Doubts surround the future of direct flights between Perth and China - China Southern

[casanovawa]

Didn't see this posted elsewhere...

Travel agents in Perth have been in limbo on the future of the three-times-a-week services since late last month when the airline blocked out flights. Repeated attempts by The Weekend West over the past fortnight to get clarification on the status of flights were met with silence until yesterday when the airline said that "no final decision has been made in relation to the Perth market at this point".

Chinese whispers put flights in doubt - The West Australian

 

[eastwest101]

Re: Doubts surround the future of direct flights between Perth and China - China Sout

I thought this was notable:
The Weekend West understands that though traffic out of China has been good, demand from passengers in WA has been soft.

Wonder why this is? Everyone going to Bali or are the Emirates, Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines flights better timed? I would imagine they would be more expensive than China Southern.

It is also understood the airline is looking at adjusting its schedules to better suit travel to Europe by cutting the transit time spent at the airline's Guangzhou hub.

I guess in response to more convenient options via Dubai?

 

[casanovawa]

Re: Doubts surround the future of direct flights between Perth and China - China Sout

Well, me personally, i would probably just by perceived reputation rather than hard facts, put Chinese airlines down the bottom of my preferred list to fly on unless they were seriously lost cost... Probably be more likely to either do something cheap like an Air Asia or something better on a CX or something, maybe they haven't convinced enough aussies of what they are offering, i certainly haven't seen any advertising around Perth for what they offer, but maybe i am missing it???

 

[eaadams]

Re: Doubts surround the future of direct flights between Perth and China - China Sout

Well, me personally, i would probably just by perceived reputation rather than hard facts, put Chinese airlines down the bottom of my preferred list to fly on unless they were seriously lost cost... Probably be more likely to either do something cheap like an Air Asia or something better on a CX or something, maybe they haven't convinced enough aussies of what they are offering, i certainly haven't seen any advertising around Perth for what they offer, but maybe i am missing it???

From my experience mainland Chinese airlines (Air China and Sichuan Air in my case) are fine - though the snacks can be "interesting". I would certainly put them well above African and PNG operators. As for advertising - there were press adverts at the time of China Southern's launch into Perth promoting both China and connections to Europe.

airlineroute.net announced the closure of Guangzhou – Perth reservations earlier this month - Unfortunately I can't post the link because apparently I haven't been here long enough.

I think Guangzhou is the problem - apparently domestic connections can be fraught for foreigners. I guess Perth - Beijing is outside the profitable range for an A330, though local outbound tourists have heard of Beijing, whereas not many know Guangzhou was Canton. Plus Guangzhou is too close to Hong Kong to offer a real alternative to that port.

For WA business traffic I would see Chongqing - Perth as probably a better go - maybe a Sichuan Air A330 service a couple of times a week? Though other than as a jumping off point for a 3 Gorges river cruise down the Yangste, Chongqing would be all business and almost zero tourism from Perth.

Aubrey

 

[Simo]

Re: Doubts surround the future of direct flights between Perth and China - China Sout

I wonder what the loads are like for these routes.

PER to HKG then you can either do the Train into China or get another flight from there.

Why fly direct when you can connect.

 

[Hvr]

Re: Doubts surround the future of direct flights between Perth and China - China Sout

I wonder if getting the Chinese visa is an issue?

 

[Sprucegoose]

I wonder if getting the Chinese visa is an issue?

It wouldn't help. The WA market is not that sophisticated either nor that large. Maybe our friends have overestimated the impact that free cash has in the current market ?

 

[markis10]

Re: Doubts surround the future of direct flights between Perth and China - China Sout

China Southern is probably waiting to see if the expected tie up with Qantas and China Eastern will eventuate shortly as rumored, they are probably also aware that JQ Hong Kong could come on the route which is of course a JV between the two.

 

[pangwen]

Re: Doubts surround the future of direct flights between Perth and China - China Sout

Doesn't explain why the other routes (into BNE, SYD, MEL) are (presumably) doing ok, despite CX connections also being present from those ports. Apparently CZ are also introducing a CNS route (China Eastern extend flights trial until September 2013- Local Cairns News | cairns.com.au) early next year (see bottom of article). This would be a CNS-BNE-CAN triangle route which would almost mirror CX102/103. So it seems to me to be something peculiar to the Perth market, or how the Perth flights are timed.

 

[mfhau]

Re: Doubts surround the future of direct flights between Perth and China - China Sout

Maybe the WA traveller is much more discerning and wants their white wine served cold and not at room temperature.

CZ have have a lot to get right even with cheaper fares.

 

[Isochronous]

Re: Doubts surround the future of direct flights between Perth and China - China Sout

It might help if China added Guangzhou to their visa-free transit policy alongside Beijing and Shanghai

 

[SeaWolf]

Re: Doubts surround the future of direct flights between Perth and China - China Sout

The connections for Europe and North America are very, very badly timed. I remember looking at it a few months ago and getting frustrated that something like a 20-hour transit time was involved.