Qantas ups MEL-HKG

[Keith009]

Qantas ups Melbourne-Hong Kong flights | The Australian

QANTAS will fly between Melbourne and Hong Kong an extra three times a week, from April next year.

The flights seem to operate TUE/WED/SAT using A330-300 aircraft:
MEL-HKG QF85 1155 1915
HKG-MEL QF86 2105 0810+1

 

[JohnK]

I didn't think QF had any spare A330-300s. Does this mean that other routes will have a reduction in services?

 

[littl_flier]

I guess it has something to do with the new A330-200's coming on line.

OT a little bit but I notice that BNE-HKG is finally back to 333's at the end of March after struggling with the 763 for the last few years. Thank goodness!!! It also coincides with QF bringing the services on QF175 BNE-LAX into daily ops (and the loss of SYD-BNE) so I presume the 744 operating this will come off the MEL-AKL-LAX ops which are being replaced with the 332 three times per week!?

 

[littl_flier]

A quick look at my trusty OW timetables show that the 332 is replacing the 333 on a few sectors after March including:

SYD-BOM
SYD-PVG (a couple of times per week- Mon & Fri)
SYD-NRT (as QF21 Mon, Wed & Fri)

The 332 will also begin ops on MEL-PVG twice per week soon.

 

[Febs]

QF175 BNE-LAX into daily ops (and the loss of SYD-BNE)

Wait, this doesn't affect the FT AGM F Lounge plans on 23/2 does it?! :shock:

 

[littl_flier]

Wait, this doesn't affect the FT AGM F Lounge plans on 23/2 does it?! :shock:

Nope, we made it by four weeks Febs. Close but kinda like a last hurrah.

Maybe we should do it again for the last flight. Any takers....

 

[NM]

OT a little bit but I notice that BNE-HKG is finally back to 333's at the end of March after struggling with the 763 for the last few years. Thank goodness!!!

Amen to that! I routed HKG-SIN-BNE just to get a skybed for the overnight flight.

 

[Wunala Dreaming]

Qantas' newest aircraft, A330-200 VH-EBG "Barossa Valley" entered service (international) yesterday (01JAN) as QF129 SYD-PVG. The aircraft will continue to operate PVG services on select days over the coming weeks.

And as a result, this has allowed Qantas to reintroduce the A330-300 on all BNE/PER-HKG services. The first (in some time) 333 service on QF97 BNE-HKG was yesterday (01JAN) and today (02JAN) was PER's turn, with the 333 operationg QF67 PER-HKG.

Qantas' next A330-200 VH-EBH is due for delivery shortly and will alow 333 capacity to be depolyed on other routes.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. QantasLink will soon take delivery of 2 new Q400s and Qantas will receive 5 new 73H between FEB and JUL as well as 4 new 332 between FEB and DEC (6 in total) and the A380s will start trickling in towards year's end.

2008 will bring about a year of solid growth...

Regards

 

[serfty]

The domestic activities of EBG over the last 11 days of 2007 may be interesting for some.

• It's first day of PAX service saw it fly MEL-SYD-BNE-SYD-MEL on 21st Dec.
• Over the next few days it flew 10 times betwixt MEL and SYD,
• Then a series of six flights between MEL and BNE.
• Back to MEL/SYD routes for another 6 sectors.
• On the 31st it flew MEL-SYD in the morning before being prepped for QF129.

That's a total of 27 domestic segments before entering international service.

 

[Evan]

I wonder if Airbus request or specify a minimum number of sectors/hours before ETOPS 180+ are started ?

Of course it makes sense for QF to do some "test" runs first before the big flight and they did. Lucky people who got to try out the new baby

E

 

[straitman]

I wonder if Airbus request or specify a minimum number of sectors/hours before ETOPS 180+ are started ?

Of course it makes sense for QF to do some "test" runs first before the big flight and they did. Lucky people who got to try out the new baby

E

Evan,

Whilst this may seem logical as an Airbus requirement, I don't believe it to be the case. The ETOPS requirements are regulatory requirements that can vary between airlines rather than manufacturing requirements.

 

[garyjohn951]

2008 will bring about a year of solid growth...

Only 2 years bloody late !!! for MEL - HK.
People having been flooding to CX rather than go via sydney and all qantas has done with the majority of its new planes in this period - all gone to Jet*.

So QF, I will stay with CX to HK, they will the hole you were only interested in filling your Sydney planes.

PEOPLE do live elsewhere in aussie.......................

 

[Evan]

...and all qantas has done with the majority of its new planes in this period - all gone to Jet*.

Not to disagree about this being a big late, but only new planes jet* have got is A320's (the A330's were not a model that could even be re-configured to use skybeds) so really QF only now is getting some new A330-200's that can handle skybed and hence the new ops.

E

 

[Mal]

It's nice to see Qantas starting to get over their plane shortage and fixing up the mess they created when running out of planes (eg 767 BNE-HKG). Hopefully this will continue as new planes come online.

 

[garyjohn951]

The number of WP's in the new MEL F lounge flying CX must be hurting them.

 

[NM]

The number of WP's in the new MEL F lounge flying CX must be hurting them.

I have not had any issues flying QF29 MEL-HKG in nice 747-400 with Skybeds and v-nice F seats. QF has had daily 744 service MEL-HKG for quite some time now. The schedule may not be to everyone's liking, though.

 

[garyjohn951]

The schedule may not be to everyone's liking, though.

OR PRICE. [ at least Cx double the number of disc seats]

3 flights [ 1.20am; 8.55am and 3.35pm] vs 1 flight [11.59pm]

Plus never any upgrades. Need to add the 3 -4 hrs vis Sydney if you want to upgrade with points to J.

Remember not everyone has the luxery of big business paying for J seats all the time.

 

[NM]

Plus never any upgrades. Need to add the 3 -4 hrs vis Sydney if you want to upgrade with points to J.

I have been successful 100% with upgrades on QF29 ex-MEL and 100% for QF30 ex HKG. But those were all as QF Platinum FF and on mid-week flights. Not a huge sample though (3 from 3 attempts).

 

[garyjohn951]

Haven't done it lately, but mid year zero from 4 attempts, as WP and all 70 - 90 days out.
One QF person told me thru upgrades get preference, WHY !!!!

 

[NM]

Haven't done it lately, but mid year zero from 4 attempts, as WP and all 70 - 90 days out.
One QF person told me thru upgrades get preference, WHY !!!!

My QF29 upgrades were MEL-LHR so that may indicate that through upgrades do get preference. My QF30 upgrade was HKG-MEL only. I guess they give pref to people using more points for the through upgrades???. The main reason I was using QF29 was for the opportunity for the FF upgrade through to LHR. Otherwise I would have taken the CX day-time flight which is at a much more civilised time if only going as far as HKG.