QF to HKG or USA Cairns

[Limewood]

Currently CX is the only direct carrier from Cairns to Hong Kong, flights are usually chockers, Y and J (coffin) seats are awful recon QA is missing out on loads of dosh.

Then to get to USA have to go via BNE or SYD from Cairns, its just so inconvenient. One would think there is a gaping hole in latter route as I believe (as do many others) a weekly flight Cairns to/from USA (even HNL) direct would open up doors for the 6th largest in airport traffic in OZ (Cairns) and with new domestic terminal in place and the International about to be refurbished can handle a much larger traffic load.

Just imagine, many do their business in southern capital cities or have holiday there, then go to FNQ to see the fantastic tropical diversity and wonders like Great Barrier Reef, others could export goods from Cairns too.

 

[eastwest101]

Yep - its a pretty poor choice to get out of CNS, especially to the US. The one way of cheating is to fly Air New Zealand to Auckland and then you have options to get to the US. In my opinion flying via SIN, Hong Kong or via Japan is just as much of a diversion as going through Brisbane.

Apart from the JQ services to Japan - I think QF could have potentially served the whole Cairns market up on a platter to someone else in the future (maybe Air New Zealand, SG or Scoot, Air Asia X or China Southern)

Until the US and European economies emerge from the toilet and the AUD depreciates about 25% I can't see much hope for any more capacity into Cairns, which is sort of weird considering how close it is to the part of the world where economies are actually growing.

 

[Limewood]

Pitty it is, of course these are the destinations that suit me

 

[richie9x]

Sometimes I think Qantas doesn't serve Brisbane well internationally. Certainly Cairns has got it worse. Cairns seems to be growing quite fast and combined with tourism there must be something better that Qantas could do to serve the far north.

Maybe it is the sort of route that is perfect for a 787. But I expect it would be way down on Qantas' list of potential routes for the 787.

There is also Continental who fly to Guam from Cairns. You could then connect to Honolulu or Chicago.

 

[eastwest101]

There is also Continental who fly to Guam from Cairns. You could then connect to Honolulu or Chicago.

Yes but sometimes the connection time waiting in Guam is almost as silly as the United/Continental fares onward to HNL and the US

 

[Limewood]

Yes Qantas have forgotten Cairns as international not one flight to anywhere, but so lucky we have JQ (yeah right) with a stupid Darwin layover in middle of night to ASIA. Q on domestic have a whole 12 x J seat 737-800 aircraft, but do have a couple of 767 in mix.

 

[dfcatch]

In fairness - its relatively recent that BNE got daily direct services to LAX. So it's not gonna happen for CNS.

JQ to HNL is a possibility. (not that I'm interested in that).

Personally, I'm ok with a 921 to 11 connection in SYD

The layover time is just enough for a massage, eggs benedict, a few Taittingers, and some pavlova

 

[brad330]

QF have served NGO, cough, SIN, HKG, CTS, KIX, HNL, LAX, YVR, SFO, AKL, CHC and more from CNS removing the 2x Daily 763 to NRT killed CNS, All we have now from them is 2x Daily DH4 to POM. pathetic! They could opener ate CNS-HKG with a 73H easy!

 

[Dantine]

Unfortunately CNS-HKG is a few hundred nm beyond the range of the 738's. My gut feeling is that the 763's burn too much fuel to make the predominantly leisure routes work to QF's liking.

In terms of FNQ tourism and flights to Asia, did the flights stop because tourist numbers dropped? Or vice versa?

 

[Simo]

Would be a bugger for CNS based WP's.

No Flounge time when going OS.

This thread is not correct for this forum.

Why fly direct when u can connect.

 

[Limewood]

In terms of FNQ tourism and flights to Asia, did the flights stop because tourist numbers dropped? Or vice versa?

Numbers dropped with JQ but went off Richter scale with charter flights etc direct from China, compared to last year it went from 80K pax to 200K pax! according to Cairns Post.

The word is that Cairns Airport Authority is negotiating with a number of international airlnes to fly direct to Cairns weekly, this together with the expected new fly in fly out domestic pax from a raft of new mines commencing in next few years is going to make Cairns one hell of a hub.

and WP can use the old run down CX (former QA) international lounge, it's a dismal place so probably not, maybe with that terminal it may get a revamp.

