Virgin aims at the long haul

[oz_mark]

Virgin aims at the long haul | Herald Sun

VIRGIN Blue plans to ramp up its Melbourne operations using long-haul offshoot V Australia to launch direct flights to Los Angeles, coughett and Johannesburg.

But the launch of the Melbourne-LA service, originally planned for next month once a fourth Boeing 777 was delivered, will now be deferred to December to make better use of the new aircraft.

 

[anat0l]

You'd think that journalists even with their rudimentary spell checkers would be able to pick up simple errors. It only occurs once in the article, but it's coughet - there is no double 't'.

Aside from that, I think it will be very interesting to see MEL-HKT direct on VA. In as so far, JQ services this route from SYD but JQ is a LCC vs. VA a full cost carrier. Plus it has to be good for competition to see some shake-up on the JNB routes...

This will be even better when the Virgin airlines harmonise their FFP benefits....

 

[Bundy Bear]

Word around today there is a few new routes being released, BNE-HKT; MEL-HKT and MEL-JNB :shock:

Which news source do you believe. :?:

 

[futaris]

V Australia > Media Releases

LAUNCH FARES ON SALE 2.00PM TODAY

• BRAND NEW INTERNATIONAL ROUTES AND DESTINATIONS FOR V AUSTRALIA
• THAILAND, SOUTH AFRICA, LOS ANGELES
• $399* ONE WAY “TUK TUK TO THAILAND” FARES* EX BRISBANE AND MELBOURNE
• $1899 “FAR OUT SAFARI ” RETURN FARES* EX MELBOURNE

Monday 17 August 2009: Australia’s new international airline V Australia today announced coughet and Johannesburg as its next two destinations along with a strengthened focus on Melbourne just six months after launch. Four new V Australia routes to commence from December onwards^ include:

• Brisbane to coughet, Thailand direct twice weekly from 22 November 2009.
• Melbourne to coughet, Thailand direct flights 1 a week from 3 December 2009.
• Melbourne to Los Angeles, USA direct flights twice weekly from 1 December 2009.
• Melbourne to Johannesburg, South Africa direct flights from 13 March 2010.

 

[Dee Thom]

Love to see them fly SYD-BNE-MNL, only way to the Philippines from BNE is via another state or country. There are a lot of Philippinos and their families in S.E.Qld, who would like a direct flight.....

But like the BNE-HKT idea, I'll drop TG on this route if prices are compatable

Cheers Dee

 

[docjames]

I guess it's aleisure route, but only 1/week from MEL or 2/wk from BNE means not much flexibility if wanting direct flights in both directions.

No mention of frequency MEL-JNB. Still like to know routing taking in ETOPS (or equivalent) requirements on that route.

 

[Nigelinoz]

My information is that JNB will be twice weekly from March 13.

 

[Keith009]

Love the cute pun in the Herald Sun headline.

The inclusion of HKT makes this most interesting for me, I've been wanting to go back for a while. Perhaps I'll have a little taste of VA PE when WP status is in the bag.

 

[docjames]

Thanks Nigelinoz.

 

[oz_mark]

To JNB Tue and Sat

Flight VA 15 V Australia
Departure Melbourne (Tullamarine)
Terminal 2
Time 10:15

Arrival Johannesburg (O.R. Tambo International)
Terminal B
Time 18:35

Total Duration 16h20m
Aircraft Type Boeing 777-300ER


From JNB Tue and Sat

Flight VA 16 V Australia

Departure Johannesburg (O.R. Tambo International)
Terminal B
Date Tue 20 Apr
Time 20:50

Arrival Melbourne (Tullamarine)
Terminal 2
Date Wed 21 Apr
Time 17:50

Total Duration 13h00m
Aircraft Type Boeing 777-300ER

 

[MrGreg]

This is really good news, however the number of frequencies they have put on is terrible. Ive never been a fan of flying with an airline that operates once weekly to a destination, however you'd assume this would be increased with the arrival of more aircraft.

