SQ introduces A380 to PEK and cuts back A380 to HKG

[Foreigner]

http://airlineroute.net/2014/06/10/sq-pek-aug14/

From August SQ introduces 1x daily service to Beijing. It also cuts back service to Hong Kong to once daily (from 2x).

 

[Cruiser Elite]

That works well - I regularly take 802 / 805 - although 805 can occasionally miss connecting with 237 due to delayed dep ex PEK - but they do put you up at CP Changi - and it'll kinda make up for losing 388 ex MEL - so I guess I'll have me a slice or 2 of that please.

Attn TheEmu: You thought I was crackers when I told you MEL-SIN-PVG then 2hr subway to Hongqiao then 1.5hr CRH to NKG - so now it will be MEL-SIN-PEK then taxi to Beijing Nan then 4hr CRH to NKG - meet you at Jimmys ok - don't be late!

 

[hummel]

What do they run now 777? SIN-CAN is always the A330 from my experience which is perfectly adequate for a 4 hour flight. Surprises me the A380 hasn't been put on this router sooner.

 

[Jeffrey O'Neill]

Interesting how the A380 has been removed from some long haul routes and been introduced into much shorter ones. A little opposite to what was expected.

 

[mannej]

Interesting how the A380 has been removed from some long haul routes and been introduced into much shorter ones. A little opposite to what was expected.

Is it a move in wake of the MH dramas?

 

[anat0l]

Interesting how the A380 has been removed from some long haul routes and been introduced into much shorter ones. A little opposite to what was expected.

My only guess is cashing in the capacity void due to the sharp unpopularity of nearby rival, Malaysia Airlines, amongst the Chinese.

EDIT: mannej beat me to the punch

 

[vantage03]

Surprises me a little that they're cutting back HKG. They're obviously the experts, but I flew A380 SIN-HKG-SIN just two weeks ago and it was the first time in about 20 sectors in Suites that I've ever seen it full (and sold out more than a week before the flight)..! SYD-SIN-SYD on the other hand usually has max 4pax in my experience.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

What do they run now 777?

cccccccccccccccccc

 

[dajop]

Interesting how the A380 has been removed from some long haul routes and been introduced into much shorter ones. A little opposite to what was expected.

On the India routes it really makes a lot of sense, regardless of A380 being more a long haul aircraft, I am sure it costs less to run than two aircraft at similar times, like they did before introducing the A380.

On Beijing, I haven't caught those flights for a while, but when I did travel to PEK a bit, in J at least the late afternoon departure from PEK that was a 77W, and is now an A380, was always difficult to get onto, so maybe the extra capacity was needed. I am sure their yield is pretty high in business class on that flight.

 

[seanpodge]

I'm pretty disappointed that SQ803 is getting cancelled in this shake up. It was very convenient for people connecting from other parts of China. If SQ felt that they had to drop a service, then I'd rather that they cancelled SQ801, which left about 45 minutes earlier.

Also, it seems that they're keeping the ancient 772 on SQ800 and SQ805. Well, at least SQ800 is an overnight flight, but since it arrives at PEK at 7:00 am, once again it's very convenient for connections to the rest of China.

 

[bismarck]

Interesting how the A380 has been removed from some long haul routes and been introduced into much shorter ones. A little opposite to what was expected.

Not so much. Many airlines envisaged using the A380 to provide additional capacity into slot-constrained airports whether short or long haul.


Sent from my iPhone using AustFreqFly

 

[smit0847]

Sounds like SQ actually need more A380s ASAP? I would have thought SIN-HKG would be a prime A380 route, not to mention the A380s disappearing from MEL and SYD!

 

[dajop]

I would have thought SIN-HKG would be a prime A380 route, not to mention the A380s disappearing from MEL and SYD!

Not really, I think SIN-HKG is more a route where frequency is favoured, being a strong business route and strong competition with 8 x daily from CX. SQ still has one daily A380 service. Likewise with MEL/SYD routes it seems SQ would prefer to maintain 4xdaily (with connections supporting the rest of their network) than keep A380's on the route but axe a daily service like they've done with PEK, BOM & DEL.

 

[mannej]

Not really, I think SIN-HKG is more a route where frequency is favoured, being a strong business route and strong competition with 8 x daily from CX. SQ still has one daily A380 service. Likewise with MEL/SYD routes it seems SQ would prefer to maintain 4xdaily (with connections supporting the rest of their network) than keep A380's on the route but axe a daily service like they've done with PEK, BOM & DEL.

Correct me if I am wrong, but the loadings weren't the greatest on the MEL/SYD flights either.

 

[dajop]

Correct me if I am wrong, but the loadings weren't the greatest on the MEL/SYD flights either.

Correct, but they reduced capacity by moving to smaller aircraft (and still maintaining frequency) rather than keeping the A380 service (MEL) or the second A380 service (SYD) and axing one of the flights.

 

[smit0847]

Not really, I think SIN-HKG is more a route where frequency is favoured, being a strong business route and strong competition with 8 x daily from CX. SQ still has one daily A380 service. Likewise with MEL/SYD routes it seems SQ would prefer to maintain 4xdaily (with connections supporting the rest of their network) than keep A380's on the route but axe a daily service like they've done with PEK, BOM & DEL.

I think MEL pax would like consistency with product type too! SQ currently run 4 different aircraft types to MEL.

 

[dajop]

I think MEL pax would like consistency with product type too! SQ currently run 4 different aircraft types to MEL.

Well it will move to only 3 aircraft types! But for all intensive purposes they only have 2, not 4 different types of product in F & J (F has A380 + 773/77W seats, and J has 380/77W + 333/773 seats) and in all aircraft the Y products are very similar, give or take some IFE options and maybe a cm or seat width. After the change, it will 1 type of F, 2 types of J.

 

[Rareified Air]

My only guess is cashing in the capacity void due to the sharp unpopularity of nearby rival, Malaysia Airlines, amongst the Chinese.

EDIT: mannej beat me to the punch

I doubt MH has anything to do with it. Only a few years ago MH had competition from Air China on that route who pulled out for whatever reason and the MH fares are still fairly cheap. In the past six year SIA have gone from three flights per day on 777-200's to four flights per day with bigger metal. This is a growth route with huge demand and quite possible SIA have longer term strategic goals with other routes and using PEK as hub......