V Australia in plan to fly to Fiji

[Nigelinoz]

V Australia in plan to fly to Fiji

V Australia has applied to the International Air Services Commission for capacity to operate daily flights between Australia and Fiji. In order to obtain the total of 2,527 seats required for the daily flights, V Australia said it plans to transfer 1260 seats from Pacific Blue Australia’s allocated capacity.

 

[docjames]

IASC Letter: http://www.iasc.gov.au/applications/files/4458.pdf

Seems a good move if the flights on Pacific Blue are full, also seems to be better fleet utilisation for the 777.

 

[777]

I'm wondering if there's a pattern likely to develop for aircraft utilisation. Are there any scheduling experts around?

This looks like the SYD 777s get sent off to Fiji in their downtime? There's talk of BNE-HKG which may fit into the downtime as well? Not sure what the layover will be in Melbourne but what about Auckland as destination for the 777s from there?

Would make sense to max at the planes with side trips while they're empty?

 

[docjames]

Was thinking last night about this move. No doubt fleet utilisation is a huge part of the move.

But, I also wonder if it's an attempt to move upmarket with the product to Fiji. There's lots of luxury resorts there and nearby, so an opportunity exits to put some premium seats onto the route. It also positions their product upmarket (ie. allow them to charge a price premium) if JQ move onto SW Pacific routes.

 

[Slats7]

Fiji carrier faces Virgin challenge | The Australian

V AUSTRALIA has applied for permission to fly its wide-body Boeing 777-300ERs to Fiji in a move likely to cause sleepless nights at troubled Qantas investment Air Pacific.

The Virgin Blue Group has asked for an allocation of 1267 seats a week on the Fiji route and has told the International Air Services Commission that it plans to transfer a further 1260 seats from Pacific Blue to V Australia. The international carrier has told IASC that it plans to fly daily B777 services to Fiji from December

 

[Saab34]

I guess it depends on what VA will charge, I wonder if they will stick with similar pricing to what PB offers...

 

[concorde70]

Will they actually fly the route once if the capacity is granted, or will they just block the capacity and then fail to utilise it like they did on the South Africa route?

 

[pauly7]

I think this is great news and hopefully signals the start of Pacific Blue disappearing alltogether - V is such a better airline

 

[crazydave98]

I think this is great news and hopefully signals the start of Pacific Blue disappearing alltogether - V is such a better airline

Sorry, no plans to get rid of Pacific Blue any time soon. As most members will know it is really just a brand because we cannot use "Virgin" overseas (which is of course why we ended up with V Australia rather than something with "Virgin" in it).

As some newspapers have reported accurately, the flying to Fiji is about utilisation. In between SYD-LAX flights we have a very nice space to slot in SYD-NAN. We had always planned utilisation flying but had been looking at Trans-Tasman, for which we have some other plans - stay tuned.

Today we also annouce V Australia flying MEL-JNB and MEL-HKT and BNE-HKT as well as MEL-LAX at slightly reduced frequency.

cheers

CrazyDave98

 

[oz_mark]

Sorry, no plans to get rid of Pacific Blue any time soon. As most members will know it is really just a brand because we cannot use "Virgin" overseas (which is of course why we ended up with V Australia rather than something with "Virgin" in it).

As some newspapers have reported accurately, the flying to Fiji is about utilisation. In between SYD-LAX flights we have a very nice space to slot in SYD-NAN. We had always planned utilisation flying but had been looking at Trans-Tasman, for which we have some other plans - stay tuned.

Today we also annouce V Australia flying MEL-JNB and MEL-HKT and BNE-HKT as well as MEL-LAX at slightly reduced frequency.

Sounds good on the JNB and HKT front. Gives some additional options.

(I imagine that the 777 would be a bit too big for some missions, so does not surprise me that Pac Blue will stay around).

As it's not Fiji, a link to the Herald Sun article is in another thread.

 

[pauly7]

Sorry, no plans to get rid of Pacific Blue any time soon. As most members will know it is really just a brand because we cannot use "Virgin" overseas

CrazyDave98

Yes I was kinda (?) joking with hope

V-oz is just a much better product for my personal circumstances than the budget carriers Virgin/Pac Blue so I selfishly hope that they pop up and replace Virgin/Pac Blue on routes I frequent.

Dave you should consider putting them on PER - Eastern Seaboard and selling as domestic sectors then hopping to South African / US....
Would that ever happen??

 

[gazgolf1]

CrazyDave98

Any plans for flights to Hawaii?

 

[Flashback]

Welcome to AFF gazgolf1. I don't think HNL will be on their list any time soon, but you never know.

 

[crazydave98]

pauly7, we have looked at putting the 777s on flights to connect PER to eastern seaboard and onwards flights. In the case of our next aircraft to be delivered the numbers fell in favour of coughet and Fiji, so let's just say "never say never". Be nice to have flat beds on those sectors.

gazgolf1, Hawaii is in nature quite similar to coughet and Fiji in that it is a highly trafficked popular holiday destination for Australians so it has certainly been in the frame but lost out. Again I would not rule it out for some time in the future.

Fundementally the aircraft is designed for 14hr routes and configured for routes with significant business traffic. V Australia will most likely get to these other outbound leisure destinations eventually, but there are higher priority and better uses for the aircraft which we will aim to tap out first.

cheers

CrazyDave98

 

[oz_mark]

pauly7, we have looked at putting the 777s on flights to connect PER to eastern seaboard and onwards flights. In the case of our next aircraft to be delivered the numbers fell in favour of coughet and Bali, so let's just say "never say never". Be nice to have flat beds on those sectors.

Nice to know. I do prefer the widebodies on the trans-con

 

[pauly7]

Nice to know. I do prefer the widebodies on the trans-con

+1
No 737 or A320 on those routes for me regardless of operator! A330/767 only.... And maybe 777 in future cmon Dave!

 

[Andyzx]

It stated and now seems to be comming to an end or partial end

Posted in Luxury Travel Magazine

V Australia to axe Fiji flight
Virgin Blue will drop one of V Australia's flights to Fiji and will replace it with a Pacific Blue flight. While the carrier has not set a date for this change, they have said it is in response to changes in the market, including the anticipation of a new competitor on the route, namely Jetstar.

Very sad, i was looking forward to a Y+ or maybe even a J special sometime this year.

Still not using the virgin logo either:arrow:

 

[gilby08]

Can anyone confirm this??

 

[dajop]

Very sad, i was looking forward to a Y+ or maybe even a J special sometime this year.

Depends on what they mean by "Virgin Blue will drop one of V Australia's flights to Fiji ". If it is one of V Australia's flight routes then they'll be gone. If it's just one of the 6 weekly flights - that still leaves 5 flights a week for Y+ or J.

 

[maninblack]

gazgolf1, Hawaii is in nature quite similar to coughet and Fiji in that it is a highly trafficked popular holiday destination for Australians so it has certainly been in the frame but lost out. Again I would not rule it out for some time in the future.

Interestingly the head of a travel agency I often use told me just today as I was screaming about the QF service and price to HNL that V Australia management is and will continue to assess Hawaii...it is certainly on the drawing board as fleet may eventually allow. This is very good news indeed given the current option of JQ and QF 763's. V business class at competitive fares like the HKT service will give those two a good thumping. If V take on HNL there will be a wholesale mutiny from JQ and QF.