Tokyo Haneda slot - how will Virgin Operate it?

[HS-TQE]

I really think they should have just admitted defeat and given the slot back. Even if they get widebodies, it’s still just one lonely old slot. Bit token and pointless.

As mentioned before, Premier Annastacia was going around with taxpayer funded AAIF money to hand out/throw to carriers, Virgin included.

I'll repeat again, if it wasn't for the Premier throwing out AAIF money, Bain would've let the Haneda slot lapse in March.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

What strikes me is that Virgin seems to be only putting in a half-hearted effort to make this route succeed. They haven’t re-opened the Cairns lounge, they haven’t made an effort to improve connections to the southern states (one poster above wrote of the 6-hour layover before the flight to Melbourne)…

Either Virgin management are incompetent (and really I don’t think they are), or they know that this route is not going to last long. It has “stop-gap” written all over it.

They are also trying to keep costs to a bare minimum.
No lounge in CNS, means they do save a certain amount of money, and making do with the 737 also means they are saving money.
Sad situation, but I can see it from Bain's pov, spend least, accept the Qld govt's financial backing, fly and do the job as required as cheaply as possible...
No lounge at HND, not even a liaison lounge at HND, also saves them money.
Flying the VA route from ADL up to CNS to HND, J is available, but coming, they put pax onto Y as J is not available, for periods in Dec, when most people who want to go up there, for snow etc activities.
Bet that ski boards wouldn't be acceptable either.
If I wanted to go, I would go with NH ANA and put my SQ KF # into the booking, thats for sure.
Its a pain in the yyy to go on a substandard, even though cheaper subclass of J fare up, and have to come back in Y.

 

[Saab34]

Well then they might as well refer to themselves as a LCC. They are basically a LCC with lounges and free water and coffee onboard.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

They are basically a LCC with lounges and free water and coffee onboard.

With lounge at "some" locations.
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Going back to the cost of operating this particular flight.
Personally, I would look at it costing more than just Aud$50,000 per flight.

 

[HS-TQE]

With lounge at "some" locations.

The same as fellow Value Carrier group Batik Air Indonesia/Malaysia.

"Value Carriers" like Virgin and Batik can sometimes be considered as 'glorified' LCCs with a J cabin and limited lounge services.

 

[twinaisle]

So are you guys going to sail across to full service Qantas or still fly with "glorified hybrid Virgin"?

 

[The-Aviator]

So are you guys going to sail across to full service Qantas or still fly with "glorified hybrid Virgin"?

Like I said above, only works if there is a meaningful price gap between the full service and "glorified hybrid". Business model works well, so long as that remains the case. The moment the full service carriers start muscling in at a similar or better price, as we're seeing with ANA on the Japan routes, the incentive to fly VA is gone.

 

[SCM]

So are you guys going to sail across to full service Qantas or still fly with "glorified hybrid Virgin"?

Honestly I don't see the value in Qantas. They don't fly much of anywhere internationally, have few partners (that actually like them). VA has the best partner airlines flying out of AU, and they are more than adequate domestically - IMO. Not everyone's use cases will align with mine, and that's fine, but to me they VA/VFF is perfect for amassing points and status with many of the best airlines in the world and redeeming for reward seats - which they seem to have much more of than QFF.

 

[AIRwin]

Looks like VBY is scheduled to take over for a bit next week though (per Flightaware/Radar) whilst VBZ heads back to domestic for a bit

Just for a day

 

[Saab34]

Honestly I don't see the value in Qantas. They don't fly much of anywhere internationally, have few partners (that actually like them). VA has the best partner airlines flying out of AU, and they are more than adequate domestically - IMO. Not everyone's use cases will align with mine, and that's fine, but to me they VA/VFF is perfect for amassing points and status with many of the best airlines in the world and redeeming for reward seats - which they seem to have much more of than QFF.

Correct. It’s the partner airline deal here that is key. I will likely never fly Virgin to Japan, but I would ANA.

I would have thought that ANA would see the value that Australian FF programs have and would have looked to secure a partnership as soon as possible. It’s not just about the Cairns route, it’s getting those extras bookings on its own metal in Sydney, and if they choose to expand to Melbourne.

 

[BNEFlyer]

Another day, another late departure. Hope OTP improves drastically once the MAXs are in…

VA77 arrived at HND 13 minutes early tonight.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

So are you guys going to sail across to full service Qantas or still fly with "glorified hybrid Virgin"?

