Sydney Airport Message Board - VA and JQ to Fiji

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VA and JQ to Fiji

Looks like both V Australia and Jetstar will be flying to Fiji Quite soon going by the attached article. However I think going by their proposals they did not get their full requested allotments. I think this will initially allow JQ to fly their A321 4 x weekly and VA using Pacific Blues capacity to fly the 777's to Fiji but not to 100% capacity for all 7 days.

Travel Today 23/10
http://www.travelweekly.com.au/articles/A1/0C064EA1.asp

Quote:

V Australia has been awarded 907 seats of capacity per week, but the carrier must launch services by December 31 this year.

Am i right in saying VAU will need to get their roller skates on to meet this deadline?

I presume they will act on their plans now they have approval. Don't forget all the pax on the existing DJ flight will automatically be moved to the new VA services.

V Australia with 907 seats.

That is not even 3 fully loaded planes for them!

Yet another failed launch by them I would say, as an average they are allowed 129 people per flight, assuming they run 7 x 777-300ER's per week.

Well done....:o

At least my shares in them are going well :cool:

Andrew - that's 907 seats plus the existing PB capacity - it allows for the daily 777 service.

Adam could you check your private messages.

Thanks mate.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam G (Post 36381)

Andrew - that's 907 seats plus the existing PB capacity - it allows for the daily 777 service.

Yes I know but from memory they wanted daily 777 service?

That's the point - the 907 plus the existing PB capacity allow a daily 777 service on the route.

granted it allows for a daily 777 service, but does it impact on the level of PB services from other cities (BNE, ADL etc)?

Because if not, why did they ask for more seats if all they needed was 907 additional seats to get the daily 777?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam G (Post 36384)

That's the point - the 907 plus the existing PB capacity allow a daily 777 service on the route.

Oh okay.. I read it is V Australia get 907 seats and PB keep their existing capacity..

I wasn't aware they could combine them....:)

They can combine them (as per the original request for allocation).

It wouldnt allow for a daily 777 operation. The increase would only allow for a 6 x weekly 777 operation.

Travelweekly reports yesterday that VA will be able to fly 6 a week now, and daily if they use the unused 360 seats they still have.A spokesperson said that the unused 360 seats are for a increase MEL-NAN and ADL-NAN in 2010.

Source

http://www.travelweekly.com.au/dirpl...23_10_2009.pdf

Morning all,

Here is a schedule that I found for the V Aus flights to Fiji.

Quote:

Per GDS timetable display on 31OCT09, V Australia starting 18DEC09 will launch Daily Sydney – Nadi Boeing 777-300ER service. However, reservation is not yet available at the time of this post goes to press.

VA027 SYD0810 – 1320 NAN 77W D
VA028 NAN1455 – 1820 SYD 77W D

Service from 01FEB10 operates 6 weekly (Day x3)

Source: Airline Route Updates

Fares are :
Economy $199
Premium Economy $469
Business $649

All one way and inclusive of taxes.

From V Australia

Quote:

V AUSTRALIA OFFERS $199* FARES TO FIJI – NO BULA!

NEW FLIGHTS TO TAKE OFF DECEMBER 18

Thursday 5 November 2009, Brisbane, Australia: V Australia will launch direct daily flights between Australia and Fiji in time for Christmas following the decision handed down today by the International Air Services Commission to formally grant V Australia its requested capacity.

The new, three-class V Australia flights will begin on 18 December 2009, bringing V Australia’s world class product and services to one of the region’s most important tourism markets.

V Australia applied for the rights to operate daily flights between Sydney and Nadi in August and will operate its brand new, 361 seat Boeing 777-300ER aircraft on the route, replacing existing Pacific Blue flights that currently service the route for the Virgin Blue Airlines Group.

It will mean more seats to Fiji for Australian holiday-makers, more bargain fares and the option of being able to travel across the Pacific to Fiji in Premium Economy or International Business Class cabins. All cabins are inclusive of food and beverage service and complimentary in-flight entertainment via the award winning individual seat back RED program.

To celebrate the announcement, V Australia is offering special launch fares, including:

International Economy from $199* one way on the Internet (inclusive of taxes)

International Premium Economy from $469* one way on the Internet (inclusive of taxes)

International Business from $649* one way on the Internet (inclusive of taxes)

The sale is on from now until midnight 30 November 2009 for specific travel periods.^

Virgin Blue Chief Executive, Brett Godfrey said, “We’re very pleased to be increasing our capacity and introducing V Australia to and from one of Australia’s best loved international getaway destinations. Fiji has long been a holiday hot spot, particularly for families and honeymooning couples. They will now be able to get their holiday or honeymoon off to a great start flying in on Australia’s new international airline in the comfort of any of our three cabins.”

