A330s what to do with ?

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ozfflyer

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Now VA is no longer flying to HKG they must be wondering what the hell to do with the worlds most expensive A330 leases.

They certainly can’t afford to park them.

They could do more trans continental, but what are other options ?

One might be to do the old QF route BNE/AKL/LAX or just AKL/LAX (or AKL/some other USA port).

If a VA A330 pilot was given the option of either taking leave without pay or moving to AKL, then surely most would go to NZ (or plenty of OZ pilots who were flying A330s for Chinese airlines, who are now on leave without pay).

If VA flew AKL/LAX, then they could feed it from OZ with flights from BNE, SYD, MEL, OOL, NTL & maybe put on a CNS or MCY/AKL or even HBA/AKL or CBR/AKL.

Another idea would be to do NAN/LAX, but Fijians might not let VA sell NAN/LAX, but would it be possible to fly NAN/LAX & feed it with flights from BNE, SYD, MEL to NAN ?


Either would solve the problem VA has, ie. not flying BNE/LAX & MEL/LAX daily. Ok, some of the days would be via AKL or NAN, but sure beat having no flights on certain days & no one in BNE or MEL wants to go via SYD.

A short stop in AKL or NAN sure beats going via SYD.

They could also call it direct, if A330 actually originated in Australia.

They have to do something with the A330s.

If not one of above, what ?

More flights BNE,SYD, MEL/NAN or AKL or new route like CBR/NAN (FJ tried this 2/week, but did it very badly with B737 approx 10 years ago) or CBR/AKL.


A CBR/AKL/LAX would sure beat any option via BNE, SYD or MEL.
 
De ja vu?

 
De ja vu?

except now no flights to HKG, so what are those aircraft that were flying to HKG doing ?

Paying parking fees somewhere ?

Does anyone know ?

Even if they only did LAX flights in & around peak season, that would surely help.
 
Yeah but who at AFFer wants to fly economy? :)
plenty - the way things are right now, who can afford to pay for higher class. Everyone seems to want to upgrade, but ...

have a look at this (it was in link above)

1582173090027.png
 
Ummm $499 + 200 = $800 Edit $700

Full retail off the Virgin site any punter (depending on date e.g. 13Apr, 21Apr) can buy a round trip for $871
 
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Ummm $499 + 200 = $800

Full retail off the Virgin site any punter (depending on date e.g. 13Apr, 21Apr) can buy a round trip for $871
new calculator ? Last time I looked $499+$200=$699 & have a look at dates available.

15JAN departure means a family could have 10 nights in USA & still be back for start of school.
 
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the worlds most expensive A330 leases.
I have heard this mentioned multiple times and in multiple places.

What is the soruce of this and is it accurate?

IE what are VA paying compared to other airlines who leased the same model of A330's at the same time.

If they are paying a premium, why did they elect to pay a premium? Surely approved by the board at the time which would have included Air NZ, Singapore Air, Etihad.
 
I have heard this mentioned multiple times and in multiple places.

What is the soruce of this and is it accurate?

IE what are VA paying compared to other airlines who leased the same model of A330's at the same time.

If they are paying a premium, why did they elect to pay a premium? Surely approved by the board at the time which would have included Air NZ, Singapore Air, Etihad.
story we were told was Borghetti wanted the A330s in a hurry & so paid top dollar.
 
If VA flew AKL/LAX, then they could feed it from OZ with flights from BNE, SYD, MEL, OOL, NTL & maybe put on a CNS or MCY/AKL or even HBA/AKL or CBR/AKL.
I’d kill for a HBA international option. The government paid for expensive runway extension to accommodate international planes, but the previous airport owners dragged their feet on any expansion of the building (the money-making gravel car park expansion doesn’t count). There’s not even enough space for all the domestic operations, let alone international. That said, if Virgin was to put their hand up to launch international flights from HBA, it might expedite the proposed expansion. It’s a risky move, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I think recent decisions like the withdrawal from HK and the expansion to Japan shows that VA is making quick decisions and is more nimble that I had previously thought.
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Yeah but who at AFFer wants to fly economy? :)
I do. I know I’m not alone.
 
