Virgin Blue 767's for US flights

[Life as a journey]

News off the press: DJ is apparently bringing 767's to the line for OZ-US flights. Any truth in that?

[Keg]

Only if they want to go via HNL. Direct LAX would be a bit of a struggle for a laden 767. Not sure about the 767-400 though but I wouldn't have thought it would improve things by the three-ish extra hours of endurance it would need to get ot LAX from SYD. 777s maybe?!?!

[The_Cutest_of_Borg]

767-400 has slightly LESS range than the -300. So it ain't that.

[rescue 1]

I seem to recall another airline that was keeping its head above water, then decided to operate to overseas destinations...and it went broke.

Surely vB is still consolidating within the domestic arena, and should focus on not only increasing, but maintaining market share.

[sinala1]

If DJ were going to look at something like this, it would operate on a separate financial basis to the domestic operations - so if the long haul USA section did not survive, the domestic operations would not be hugely affected. My guess is that it would operate as part of Pacific Blue (Australia)...

The reports on PPRUNE and also in the media a week or two ago suggested 777's or 747's, not sure where the 767 rumours came from?

The USA idea was just one of 15 ideas raised by the Business Development Unit recently presented to DJ management, and heres hoping it goes ahead! Cheers :ok:

[Buster Hyman]

I can't understand a 767 order, unless it was bargain basement from Boeing, possibly to give some credibility to the B764 program.

Surely 777's or A345's for this run. Mind you, competition to HNL is always welcome...IMHO.:ok:

[bombshell]

Unless they are looking at going via HNL then the 767 is a non runner, not enough legs for direct West Coast.
If they go ahead then possibly as Buster has said, 777s or 345s. I would hazard a guess that it would more likely be old 400s from SIA, a lot cheaper (80-100 mil cheaper per A/C ?) and does the job well!

[whipping boy]

What about fifth freedom rights through Nadi to Honolulu in the 737-800?

Anyway VB are examining India as a possible low cost operation destination, once that's set up and this government allows them to operate domestically within Australia the kiwis,who are happy to work for a leg of mutton once a week,will suddenly look expensive.

[Ghost Rider]

VB won't need any A/C for the US routes. VB will simply start another company 51% owned to satisfy the The Minister for QF John Anderson ownership requirements. It will then subcontract Virgin Atlantic when starts coming to Oz from the Uk to continue to the US. These US bound A/C will then meet up with Virgin Atlantic A/C from the UK in San Fran & LA.

It will be Singapore's answer to flying East out of Oz and Sir Dick will have a truely global airline

:8

[Life as a journey]

Yeah, but the 6 is going to stop somewhere in the Pac Basin.
We'll se I guess. Thanks for the replies.

[GT-R]

You don't call it a 6.

[Taildragger67]

Ghost Rider's scenario sounds logical.

Or maybe just charter a couple of 'buses from VS.

[Life as a journey]

Um, I should think 0 hours on type would enable me to call it a 6. As it happens, with over 7000 hours on the beast, of which 4500 is LHS, I may have earnt the privilege of calling it a beast of burden, in fact. Either way, it appears DJ are setting up for the Boeing 767-300ER series to fly trans Pacific. Anyone have an actual on this?

[johhnyrelegate]

Life as a Journey

Thanks for that last post. So succinct it was worth coming out of hiding just to acknowledge your sense of humour.


So, for GT-R:

To quote yourself Sir it seems: You don't call it a 6!


:}

[The_Cutest_of_Borg]

767 makes no sense at all..... UNLESS... VB have decided to break from the business model and have a second type to match the QF widebodies on the east coast.

Even then sending 767's to the states via a niche market like HNL makes little sense. If VB want to do their usual trick and cherry-pick the most profitable routes, then direct to the states is the only way to go. I'll put this in the "believe it when I see it" file.

[Buster Hyman]

Well, I guess if I'm travelling Trans-Pac in a LCC, then I'd want to get off somewhere to stretch my legs!

I've always thought that HNL was an underserved market, once the 744 became "King of the Route" (an old nickname of mine, but that's another story!;) :p :E ). Perhaps DJ have learned a lesson from AN's excursion to all points international. Serve the needs of your own market! AN thought it could cherry pick the foreign market and their need to travel here, instead of catering to where Australians wanted to go. Subsequently, for example, when the Asian downturn hit Taiwan, they realised that the traffic was one way from TPE & the locals, if they did travel, stuck to CA & EVA, not AN.

[slamer]

How-bout..... OZ (somewhere) - NAN - LAX?

this could be seen as competition with QF, fit DJ/PB's strategic aspiration's and lower the QF share price all in one go.

Assuming it's a B767 (or should I say, sixty-seven!!) & in LCC Config, would be a very long 11hrs!. Anyone know how the Economy seat config in Air Pacific compares to Virgins layout?

[Essential Buzz]

I wonder who would pay for the type rating training for any of this - DJ or the pilots?

[Arcturus]

Many DJ pilots are already B767 rated with considerable international experience on type.

[PLJ]

Why not let the PB boys take care of it - plenty of B747 & B777 check and training experience there!

[Cool banana]

Why would u fly to HNL you have Air Canada. Air Pacific, Qantas, Air New Zealand and now Hawiian all flying there from Oz

[Buster Hyman]

It's not necissarily the HNL destination that's unique, it's more the origin. ie; MEL-HNL or BNE-HNL rather than ex SYD or via AKL/NAN.:)