So what routes will VA cut ?

[pauly7]

ok but who wants to fly anywhere via DXB ? That was one big mistake QF made.

Sigh.....A lot of people do, check EK’s share of AU pax.

Also check how many QF codeshares there are activated on ex DXB flights.

I think QF flying their own metal there didn’t work but the codeshare deal certainly did.

 

[dajop]

ok but who wants to fly anywhere via DXB ? That was one big mistake QF made.

And they’ve corrected this whilst still keeping the codeshare option.

Anyway relevance to LAX flights and relevance to this discussion?

 

[pauly7]

And they’ve corrected this whilst still keeping the codeshare option.

Anyway relevance to LAX flights and relevance to this discussion?

Recession in LAX?

 

[TheInsider]

ok but who wants to fly anywhere via DXB ? That was one big mistake QF made.

Seriously? Have you heard of EK and QR (Doha) and EY (abu dhabi) at all?!

Many, many people liked to go via DXB. The issue with QF was connecting traffic from DXB-LHR. The MEL/SYD-DXB wasn't a problem at all.

VA couldn't make AUH work because of frequency issues from what I remember.

 

[TomVexille]

Who'll pay more to fly QF ? Lately have been looking at flights SYD/MEL/BNE & VA are often most expensive & to LAX, VA are often more than QF, which might be partly because QF have 13 flights a week BNE/LAX nonstop in Jan, vs 6/week for VA.

Lots of people pay more to fly QF for various reasons. Everyone values different things

 

[ozfflyer]

Seriously? Have you heard of EK and QR (Doha) and EY (abu dhabi) at all?!

Many, many people liked to go via DXB. The issue with QF was connecting traffic from DXB-LHR. The MEL/SYD-DXB wasn't a problem at all.

VA couldn't make AUH work because of frequency issues from what I remember.

a lot of people don't want to go anywhere near an arab country.

to start with Jews, women travelling without a male companion, gays ...

 

[ozfflyer]

Lots of people pay more to fly QF for various reasons. Everyone values different things

lots of people pay a little more to fly on a better airline than QF like SQ.

 

[sjk]

a lot of people don't want to go anywhere near an arab country.

to start with Jews, women travelling without a male companion, gays ...

Such incisive analysis. Pity about the many many many exceptions to your ‘rule’, though.

 

[dajop]

The topic of transiting Middle eastern/arabic countries has been debated endlessly on AFF elsewhere, and probably be located using search function. I am really not sure what relevance to the topic on hand, i.e. what routes will VA cut. I know it's classic AFF, but my original comment on potentially doing away with a premium business class on AU domestic east-west coast services, has somehow tangentially morphed into a discussion of boycotting middle eastern carriers. Maybe we can divert back to original flight path, before ATC (mods) force us to?

 

[pauly7]

The topic of transiting Middle eastern/arabic countries has been debated endlessly on AFF elsewhere, and probably be located using search function. I am really not sure what relevance to the topic on hand, i.e. what routes will VA cut. I know it's classic AFF, but my original comment on potentially doing away with a premium business class on AU domestic east-west coast services, has somehow tangentially morphed into a discussion of boycotting middle eastern carriers. Maybe we can divert back to original flight path, before ATC (mods) force us to?

Interesting proposal.

Remember VA’s domestic premium economy fail? Hopefully they don’t wind back to something like that.

In the JB experimental years, they wanted to win more corporate business. People that control that spend / senior execs fly business. So they put business in.

Maybe to your suggestion they could make do with recliners on the A330s instead but again that would cost $ to retrofit....

But really back on topic / heard from a gossipy FA that LST flights might be throttled back (hardly a reliable source!).

 

[ozfflyer]

does anyone know when the A330 leases are up ?

 

[Bagpuss]

Just posting here in case no-one saw my comment yesterday in the HKG thread...

Looks like there was no SYD - HKG rotation today (10 September). Also none on 12th and 13th September which all seem to be planned.

Also looks like there is no MEL - HKG rotation tomorrow (11 September).

