While we’ve expected it for some time, Rex now has now acquired a number of next-generation Boeing 737-800NG jets, affording them the capacity to kickstart their first big domestic service – between Sydney and Melbourne. Between now and when the service starts in March, the airline is expecting more jets to be delivered, setting them up nicely to allocate three of those vessels to the frequently flown route.
By Easter, it’s expected that Rex will have five 737’s in total, allowing them to expand to more capital cities on top of the 9 daily Sydney-Melbourne services a day. Rex’s arsenal of modern aircraft is expected to total 8-10 by the end of 2021.
One-way tickets on the Sydney to Melbourne service are reportedly priced at just $79 each.
“This is an exciting opportunity for travellers. For the first time they don’t have to choose between low fares with minimal service and premium pricing for more reliable flights”, explained Rex Dep. Chairman, The Hon. John Sharp AM. “Over the past 20 years, Rex has been the most reliable passenger carrier in Australia and our domestic services will naturally enjoy this superior reliability at an affordable price”.
Rex, which is now almost 70 years old, is the country’s second oldest surviving carrier and has enjoyed a great reputation operating Australia’s increasingly popular regional services since. Though the airline historically lacked the allure of bigger carriers like Qantas and Virgin Australia, Rex now plans to step up considerably and compete directly with the more expensive, full-service airlines.
Rex is promising all the usual perks of a full service carrier on the new flights, which includes 8 Business Class seats. All fares will include checked baggage allowance, food, pre-assigned seating, and online check-in.
Lounge access and on-board Wi-Fi will be free for Business Class, whilst Economy passengers can access these options for a small additional fee.
