VA to HKG from Jul 5 2017, ex MEL

[pauly7]

re: VA to HKG from mid 2017 [From Where?]

I still can't belive SQ are letting VA take their pax by allowing them to fly direct between HKG and Australia

SQ missed the boat big time getting more say on what VA does and doesn't do, so for the time being they are just a marginal shareholder with a voice, but no major say in what happens.

 

[cssaus]

re: VA to HKG from mid 2017 [From Where?]

SQ missed the boat big time getting more say on what VA does and doesn't do, so for the time being they are just a marginal shareholder with a voice, but no major say in what happens.

I don't see it as being a big deal, HKG is just one of the many ports that SQ operates to and SQ may in fact end up offering a code share service on a SYD-HKG service operated by VA, it remains to be seen. A VA service to HKG would most likely be one flight a day compared to SQ operating at least 3 flights a day to Singapore plus the flights out of other Australian capital cities. I don't think SQ are going to be crying foul on this deal.

 

[dajop]

re: VA to HKG from mid 2017 [From Where?]

I don't see it as being a big deal, HKG is just one of the many ports that SQ operates to

Yes but tie it in with HX/HU services it may offer more destinations within China, including several that are SQ/MI destinations. But even with that, I'm sure quite a few people would prefer a SQ service to PVG via SIN than VA/HX combination. And certainly out of MEL (+PER,BNE,ADL,CBR), hard pressed to see MEL-SYD-HKG-PVG being preferrable to MEL-SIN-PVG.

 

[quokka77]

re: VA to HKG from mid 2017 [From Where?]

Connecting in SYD is cough. BNE isn't great either, but I'd prefer to connect in BNE than SYD, both for inbound and outbound flights.

 

[jpk]

re: VA to HKG from mid 2017 [From Where?]

As someone whose company has a Y policy, the SQ MEL-SIN-HKG route is nice for collecting SC's, but I am tiring of some of the old planes SQ has out of MEL, and the overnight on the return is horrid. The CX day flights are probably the best way of minimising jetlag and tiredness, but you get bugger all when crediting them to QF. I did QF MEL-HKG this week on refurbed A333 and it was actually better than I expected (I guess QF has trained me to set my expectations really low!) so I might do them again for a bit - the fares are very cheap recently too.

A direct VA flight to Beijing would be very attractive, even if it's out of SYD. I do more in Beijing than Shanghai, so I would really welcome this. If VA really got its act together, then a circle asia fare that let you do AU-China-SIN-AU or AU-SIN-HKG-AU would be pretty sweet.

 

[yohy?!]

re: VA to HKG from mid 2017 [From Where?]

possible lounge for non-status pax flying VA from HKG:

Review of the Club Bauhinia Lounge - Hong Kong Airport - Jetlag and Mayhem

 

[jpk]

re: VA to HKG from mid 2017 [From Where?]

That could be interesting. Plaza premium lounge at HKG would be another option and is actually quite good - SQ were using them while refurbing their own lounge, and EY use them. The SQ lounge would be another option, although it's consistently full in the afternoon/evening so might not have room.

 

[mrmerc500]

re: VA to HKG from mid 2017 [From Where?]

With this weeks announcement of direct Tigerair PER - BNE flight on June 1, this seems to correspond with the start of new VA A330 flights to China on July 1. This tactic could be to maintain the group's share on this domestic route for when it may remove the daily VA A330 flight. What are people's thoughts on this?

 

[nichojo]

re: VA to HKG from mid 2017 [From Where?]

Any chance this launches before August/September next year?

 

[pauly7]

re: VA to HKG from mid 2017 [From Where?]

Any chance this launches before August/September next year?

Seeing as there has been *crickets* and *hay bales* rolling down the street for a while on VA, I'm not optimistic. Having said that they are flying half empty airframes across the county at the moment so they need to put them somewhere or park them...

 

[yohy?!]

re: VA to HKG from mid 2017 [From Where?]

I think we'll see VA flying to the mainland before HKG

 

[Saab34]

re: VA to HKG from mid 2017 [From Where?]

June 2017 not far away...any news around the traps on this one?

Id imagine they wouldn't miss the opportunity for the July 2017 School Holidays.

 

[Mattg]

re: VA to HKG from mid 2017 [From Where?]

June 2017 not far away...any news around the traps on this one?

Id imagine they wouldn't miss the opportunity for the July 2017 School Holidays.

Last I heard, VA was having trouble acquiring slots for HKG.

 

[Saab34]

re: VA to HKG from mid 2017 [From Where?]

Not sure how Jetstar Hong Kong would have ever worked considering how tight that airport is slot wise.

SYD-HKG lunch departure red eye back here is hoping.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

re: VA to HKG from mid 2017 [From Where?]

I know the HKG based members are hoping VA can find the slots!

 

[Pleb Status]

re: VA to HKG from mid 2017 [From Where?]

Although extra VA international flying would be nice, anything that takes the 332 off the transcon routes would most likely be a negative for me.

 

[kamchatsky]

re: VA to HKG from mid 2017 [From Where?]

The tricky thing about VA going to HKG, is that unless they do code shares with HNA airlines (e.g. HX, UO), I don't think I can make that much money from this route, especially against CX and QF.

Also what timings do that want to HKG for? If it is only 1 flight per day then they would have issue on transit traffic on one of the legs. In theory the best is for both flights to be overnights for connectivity. However it means that the aeroplane will just sit on the tarmac for a long time, which is not ideal.

 

[tm.smile]

re: VA to HKG from mid 2017 [From Where?]

Rumours are that they couldn't get slots with the same time each day at HKG, which would have meant a different arrival and departure every day...

 

[RickyT84]

re: VA to HKG from mid 2017 [From Where?]

Rumours are that they couldn't get slots with the same time each day at HKG, which would have meant a different arrival and departure every day...

That's not surprising given that the second QF service from SYD (QF117/118 or QF83/180) departs and arrives at different times depending on the day of the week.

Until the third runway is built, slots will be tight in HKG.

 

[Moopere]

re: VA to HKG from mid 2017 [From Where?]

I travel PER-HKG 3-4 times a year and have to say, I'm pretty much over the SIN stopover. Also I seem to struggle to get decent flights in/out of SIN, and usually end up on the 1am out and 5am in flights ... its fine for a few trips, but I'm getting close to my limit I think. All this not helped I guess by the pretty old interiors on SQ ex PER either.

So, initial excitement at the prospect of burning bazillions of points on J upgrades via VA ... but I'm not going to travel to SYD or BNE first ... and if there is much prospect of losing the transcon 330's ... well ... its going to end up pretty much being all bad for me.

So people are saying it seems unlikely VA would fly a 330 out of PER to go direct to HKG ... I reckon they'd do ok, even if only a few times a week rather than a flight a day. Its been ages since I've taken SQ out of PER without the flight being chockers ... now, of course, stopping in SIN I don't know where those passengers end points are, but there is no doubt about the numbers going to asia from PER in general.

Oh, by the by, had the opportunity to remind myself of how unimpressive SQ 380's are in Y as I did this SIN-HKG last week. 10 across down the back ... yuck.