Flying across regional Western Australia often promises a mix of scenic views, unique aircraft, and occasionally, logistical surprises. My recent return flight from Geraldton to Perth was no exception. Originally booked to fly on one of QantasLink’s rare Airbus A319s, the experience quickly turned into one of the most unusually complex flight itineraries I’ve ever encountered. What began as a straightforward regional hop soon morphed into a four-airline operation involving QantasLink, Network Aviation, Air North, and Alliance Airlines — and it’s a situation that’s surprisingly not all that rare in regional Australia.
Geraldton, a scenic city on WA’s Coral Coast, lies about 400 kilometres north of Perth. After a fantastic, albeit scorching, weekend exploring the city, I was looking forward to the return leg — especially as I had intentionally booked a flight operated by the elusive A319 in QantasLink’s fleet. Unfortunately, shortly after booking, I received a rebooking notice. The A319 service had been cancelled, and my new flight would be operated by Air North on an Embraer E170, a type I’d never flown before and was genuinely excited to try.
That excitement was short-lived. The night before departure, another change appeared on Qantas’s website: the aircraft was now listed as an Embraer E190. While I had flown the E190 before, what made things truly puzzling was that Air North doesn’t officially operate any E190s. A little detective work revealed that the aircraft was in fact leased from Alliance Airlines, possibly via a dry lease arrangement, adding a new layer to the operational web. The flight, initially scheduled as a QantasLink Network Aviation service, was outsourced to Air North, who in turn used Alliance equipment to run the flight. A classic case of regional airline musical chairs.
Despite the logistical confusion, there was still a glimmer of excitement: Alliance’s E190s are typically fitted with business class seating when used on QantasLink services. Although this flight didn’t advertise business class, I optimistically changed my seat to 4F, hoping for a complimentary upgrade. In the end, the aircraft didn’t feature business class seating — so no free upgrade — but it was still a prime window spot with excellent views down the coast.
Geraldton Airport, while modest, is well-equipped with basic amenities including a café, a small maritime and aviation museum, and even an outdoor observation area. The check-in process was handled manually but quick due to the low passenger volume. The aircraft operating my flight, an Embraer E190 registered VH-XFL, has had a long history, beginning with Austrian budget airline Niki before transitioning through several carriers, including Helvetica Airways and Zora Aviation, before landing in the hands of Alliance and now being operated in Air North colours.
Once onboard, the E190 featured a standard 2-2 seating configuration with 100 all-economy seats. The seat pitch seemed to be around 31–32 inches — decent for a regional service. While the seats were serviceable, they lacked a bit of comfort compared to other E190 operators I’ve flown, such as National Jet Express. Fortunately, the seat next to me was empty, which provided a bit more space and comfort during the journey. The cabin crew, representing Air North, were friendly and professional throughout the flight.
In-flight service was minimal but appreciated. Each passenger received a small banana bread snack and a choice of cold non-alcoholic beverages. I opted for ginger beer, which was quite refreshing on a warm morning. No tea or coffee was offered, which was a slight letdown considering the early flight time. The lack of in-flight entertainment is something to note — be sure to bring your own device if you’re someone who prefers to stay occupied, although the scenic Coral Coast views outside the window more than made up for it (when the dirty windows allowed for clear sight, that is!).
The flight itself was smooth and uneventful, taking just 54 minutes to cover the 369-kilometre journey to Perth. We passed over several picturesque regional towns such as Dongara and Port Denison, both worthy destinations in their own right. Our descent into Perth offered great views of the northern suburbs and the city beyond, rounding out a very enjoyable flight experience.
One final aspect worth highlighting is the value of using Qantas Points for regional travel within Western Australia. While cash fares on this route can often reach $300 each way, I redeemed my seat using just 8,000 Qantas Points plus $69 in taxes, representing excellent value — particularly when compared to interstate routes on the east coast that are often serviced by budget carriers. On a previous trip, I even scored a $600 one-way seat from Port Hedland to Perth for just 12,000 points. If you’re travelling regionally in WA, keeping a healthy Qantas Points balance can yield fantastic savings.
In summary, my first flight with Air North — albeit on an Alliance-leased aircraft for a QantasLink-marketed route — turned out to be a surprisingly enjoyable and insightful experience. The odd multi-airline arrangement, while confusing on paper, didn’t negatively impact the quality of the service, and in fact offered a rare opportunity to fly on an aircraft not commonly seen on this route. The legroom was great, the staff were professional, and the views were top-notch — even if the dirty windows were a minor setback for filming.
Disclaimer: This article has been repurposed from the original transcript of my own flight review with the assistance of AI technologies. Please be advised whilst I have taken the utmost care to review and revise this article where necessary to reflect the upmost of accuracy at time of publication please be advised my reviews whether written or in video form are for entertainment and general information purposes only. They reflect the objective views in good faith of the person only whom is presenting them unless otherwise noted. Any decisions you make resulting from consuming my content must take into consideration your own circumstances, research and responsibility as I can not be hold responsible for any inaccuracies or future changes effecting the relativity of such reviews. All Rights Reserved by Aussie JetSetter from 2022 >