I would go ANA with my SQ KF # in the booking.
===
Another point, is that CNS is so humid hot, up there in the tropics.
SYD/MEL is a bit dryer, less humid, so it would mean having to go min clothing up to CNS, and then bulk it, for the winter arrival in HND, if going in Nov to maybe Mar/Apr, but the VAi flight has got weight restrictions, due to fuel carrying ability, so does this mean, that not too much winter clothing allowed to be carried on board?
In summer up in Japan, it would be hot there, but then, we have to bulk it, when we come back down.
Are they going to allow less bags per pax?
As mentioned, no freight will be taken on this particular flight up and down.
If we were to go ANA, I am sure we could carry more stuff up and down.
They (VA77/VA78) would want to go with the plane flying as light as possible, (?).

 

[HS-TQE]

I would go ANA with my SQ KF # in the booking.
===
Another point, is that CNS is so humid hot, up there in the tropics.
SYD/MEL is a bit dryer, less humid, so it would mean having to go min clothing up to CNS, and then bulk it, for the winter arrival in HND, if going in Nov to maybe Mar/Apr, but the VAi flight has got weight restrictions, due to fuel carrying ability, so does this mean, that not too much winter clothing allowed to be carried on board?
In summer up in Japan, it would be hot there, but then, we have to bulk it, when we come back down.
Are they going to allow less bags per pax?
As mentioned, no freight will be taken on this particular flight up and down.
If we were to go ANA, I am sure we could carry more stuff up and down.
They (VA77/VA78) would want to go with the plane flying as light as possible, (?).

The 737-8 MAX would've taken over the CNS-HND service well by then. Weight restrictions (if any) on the -8 would be minimal at best.

 

[ash.1111]

Has anyone done this yet? Keen for some on board reviews. Thinking of burning some points and having a long weekend in Japan!

 

[twinaisle]

Has anyone done this yet? Keen for some on board reviews. Thinking of burning some points and having a long weekend in Japan!

Just do it.
Japanese inspired menu in J
Asian/western hot meal to purchase in Y.

Pax are loving all the space with literally one row each onboard at the moment

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Well, VAd direct flight ADL - CNS with VAd will be suspended between Oct and Mar next year.
Puts a "spanner" in the works for those living in ADL and wanting to go with VAd and VAi Aust - HND.

 

[Bagpuss]

Has anyone done this yet? Keen for some on board reviews. Thinking of burning some points and having a long weekend in Japan!

I'm thinking of doing this from Perth.

Perth > Melbourne > Japan in business is around $2,000 ... Sounds a lot but Perth > Melbourne is around $1,500 - $1,800

Just a long trek.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

*(PER - MEL - CNS - HND)* - CNS - MEL - PER, first sector all in a days flight, or overnight in MEL.
All on a narrow body, even though in VAi's version of subclass of J, no lounge at any int airport they fly through, transit timings might be tight in CNS, esp on the way out of Aust, haven't checked MEL - CNS, but they might put you on a very short transit, even MEL - CNS, maybe half an hour, or you might have to overnight in MEL (?).
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They might put you on the PER - CNS direct, the night before, dep PER 13.20 and arr CNS 19.45.
PER - MEL flight dep at about 6am, to get to MEL by noon, and then you will not make it for the MEL to CNS by 13.xx dep time for VA77 CNS - HND.

 

[Bagpuss]

*(PER - MEL - CNS - HND)* - CNS - MEL - PER, first sector all in a days flight, or overnight in MEL.
All on a narrow body, even though in VAi's version of subclass of J, no lounge at any int airport they fly through, transit timings might be tight in CNS, esp on the way out of Aust, haven't checked MEL - CNS, but they might put you on a very short transit, even MEL - CNS, maybe half an hour, or you might have to overnight in MEL (?).

Really can do it with 2 hour ish layover, though on way back Cairns layover is 5 hours.
A way around it is to come back via Brisbane.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

The flight up, you do have an overnight in CNS, no?
I think you see it wrong, its pricing "from"
PER - HND in J, for Dec, in J/subclass of J, is $2469 one way, going up.
Flex fare is $1300.
Coming back, if for 23 Dec, J is unavailable, so its a tight Y seat.
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All the combo's listed for the 23 Dec, as J not available on the way back, not sure if this is for HND - CNS, or CNS direct to PER or via another east coast city as not available.