 

[theoracle30]

heard from a gossipy FA that LST flights might be throttled back

That would be a pity, there's only usually three a day to Melbourne anyway (compared to JQ's 6+ and QF's 3-4).

During major events (i.e. an Ed Sheeran concert in Melbourne), VA had nearly eight LST-MEL flights on that day there and the next day back.

 

[ozfflyer]

Just posting here in case no-one saw my comment yesterday in the HKG thread...

Looks like there was no SYD - HKG rotation today (10 September). Also none on 12th and 13th September which all seem to be planned.

Also looks like there is no MEL - HKG rotation tomorrow (11 September).

not surprising, seeing the media is beating up the chaos in HKG

 

[Bagpuss]

does anyone know when the A330 leases are up ?

They are on a 10 year lease (apparently). XFC is dated Fev 2012 and XFC is dated Aug 2014 (according the FlightRadar24)

I would expect them to either:
Transition to the 737-MAX10
Keep them, if the market is growing I expect them to be kept

It's a bit strange they get criticized for grounding E jets and ATR whilst a lot of people then suggest spending more to dispose of the A330's. (They took a massive hit returning A&B early.)

If Virgin got rid of the A330's today, that is handing the Perth - Syd/Mel business class passengers to Qantas on a platinum plate, a bottle of champagne and some nibbles saying .. here you go!

For the avoidance of doubt every B737 and A330 flight of our Perth to Syd/Mel/Bne has been 99% or 100% full. Business class has always been full or near full on A330's.

Also, the A330's this week have been making more of an appearance between Syd and Mel and I expect this could to be an ongoing strategy to reduce flights (with B737's) and increase the product (with the A330's)

If the market was there flying for example > SYD > HKG > PER > MEL > SYD and in reverse could have been a good routing with the A330's. They should have done that years ago IMHO. Doing it now probably doesn't make sense as the PER - HKG sectors would probably struggle immensely.

 

[ozfflyer]

They are on a 10 year lease (apparently). XFC is dated Fev 2012 and XFC is dated Aug 2014 (according the FlightRadar24)

I would expect them to either:
Transition to the 737-MAX10
Keep them, if the market is growing I expect them to be kept

It's a bit strange they get criticized for grounding E jets and ATR whilst a lot of people then suggest spending more to dispose of the A330's. (They took a massive hit returning A&B early.)

If Virgin got rid of the A330's today, that is handing the Perth - Syd/Mel business class passengers to Qantas on a platinum plate, a bottle of champagne and some nibbles saying .. here you go!

For the avoidance of doubt every B737 and A330 flight of our Perth to Syd/Mel/Bne has been 99% or 100% full. Business class has always been full or near full on A330's.

Also, the A330's this week have been making more of an appearance between Syd and Mel and I expect this could to be an ongoing strategy to reduce flights (with B737's) and increase the product (with the A330's)

If the market was there flying for example > SYD > HKG > PER > MEL > SYD and in reverse could have been a good routing with the A330's. They should have done that years ago IMHO. Doing it now probably doesn't make sense as the PER - HKG sectors would probably struggle immensely.

so now, what about PER/MEL/HKG/SYD/HKG/MEL/PER ?

 

[actinium]

Yeah my SYD HKG was changed to via Melbourne in November

 

[pauly7]

Yeah my SYD HKG was changed to via Melbourne in November

Really? So VA are already rationalising.

I guess it makes sense with the loads and the ongoing political problems.

 

[ozfflyer]

just noticed VA has an A332 on BNE/NAN/BNE every Sun from Dec 8, to Jan 19 or thereabouts. With FJ chartering 737s have VA found a profitable use for an A332 even only over a short period ?

 

[TomVexille]

just noticed VA has an A332 on BNE/NAN/BNE every Sun from Dec 8, to Jan 19 or thereabouts. With FJ chartering 737s have VA found a profitable use for an A332 even only over a short period ?

That's been going on for a while. Well before the MAX issues