Tokyo Haneda slot - how will Virgin Operate it?

Ah, just had a look, there is VA1413, only half an hour transit in SYD, so a run if the gate is far away, at least its an option rather than an overnight.
ADL -> SYD 6.00 -> 8.20, or 8.30 to make it with ramp moving to plane door, door open, IFM chats to ramp agent, J customers get off VA401, then other pax get off, half an hour, ...
If near gate in SYD, then lucky, to get VA1413, half an hour, so no lounge time either.
SYD -> CNS 8.50... mmm, still a dom flight, but is running between gates at SYD T2 possible?
Edit: VA1413 is new/ish, or hasn't flown for months, so not on flight aware recent, so can't see which gate they will use for this, VA401 got into A35 in T2 today.
 
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There's probably smoke coming out of a server somewhere - have a wine while it gets fixed.
That's what Virgin gets for trying to cook a goose! 😳😂
Ah, just had a look, there is VA1413, only half an hour transit in SYD, so a run if the gate is far away, at least its an option rather than an overnight.
ADL -> SYD 6.00 -> 8.20, or 8.30 to make it with ramp moving to plane door, door open, IFM chats to ramp agent, J customers get off VA401, then other pax get off, half an hour, ...
That's 30 minutes assuming everything runs to schedule. If things get delayed, all bets are off! In addition, it is less clear what Virgin would do in the event of such a mis-connect. Would they book you on another airline to TYO? Would they provide overnight accommodation? One of my gripes about travel in Australia is there are 0 consumer protections here despite what the ACCC wants you to believe.
If near gate in SYD, then lucky, to get VA1413, half an hour, so no lounge time either.
SYD -> CNS 8.50... mmm, still a dom flight, but is running between gates at SYD T2 possible?
It really depends on how proactive the airline is as well. Back in the pre-pandemic days when I was flying United almost exclusively they knew who was on what flight and coordinated gates accordingly. Case in point I had a flight Toronto to San Juan, Puerto Rico (via Newark) and only had 20 minutes to connect. United knew this and had my flight park next to the San Juan flight. I've also seen them have flight attendants call out passengers by name to get them to deplane first, and even have agents standing at the jet bridge with signs to guide connecting passengers to their gate.
Edit: VA1413 is new/ish, or hasn't flown for months, so not on flight aware recent, so can't see which gate they will use for this, VA401 got into A35 in T2 today.
Gates used tend to fluctuate day by day even for the same flight! A problem with Virgin is they don't own terminal 2 in the way Qantas does. Qantas ground operations in theory could assign planes to gates at will to reduce the possibility of misconnections, much in the way United does.

-RooFlyer88
 
It’s been cooked since the weekend. I’ll keep drinking 🤣
Veveu I hope, grin, or sparkling water if you are a teetotaler, I get gout these days so no alco for me in the lounge, just coffee.
Edit: I think in 2015, QFF "gave back the keys of T3 back to SACL" to save money from being owner, but now just being main tenant, so pay SACL less overall, but probably still have preferred status.
At least with a linked PNR, there is no need to approach VAi int check in in CNS, as it would have been done at the first port of dep, either ADL/MEL/SYD/PER.
Earlier on, in the week, I had a look, there was a pop up of "unavailable" when I started in ADL as a search, for Jul onwards.
Now, it does come up with valid flights, but the transit time in SYD as above, is very short.
+++
Going ADL via MEL is better than SYD.
Then MEL - CNS direct.
MEL airport T3, I find is a bit easier to handle than SYD T2, SYD has a wider scope for VA flights at T2.
ADL - MEL is 1.40, so get to MEL T4 at 8.00, at gate 17, and the VAd flight dep gate 15 at 9.10.
 
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Going ADL via MEL is better than SYD.
Then MEL - CNS direct.
MEL airport T3, I find is a bit easier to handle than SYD T2, SYD has a wider scope for VA flights at T2.
ADL - MEL is 1.40, so get to MEL T4 at 8.00, at gate 17, and the VAd flight dep gate 15 at 9.10.
===
Not mine, if this gets chopped, just google Sydney Airport gate maps, T2 ranges from 34 to 55.
 
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Ah, just had a look, there is VA1413, only half an hour transit in SYD, so a run if the gate is far away, at least its an option rather than an overnight.

No need to run, it wouldn’t take more than 5 minutes fast walking from one gate to another within the virgin pier in SYD T2. I’d be more worried about checked luggage making it but I’d imagine VA would rather delay a flight for 5 minutes rather than deal with rebooking customers or shipping lost bags.

But if VA sells Dom-Dom connections with such a short time it means they’re confident they can deal with it.
 
VA D-D connection in SYD is very simple as they have the 31-45 pier in T2, whereas in Melbourne you have the question of whether it's T3 or T4.

