New A330s with crew rest areas coming.

[oz_mark]

Re: E190 J class conversions start

I hadn't read that. Just another instance where VA will continue to have product disparity...

and they're different to other airlines how?

 

[777]

Re: E190 J class conversions start

Then look at the past VA strategy......release some info and let everyone guess and wildly speculate for many months before they tell us (often with a degree of disappointment) of their actual plans.

I hardly think it's VA strategy to "release some info and let everyone guess and wildly speculate" they don't seem to be releasing any more or less info than is operationally required. Pretty much every airline releases info in dribs and drabs about their plans. Some plans take a while to implement etc. I really don't see how or why it would benefit them to encourage this kind of discussion among a small number of FF'ers on this forum as part of a nefarious scheme.

I know the OP is well connected at VA so i believe the information reflects what is being talked about there but if it was the company's plan to start speculation about it i could think of 100 better ways of doing it.

What better way to divert the copious quantities of negative publicity surrounding the disaterous recent changes

...umm... release some actual useful information about the progress of those changes?

 

[maninblack]

Re: E190 J class conversions start

Oh please god let this be true - but the speculation could be between Japan, Hawaii (unlikely), Singapore (regulatory probs?), Hong Hong (no freinds there?) Bangkok or even mainland China?

Hawaii not so unlikely. One of the largest international growth routes in terms of scheduled flights out of Australia over the past 2 years. But they have their HA codeshare deal, which is a bit of a farce as VA hardly gets any seats. MEL-HNL...I know... I'm dreaming!

 

[markis10]

Re: E190 J class conversions start

and they're different to other airlines how?

Well they are different to Aeroflot who are remarkably consistent, consistently bad. Be careful of what you wish for.....

 

[Jousams]

PER-HKG is the only international route I can think of that would be a safe bet for virgin with QF dropping it.

 

[eastwest101]

PER-HKG is the only international route I can think of that would be a safe bet for virgin with QF dropping it.

Yes - if you narrow it down to carriage rights and not treading on their partners toes then the new A330s are most likely to (in decreasing likelyhood)

1. increase PER-MEL, PER-SYD and PER-BNE capacity
2. maybe PER-AUH or even SYD-AUH?
3. Anywhere else that QFi has been downgauging routes in SE asia from B747's to A330s (SYD-Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore, Jakarta?)
4. Anywhere else that JQi is flying that does not have competition? possible Jetstarized routes? coughet anyone?
5. Aus to Japan somewhere - to cut off JQi at the knees? Japanese economy is improving.
6. Maybe SYD or PER to mainland China? Why not?
7. PER-SIN but treading on SQs toes?
8. SYD/MEL-SIN - too much treading on toes and un-necessary duplication IMO
9. HNL - why piss off HA unnecessarily when they are already competing against QFi and JQi ?
10. LHR via AUH? (I jest!)

I am sure there are heaps of others as well but depends on if the yields in VA domestic are still better than yields in VA international. All sort of depends JB's reasoning and overall strategy, and on if crew rest areas are fitted - would they be just seats and curtain or the more elaborate bunks, more likely the former. The range of the aircraft being the A330 really only does rule out the long stuff like SYD-AUH or MEL-AUH direct.

 

[maninblack]

Using Eastwests list to comment.

1. increase PER-MEL, PER-SYD and PER-BNE capacity - MAYBE
2. maybe PER-AUH or even SYD-AUH? - DOUBT IT. SYD-AUH OUT OF RANGE FOR A330
3. Anywhere else that QFi has been downgauging routes in SE asia from B747's to A330s (SYD-Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore, Jakarta?) - HARD TO COMPETE
4. Anywhere else that JQi is flying that does not have competition? possible Jetstarized routes? coughet anyone? - TRIED THAT
5. Aus to Japan somewhere - to cut off JQi at the knees? Japanese economy is improving. - MAYBE
6. Maybe SYD or PER to mainland China? Why not? - NUP
7. PER-SIN but treading on SQs toes? - NUP
8. SYD/MEL-SIN - too much treading on toes and un-necessary duplication IMO - CAN'T COMPETE
9. HNL - why piss off HA unnecessarily when they are already competing against QFi and JQi ? MAYBE RELATIONSHIP ISN'T VERY GOOD
10. LHR via AUH? (I jest!) - DOUBLE NUP

So what other options? India? Bali?

 

[The Rok]

Per-kta
per-phe
per-kal

 

[777]

Brain dump. In terms of likelihood:

1. PER-BNE (i think this is a given for at least some new A330s)
2. PER-AUH (The only international route with no competition from an Australian airline or from their own partners and feed at both ends)
3. SYD-HKG (with VS pulling out of the route and ideally with a Chinese partner announced)

I can't see them doing any primarily tourist routes: so nix Hawaii, coughet.

I can't see them doing SIN given SQ is all over it and i can't see them doing routes easily served via SIN (eg. PER-China, Japan, HK etc or SYD to India).

That really leaves East Coast to East Asia as the only other options. Japan perhaps? China would be dependent on a strong local partner.

What we don't really know is which (if any) unannounced partners they might have up their sleeve. If there was tight potential relationship with an Indian, Chinese or Japanese carrier it would change the dynamics pretty substantially.

 

[Comoman]

I would say put a Per-BNE rotation. Get rid of the last 737 Syd-Per. Finally Per-AUH. Etihad have publicly stated that Perth if off the radar for at least 2 years. Distance approx 5600m - well inside range not sure about Etops though.

Finally hopefully retire XFA/XFB.

 

[Must...Fly!]

ETOPS wouldn't be an issue PER-AUH

it's the only international route that makes sense, all the others are served by the partners.

 

[Mak404matt]

Per-kta
per-phe
per-kal

Never know, I'd say the A330 is perfectly suited to PER-BQB

 

[Jousams]

Brain dump. In terms of likelihood:

If there was tight potential relationship with an Indian, Chinese or Japanese carrier it would change the dynamics pretty substantially.

I've always thought ANA & VA would be a good fit & VA or ANA could to 787 or a330 routes like OOL/BNE/SYD/MEL-NRT with NZ, pacific, Japanese, Korean & eastern Russian connections.

 

[777]

I've always thought ANA & VA would be a good fit & VA or ANA could to 787 or a330 routes like OOL/BNE/SYD/MEL-NRT with NZ, pacific, Japanese, Korean & eastern Russian connections.

I actually thought that myself after typing above. If VA could get an ANA code share then SYD-Tokyo becomes potentially far more viable and they currently have no codeshare, flights or partner to Australia.

 

[pythonisman]

I actually thought that myself after typing above. If VA could get an ANA code share then SYD-Tokyo becomes potentially far more viable and they currently have no codeshare, flights or partner to Australia.

A codeshare with ANA and flights to Japan would be pretty rad.
Not holding my breath personally, but who knows what could happen!

 

[JW1003]

I think PER-AUH makes sense as currently no one I know is going to fly PER-MEL/SYD/BNE-AUH-LHR/EUROPE which is what is suggested by VA when using their site. PER-AUH opens up a world of opportunities for VA and their pax / ffers

 

[The Rok]

It will have to be good pricing though, to compete with EK's 3 flights a day at very attractive pricing. $7,500 return to Europe in J.

Equivalent SQ pricing is more like $10,000, and QF code shares on EK $11,500.

 

[777]

It will have to be good pricing though, to compete with EK's 3 flights a day at very attractive pricing. $7,500 return to Europe in J.

Equivalent SQ pricing is more like $10,000, and QF code shares on EK $11,500.

VA and Etihad are selling J seats to LHR for less than that from Sydney. I just priced $7100 return in June.