V Australia will use one of its existing 777-300ER aircraft to operate the Sydney to Nadi flights in lieu of the aircraft sitting idle on the tarmac at Sydney Airport in between trans-Pacific flights. The 10 hour round trip has the dual purpose of allowing V Australia to achieve maximum aircraft utilisation while giving Pacific Blue the opportunity to re-direct its aircraft to other new and existing routes.

Brett Godfrey added, “The timing of the V Australia flights will remain in line with the current Pacific Blue flights and will provide convenient connections for US-based guests coming out to Australia and then onwards to Fiji.”

The services will launch daily and from 1 February onwards, will operate six days per week (excluding Wednesday). This is in line with the reduction of Sydney-Los Angeles flights from seven days per week to six days per week, and with previously announced plans to introduce a weekly direct Melbourne-Johannesburg flights from March 2010 (subject to regulatory approval).

$649 for business - I'm there!

How often has their 777 gone tech and needed to be cancelled??? Not many.

Don't see it as an issue really.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew (Post 37012)

I guess the only issue while the fleet numbers are low is operational recovery should a 777 go belly-up in NAN. I am assuming there isn't much fat in the rotations to allow for significant delays?

Hitting the Trans-Pac services could be costly considering this market is more important to V then Fiji from a yield and market share perspective.

OTP is the number 1 consumer driver for satisfaction over all aspects of the end-to-end experience.

It is a commercial risk - but not a major one. The 777 is extreemly reliable.

It's the same issue for most airlines that fly to ports without major engineering coverage. JQ & QF also hit these hurdles and regurlaly.

There is 2h5m turn around in SYD ex LAX, 1h25m in NAN ex SYD & 2h35m in SYD ex NAN. Plenty of slack should there be delays. Crew hour limitations are to be more of a factor should a pro-longed weather or technical delay occur. But ofcourse nothing is ever fool proof.

Will the current issues in the political climate of Fiji have an impact on all carrier ops to Fiji? Is ther a certain political trigger that will either recommend cessation of flights to Fiji, or to cancell all flights?

If V Australia is selling $199 for Economy to NAN, should Pacific Blue cease to operate the same route and turn those aircrafts to somewhere else? I think no one will be going to pay the same or even more on Pacific Blue to NAN ever again where there's no luggage, food and entertainment provided for free where V Australia can.

Arthur,

Pac Blue will no longer operate SYD-NAN it will be stand alone V Australia.

Please refrain from quoting the entire above post as it is unecessary - mod.

What is DJ now going to do with the Aircraft they've used for the route? I think they were linked into NZ routes and I think it would be tough for them to increase there with so much cheap competition :confused:

Mike,

It maybe used on other Pacific Blue routes or even back operating VB routes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike W (Post 37104)

[
What is DJ now going to do with the Aircraft they've used for the route? :

Looks like they get an extra 4 morning SYD-AKL flights and going 5 weekly with SYD-WLG

I think Pacific Blue may be able to operate new routes to beat other carriers monopoly by transferring those DJ capacity to Fiji?

I think despite launching a new service to NZ which already has too many competition, launching new Pacific Blue B737 service from Darwin to Singapore, Darwin to Hong Kong and Cairns to Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong will be able to effectively beat Cathay Pacific, Thai and its parent Singapore Airlines as well as JetStar and Tiger that to provide a low cost, high quality aviation service from SE Asia to Australia for leisure?

Think DJ may find difficult to increasing service to NZ whilst Qantas, JetStar, Air New Zealand and Emirates had already put so much seats on the route, but apparently there is a large potential on Darwin and Northern Queensland to connect with Asia and attract them to come relax in Australia at a comparable cost with Thailand, Malaysia or Indonesia; so I believe using B737 for Cairns/Darwin departure, in additional of the state tourism promotion will really work to enhance yield for the group.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Morrison (Post 37125)

Looks like they get an extra 4 morning SYD-AKL flights and going 5 weekly with SYD-WLG

Well, there you go. Maybe it's not so tough because they in fact are the cheap competition :rolleyes: