3 new A330 in 1H2012

[juliusg]

I read in the press yesterday that VA will get one NEW A330-200 each month, March, April then May! Earlier The Borg said in Flight International that the existing leased birds would then be pulled out a month each for the new Business Class seats, to match.

So does this all jive with the renewed Biz fittout for the 777's, which start to come offline around the same time, leaving Etihad to fly the middle east route whilst?

Could we end up with ten sets of the same biz class seating (5 x 330, 5 x 777), and VA rolling out new international routes as soon as June?

Thoughts.....

 

[lovestotravel]

I have said it before, I expect to see lots more A330's in the VA fleet as they expand!

As for new international routes, not sure that would happen, as VA has tied up so many partnerships, to avoid using their own aircraft to fly!

I still would love to know what the 777's J cabin is changing to..... Hopefully not an "enhancement"

 

[cavemanzk]

I still would love to know what the 777's J cabin is changing to..... Hopefully not an "enhancement"

My bet would be on a layout allot like this Boeing 777-300 - Seat Maps - Travelling - Air New Zealand - New Zealand Site

 

[LiamR]

Looking back on 2011. JB could do anything with these new aircraft.

Is there a chance he might send these aircraft to asia? Perhaps SIN, BKK, HKT or DPS?

 

[lovestotravel]

Looking back on 2011. JB could do anything with these new aircraft.

Is there a chance he might send these aircraft to asia? Perhaps SIN, BKK, HKT or DPS?

SIN - No chance
BKK - Maybe
HKT - No chance
DPS - Would there be enough bogans to fill an A330 ?

 

[markis10]

Plenty of low handing fruit locally for the A330s to tackle, I see no sense in them being sent offshore!

 

[The Rok]

SIN - No chance
BKK - Maybe
HKT - No chance
DPS - Would there be enough bogans to fill an A330 ?

SQ is struggling to keep up with capacity on its intra Asia routes as is. They could easily allow VA to fly the 777 or A330 from ADL or PER to SIA and then SQ use their own A332/3 for intra Asia flights. More likely if VA were to do this it would be the A330. Not impossible. Not a complete withdrawal for SQ but a supplementary flight, much the same as both VA and EY have flights from SYD to AUH.

 

[LiamR]

Plenty of low handing fruit locally for the A330s to tackle, I see no sense in them being sent offshore!

Such as BNE/MEL-PER ?

 

[The Rok]

Such as BNE/MEL-PER ?

MEL-PER would definitely be a positive move.

 

[markis10]

Such as BNE/MEL-PER ?

Yes, allowing the 73s to explore new routes like a CNS - DRW connector for the Silk Air Service!

 

[777]

I actually thought MEL-PER on a330's had been announced as a plan quite some time ago. I don't have a reference though.

 

[lovestotravel]

Yes I thought MEL-PER was going to be A330's as well!

I also though the old A330's were going to be returned!

Perth to/from MEL/SYD/BNE should be a full A330 service, and not a mis-match of 737/A330's as the product difference is huge

 

[codash1099]

Yes I thought MEL-PER was going to be A330's as well!

I also though the old A330's were going to be returned!

Perth to/from MEL/SYD/BNE should be a full A330 service, and not a mis-match of 737/A330's as the product difference is huge

and a wide body beats a narrow body any day, especially on long flights.

 

[cavemanzk]

Is there a chance he might send these aircraft to asia? Perhaps SIN, BKK, HKT or DPS?

The A330s could go nicely on some Pacific Island routes. SYD-NAN/RAR/PPT/APW MEL-NAN could all make good use of a A330, allot of AKL-Pacific Island service on NZ are 763, no reasons why a A330 couldn't work ex SYD

 

[lovestotravel]

The A330s could go nicely on some Pacific Island routes. SYD-NAN/RAR/PPT/APW MEL-NAN could all make good use of a A330, allot of AKL-Pacific Island service on NZ are 763, no reasons why a A330 couldn't work ex SYD

Now this is another "problem" that Virgin has..........

