JQ Approved for HNL flights

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N860CR

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Jetstar ready to market Hawaii flights
August 15, 2006 - 6:29PM



Budget airline Jetstar has gained approval from the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) to start marketing its long haul services between Honolulu and Australia.
Jetstar intends operating three Sydney-Honolulu flights per week and two Melbourne-Honolulu flights per week with a fleet of Airbus A330-200s, offering two classes of service.
Jetstar chief executive Alan Joyce said that in the next few weeks the airline will start accepting flight reservations for its Hawaii services along with an announcement of its launch date.

I guess we can look forward to some good launch fares shortly. Let's hope they can coordinate their systems a little better this time...
 
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Yes bye bye QF. Guess I won't be going to HNL now unless I bite my tongue very hard first and then travel JQ on a StarClass fare.

The approval did not take as long as most people said it would take. I was expecting 2-3 years. :shock:
 
You could always fly Hawaiian.

I was expecting it to take a whole as well because of the whole A330 ETOPS thing. The article says US approval, but I just thought - does than mean CASA have approved it as well?

The way Air Services and CASA bend over for QF though... can't say I'd be supprised if it was already taken care of.
 
danielribo said:
You could always fly Hawaiian.
Can I take a rain check on that? The flight would have to be OneWorld or at least codeshared with QF! I have lifetime Tin in the bag and I am working up to lifetime Nickel.
 
Mal said:
Bye Bye Qantas on the SYD-HNL route!
For Qantas FF members, it doesn't make a great deal of difference. And Star Class looks to be a good value experience (for SC and FF point earning as well as cabin amenities). Seems to be priced like a premium economy service but paying business class SC's. I would be happy to use JQ Star Class in place of QF economy class.

If QF does leave the route (and I may be in the minority in my belief that QF will continue to operate with 767-300 aircraft), it will have more of an affect for OneWorld products like OneWorld Explorer and Global Explorer, and for non-QF OneWorld FF members.

But I think QF will continue to serve HNL using 763's and possibly on the alternate days to the JQ SYD-HNL services.
 
For those of us who fly SYD-HNL on a regular basis I fear the demise of a QF service on this route too, but somehow I doubt it. I think the destination is a growth one again for Qantas/Jetstar. Five A-330's (if they actually do this) is only the same as three 747's. I think that you will see a "premium" service continue into HNL at least for the time being.

Then again, Qantas always flies its oldest, coughpiest, dumpiest aircraft on this route and I am really sick of it! AC will be putting flatbeds onto this route next year so it will be goodbye QF until they lift their game.

If only they still did SYD-HNL-LAX this would be great, get out and stretch the legs on the way over and dream about the stopover on the way back!

Bye the way, I think if QF continues this service it will be with newer aircraft than 767's with a modern business class service, after all they currently have 156 business class seats to HNL each week which flies pretty full and won't want to hand this as a gift to AC.
 
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Another thing that puzzles me. Jetstar will be using A330-200 aircraft MEL-HNL which is nearly 6000nm. What sort of payload will the A330 be able to carry on a flight of this distance?
 
maninblack said:
Another thing that puzzles me. Jetstar will be using A330-200 aircraft MEL-HNL which is nearly 6000nm. What sort of payload will the A330 be able to carry on a flight of this distance?

The -200 should be able to make it. The -300 that QF have would find it a struggle.
 
With 253 seats. Jetstar wants to fly 300 seats with Pacific headwinds! I suspect that this flight will stop in at Sydney on an occassional basis!
 
maninblack said:
With 253 seats. Jetstar wants to fly 300 seats with Pacific headwinds! I suspect that this flight will stop in at Sydney on an occassional basis!

Actually winds are usually easterly near the equator. So while headwinds are a factor, it is not as much on this route as on some others (eg between Australia and NZ, Africa or South America).
 
I apologise for not having a source, but I have read several places that QF must continue to fly SYD-HNL as part of their entry to oneworld.

The reason for this is exactly the same as has been mentioned above, as if QF stopped flying this route then Hawaii would be just about impossible on a RTW itinerary.

One solution would be that they could make JQ part of oneworld. I know that this may sound a little crazy as oneworld is usually considered the premium alliance, but it could definately work!

Like NM, I do not believe that QF will stop flying to HNL. It would make sense for them to reduce capacity to a 763... But several times in the past couple of months, I have received industry info from QF making a big deal about them still flying to HNL.

Just my 2c...

D P G
 
DPG. Most of what you say would seem to be correct. JQ cannot be included into Oneworld alliance for various reasons, but you forget about a bloke called Dixon, who will find his way around anything if there is a penny in it:rolleyes: I don't know though that QF has an "obligation" to serve HNL because of Oneworld.

Strangely though, industry people tell me that QF 3/4 is profitable for QF and flies near capacity. Also that if they flew 747-400's or A330-300's it would be even more profitable. Who knows, I would say it's an each way bet and QF will probably keep the service going to HNL initially and assess it. That being said they might just dump it from day one of JQ services, which is the Dixon way, notwithstanding your comments about Oneworld obligations.

Of course JQ hasn't started flying yet and actually still don't have full US clearance or 3hr ETOPS nor apparently do they have aircraft ready yet for the five services a week they plan. They are saying late November, we'll see:!:
 
DPG said:
I apologise for not having a source, but I have read several places that QF must continue to fly SYD-HNL as part of their entry to oneworld.

...... as if QF stopped flying this route then Hawaii would be just about impossible on a RTW itinerary.

Not after "early 2007" when JAL join oneworld.
 
maninblack said:
Strangely though, industry people tell me that QF 3/4 is profitable for QF and flies near capacity. Also that if they flew 747-400's or A330-300's it would be even more profitable.
Note that the QF 747-300 aircraft have the highest passenger capacity of all current QF aircraft, being 52J + 398 Y, compared with the 2-class 747-400 at 50J + 356 Y.

So if flown at or close to capacity, its unlikely the improved fuel efficiency or reduced crew costs (no FE on 744) would make a significant difference to profitability of the route. SYD-HNL is actually a good route for the operational economics of the 747-300, and competition permits the use of non-skybed business class facilities.
 
Jetstar press release today says that QF will continue it's 3 services to week to HNL with Jetstar services being in addition to this.

Despite this I am sure QF will be reviewing the service in the near future!

NM, I am sure you are correct but the cost of maintaining the 300's is apparently getting higher all the time. Also the very fact that they don't have a skybed will eventually be a problem when AC introduce their flatbed. If Qantas don't want to lose most of their premium trade to AC, and with Jetstar coming into the market they surely will need to upgrade their service. Remember also that AC scheduled a new twice weekly service MEL-HNL just before 9/11 and then with the slump that followed never went ahead with it. An AC source told me last year that they are still considering this route in the future. Imagine with A340's and their new flatbed...here's hoping. (probably dreaming:!: )
 
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