Tokyo Haneda slot - how will Virgin Operate it?

[twinaisle]

Hence the need to further incentivise them. Only reason at the moment are, as you say, cheap or reward tix.

Their incentive is the rewards seats or cheap fares.

 

[Happy Dude]

Their incentive is the rewards seats or cheap fares.

What would you suggest they do to get more traffic, considering they already offer cheap and/or rewards tix?

 

[twinaisle]

What would you suggest they do to get more traffic, considering they already offer cheap and/or rewards tix?

I'll leave that to the revenant departments who employ the appropriate employees for that.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

They (VAi) on this route, do get some funds or backing back, from the Qld govt.

 

[elanshin]

Interesting to see this on the JAL HND F Lounge board. Wonder why this would show up.

 

[AIRwin]

Interesting to see this on the JAL HND F Lounge board. Wonder why this would show up.


View attachment 392644

Direct feed from the airport FIDS?

 

[HS-TQE]

I'd suspect whoever programming the monitors at HND must've sent the general Airport FIDs to the JAL lounge instead of JAL (& Partners) specific FIDs.

 

[SYD]

Interesting to see this on the JAL HND F Lounge board. Wonder why this would show up.


View attachment 392644

I assume you’re specifically curious about the VA flight? But as others have said, it just looks like the generic airport feed.

There’s a bunch of *A stuff there also.

 

[AIRwin]

Virgin Australia to end its daily Cairns-Tokyo service due to reduced inbound visitors from Japan post COVID

Virgin Australia will cease operating its once daily flight between Cairns and Tokyo, Haneda from 24 February 2025.

newsroom.virginaustralia.com

 

[trisreed]

Virgin Australia to end its daily Cairns-Tokyo service due to reduced inbound visitors from Japan post COVID

Virgin Australia will cease operating its once daily flight between Cairns and Tokyo, Haneda from 24 February 2025.

newsroom.virginaustralia.com

Unless I've missed it, there's nothing in there about handing back the slot or if there are plans to operate to Haneda another way. Can't say I am surprised though from what I have read on here. Long lead time as well until it is no more - Feb (assume it is to align with schedule periods but perhaps also time to organise something else?)

 

[HS-TQE]

Virgin Australia Chief Transformation and Strategy Officer, Alistair Hartley apologised to impacted customers.

“Our international network continues to be a central part of our strategy. Withdrawing from Cairns-Tokyo services was a tough decision, but unfortunately the recovery of inbound visitors from Japan is significantly below forecast and therefore operating our own service to Tokyo is no longer commercially viable.

“I want to acknowledge and thank the Queensland Government for its partnership in launching our Tokyo services and its ongoing support for Virgin Australia as one of the largest carriers of tourists to the Sunshine State,” he said.

Not overly surprising considering the up and down loads.

It does seem that the Queensland Government has pulled the plug / not renewed the AAIF commitment past 2025. A possible change in government would also mean it's unlikely that any new AAIF routes would be funded past 2025.

Looks like VA's slot will be up for tender from NS25 (end of March), which assuming QF would probably bid for a NW25/26 start.

 

[travelislife]

Unless I've missed it, there's nothing in there about handing back the slot or if there are plans to operate to Haneda another way. Can't say I am surprised though from what I have read on here. Long lead time as well until it is no more - Feb (assume it is to align with schedule periods but perhaps also time to organise something else?)

They might have some decent bookings over the busy Christmas/Jan period, so would have been more costly to try and reaccommodate everyone.

Probably a balance of costs to do that, vs costs to keep running the route until then.

 

[jase05]

Only surprised was that it lasted this long

 

[HS-TQE]

Only surprised was that it lasted this long

Thank Queensland's Anna and the 'good ol'' taxpayer funded AAIF subsidies for this

 

[Himeno]

Unless I've missed it, there's nothing in there about handing back the slot or if there are plans to operate to Haneda another way. Can't say I am surprised though from what I have read on here. Long lead time as well until it is no more - Feb (assume it is to align with schedule periods but perhaps also time to organise something else?)

The IASC determination giving VA the HND slot requires VA to "fully utilise the capacity". If they pull out of CNS-HND, and don't use the slot to fly from somewhere else in Australia, they are in breach of the IASC requirements and the slot will be taken back for reallocation.

 

[justinbrett]

Well it’s good for the Australian travelling public as outbound travel to Japan surges due to the low value of the JPY, that those HND slots can be better utilised with a widebody out of MEL.

 

[hwy]

It was the wrong product for connecting Australia to Tokyo. Having all of the eastern cities fly to CNS and then transfer to a 737 to fly to Tokyo doesn't make sense for any business class travel. And then when competing against Jetstar for the leisure market I think people still rather fly direct from the eastern cities in Australia.
I personally will not miss this route despite wanting a full service carrier to fly into HND.

 

[BNEFlyer]

Gives them 7 months to find some widebodies to start BNE-HND.

 

[hwy]

Surely VA will own the route since QF only flies BNE- NRT on a 330. Hardly stiff competition.

 

[jase05]

Gives them 7 months to find some widebodies to start BNE-HND.

QSuites to Japan