VA withdraws all services from Hong Kong

[andyhui01]

India is predominately low yield for a premium heavy aircraft.

VA A330's are not premium heavy IMO.

Why can't VA do what JQ does with the 787 and just fly them 24/7 to various holiday destinations in Asia + HNL on different days and serve 3-4 cities a couple of times a week? Offer a J lite service in business and make it more affordable for the upper-middle class and they could fill J up as well.

 

[moa999]

Offer a J lite service in business and make it more affordable for the upper-middle class and they could fill J up as well.

The cost isn't in the catering - its in the floorspace eaten up by the seats. At best catering might save you $20.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Well at least they are ripping the band-aid off quickly. A330 back to transcon for now I suppose, maybe look at up-gauging leisure destinations during summer and just be content. There aren't many destinations left with the A330.

One of the bigger problems with them is surely that the configuration just doesn't work for premium heavy routes, but at the same time it's pretty much perfect for domestic. Remember they can only sell 19 Business class seats due to requiring one for crew rest.

 

[N860CR]

India doesn’t work as a direct from australia as SQ/MH can offer easy connections to all major cities (and there are a lot of them!) whereas an Australian carrier can only service one city with no connection options.

Depending on how things pan out at SAA, I wouldn’t be surprised to see VA take over the PER-JNB service.

 

[Bagpuss]

You are dreaming about PER-LHR right? QF got there first.

VS thought of it first. It's often commented on:

Virgin Atlantic eyes non-stop Perth ops

Several daily Operator News updates covering all Operator Route Network changes, strategic fleet developments and aircraft orders, start-ups and bankruptcies, mergers and acquisitions and partnerships and alliances.

www.ch-aviation.com

Virgin Atlantic wants to launch direct London-Australia flights ‘as soon as possible’

Sir Richard Branson is keen to take on Qantas

www.independent.co.uk

When Qantas announced the LHR - PER route it was suppossed to be double daily.
Qantas and Perth Airport are at logger heads.

I've heard rumours about another airline doing this route which would no affiliation to Qantas.

With the HK issues and the coronavirus issues there's probably a bigger market at the moment for another direct flight.

Time will tell.

It will be interesting what Virgin do with the A330. I wouldn't be surprised if it gets rolled out for SYD -AKL as trial.

 

[jakeseven7]

VA A330's are not premium heavy IMO.

Why can't VA do what JQ does with the 787 and just fly them 24/7 to various holiday destinations in Asia + HNL on different days and serve 3-4 cities a couple of times a week? Offer a J lite service in business and make it more affordable for the upper-middle class and they could fill J up as well.

I doubt they will be following JQ's strategy, in fact probably steering in the completely opposite direction to it!

JQ has a far lower cost base with much more efficient jets and even they are struggling to turn coin on their heavy airframe routes - this has been well documented to the point that JQ are looking to divest some of their 787 fleet. Which means VA would have a snowballs chance in hell to make money doing the same.

 

[p--and--t]

VS thought of it first. It's often commented on:

My reading of the article says QF launched in April 2018 and Richard had a bright idea in Oct 2018. On my looking at the calendar VS wasn't first.

 

[Formal Hall]

What are the 'alternative arrangements' likely to be for those booked on awards? I have 2xJ awards booked for April; I suspect VA will be hoping I take the refund! Would they have to rebook me in paid J? Will they rebook onto direct CX J (as VS did when they cancelled SYD-HKG) or try to push me onto a connection on SQ?

 

[Must...Fly!]

What are the 'alternative arrangements' likely to be for those booked on awards? I have 2xJ awards booked for April; I suspect VA will be hoping I take the refund! Would they have to rebook me in paid J? Will they rebook onto direct CX J (as VS did when they cancelled SYD-HKG) or try to push me onto a connection on SQ?

Who knows. Probably try and put you on SQ, but CX might have done a deal with VA for some cut price seats.

 

[Danger]

Story now on the SMH site so must be official!

Coronavirus, protests push Virgin Australia to drop Hong Kong service

The airline said that its daily return Sydney-Hong Kong service would cease permanently from March 2 after a review of the route concluded it was no longer financially viable.

www.smh.com.au

You had me until "so must be official!"

 

[Saab34]

The good news is it seems USA is very safe. PS quoting and outlining the country in particular in being very good and strong performer for the business.

 

[Spacetravel]

The good news is it seems USA is very safe. PS quoting and outlining the country in particular in being very good and strong performer for the business.

Speaking anecdotally I do roughly 2 return trips Syd > lax annually and every time loads are pretty high. Every time I look at expert flyer for upgrade opportunities all 3 classes are almost full.

 

[Bolthead]

I received the official email tonight and I was straight onto the phone.... We are now rebooked via LAX (same dates) It wasn't a big deal except the layover is longer in LAX. Not too fussed however the drama is we had paid for exit row seats from HKG-LHR. VA wouldn't do anything about it (because I booked it on line after the booking was made with VA) so i contacted VS and a very nice young lady (I think) sorted it out for us. All good.... luckily I have been procrastinating about our onward journey so I have made no bookings that conflict with the new timetable....

 

[EzioAuditore]

When VA started advertising Aus to Hongkong economy light return fares for $450 last month, you know something is not right. The forward bookings must be miserable.

And now VA is entering a price war with QF for Tokyo pushing price down to $650 return, and the leisure travellers are tempted with JQ ridiculous $360 return fares. I checked seats on expertflyer for BNE to HND starting 29th March, plenty of empty seats still. With emerging cases of coronavirus in Japan, who knows how long that route is gonna last.

 

[Cryptarcadian]

Unfortunate news, but at the same time not a surprise at all given the intransigent HKSAR government, HX's woes and caronavirus. I used to fly VA to/from HKG every few months, yet I've not made a trip since last July — I'm far from alone in this, I'm sure.

Personally, I'd love to fly VA SYD-HND, but can't see how they would find another slot. TPE would be good too, but I can't imagine that's an easy route to compete on versus CI's fares.

I worry about HKG's future as an aviation hub altogether (and more, but that's a different story).

 

[Ralphie]

I’m one who was booked in J on their HKG-LHR-LAX route in August/September. We’ve booked through a travel agent so I’ll have to wait and see what happens, rather than be able to call myself.

 

[FL360]

SYD / MEL to HKG is not sustainable without a viable connecting services from HKG to somewhere else.

Cathay is doing OK because they have a lower cost base, and has a huge HKG to xx_ network.
CX has a good loading most of the time because often they will discount the fare at the last minute to compete with China or India airline's direct services to Australia also a lot of their Y pax to the US are Indian pax too.

 

[Milefest]

Impacted by this too. Have a LHR-HKG-SYD flight in April, curious to see how they'll reroute me.

 

[AIRwin]

Impacted by this too. Have a LHR-HKG-SYD flight in April, curious to see how they'll reroute me.

LHR-LAX-SYD?

 

[travelislife]

Their international strategy has been a debacle, JNB, AUH, HKT and now HKG all canned. Wrong markets, never in the market long enough to get a solid following. Even the US has been a battle cause they didn’t have the frames to compete daily from MEL/SYD/BNE. Does nothing for the confidence of the corporate market.