Tokyo Haneda slot - how will Virgin Operate it?

[Must...Fly!]

They're still selling BNE-HND. Tick tock, can only be a matter of time, surely...

The alarm has gone off. I think the snooze button was hit a few times...

Anyway, all jokes aside (and this is no time for laughter in this context...), HND is officially postponed.

 

[AIRwin]

Anyway, all jokes aside (and this is no time for laughter in this context...), HND is officially postponed.

Until the Olympics?

 

[Must...Fly!]

Until the Olympics?

All international flying is ceased until 14 June at this stage, so you could say until then for now. But there is nothing specific in the release.

 

[ja1]

All international flying is ceased until 14 June at this stage, so you could say until then for now. But there is nothing specific in the release.

I think they are incredibly optimistic to think the Olympics will go ahead and/or this is all done and dusted by July.

PS/AJ are taking things one quarter at a time it appears as there is little point in publicly saying what they know is the worst case.. that this goes to the end of the year and beyond. Look at each quarter and plan the next 3 months ahead.

At the moment everything in Australia is balanced on a knife edge and it could improve a lot (vaccines fast tracked, treatment options turn out to work in trials, slowing down community spread works etc..) or it could go worse very quickly (British government suggesting everyone go catch the virus? Sporting events, concerts and churches continue to allow mass gatherins..)

 

[SydneySwan]

As Virgin are cancelling, does that mean we are entitled to a proper refund? I am booked on the Haneda service in May. I will attempt to go to Japan at end of August now but don't want to end up with a Virgin voucher if when they restart services they only fly a couple of times per week.

 

[Kandy]

Looks like they’re working through cancellations. My flight there is gone, but my flight home was pushed back a day. Obviously won’t work but I’ll leave it for the time being as their contact centres would be hammered

 

[Must...Fly!]

Yeah my BNE-HND flight dropped off my itinerary but MEL-BNE is still there.

I will let them do their thing, zero point in trying to contact them now and they have way more to worry about. I'll get my points and taxes back eventually, I'm sure of that.

 

[ozstamps]

Boy, talk about an Annus Horribilis for Virgin long haul.

USA route heavily congested with deep pocket long game players. The Hong Kong flights were bleeding red for months due to the civil unrest there, and light loads, and their HK partners being in financial soup. So Plan ‘’B’’ came out, and Haneda won the coin Toss. And then came COVID.

Do hope Olympics takes place – COVID has plateaued out in Wuhan now, with no new fatalities, so there is some hope it will stabilise.

 

[Harthagan]

Boy, talk about an Annus Horribilis for Virgin long haul.

USA route heavily congested with deep pocket long game players. The Hong Kong flights were bleeding red for months due to the civil unrest there, and light loads, and their HK partners being in financial soup. So Plan ‘’B’’ came out, and Haneda won the coin Toss. And then came COVID.

Do hope Olympics takes place – COVID has plateaued out in Wuhan now, with no new fatalities, so there is some hope it will stabilise.

Looks to have stabalised in Japan as well, maybe some light at the end of the tunnel!

 

[clarkkent]

I'll get my points and taxes back eventually, I'm sure of that.

Received an email about my booking:
"Given the service has been cancelled, we’ll be returning your Points to you. If your booking was a “Points plus Pay” booking, the “Pay” portion of your booking will be refunded to original form of payment and processed within 21 business days."

 

[bernardblack]

Anyone got thoughts about what's going to happen with the slot? Can it be traded to NH? Can NH support VA running it, and are they likely to want to?

 

[DavidFlynn]

Can't be 'traded' to NH, if Virgin Australia lets it go then QF could bid for it. Original plan was to have double-daily SYD-HND to replace 1 x B747 but given current market, who knows if that'd still be needed or if QF might want to make BNE-NRT into BNE-HND?

 

[jakeseven7]

Anyone got thoughts about what's going to happen with the slot? Can it be traded to NH? Can NH support VA running it, and are they likely to want to?

Highly likely VA2 if it is resurrected will be a domestic only airline, maybe with some NZ/Pac Islands / Bali flying.

 

[CPMaverick]

VA's LAX operations were profitable before, very important for domestic feed, and the DL partnership. They also own all but 1 of their 777s. I'd expect some operations to LAX to be in the reorganized airline. MEL may lose its direct, but there will be something.

HND? Not likely...

 

[TheInsider]

VA's LAX operations were profitable before, very important for domestic feed, and the DL partnership. They also own all but 1 of their 777s. I'd expect some operations to LAX to be in the reorganized airline. MEL may lose its direct, but there will be something.

HND? Not likely...

In the last 6 months of their operation to LAX, I don't think it really was that profitable anymore, due to very light loads, competition and the AUD/USD.

 

[Must...Fly!]

In the last 6 months of their operation to LAX, I don't think it really was that profitable anymore, due to very light loads, competition and the AUD/USD.

On the flip side, the Qantas A380s are unlikely to be flying any time soon so there will be some opportunities that didn't exist prior. Not that I think it's likely.

 

[Mattg]

Even if LAX is profitable in the long term, I don't see this being the case for at least the next year (due to the COVID-19 travel restrictions and situation in the USA).

 

[CPMaverick]

There are lots of unknowns for sure. Capacity overall will need to reduce. DL has retired their 777s, will they fly to SYD with the smaller A350, or not at all? QF had two A380s daily on some routes. That definitely won't be happening anymore. It's my opinion that the 'new' VA will want to make sure they retain that LAX feed, and DL won't be able to do it all for them.

 

[bernardblack]

I have award bookings in Delta One suites to/from LAX for next March, booked right before Virgin went into voluntary admin, which I may cancel or postpone if they recover. But I got my ExpertFlyer notification of the equipment change to the A350, only an hour ago. I'm researching best seats now.

 

[BNEFlyer]

If Cyrus are successful I think we'll see LAX and HND operating in 2021 (or when Govt's allow travel to those countries again).