777's - Premium aircraft for long-haul operations

A330's - I will call them "Superior" They are getting refitted to 777 specs ? I am not sure this is a good idea.... They should have a mid-range business class, no need (really) for a full lie-flat on MEL-PER run

737's - Budget aircraft for short-haul operations. Yep I still call them budget as their is no IFE provided, and that screams LCC.

Okay, back to my point, the A330's are either going to "premium" or "Superior" in terms of fit-out... Fiji & Raratonga doesn't need this type of fit out, so the plane would not be suited to the role. At the same time, anything more than 3 hours in a 737 is just frustrating. The Pacific Blue 737's feel like they are from the 90's and are not enjoyable!

At the moment Pacific Blue is a budget airline flying to Fiji etc etc... They are getting a "facelift" over the next few months, but I expect it to be the same as the Virgin Australia 737's which is a good start, but they need IFE...

So putting an A330 on a leisure route when it's configured for a premium route isn't going to work

How are the loads to Fiji and Raratonga these days ?

 

[markis10]

The international revamp is expected to be announced by June and will be about more 777s, not A330s, at which time the expected AUH via SIN routes ex BNE will be put in place that were first mooted back in 2010. As the A330s come back into the domestic QF fleet, DJ will need their A330s for that fight.

 

[cavemanzk]

So putting an A330 on a leisure route when it's configured for a premium route isn't going to work

NZ Has been putting premium configured aircraft of Pacific Island routes for a long time, it has proven to work for them fine. AKL-NAN gets a mix of 320/763/772/77W AKL-RAR gets a mix 320/763/772.

They are using aircraft at two different ends of the scale of these routes. You have the A320's with an LCC config of all Y (168), no bulk head for 1ABC. Although they have fitted the A320s with AVOD. On the other end you have the 772/77W with the full Long Haul hard product.
All 4 aircraft types are still providing the same level of on-board service, they are all leisure routes a Buy On Board Service.

Fiji & Raratonga doesn't need this type of fit out, so the plane would not be suited to the role. At the same time, anything more than 3 hours in a 737 is just frustrating. The Pacific Blue 737's feel like they are from the 90's and are not enjoyable!

The 738 can't make SYD-RAR-SYD hence why they operate SYD-AKL-RAR-AKL-SYD. NZ does a weekly direct SYD-RAR (6hrs) RAR-SYD (7hr35m) with a 763. Traveling via AKL on a 738 gives you around a 10-12hours worth traveling time.

The Pacific Blue fleet is totally outdated, more feels like flying in the 80s than the 90s. I flew them twice at the end of 2011 under the new Tasman Alliance, I was shocked by how bad the onboard product was. That product isn't fit for Tasman, let alone 5hour Island Flights.

 

[Noob]

The international revamp is expected to be announced by June and will be about more 777s, not A330s, at which time the expected AUH via SIN routes ex BNE will be put in place that were first mooted back in 2010. As the A330s come back into the domestic QF fleet, DJ will need their A330s for that fight.

Markis, so you think more 777s or other larger aircraft are likely to be announced at that time?

 

[markis10]

Markis, so you think more 777s or other larger aircraft are likely to be announced at that time?

JB reminded the press a month or so ago that they still had options in that regard!

Mr Borghetti confirmed Virgin had decided not to pick up an option to purchase a sixth Boeing 777-300ER aircraft about six months ago.
However, he said the airline still had options to add to its five-strong 777 fleet, which seats 361 passengers in a three-class configuration, to Los Angeles and Abu Dhabi, in the years ahead.


Read more: Virgin still has international ambitions | News.com.au​

For me the 777 makes so much sense, mind you slots for either 777 or A330 options are hard to find!

 

[Noob]

JB reminded the press a month or so ago that they still had options in that regard!



For me the 777 makes so much sense, mind you slots for either 777 or A330 options are hard to find!

Thanks Markis - I will look forward to June!