Air China to start MEL-SZX, SYD-CTU

[soorox]

CA has opened reservations for 2 new Australian services; MEL-SZX (x4 weekly), SYD-CTU (x3 weekly) due to begin in late October. With the addition of these 2 new routes, CA will fly a total of 6 routes from Australia, 3 routes each for both MEL (PEK, PVG, SZX) and SYD (PEK, PVG, CTU).

Chengdu – Sydney NEW 3 weekly A330-200 service from 30OCT16
CA429 CTU2330 – 1310+1SYD 330 257
CA430 SYD1500 – 2300CTU 330 136


Shenzhen – Melbourne NEW 4 weekly A330-200 service from 31OCT16
CA767 SZX2330 – 1215+1MEL 330 x257
CA768 MEL2200 – 0450+1SZX 330 x136

Read More: 15JUL16 – Air China W16 International Operation Changes :: Routesonline

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Good for them! Non-stop to China is the way to go to try and minimise delays. And CA's business class is more than acceptable given the time savings.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Yep this is exciting news - so much more capacity on Oz-Sino routes coming soon - can expect some sharp pricing as the various carriers chase pax.

Unlike MEL I love the MEL-SIN-PVG/PEK redpt hops - but I can see advantages of direct flts for comm tix - most people won't remember Alan Joyce's comments a year or 2 back where he forecast the looming competition from Chinese based carriers but it is certainly coming now.

 

[soorox]

The Following Routes launched/confirmed to start this year:

Air China
Melbourne - Shenzhen (x4 weekly): starts 31OCT
Sydney - Chengdu (x3 weekly): starts 30OCT

Beijing Capital Airlines
Melbourne - Qingdao - Shenyang (x3 weekly): starts 30SEP

Xiamen Air
Melbourne - Xiamen (x2 weekly): started on 1JUN

Hainan Airlines
Sydney - Xi'an (x2 weekly): starts 15SEP
Sydney - Changsha (x2 weekly): starts 17SEP

Route Applications: Applied Routes, (*) Denotes approved applications by the CAAC

China Eastern
Sydney - Hangzhou - Beijing (x3 weekly)*
Sydney - Kunming (x3 weekly)

China Southern
Melbourne - Shenzhen (x1 daily)

Hainan Airlines
Melbourne - Xi'an (x2 weekly)*
Melbourne - Changsha (x2 weekly)*

Virgin Australia
Major Australian City - Hong Kong (x1 daily)
Major Australian City - Beijing (x1 daily)

So a lot of flights in the pipeline and still many to come for 2016!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

For Australian airlines to compete (if they want to) they need to have an understanding of Chinese customers. This is not hard to achieve - employing the right people is a start.

The cost of doing this doesn't need to be prohibitive either... small things like Chinese newspapers and literature, providing slippers along with socks in amenity kits, and Chinese speaking staff on board. Providing a consistent product (not subbing angled lie flats for suites on a 10 hour journey). Waiving charges for seat selection. Essentially - make the journey as easy as possible not as hard as you can.

QF preventing all on line sales in China through their website for many years probably didn't help.

 

[bsb]

Love all the new routes, esp since it's not all SYD-centric. But when will QF (or JQ even) get their act together? Maybe that ship has sailed but if they want to be relevant in this corner of the globe in 10 years, they better hurry up and a code share won't cut it