 

[markis10]

Currently CX is the only direct carrier from Cairns to Hong Kong, flights are usually chockers, Y and J (coffin) seats are awful recon QA is missing out on loads of dosh.

Then to get to USA have to go via BNE or SYD from Cairns, its just so inconvenient. One would think there is a gaping hole in latter route as I believe (as do many others) a weekly flight Cairns to/from USA (even HNL) direct would open up doors for the 6th largest in airport traffic in OZ (Cairns) and with new domestic terminal in place and the International about to be refurbished can handle a much larger traffic load.

Just imagine, many do their business in southern capital cities or have holiday there, then go to FNQ to see the fantastic tropical diversity and wonders like Great Barrier Reef, others could export goods from Cairns too.

Cairns does have a direct USA flight, its just not the USA most want to go to :mrgreen:, and its even a USA carrier twice a week!

BTW Cairns is the 7th busiest airport in Australia by passenger movements, at just over 1000 passengers per day in total, there is really not a lot of business, CX average 175 passengers on each service, when a lot of those are ex BNE I dont think the business is there for any expansion, hardly chokkers.

 

[dfcatch]

Cairns does have a direct USA flight, its just not the USA most want to go to :mrgreen:, and its even a USA carrier twice a week!

BTW Cairns is the 7th busiest airport in Australia by passenger movements, at just over 1000 passengers per day in total, there is really not a lot of business, CX average 175 passengers on each service, when a lot of those are ex BNE I dont think the business is there for any expansion, hardly chokkers.

View attachment 5932

Is that 1000 int only or including domestic?

Seems a bit low for daily domestic.

Int is low as there are very few RPT flights in/out.

 

[markis10]

Is that 1000 int only or including domestic?

Seems a bit low for daily domestic.

Int is low as there are very few RPT flights in/out.

Thats international passenger numbers, but the rating is based on all, not that it matters, Cairns only beats one other international airport on either metric and thats Darwin. International passengers were down 7.5% based on latest year vs year comparisons.

 

[Limewood]

I didn't say all flights are chockers just the CX CNS/HKG/CNS, every one I get on is full or near full.

I still think if Cairns was used as a pass through hub to / from USA (as it was many years ago) people will come in their droves. Every time I'm in the USA many say.. got to go there one day and see the GBR (mind you others have never heard of anything much OZ).

 

[markis10]

I didn't say all flights are chockers just the CX CNS/HKG/CNS, every one I get on is full or near full.

I still think if Cairns was used as a pass through hub to / from USA (as it was many years ago) people will come in their droves. Every time I'm in the USA many say.. got to go there one day and see the GBR (mind you others have never heard of anything much OZ).

Overseas passengers still want to use a gateway to visit then take domestic flights, the QF link DRW-CNS is often very busy with tourists in either direction, doing the outback and the reef combo, most have come via SYD.

 

[dfcatch]

Oh I agree Markis - cairns deserves being down the league ladder - but the Int terminal is a white elephant as it stands now.

There is great scope for additional Int flights to/from CNS.

Personally - though, I agree, most Int tourists want to come through a gateway - I'm happy to transit via SYD on the way to LAX.

But there certainly is scope for increased capacity at the Int terminal.

 

[Limewood]

Oh I agree Markis - cairns deserves being down the league ladder - but the Int terminal is a white elephant as it stands now.

There is great scope for additional Int flights to/from CNS.

Personally - though, I agree, most Int tourists want to come through a gateway - I'm happy to transit via SYD on the way to LAX.

But there certainly is scope for increased capacity at the Int terminal.

That there is lots of scope but its a very slow process.

I dream of Cairns one day being another gateway to or from USA, a pipe dream really

 

[dfcatch]

That there is lots of scope but its a very slow process.

I dream of Cairns one day being another gateway to or from USA, a pipe dream really

Unfortunately Limewood the demand is simply not there.

Best that is likely is a JQ to HNL.

 

[Limewood]

Unfortunately Limewood the demand is simply not there.

Best that is likely is a JQ to HNL.

Even JQ in J not that bad if bulkhead seats, done that twice out of SYD. Wonder what the flight time would be CNS/HNL?.