 

[notzac]

Paraphrasing the V Australia website....

31DEC MEL/HKT dep 12:00 arr 16:40
01JAN HKT/MEL dep 19:25 arr 08:00 02JAN

I'm having bad thoughts.

 

[Slats7]

Virgin aims at the long haul | Herald Sun

VIRGIN Blue plans to ramp up its Melbourne operations using long-haul offshoot V Australia to launch direct flights to Los Angeles, coughett and Johannesburg.

But the launch of the Melbourne-LA service, originally planned for next month once a fourth Boeing 777 was delivered, will now be deferred to December to make better use of the new aircraft.

 

[bokflyer]

Interesting that MEL-JNB is scheduled to take 16h20. QF takes about 14h for SYD-JNB, so that implies VA are either going to stop somewhere (can't see anything about that in their info on the website) or they are going to be flying really slowly, or they have to take a much more notherly route (into the headwinds) to meet ETOPS requirements. The return leg at 13h is also quite a bit longer than QF. By my reckoning, somebody in MEL could almost get to JNB quicker by connecting through SYD with QF or PER with SA rather than the VA flight. Of course, the hassle of connecting makes this less appealing, but I doubt VA will be tempting many people from SYD to go with them rather than take the shorter QF option.

 

[crazydave98]

A few replies to comments/questions raised by members in this thread:

• the flight time MEL-JNB does indeed reflect a 180minutes ETOPS routing which unfortunately takes us away from the most direct great circle route to the south. Of course while 180 minutes may be what we presently have approval for this could be increased at some time in the future which would knock significant time off.
• twice weekly BNE-HKT and weekly MEL-HKT: once weekly for MEL is not great, but you can of course connect over BNE which gives 3 weekly services on VA/VB. Then there is always the option to connect over SYD, SIN of BKK in one direction with other airlines. But let's just say Virgin Blue group is not finished with HKT yet - stay tuned.

cheers
CrazyDave98

 

[docjames]

THanks crazydave98.

With a 16hr flight time (plus reserves) does that not mean there'll be load restrictions? Playing with greatcircle mapper, 207 doesnt really cut that much more off (but i'm no navigater so happy to be corrected).

Also, 13hr+ ex-JNB - given it's considered generally to be a "hot/high" airport, would that impact load on the return as well?

BTW - not critical, just interested. I think the new routes are a great choice for VA/DJ group, and would really like them to succeed, but you're going to need frequency increases to get decent "business travel" share (to JNB more so than HKT which is essentially a "leisure travel" route anyway). An add-on HKT to BKK would be great but of course there's no Virgin Atlantic connector there to get pax to LHR/LGW.

 

[crazydave98]

Thanks docjames

We're very well aware of the frequency issue on business-driven markets like JNB and its "hot and high" status. We have plans on frequency and have done our homework on takeoff performance (note timing of departure - not at 3pm in the afternoon).

207 mins cuts off about 30mins from memory but who is to say that is where it will stop? ETOPS is an interesting area of development - don't forget it originated in an era where the chance of all four engines conking out was much higher than the chance of a single engine on a modern twin like B773 having an inflight shutdown. And to pre-empt comments about the BA B772 belly flop at LHR, the issue there was icing in the fuel supply which affected all engines equally - wouldn't have mattered if it had a dozen donks if they all had frozen fuel.

cheers

CrazyDave98

 

[Dee Thom]

Hey CrazyDave98, why not a BNE-MNL-BNE flight using 738 under VA colours ? Great tourist potential....

Cheers Dee

 

[crazydave98]

Hey CrazyDave98, why not a BNE-MNL-BNE flight using 738....

....splash

 

[docjames]

....splash

LOL


BNE-MNL = 3596mi (great circle mapper)

737-800
Range with Full Payload4,800km/2,990m

Presume DJ fleet is similar.