VA1 also used to hold AUS-LAX flights for connections from ADL or PER in BNE..cheaper to make up the time in the Pacific than accommodate until the next day. Not sure whether they'd hold a MEL-CNS or SYD-CNS service on account of the international connections, but who knows with VA2 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️
 
The website is cooked right now.
Doesn’t find any flights home either and it’s completely lost all the Singapore airline flights too

The app is broken again too. Sigh.

Thankfully the customer no-care call centre knew about it and waived booking fees for me.
 
One of my gripes about travel in Australia is there are 0 consumer protections here despite what the ACCC wants you to believe.

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The fair travel party.
 
We get the politicians we deserve; AFF ought to run for the Senate!

Fishers, Shooters, Mad Motorists, Farmers, Greenies et al., all have their (formal) pockets of representation.

The fair travel party.
Be careful what you wish for... you might get it! And then it's a matter of time before Uncle Alan bribes them with Chairman's lounge membership, unlimited upgrades, you name it. And before you know it they'll be representing the constituency of Uncle Alan! 😂
 
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Be careful what you wish for... you might get it! And then it's a matter of time before Uncle Alan bribes them with Chairman's lounge membership, unlimited upgrades, you name it. And before you know it they'll be representing the constituency of Uncle Alan! 😂


Ol boy, are you suggesting the more things change, the more they stay the same!!
 
Going ADL via MEL is better than SYD.
Then MEL - CNS direct.
MEL airport T3, I find is a bit easier to handle than SYD T2, SYD has a wider scope for VA flights at T2.
ADL - MEL is 1.40, so get to MEL T4 at 8.00, at gate 17, and the VAd flight dep gate 15 at 9.10.
===
Not mine, if this gets chopped, just google Sydney Airport gate maps, T2 ranges from 34 to 55.
After following along with your ADL to tokyo posts, I've done a little bit of searching. Just a simple Adelaide to Haneda on the VA website. Random week late 2023.
Two outbound options come up automagically - via BNE with a 40 minutes transit and 2 hours in CNS, and via MEL with a 50 minute transit and 2 hours in CNS.
There are a plethora of options on the return leg because you land at 5:35 am in CNS. The one option that doesn't come up is the direct CNS to ADL that departs at 5:30 pm. (so if someone is reading along at virgin headquarters - there is a fix for Poochie...)

There is certainly direct flights between ADL and CNS. That option is usable on the return, but at the moment it looks like you'd have to call them to book - Multicity says it's for domestic only. Your call on whether you'd want a day in CNS or to get some extra status by flying for a day.
If you're still sweating a 40/50 minute connection in BNE or MEL, then go the day before, as you've said numerous times, and then you can use the direct ADL-CNS VA1505.

Yair, for a person who lives in the some southern parts of Aust, and wants to use that particular VAi flight Au - HND, a stop overnight in CNS is a definite requirement.
Edit: DennisButnik travels, has a youtube video of CNS airport.
Unlinked flight, ADL - CNS with JQd (eek) could link onto that CNS - HND flight with VAi, playing with fire, yes, in the case that that first flight with JQ from ADL - CNS gets cancelled.
Tried to have another try, ADL - CNS - HND won't allow, on the VA website, even CNS - HND flights, for Jul 2023.
Maybe its just my laptop.

I'd rather go the day before, then use JQ domestic.

Could we see a lounge in CNS domestic? Perhaps but CNS isn’t OOL passenger numbers wise so I doubt it’ll happen anytime soon. Best chance is lounge access in HND.
It's complete separate terminals in CNS, I can't see a domestic terminal lounge working that well.

But you have tested my memory banks for OOL when I flew out of there on jetstar to NRT. I don't remember doing international security clearance. 🤔
 
You think Australian sparkling wines are like apple juice?
Having flown QF and Virgin a couple of times now in J, that's the impression I get. Perhaps I need to cleanse my palate and head to a BWS or Dan Murphy's to pick up some proper Australian champagne. Either that or I have been spoiled visiting the EK lounge, flying AC and KL international J where they serve quality champagne.

-RooFlyer88
 
Having flown QF and Virgin a couple of times now in J, that's the impression I get. Perhaps I need to cleanse my palate and head to a BWS or Dan Murphy's to pick up some proper Australian champagne. Either that or I have been spoiled visiting the EK lounge, flying AC and KL international J where they serve quality champagne.

-RooFlyer88

I believe it's an individual palate that changes with altitude. My trusted correspondents like the domestic 'sparkling wine' served, especially the Qantas longer Domestic haul sparkling Lane Lois Sparkling Blanc de Blancs NV (Chardonnay - ADL hills).

From an Intellectual Property (IP) perspective, Champagne is perhaps the best-known example of a product protected by a geographical indication (GI); therefore, we are restricted from labelling any Sparkling produced in Australia as 'Champagne'.

Sparkling is a mood drink consumed in good company and surroundings, and no doubt you will have been spoiled (as all lucky and intrepid travellers are) by the luxury environs along the track.
 
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