. That said, if Virgin was to put their hand up to launch international flights from HBA, it might expedite the proposed expansion. It’s a risky move, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I think recent decisions like the withdrawal from HK and the expansion to Japan shows that VA is making quick decisions and is more nimble that I had previously thought.


I know it wasnt your thought bubble but I’d rate the chance of VA doing this at approximately.....0%.

They are already bleeding on TT, why on earth would they launch an ultra skinny route, with no fleet flexibility smaller than a 737, on a route they can’t even make make money on from capital cities, from an airport that doesn’t even have regular international ops, during a travel soft spot thanks to corona virus and with barely any corporates on the route to pay for the empty seats up the back..... that’s not risky - that is stupid.

The only slightly nimble movement VA has had recently is cutting passenger benefits and flights. They aren’t expanding. They are winding down. And I expect more cuts to follow QF’s response to the corona virus effect as well.

On this thread, well here we go again. all that is missing is ski lift ticket prices in the US.....
 
I’d kill for a HBA international option. The government paid for expensive runway extension to accommodate international planes, but the previous airport owners dragged their feet on any expansion of the building (the money-making gravel car park expansion doesn’t count). There’s not even enough space for all the domestic operations, let alone international. That said, if Virgin was to put their hand up to launch international flights from HBA, it might expedite the proposed expansion. It’s a risky move, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I think recent decisions like the withdrawal from HK and the expansion to Japan shows that VA is making quick decisions and is more nimble that I had previously thought.
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I do. I know I’m not alone.
surely if a NTL/AKL can be made to work, seasonally, then a HBA/AKL can be make to work, even if only 2 x 737-700s a week initially. Not suggesting an A330 would do this, but an A330 on waht is currently a B737 route somewhere else, would free up a B737 or 2.

Back to A330s. Who fly AKL/USA apart from NZ ? HA to HNL & AA & UA to west coast.

Australians & Kiwis in general seem to prefer to fly an Australian or Kiwi airline over a U.S. airline unless there's a significant price difference.
 
Surely it’s quite simple that VA doesn’t have the financial health to go after such speculative ventures. QF canned their AKL-LAX service some years ago, presumably as it wasn’t generating sufficient returns for them.
 
Surely it’s quite simple that VA doesn’t have the financial health to go after such speculative ventures. QF canned their AKL-LAX service some years ago, presumably as it wasn’t generating sufficient returns for them.
ok so
what do VA do with their A330s & crews that were doing HKG ? Trans continental ? Very expensive aircraft to park.

From what I gather, A330s are most economic when flying beyond the range of B738s, like 8-10 hours.
 
ok so
what do VA do with their A330s & crews that were doing HKG ? Trans continental ?

Do a deal with ET and fly PER-ADD. Imagine the Africa connectivity!!! (joking, makes as much as sense as hubbing through AKL to LAX). MEL-HNL (no HA or QF flights, only JQ)??

Transcontinental may make sense, parking may make sense (if cost of fuel + maintenance + crewing > revenue then it doesn't make sense to operate), who knows maybe they could combine some of the quarter hourly SYD/MEL flights into an A330 service.
 
Do a deal with ET and fly PER-ADD. Imagine the Africa connectivity!!! (joking, makes as much as sense as hubbing through AKL to LAX). MEL-HNL (no HA or QF flights, only JQ)??

Transcontinental may make sense, parking may make sense (if cost of fuel + maintenance + crewing > revenue then it doesn't make sense to operate), who knows maybe they could combine some of the quarter hourly SYD/MEL flights into an A330 service.

There is a reason the VA A330's were pulled off trans con in the first place remember, they weren't filling them so had to look for other places to deploy them. Maybe the demand dynamics have changed since then, but unlikely dramatically.
 
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